He nodded when she replied that he made it seem so easy, he was an optimist, a gentleman ought to be, at least in public. No good came of moping about things that might never come to be, but her did have his thoughts on the matter and his own successes worried him. "A gentleman needs his successes to be allowed to court the right sort of ladies, that is what I am told, so I try to plan for that." he mused to himself with a smile. He had not even got those successes yet and somehow the right kind of lady was willing to have him by her side, but Millie wasn't looking for a husband who would provide, so he got a pass on that, what the future would say about the matter was anyone's guess.

"Nothing you would do could be unseemly, it's not in your character." he complimented to her with warmth.

He gave a murmur when she mentioned DeCroix and Grace being snapped up, from what he had heard the pretty French girl would be leaving soon anyway, and Grace, seemed like she could find a good match, she was a little peculiar by reputation but he couldn't find any reason to mark her down. Ben wouldn't go too far into talking about other girls that he knew little of though, it was impolite. He did have a little smirk though. "I hope Miss Moony finds someone to suit her too." He was unsure of Anne, her reaction to him and Millie was quite abrupt, but it came from a place of love so that was that.

His heart skipped a beat as her head came resting on his shoulder as if it was the most natural thing to do, they had shared closeness but today's public closeness was a declaration to the world of their affection for each other. At least to the part of the world who had no idea who they were and would not spread gossip about the school about them. Oh, and of course Millie's cousin, there would be no pretence around her any more, and falsehoods of mere friends would be impossible to maintain now they had been so affectionately walking. So Ben leaned in a little, not to place his lips to her head, but to briefly rest his cheek on her hair and make a noise with his mouth to kiss her by implication.

They walked in silence before Millie would feel the grip she had loosened and Benedict's attention was drawn to the row of pedal cycles waiting to be taken up the long pier out to see. "I want to do that." Neither Millie nor Zinnia protested the idea, although Zinnia and Emery would need to wait at this end of the pair as the cycle would not accommodate the baby who was just now waking up to feed. It was pleasing that Zinnia trusted them both, or at least she trusted that Millie would not associate with a boy of ill intent.

One side was for the man, he with the strength to cycle and show off to the woman who would sit on the other side and glide gracefully along under her man's effort. Benedict liked that, it spoke to the little knight inside him yearning to be chivalrous. He held Millie's hand to help her into the saddle before taking his seat and beginning to ride. The wheels made a wonderfully quaint noise on the wooden pier but soon they were off, they could enjoy the breeze, and the smell of the ocean, and quickly found themselves distanced from the shore