Colin – Resourceful

Rose Kentington was too quiet. For someone who had opinionated sisters who were seldom quiet, it was unnerving. "Rose, I was wondering… how do you think I am doing with my courtship of Penelope?" He was trying not to jostle her too much as they headed back to the house.

"It helps that she now knows she's being courted." Rose's voice was so low that he had to strain himself to hear her. "You'll need to pull a few tricks from up your sleeve before you ask her to marry you."

"I am going to need your help choosing a ring when I get round to asking her. So do not go leaving us to our own devices anytime soon. Your husband will never forgive me." Rose's breathing was laboured as though she was struggling to breathe through the pain.

"Do not worry Colin. Rose chuckled, wincing when the vibrations through her body pained her. "I am not going anywhere. My husband would never forgive me either. Besides, it took you by the sounds of it, far too long to notice the gift Penelope is. So heaven knows what sort of ring you would choose if left alone."

Colin breathlessly laughed. "Did you know Penelope literally knocked the breath out of me when we first met?" He needed to keep Rose talking. They were almost there.

"That sounds like an interesting story. How did she manage that?" Rose raised her head slightly and sighed in relief at the sight of the house.

"Benedict and I were riding and fooling around. Penelope was out walking with her mother and sisters and her bonnet blew off of her head, hit me in the face and knocked me off of my horse right into a mud puddle." He hadn't thought about that day in years.

"I have a feeling she will be leaving you breathless for years to come." Rose smiled up at him. "That young woman has a big heart and she loves you with all of it."

Colin realised as they got to the door that Penelope had, had the foresight to have Rose's mother waiting for them. The Doctor arrived moments after he carried Rose into her room.

"I've already sent someone for her husband." His mother was also waiting for them.

"Thank you mother. Where's Penelope?" He had been expecting her to be waiting for them.

"She and Eloise are keeping young Marcus entertained while the Doctor is seeing to his mother." She led Colin out of the room while the Doctor was examining Rose. "What happened?"

"I don't know. One moment we were walking around your gardens and the next Rose was doubled over in pain." He had never seen such a strong woman look so fragile.

"Where's my wife?" Gerald didn't stop until he got in his wife's room. Colin merely pointed in the right direction and stood aside.

A few tense moments later Maria Trapp walked out of the room. "Thank you for getting Rose here so quickly. The Doctor has said she will be fine with a little rest."

"But she seemed in so much pain." Colin was confused. If a bit of rest was all she had needed, why was she in such agony.

"She was with child. The baby did not make it." Maria looked a mixture of devastated and relieved. Devastated at the loss of a grandchild she would never get to know, yet relieved that her daughter would be fine.

"I take it Rose did not know she was with child." Violet read between the lines.

"No." Maria shook her head. "They have always wanted a big family but it seems it was not to be. I would appreciate it if as few as possible people know about this."

"Of course." Colin could only begin to imagine how painful this was for Rose and Gerald. "We will just tell anyone who asks that Rose got too much sun today and Gerald chose to stay in the room with his wife tonight."

"Thank you. Please let Penelope know I will fetch Marcus shortly." Maria headed for the door to her daughter's room.

"There's no rush." Colin felt the words leave his mouth before thinking them. "We will look after Marcus. Take all the time you need."

Maria reached out and squeezed Colin's hand. "Thank you. Please thank Penelope and your sister for me also."

Colin thought about what Maria had said for a moment. "Eloise was being helpful? I thought she and Pen were not speaking. Eloise avoids children like the plague."

"Your sister and Penelope put their differences aside to help out someone in need." Violet beckoned her son away from Rose's room. "We must get back to our guests before anyone starts asking questions." She took in the few members of staff close by. "None of this is to be discussed. Is that understood?" The staff all solemnly nodded.

"I think I will take Marcus and the ladies down to the pond to feed the ducks." Colin would need to let Penelope know that Rose would be alright and he didn't want it to end up in Lady Whistledown's paper.

"That's a good idea." Violet was pleased that her son and Penelope were spending so much time together. And if Eloise and Penelope could mend their rift at the same time, all would be right with the world.

Colin fetched some bread from their cook and went in search of Penelope, Eloise and Marcus. He watched for a moment when he spotted them. Marcus was sitting on Penelope's lap showing Eloise how to sign something.

"Colin!" Of course Penelope saw him before his sister did. "How is our friend." She lowered her voice when he got closer and chose her words carefully while Eloise kept Marcus' attention as she clumsily signed whatever Marcus was teaching her.

"I am informed she will be fine with a little rest." He could see that Penelope had questions. "Why don't we go and feed the ducks?" He crouched down in front of Marcus so he could see what Colin was saying. "You and Eloise will need to chaperone us." The little boy giggled and held out his hand.

"So what are we telling anyone who might ask about your friend?" Eloise brushed herself off and took hold of Marcus' other hand.

"She simply got too much sun and needs to rest." Colin looked around him to check no one was listening. "Hopefully that won't rate enough interest to end up in Lady Whistledown's paper."

Eloise glanced over at Penelope. "I am sure it will not. One does wonder why she did not name Cressida Cowper in an earlier issue though."

"Perhaps it was because someone such as Cressida Cowper revels in being the centre of attention. Good or bad." Penelope recalled that her first instinct was to call Cressida out by name. Then she had taken a deep breath and realised Cressida would just make it seem as though Lady Whistledown was just jealous of her popularity.

"You may be right." Eloise sniffed indignantly. "By the way brother, I meant to thank you for earlier. If you had not called out to Lord Westbridge, Antony would not have come forward and I would still be surrounded by imbeciles."

"Thank Penelope." Colin got the distinct impression that there was a second conversation going on between Penelope and Eloise that he was not privy to. "She noticed him before I did."

"Really?" Eloise gave her friend a small smile. "Pen's good at noticing things before anyone else."

They reached the pond and Colin handed Marcus a piece of bread to feed the ducks who eagerly swam towards them. While the little boy was distracted, Colin filled the two women in on a few details.

"Her husband will never leave her side now." Eloise seemed to find the idea disagreeable.

"He rarely did anyway Eloise." Penelope smiled thoughtfully. "They enjoy each other's company therefore it is not the burden you imagine it may be."

"I suppose not." It had given Eloise something to think about. "If there were someone who viewed me as an equal and not just someone to warm their bed and produce children for them, then there may be some appeal to that."

"As much as I know you both resent potential suitors being put in your paths, has your mother ever desired anything for you other than a love match?" Penelope crouched beside Marcus to hand him some more bread.

"No." Colin admitted. "It doesn't make it any less frustrating though." But he and his siblings never doubted their mother only wanted the best for them all and for them to be happy.

"She does try and find gentlemen I might have something in common with." Eloise admitted. "I would just prefer to find someone by myself without interference."

"I am sorry about Theo." Penelope tossed a scrap of bread to the eager ducks. "I know you do not believe me but I was only trying to protect you and things got out of hand."

"I know." Eloise sighed. "You did try and warn me a number of times before Lady Whistledown had her say. Just as you did with Colin."

"Who is Theo?" Colin was completely lost in this conversation. "What do you mean 'just as you did with Colin?'

"Did Pen not warn you that Miss Thompson's feelings towards you might not be true?" Eloise demanded. "It was only when Lady Whistledown published it that either of us paid any attention."

Eloise was right. Penelope had tried to warn him a couple of times. "I'm so sorry Pen." He turned to find her gone. She had gotten tired of being talked about as if she wasn't there and had taken Marcus back to the house. "Do I do that alot?"

"You mean talk about Pen as though she isn't there or fail to notice that she is there in the first place?" Eloise nodded. "Everybody does. The difference between us and everyone else is that we do not mean to."

"How have I not noticed her all these years?" He waited for Eloise to mock him.

"I wish I could say you would the only one." Eloise looked towards the house. "Come on. We will need to get ready for dinner and you need to find Pen."