It was a perfect timing to escape and maybe she'll get to talk to Eloise with nobody noticing her absence.

Colin watched her leave the room, wondering where she could go when everybody is here. Could it be that it was indeed too much for her? Was it regret he noticed in her eyes just a while ago?

She was almost flowing though corridors. Door after door. Until it was time. Everything tensed inside Penelopy and a light knock sounded much louder in a quietness of the night.

Eloise was pacing from one side to the other in her room. A knock started her. She stopped breathing for a second. Her thoughts stopped, as it seems the time went still too.

"I'm busy" Eloise announced standing still in the same spot right near a table.

"Can we talk, please?"

It was Pen. Pen. Or should she say Lady Whistledown? Her voice was so deathly still.

How dare she? How dare she follow her? After... After accepting her brother proposal and not even letting her know first, not even thinking of talking to her first.

"I'm busy" Eloise repeated more firm this time.

Right then the door opened and Pen walked in. "Please, I couldn't bear it if we couldn't even talk. If you… if you won't approve of this commitment."

"How can I approve when no one even asked me?" Eloise was standing in the middle of her room, half turned to Pen. The same pose she went still just moments ago when a knock came. She was furious. And could it be her voice was almost sounding screaming now?

"You know I love him. You knew I loved him, when no one knew." Pen said looking right in Eloise's greenish blue eyes. Could it be Eloise won't forgive her… ever?

"Does he know?" Eloise proceeds to ask.

No answer followed. Pen looked stunned. Was it a feeling of... shame? – she thought.

"Does he know?" Eloise asked more fiercely this time.

"I hadn't had a chance... "

"Don't you think he deserves to know?" Eloise wouldn't take any excuse. Penelope did it to her. Kept her in the dark and probably had a good laugh every time they talked about Lady Whistledown. But to say she loved her brother and still kept him in the dark? Was it even love then? – Eloise thought. "He deserves the truth." Their eyes met in a dimmed light of Eloise's room. "That's if you truly love him"

"Of course, he deserves to know but..."

"Are you going to tell him?" Eloise turned suddenly fully facing Pen, talking a firm step forward. She wasn't having this confounding attempts of justification.

"You have until midnight of next day to tell him or I will"

With that Eloise walked right pass Pen. Light air shift moved Pen's hair from her shoulder down her back.

Until midnight of next day.

Did time just stop? Cuz it surely felt so for Penelopy. She didn't know how long she stand there drowning in her thoughts.

Tell him.

Could she?

Does she have a choice truly?

All of the times Colin told her about Lady Whistledown started playing in her head. He despises Lady Whistledown. But he kissed Penelope. God, he proposed. They are engaged to be married. How she let it go this far? I guess that was the only choice she had really. One day wasn't quite enough. But she surely must find solution if she didn't want to end up uncovered by whole society.

"Pen!"

The reason of her bewilderment was standing there in the door now.

"Colin!" he noticed her lost stare. Why was she here? Alone? – he wondered.

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was just looking for Eloise" she moved closer to him to cover her face from his curious glare.

Not now – she thought – not now.

"Let's go back. Certainly, she's not here." she said. Just as Pen made an attempt to move pass him, he made a move to cover the only possible exit with his whole body.

"Is everything okay?" he indeed sounded worried, thoughts brimming in his mind about her possible regrets. "Do you have doubts?"

"Doubts?" word stunned Penelope as a bold from the blue. "About what?"

"About… Saying yes…. What happened in a carriage." his chest was raising heavily with each word he was trying to pronounce.

"Oh, Colin…" she put her hand on his just a bit higher from his wrist. "No, no. I don't have any doubts, believe me." a smile she sent him was probably the sweetest he ever saw. "I was just looking for Eloise" she looked down trying to hide her eyes. He spied a slight mix of sadness and regret there still.

"If you are… If you are having doubts… You could just tell me." he pushed. Something just felt off about her at that moment – he thought.

She tried to smile more reassuringly this time, looking him straight in his drowning blue eyes "I am happy. Truly. I'm happy" his hand moved to hold hers and he leaned down to kiss her. Light. Soft. Fleeting.

If she tells him she's happy, he must believe her word. Maybe she indeed was just looking for Eloise. Their fallout was agonizing to watch. But he still didn't know the reason for it.

"What happened between you and Eloise?" he suddenly asked.

That question was expectedly unexpected. What should she say? Could she just…

Putting her hand on his neck she slowly pulled him into another kiss. Talking her time to distract him, her other arm reached to his back, pulling him even closer. And just when she felt both of his hand on her face, she broke the kiss and, in his lips, she said "I'll tell you one day. Now it's simply not the time for such a discussion."

But it seems no explanation were needed, as his eyes darkened, it almost seemed he looked right though her soul. And then he kissed her more fiercely this time. Hands holding her in place, not letting her break this kiss another time. It's a need. A need just like air. Cuz she is his air that he oh so desperately needs.

Dimmed light. Dimmed hearts. Dimmed future ahead. She lost the line of her thoughts as her body relaxed under his warm hold. One of his hands slowly moved to her neck, her shoulder and lower down her arm. His body hanging over her, pushing her to the nearest wall just behind her.

Her back touching the wall awoken a sense of their surroundings and she tried to say "Colin… Colin"

He moaned into her mouth, tongue slowly slipping inside.

"Colin… we must…. we must…" Why was it so hard to form words?

His hand slipped to her back, teasingly moving lower with each move of his lips against hers. He moved lower, kissing her neck, and said "…continue in my room"

"No"

Sudden. Panic slipped in her words and reflected in her eyes. That backed him off in seconds. Shocked he looked right in her eyes still clouded in desire.

"What's wrong? Do you not want to…?"

She stopped him. She said no. He was almost sure it's the first time ever he had heard those words leave her mouth. Maybe she did indeed have her doubts. Or maybe she was just not ready for more. Whatever it was, he had to figure it out before her confusing glances killed him in tempted yearn.

"Colin, your family must be looking for us." holding his hand she looked at the still open door.

"Oh, believe me then know better than that." a wicked smile sent shivers down her back.

"Still, we must go back. It's late. I must return home before my mama starts ringing the bell" with that she tugged at his arm leading him to the corridor back to the living room.

She knew her mom would not even notice her absence. She simply had to figure out a way to tell him before… before they… before he will hate her forever.

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