[A/N Warning Tags: Graphic Depictions of Violence, non-consensual abortion, excessive blood, forced loss of pregnancy while asleep, anti-Marina Thompson,]
Gathering the last of the aconite, Penelope pulled her hood over her face and hurried home. Once home, she added the replacement to the main supply and went upstairs for a cleansing.
Her mother never needed to know Penelope was using it for a potion to remove Marina's twins from her womb. Though difficult, Penelope could have lived with watching Colin and Marina marry.
However, she refused to allow Marina to pass off another man's children as Colin's flesh and blood. Earlier this season, Colin had confessed his desire to be a good father. He wanted to be what he could remember of his father to a new generation of kids. He believed it to be his true purpose in life. Penelope had to try hard not to swoon at his conviction.
Unfortunately, he had turned his affections to her cousin, Marina. Since Marina was related through her dad's side, she was blissfully unaware of the craft from the Smith side Penelope's mother descended from.
Penelope was the best witch in her immediate household. She was already leaps and bounds ahead of her sisters and had surpassed even her mother's skill with the craft.
Penelope's peaceful meditation at the end of each day allowed her to check in on the auras of the family. It didn't take long after Marina joined the Mayfair household for Penelope to realize what the extra feelings coming from Marina meant. Marina was pregnant: with twins. With Penelope's sisters and mother not picking it up, Penelope originally wasn't going to say or do anything.
Everything changed when Marina set her sights on Colin. Not believing it would work at first, Penelope let it continue. However, Marina was cleverer than Penelope had given her credit for initially. Despite Penelope's best efforts to dissuade the couple - both together and individually - Marina had ensnared Colin. They were set to escape to Gretna Green to elope.
A plan would be hard-pressed to come together under Penelope's nose without her knowing about it. This was no exception. There was no way to hide something like this from a witch of Penelope's caliber, especially when she was deeply tracking and trying to break up the couple.
Penelope made a choice. Marina would not enter her marriage while carrying another's lineage. She refused for Colin to deal with that pain. Even if Marina was able to convince him they were his children, Penelope refused to let that happen. If he'd decided that his true purpose in life was to be a good dad - he would have the opportunity to do it with his own children come hell or high water.
So, with a soft flick of Penelope's wrist, Marina was trapped in a deep sleep. Opening her mouth, Penelope poured part of the potion down her throat. Then she closed Marina's mouth and rubbed her throat until she felt the swallow. Penelope repeated this process three more times until the potion was gone.
In 24 hours, Marina would no longer be pregnant with twins. It would hit her in the middle of the night, and Penelope could wash her hands of the situation. She was devastated to give up on Colin. But she would allow him his free choice.
Shockingly, the potion worked fast - too fast. Whether it was Penelope's skill in brewing it, her method of forcing it down Marina's throat, or some other unforeseen factor, the results came early.
Marina collapsed on the dance floor in the middle of the night's ball - in front of the whole ton. The amount of blood gushing from her legs was obscene. Men gasped. Women averted their eyes. But it was clear this was no monthly bleeding.
Colin quickly dispatched for a doctor. There was no hiding the diagnosis. The doctor proclaimed that Marina was no longer with child (he couldn't have known about the twins), who he estimated had been five months along - in front of the entire ton. Marina, having only been in Mayfair for a little over three months, was clearly guilty. Everyone heard this, absolving Colin from any accusation that he could have been the father.
This turned out better than Penelope could have expected or even hoped. Yes, it was sad that Marina had lost the children. Whatever. The main point was that Colin was free for the taking. And Penelope would take him. He had the opportunity to choose freely, and he had chosen incorrectly.
Sure, Penelope would allow him to run off to the continent to nurse his broken heart. Penelope would have him when he returned recovered. From there, he could begin to court her by his own volition - or by hers. She wouldn't allow him that freedom again.
Moving forward, Colin Bridgerton belonged to Penelope Featherington. And, if anyone got in her way, well, there would be a potion or spell to use. Even if Penelope had to invent one herself to deal with them, she would have him.
The End.