A Storm Is Brewing

The weather had been looking grim for a couple of days now. Penelope was not going to sit around listening to Prudence gripe for a third day running. Her Mama would not concern herself if she went out for an hour or two. Actually, she probably would not notice the absence of her youngest daughter.

Sneaking out had become something of a talent for her. Making sure to take an umbrella and a cloak in case the heavens opened up, she headed out through the kitchen. Mrs Varley was upstairs with her Mama so there was no one to notice her leaving alone.

Empty streets met her everywhere she walked as obviously nobody else was wlling to chance getting caught in the rain. She quite enjoyed the rain. It was refreshing sometimes as though London was washing away the previous day's mistakes. That was until a flash of lightning crossed the sky.

Spotting a gazebo across the park, she picked up her skirts and ran over to it for some shelter. After all she had no desire to head home, and it was only until the lightning eased off. The clap of thunder did not make it seem as though that would be anytime soon. She only grew concerned when the wind picked up and turned into a full-blown storm.

Suddenly this did not seem as though it had been the best idea. Not that she thought anyone in her family would even realise she wasn't there. The rain kept getting heavier although the lightning was lessening. Then out of the curtains of rain, a figure ran towards the gazebo. It appeared someone else was chancing the weather.

Ducking into the gazebo the gentleman shook out his coat and turned to face her. "Pen! What on earth are you doing out in this? Has your maid gone for your carriage?"

Of course, Colin would find her out here. "No, I wanted to be alone." There was no need for him to know her family could not afford a houseful of servants. She had worked out that her Mama was keeping a tight fist on the funds that Cousin Jack had left on the off chance that she or Prudence required their dowries.

So, Penelope was still angry with him. Just lately he kept putting his foot in his mouth around her. He felt as though he had lost his best friend even though she was his sister's best friend. But when he thought about it, Eloise had not visited with Penelope since the Featherington ball.

"I do not seem to be able to say the right thing around you lately." It was strange seeing as he was always being told how charming he was. Still, it wasn't very charming to announce in a young lady's home that you would never dream of courting her.

"Perhaps I am not the right person to be around." Penelope gazed out at the rain wondering if she could make a run for it. Being around Colin Bridgerton just reminded her of what she could never have.

"But I enjoy being around you." He moved so he was standing right behind her. She looked so fetching in blue. It was not like her to hold a grudge which told him just how deeply his thoughtless words had wounded her. "I am sorrier than you could ever know that I hurt you."

A shiver went through her when his breath drifted across her neck. She had not realised that he was standing so close. Of his regret she had no doubt, but if she was to be free of her family and make something of her life, she could not keep pining after a man who saw her as nothing more than a friend. "You do not have to say that."

"I am not just saying that." He missed her even though she stood right in front of him. Removing his coat, he placed it around her shoulders so that she did not get cold. "Will you ever forgive me for being a fool?"

"You have no intention of courting me. That is your prerogative. There is nothing to forgive." She kept watching the rain so that he could not see her expression. She knew that she had an expressive face is one paid attention to her.

"But there is." He was moments away from dropping to his knees and begging her to forget what she had overheard. Her red hair flying around her face in the wind like fingers of flames. "I had every intention of courting you the following day, but after seeing us dance so did a number of others. I stupidly said the first thing that came to mind."

"I have known you for years." Penelope finally turned around, surprised at how close to her he was. "Why now? I am still the same person I was when you began courting my cousin." In fact, he flirted with every woman in town who was not related to him with the exception of her and thankfully her sisters.

"Because I fell in love with you." This was too important to be flippant or lie. He needed her to be sure that he meant every word. "I have loved you for ages but was too immature to realise it."

Stunned Penelope searched his expression to see if he was having a laugh at her expense. But he was deadly serious. She was not sure what to do with this information. Most of her life, at least the part since she had known Colin, she had dreamed of him being as in love with her as she was with him.

"Are you not going to say something?" Her silence was as deafening as the thunder. He was distracted for a moment by a couple of dogs who joined them in the gazebo and shook themselves dry.

Penelope did not even register the dogs making a pest of themselves. "You are in love with me?" She glanced down trying to process this and noticed the doggie couple.

"Completely and overwhelmingly." Colin cautiously pulled her into his arms. "Fool that I am for saying I would never court you." He never wanted to be away from her. Moving slowly so that Penelope had the chance to say no, he bent to kiss her.

Did Colin Bridgerton really say he wanted to court her? It was a fleeting thought before abandoning all thoughts to be absorbed in his kiss. Was this what she had been missing out on?

"Bridgerton! Is that you?" Lord Fyfe brought them both crashing back to reality. "What on earth are you doing out in this weather?" Then he spotted Penelope. "Thought you said you would never dream of courting the girl."

"Actually, I am going to marry her." Colin was furious at both himself for not being more considerate of Penelope's reputation and Fyfe for his rudeness towards her. "That is, if she says yes." The two dogs had shifted to sit in front of her as if protecting her.

Fyfe's jaw dropped. "Surely you aren't serious."

Colin was seriously considering decking the man when Penelope spoke up. "More serious than you are regarding the lady you spent time with in one of the closets at my mama's ball." He had never heard her sound colder or look more regal with the two hounds sitting either side of her feet.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." His expression said otherwise. In fact, he looked as though he wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole.

"If I know about it, you can be sure Lady Whistledown knows." She held his gaze, refusing to back down even though she was shaking inside.

Fyfe looked at Colin as though he expected him to back him up, but only found contempt. He cleared his throat nervously. "Perhaps it would be best if we forgot we had seen each other today."

"I think that would be best." The look Penelope was giving him was pure distain. "Good day Lord Fyfe."

Fyfe nodded to Penelope and Colin and hurried away. Once he was out of sight everyone in the gazebo relaxed, dog and human. Colin was stunned and incredibly turned on. He had never seen this side of her. "Are you alright?"

"I think so." Penelope sank down on the bench. With any luck Lord Fyfe would keep quiet in return for her silence. "It looks as though the weather is clearing. I should head home." She handed his jacket back to him.

"Pen." He grabbed her hand. "Will you marry me?" He was deadly serious. Dropping to one knee he kissed the hand he still had hold of. "Penelope Anne Featherington will you do me the immense honour of becoming my wife?" He had never felt so nervous.

"Fyfe will not tell anyone that he saw you alone with me." Penelope did not want Colin to feel as though he had to marry her.

"I was intending to ask you to marry me before Fyfe saw us." He could understand why she doubted him. There were so many different ways he could have responded that night to the mocking. It was stupid to say it at a ball in her home.

He was? She desperately wanted to say yes, but she was tired of being everyone's joke. "Why don't you sleep on it?" If he changed his mind, nobody else would know.

"I love you. I will not change my mind." He had actually been returning from the jewellers when the storm pulled in. He pulled the ring out of his pocket. "If I could I would marry you today." Slipping the ring onto her finger he held his breath waiting for her answer.

The ring was stunning. She had never worn anything so beautiful. "You do not want to marry me." Or at least he would not once he found out who she was.

"And why is that?" Surely Pen was not holding his proposal to Marina a couple of years ago against him.

"Because I am Lady Whistledown." She tried to slip the ring off her finger, but it would not budge.

Well that suddenly made a lot of things make sense. His engagement had never made Lady Whistledown's papers, but Marina's pregnancy had just when they were going to run off to get married. The exposure of Eloise's friendship with the printer's assistant. He had been present when Penelope had warned his sister that to continue seeing the boy would be dangerous. How many others had ignored Penelope's caution only to end up being outed by Lady Whistledown?

He did not care. If Marina had refused his proposal, he would have been disappointed, but he would have accepted it. He was in love with Penelope Featherington, and he wanted to marry her. There was no accepting anything else. "I do not care. Will you marry me?"

Penelope froze, still trying to get the stubborn ring of her finger. "But you said if Lady Whistledown hadn't rushed to print her gossip, thing may have turned out differently for Marina. For all of us."

Good Lord. Did she remember every stupid thing he had ever said? "But you did not rush to print any of it, did you? You warned me about Marina. You warned Eloise that her antics were dangerous. We both thought we knew better." Finally, he stood as his knee was aching. "The Queen will have you drawn and quartered if she finds out you are Lady Whistledown."

"Exactly. So why would you want to marry me?" Penelope renewed her attempts to remove the ring.

"Because I am in love with you." This was like pulling teeth. "I realise my actions in the past might make that hard to believe. For goodness sake I have kissed you more than I ever did Marina, and I was engaged to her." It was only just occurring to him that Penelope had saved him from a loveless marriage based on lies.

"If anyone else finds out I'm Lady Whistledown you will be ruined along with me." She was already unpopular. It was not something she would wish on anyone.

"Stop trying to save me from myself and marry me. If your secret is discovered, we will move to the country." He could do without socialising with society each season anyway.

Penelope studied him for a moment to be sure he understood what marrying her could mean. "Yes. I will marry you." She was terrified he would change his mind. But for now, she was engaged to Colin Bridgerton as she had always dreamed of.

Relieved Colin kissed his future wife. Unlike his previous engagement he doubted his mother and Antony would disapprove. He glanced at the dogs who were watching them with their tails wagging. "You two are my witnesses. She agreed to marry me."

"Woof!" The dogs barked their agreement and ran off. Since the rain had stopped it was time to go home.

"I'll walk you home." Colin needed to speak to Portia Featherington anyway. He seriously doubted he would have as much trouble convincing her that he wished to marry Penelope.

So, this was what being engaged was like. She could get used to this. The only storm cloud on the horizon was how Eloise would take the news of their engagement.