As he whisked her away in his strong, burly arms, Penelope felt free. The moment seemed to last only seconds, and she yearned for another dance. Perhaps a waltz or some other romantic dance to advance things. Penelope knew little of flirting but was great at dancing despite her lack of practice.

Colin's POV

Heat rose in Colin's chest. He didn't know where this feeling came from or why his body was betraying him. All he knew was he had been successful in helping Pen find a suitor. Lord Debling was clearly taken with her, enamored by her. Watching the tall man tower over her small frame made his skin itch. Fife and Hirst collared Colin and invited him to Mondrich's. Anything would be better than the scene playing out in front of him.

Hours passed, fermented fruit was consumed, and Colin Bridgerton found himself stumbling home. Tomorrow he was expected to meet Penelope for another lesson at the market. He tried to close his eyes but was tormented by sleep evading him.

Penelope's POV

As the sun came through the curtains, Ray came to get Penelope ready for the day. She chose an elegant powder blue gown with a lilac shawl and a matching ribbon for her hair.

Colin was waiting for her, perusing the market—or should I say pretending to.

"So… I had a thought," he chimed.

"And what was that?" she queried back.

Colin began to talk about the day they first met, when Penelope's yellow headdress blew off and caused a flutter, resulting in Colin falling from his horse.

"Why is that important?" Penelope asked, befuddled.

"That's the thing. We were children. If you can remember how you spoke then, you can avoid the things that plague your mind now."

Penelope struggled with this idea. She had always lacked confidence, and she clearly remembered she wanted to know him from the moment she set her eyes on him. She'd always loved Colin Bridgerton. She felt she could speak because she had to know more about the boy she fell in love with at first sight.

"It is not that simple…" But before she could finish her sentence, Ray was there, ushering her to leave before the two of them were seen unchaperoned.

"Come to Bridgerton House tomorrow," Colin pleaded with Penelope before she walked away. She simply answered with a gentle nod.

Penelope and Ray sat silently in the carriage. Pen knew that Ray was concerned for Miss Featherington and the ability to keep her secret safe. All she could do was hope they were not seen.

The very next day, she waited for Colin outside Bridgerton House. It was daunting, knowing she and Eloise were on the outs since Eloise discovered her secret.

Colin quickly pulled Penelope into the drawing room.

"Is this safe? Eloise or anyone could find us here," she worried.

"We are fine. All of my siblings are too busy to notice, and Eloise is at the modiste with my mother," Colin explained.

Penelope was relieved, and the lesson began. Colin talked about how to approach a suitor, how to use her fan to flirt, and then asked her to show him what she had learned. She looked at him, confused, and he responded, "I am the eligible suitor you wish to converse with."

Penelope choked. How did he...? Then she realized he did not know of her passion for Colin Bridgerton. Instead, he was asking her to try out her techniques on him.

"Your eyes are the deepest shade of blue, yet they shine brighter when you are kind," Penelope poetically spoke as she stared deeply into Colin's sapphire eyes.

"Well, that was a little forward…" he choked out.

The two friends stood in silence for a moment. Then the silence was suddenly filled by the sound of Eloise Bridgerton's voice.

"Go hide in the study," he ordered.

Penelope flew through the corridors like a wounded animal, quickly shut the door to Colin's study after entering, and braced herself against the wall. She could hear footsteps, and her heart raced. She moved closer to his desk, and then a brown leather book caught her attention. She peeled back a few pages and saw an extract of words:

We danced with time, her laughter in the breeze,

Under ancient skies where whispers weave through olive trees.

By moonlit shores, where Aegean waves caress the sand,

Her eyes, like constellations, held the stories of this land.

In moments fleeting, yet eternal, we embraced the night,

Time stood still as love and stars aligned in gentle light.

With her, each second was a timeless, precious gift,

A tapestry of moments that eternity can't sift.

Penelope's eyes could not be torn away from the beautiful words on the page, and her curious mind needed to know more. But it was too late. Colin had entered the room, and the look of anger on his face made Penelope regret reading his personal journal.

"Is that my journal?" Colin scolded.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... The words were so beautiful…" Penelope urgently apologized.

"Those words were not for your eyes." He approached and reached out for the book.

All Penelope heard was the sound of crashing glass and saw that the candle and its container had fallen to the floor. Colin leant down to pick up the crystal shards, and she heard him cry out in pain.

She looked down and saw a gash in his hand and blood pouring down his wrist.

"Let me," she insisted.

She then cleaned the glass from his cut and wrapped it up gently. Colin's eyes met hers, but silence remained.

She then slipped out of Bridgerton House and headed home. The words from Colin's journal replayed in her head, and she wished she had been the woman he had admired with his words.

That evening was the Livingston ball, the theme described as "In the Clouds." Penelope had a pale blue satin dress with silver details and a white chiffon wrap. Ray swept her hair over her side again, and she was ready to go. Before she left for her carriage, she spied her reflection. She looked pleasant, not of striking beauty but nice enough that hopefully Lord Debling would ask her for a dance.

When she arrived, Penelope walked to the lemonade table and waited patiently at the edge of the dance floor. She hoped for Debling to approach her but could not see him. All she could see was a room full of eyes swarming at her. Why was everyone looking at her?

"It's shocking!" Clara Livingston called.

"Imagine needing to get help to find a suitor," Miss Cho sneered.

"I heard Cressida Cowper saw them together unchaperoned at the market!" Miss Stowell gossiped.

Penelope felt the room spinning. Voices became echoes, and the lights seared her eyes. She was no longer in control of her body, but still it was moving. Moving swiftly towards the exit. She ran to her carriage and then again let the tears tumble down her flushed pink cheeks.

Colin's POV

He heard the words of the other debutantes.

"It's shocking!" Clara Livingston called.

"Imagine needing to get help to find a suitor," Miss Cho sneered.

"I heard Cressida Cowper saw them together unchaperoned at the market!" Miss Stowell gossiped.

And then he saw a fast-paced Penelope running for the exit. They had been seen despite their efforts at concealing her lessons. How could this have happened?