All Out in the Open
Eloise still had not forgiven Penelope for not telling her she was Lady Whistledown. However she could see how happy she made Colin and she knew Penelope had a good heart deep down. Begrudgingly she had to admit especially when Colin pointed it out, that Penelope had warned her that her enquiries would lead to no good.
It had come as a bit of a shock when Colin announced that he was going to marry Penelope Featherington, but also totally expected as well. Their mama was overjoyed which was only unusual due to her reaction when Colin had proposed to Marina. How had she not realised that the lingering looks between her brother and best friend weren't just the two of them being polite and listening to what the other had to say?
So here she was sitting in the garden on the swing having a calming cigarette. She wanted so much more than to be someone's wife and mother. But was all that seemed to be on offer to her at the moment. "So are you even more angry with me now that Colin wants to marry me?" Penelope sat down on the next swing.
"Does he know about Lady Whistledown?" She couldn't imagine that Colin would be thrilled that Penelope was behind Marina's secret being revealed that way it was. Although if she hadn't ,her brother would be married to a woman who had lied to him. "And could you not have found a less public way to tell him about Marina being with child?"
Penelope was getting fed up with having to defend herself to Eloise, but Colin was so close to his family that she felt she ought to try and fix things between them. "Like the time I told him that Marina was in love with someone else? Or when I warned my mama that your mama and brother would want Colin to have a long engagement? Or perhaps the time I begged Marina to choose someone other than Colin to use?"
"You did not try hard enough!" Eloise did not mean to yell but she was angry at the situation rather than Penelope, who by the sounds of it had attempted to stop the event before resorting to using Lady Whistledown.
"And how exactly was I supposed to do that Eloise?" Penelope rarely lost her temper, but she had had enough. This was supposed to be a happy time in her life and it certainly wasn't working out that way. "If my best friend and my own family refused to take any notice of my warnings, how exactly do you expect me to have stopped that other than the way I did? And yes, Colin knows."
Pen was right. There had not been another way. She was used to her friend being meek and shy and listening to her rant about how unfair the world was to women. The expectation in her mind was that she and Penelope would have careers and be spinsters together. Instead Penelope had found a career and was going to marry her brother. When she thought about it Penelope had never said that she wanted the same things Eloise did. In truth she was jealous of her friend.
"I know what?" Colin moved up behind Penelope, kissed the top of her head and began gently pushing her on the swing.
"About Lady Whistledown." Penelope sighed. "Eloise feels I should have tried harder with both of you before bringing Lady Whistledown into it."
"Well, I know better than to speak for my sister, but I wasn't willing to listen because thought I knew better." He had thought about it a lot since she had told him. There had been so many signs that she was Lady Whistledown, particularly in the timing, the ink from her quill which stained her fingers and the way Lady Whistledown echoed in a more refined way what Penelope had already told him.
Eloise hugged. "I still think there could have been a better way." Although she could not think of it right now.
"Of course you do Elle." Colin shook his head at his sister's stubbornness. While he understood why she was mad, she needed to remember her opinion was not that of everyone else. "Heaven forbid you take responsibility for your actions that caused your predicament . Was anything that Lady Whistledown printed a lie?"
"Well no. That does not mean it should appear in the society papers." She hated it when Colin was right.
"And it would not have been if we had not taken Pen for granted instead of ignoring her." He did not mean to speak about Penelope as though she wasn't there and it was concerning him that she was being so quiet. "Pen? Are you right?" He knew that Penelope and Eloise had, had an argument but he had been certain they would sort it out.
"You do not think that I am good enough for your brother." Penelope looked Eloise dead in the eye. "I am good enough for you to rant at or to keep you company as a fellow spinster regardless of if I want the same thing. But it seems I am not good enough to marry your brother." Penelope managed to gracefully step off the swing just as it swung back to Colin. "I appear to have out lived my usefulness. Sorry to have disappointed you Eloise. Lady Whistledown was your hero until you found out it was me." With that she headed out of the garden.
Colin watched Penelope storm off before turning to Eloise whose jaw was almost hitting the ground. "You forget Elle that not everyone has an understanding family or the options that you have. While you have every right to your opinion, others also have the right to theirs." He headed off to catch up with Penelope.
She knew her opinions weren't shared by many, but until recently she thought Penelope felt the same way she did. Thinking back she found Colin was right. Penelope had practically spelt it out to her in the field at the Queen's ball. She had ignored all of the signs. Perhaps she should let go of some of the resentment she felt towards Penelope.
Sighing she rose from the swing to catch up with Penelope and Colin. As she drew close she caught the end of their conversation. "Do not let Eloise stop you from being happy Pen." Colin held onto Penelope as though she were the most precious thing in the world.
"Colin, she's your sister. Do you really want us to be seated with her glaring at me at family dinners. I kept a huge secret from my best friend. She does have reason to resent me." Penelope slipped the ring from her finger. "I am already part of a family who resents my mere presence. I do not want that for you. You deserve better."
Eloise's heart broke at the devastated look on her brother and Penelope's faces. Penelope was correct. She had convinced herself that Lady Whistledown was this larger than life person that she had been disappointed to find out it was her shy friend. "Wait!"
Colin was clearly not in the mood to deal with his little sister's outbursts at that moment. "How long have you been there Elle?"
"Long enough." She wasn't used to Colin snapping at her. Sure they bickered as all siblings did, but Colin seldom got angry or raised his voice. "I am realising that I should carry some of the blame." Humble pie was not the tastiest. "Do not call off your engagement because I am jealous that you achieved in such a short time."
"I had a lot of time alone. It was not so short a time." Penelope wasn't the sort to brag. "I am sorry about Mr Shaw but it was the only thing I could think of to stop the Queen from following through on her threats. If I could have been certain the Queen would have granted me an audience, I would have turned myself in."
An owl hooted at the trio as it flew overhead. "Pen? Will you still marry me?" Colin slipped the ring back on her finger. He held his breath until she nodded after considering it. That was close although he could understand why she might not want another person to be little her the way her own family did.
"I truly am sorry that I did not tell you about Lady Whistledown sooner." Penelope held on to Colin's hand as though he were her lifeline.
Eloise smiled weakly. "You did in a way. I just was not paying attention." It appeared there was a lot she had not noticed as she saw the way Colin looked at Penelope. It wasn't so much that she hadn't seen the lingering looks but there was always something more important to her going on for her to know that her brother and best friend were falling in love.
Colin tugged Penelope hand. "You're too far away." He kissed the top of her head. She had scared him for a moment. "How soon do you think we can get married?"
"I have no idea. Perhaps you should check with our mamas." Penelope was eager to marry Colin but didn't understand his rush.
"Let's speak to them now. I do not want you changing your mind." He raised her hand to his lips. "The sooner we get married the better. I would run away with you tonight but you deserve a proper wedding."
"Your mama would never forgive you if we ran off to get married." But she didn't want or need a big wedding. Besides her family couldn't afford for her to have a big wedding.
"That is true. Why do we not go inside and ask our mamas." Eloise could see they were meant for each other and she was happy to have her best friend back.
Even though the mamas were curious as why there was a rush, they were happy to get started on the wedding arrangements. Unsurprising to those who knew Penelope the wedding was a much smaller scaled event, but still a stunning day.