Chapter Text
“At any rate,” Colin was still grumbling, “I am not going to marry soon, and I am certainly not going to marry Penelope Featherington!” (ch18 of AOFAG)
It had been two days and yet those cursed words still reverberated around her head. He would never marry her. Logically part of her had always known this, because why would he, but her heart had always held that sliver of hope that one day he would see her the same way she saw him. That sliver had now shattered and turned to dust, leaving her heart fragmented, a piece of it forever missing.
She had seen him arrive earlier with his family and ever since she had been doing her best to avoid him. Every time she saw his head of chestnut hair or heard his laugh in the crowd she quickly headed in the opposite direction. She didn’t expect him to bring up ‘The Incident’ in public but she would rather not see him all the same. Spying an open door onto the darkened balcony she slipped outside for a few moments of quiet away from the crush of the ballroom.
He spotted her as soon as he entered the room, despite her diminutive height it was hard not to with her red hair and yellow dress, she was like a beacon. He wanted to speak to her, he desperately needed to apologise for his blunder the other day. He honestly hadn’t meant it as a personal insult to Penelope, she would make a fine wife for some chap. He simply wasn’t ready to settle down yet and he was sick of his mother trying to push the poor girl on him. She had insisted that he hadn’t offended her but really no one would like to hear a declaration like that would they?
It seemed that every time he had her in his sights she would disappear again into the crowd before he got close. He was on his way to the refreshment table when he saw a flash of yellow through one of the balcony windows, only a Featherington would be seen in such a shade. Without a second thought he changed his course and headed outside.
“Penelope, can we talk for a moment?” she didn’t respond, she was still leaning against the balustrade staring out at the stars, lost in thought. He moved towards her and gently tapped her on the shoulder “Pen..”
“Wha…. oh” She spun around quickly, so quickly that she caught the hem of her own dress and tumbled forward straight into Colin’s chest. The one person she had been avoiding and she was now in his arms. He held her tightly against him as she regained her balance in her flustered state. Finally she forced herself to look up at him so that she could thank him for catching her but before she could open her mouth she heard the loud cry of “PENELOPE FEATHERINGTON WHAT ARE YOU DOING!” Her blood ran cold at her mother’s words, Colin’s face looked panicked and pale. They instantly jumped apart but a sickening tear echoed between them and they both froze again. The fussy lace detailing of the front of her dress, which her mother had insisted on, was still attached to the button of Colin Bridgerton’s coat. Unfortunately a large portion of the front of her bodice was still attached to that lace meaning that rather more of her was on display than she would have prefered. She could feel herself turning beetroot as her mother barrelled towards her, arms flapping like a panicked mother hen.
It all happened so quickly that Colin had barely any time to register what had transpired, one moment he was catching Penelope as she stumbled, the next he was staring down at her exposed décolletage. For a brief moment he could see the tops of her rosy nipples pushed up by her stays peeking above the low line of her chemise before she was shielded from his view by first her mother and then his own. “Colin what on earth has been going on out here?” his mother demanded as she detached the front of Penelope’s bodice that was still hanging from his jacket button. “Yes Mr Bridgerrton, would you care to explain yourself?” came the voice of Lady Danbury from his left. He looked around to see a small crowd had now formed to see what all the commotion was, Penelope’s face painted crimson with embarrassment, Portia still fussing trying to find a way to cover her daughter and the livid face of his own mother. “It was an accident,” he said helplessly.
There was no stopping the gossip now, they had been seen in a compromising position by a dozen or so of the guests, who then quickly spread the details to the rest of them in mere minutes. Even Lady Whistledown couldn’t control this narrative if she tried. She was ruined. They would have to marry, but she couldn’t do that to Colin. She didn’t want to trap him into a marriage he didn’t want but she couldn’t think straight right now. They had been ushered into a small parlour away from prying eyes while the Featherington carriage was fetched. Colin had offered her his jacket to preserve her modesty but really the damage was done wasn’t it. She could run away she supposed, she had some savings from her earnings as Whistledown but she wasn’t sure how far that would get her. If she did that she’d never see any of her family again or Eloise.
“Well obviously they will have to marry, and quickly if we are to limit the scandal” both mothers seemed to be in agreement on this point but Colin had not uttered a word since offering her his coat some ten minutes ago. She chanced a glance at him but his expression was unreadable, he looked lost in thought but his features gave no clue as to their direction. They didn’t speak again until their carriage was announced “I’ll call on you tomorrow” he said simply, without his signature smile. She had never seen him look so somber.
He knew he should speak, but unusually for him he was lost for words. What could he really say? Explaining how it was all an accident would be pointless now that the entire ballroom was whispering about them. Their mothers were pacing, talking about wedding plans. His fate, his life was being planned out in front of him and he couldn’t speak. No, not just his life, his and Penelope’s. She must be feeling just as helpless as him, more so even for at least he had options. They weren’t honourable options but they were still options. He had his own money, he could leave and escape the gossip but Pen didn’t deserve the censure that she would be left to endure alone. They would have to marry, it was the right thing to do even if his heart felt like lead.
…
Penelope fidgeted with the ruffle trim on her dress as she sat in the parlour waiting for Colin to call. Her mama had woken her early to have her primped and ready for his visit no matter what time he graced their doorstep “it won’t do to keep him waiting Penelope, we can’t give him any chance to change his mind.” So her hair had been ‘artfully’ arranged and she had been trussed up in her stays and a Portia approved morning gown and deposited on the small settee in the parlour to wait. Luckily it was barely half past nine when he arrived and was ushered into the room by a practically gleefully Portia. It was truly shameful how openly excited she was by this match considering it’s origins.
“Good morning Penelope, how did you sleep?”
“Good morning Colin, well thank you.” This was a lie of course, but she could hardly tell him she had been awake half the night crying.
“I brought you something,” he said as he fished in his pocket before taking a seat next to her. “We should make it official.” He opened the small blue box in his hand to reveal an elegant ring set with a sapphire. “I thought this one would suit you best” he continued, his free hand rubbing the back of his neck as he averted his gaze from her.
“Oh!” She hadn’t been expecting this. “But you don’t want to marry me Colin.” It was a statement not a question and it hung awkwardly in the air between them.
Meeting her watery gaze he replied “Pen we must marry. I know what I said but if we don’t, you’ll be ruined. In truth I hadn’t planned to marry for several years more, but fate has other ideas it seems”
She wanted to marry for love, the dream that most young girls have and in her dreams she was marrying Colin Bridgerton. Of course in her dreams he loved her too.
She still hadn’t moved to take the ring and Colin could feel a bubble of irritation forming in the back of his mind, what was taking her so long?
Surely she wasn’t planning on refusing him was she? She could hardly afford to refuse in her position and he was considered somewhat of a catch in The Ton, despite his own personal feelings on that matter.
“Are you sure?”
“What is the other option Penelope?”
With a resigned nod she held out her hand to him. They were engaged.
Well dear reader it seems that the end of the world is nigh. Miss Penelope Featherington is to meet a Bridgerton brother at the altar after all. Following a balcony rendezvous at the Melbeck ball between the quiet young miss and the charming third Bridgerton it has been announced that the pair will wed in scarcely three weeks.
LADY WHISTLEDOWN’S SOCIETY PAPERS, 19th JUNE 1817