At the end of Penelope's first season, she was left without a husband - worse, she didn't have any suitors. With the last ball of the season completed the night before, it didn't look good for Penelope. As everyone packs up to leave town, Penelope has one last tea with the Bridgertons before leaving Mayfair.
"Oh, I'm so excited!" Eloise said.
"Really? Next year will be your societal debut. I thought you weren't looking forward to marriage?" Penelope asked.
"Well, yes," Eloise paused. "But next year we'll be together. And even if I were looking for marriage, we would still get to enjoy spending time together at all the events."
"You know that I am looking for a husband, right?" Penelope asked, slightly annoyed. If it wasn't for the Bridgertons, Penelope wouldn't have danced once in the past season. The sting of that was still heavy in her mind.
"Yeah, but you gave it your all this year and it didn't work," Eloise said, bluntly.
"Excuse me?" Penelope asked, actually annoyed now.
"Oh, you know what I mean, you have plenty of time before we're spinsters together," Eloise said, with all the obliviousness that the Bridgertons' elevated social class afforded her.
"Really nice, Eloise." Penelope bit out. "I think I'll take my leave early."
"What did I say?" Eloise muttered as Penelope left the room.
Penelope was holding back frustrated tears. Just as she was turned down the hallway toward the front door, she crashed into Colin.
"Pen! It's good to see you," Colin said. Then he took in her hunched-over stance and her hand swiping a tear from the corner of her eye. "What's wrong?"
"It's silly. I should head out." Penelope said. She rubbed her other eye and sniffed.
"Well, it's not silly if it makes you upset. You can tell me whatever it is." Colin insisted as he lightly touched her elbow. While not strictly outside the realm of social acceptability, Colin was skirting it by standing with her unchaperoned and touching her.
"Eloise just rubbed in the fact that I don't have a husband after my first season despite trying my best," Penelope said, clearly frustrated. "She didn't mean to do it, and I'll be over it later. But right now, I had to leave before I said something hurtful to her."
"That isn't something you should just 'be over'" Colin mimicked a girly tone, and Penelope let out a huff that may have been the precursor to laughter. "But, don't worry, you'll find someone right for you in no time."
"What if I can't? I hate this." Penelope whined. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to burden you with this."
"You could never be a burden, Penelope," Colin said with a slight smile. He released her elbow and stepped back. "You're really that worried about it?"
Penelope just nodded, looking down.
"Well, there's just one thing to do," Colin said, waiting for her to look up at him.
"What?" She asked without looking up.
"I'll marry you," Colin said with a straight face.
"What?!" Penelope looked up at him in shock.
"Listen, if you're still not married by the time you're 29, I'll marry you," Colin said, actually serious.
"What?" Penelope's jaw dropped.
"Can you only say 'what' at the moment Penelope?" Colin said with a laugh.
"Colin! Be serious, you can't marry me." Penelope said.
"Why not? This is perfect. I'm not looking to get married anytime soon. And, I'm actually planning to spend the next five or so years traveling. So that'll take up half the time. I'm sure you'll be married before I get back for good." Colin said with a conspiratorial wink.
"Colin, I don't know about this. If you find someone in the next ten years, you can't use this as an excuse to forsake them." Penelope hesitated, she knew how Colin's mind worked. "Should we make this deal or pact, I guess, it won't be binding by any means."
Colin just smirked at her.
"Agreed?" She pressed.
"Alright," He agreed, easily and happily. "Do we have a pact?"
"We do," Penelope said. " Thank you for this, and for cheering me up."
"My pleasure," Colin said.
A/N: And ... it starts! I'm not fully happy with the conversation between Penelope and Eloise, but here we are. Hope you enjoyed it!