Chapter One: This is Insane
Depending on who you asked, the Bridgertons fell into two categories, the brilliant, kind and warm, or, conversely, rakish, daring, endearingly proper and deliciously salacious. It wouldn't take more than a few moments to decipher that the ones in the latter referred to the Bridgerton men, the brothers Anthony, Benedict and most recently Colin. The youngest of the older brothers had just returned to the town from a several months long stint exploring much of the world, France, Italy, Spain and even Greece. Even as he rode in, dirty and dressed more like a pirate than a wellbred English gentleman, Colin felt the world was new and fresh and something to explore wholeheartedly.
Pulling up to the sprawling Bridgerton manor, Colin hopped off the horse he had snagged from the livery near the station he had disembarked from. Well, he said hopped but really it was more of a disheveled fall from the blasted steed. It was ill timed really, his whole family was piled onto the front steps on their way out and as he fell all he could hear was Benedict's laugh and his mother's surprised shriek ("Colin!") .
Colin dusted himself off and was promptly swept up in embraces from his younger brothers and sisters, a resounding slap on the back from Benedict and a hug from Anthony.
"Brother!"
"Trust Colin to make an entry, even if it is at his own expense." Anthony laughed and Colin felt his back crack as he picked up his bag from the ground and handed the reins off to the stablehand for the Bridgerton estate.
"It's not as if I planned it, it just happened." His eyes crinkled with mirth while he took in Francesca's outfit, bedecked as lovely as a princess and realized something.
"My God, you don't mean to tell me it's today?" The surprise was evident on Violet's face as she chided her son, who appeared flummoxed by the quick turn of events, even though the date and events had been planned for months at this point and had been known to him before he had left to galavant across the continent. .
"You can't have forgotten that easily? Your sister will be presented to the Queen today, and if Lady Luck smiles upon us again, perhaps we may have two diamonds in the family." Colin gave his sister a quick peck on the cheek and rolled his eyes at his mother.
"Well diamond or not, you look a vision Frannie, let me just run myself up to my chambers and change. I cannot be absent on such a day." He looked down at his worn trousers and stale shirt, he was a right state.
Eloise wrinkled her nose as he dashed past her up the marble staircase and yelled after him.
"Try bathing brother, a novel experience I'm sure but I fear we may all be arrested for attempted murder of Her Majesty by sheer odor otherwise."
Colin may or may not have responded with a word that was rather ungentlemanly.
Penelope sighed, tossing yet another letter onto the pile of now ten-something others that she had received from Colin over the summer months. She had read them of course, she couldn't not read them, not when Varley so loudly proclaimed the sender whenever she delivered them to her, and her sisters tittered that Penelope's charity friend had sent yet another hand out correspondence, (oh how she loathed the way they screeched his name when she took the letters upstairs with her). They were full of a dashing young man's tales of conquest over the European continent, stories of beautiful young women, daring adventures and experiences that Penelope could only ever hope to see in her dreams.
It was childish but she felt irate that Colin was afforded these luxuries by virtue of the simple fact that he was a man, and yet she was also proud of him, for finding himself abroad, almost as proud of him as she was angry, (She was going to give herself whiplash from all these conflicting emotions, she was sure of it).
She looked at them, piled atop her mahogany desk, mocking her with their words. Colin kept writing to her, even though she hadn't responded even once. Everytime she tried, she kept hearing his laughing words to Lord Fife. Her eyes filled with tears, recalling the mockery in his tone, threatening to spill down her cheeks.
"I would never dream of courting Penelope Featherington. Not in your wildest fantasies, Fife."
It had stung more than she would care to admit. Yes, she had loved him in someway since childhood and on some level, Penelope knew that it would remain nothing a but a torch she would always carry for him in the privacy of her own heart but to hear him say clearly and with such disdain that such a thought wasn't even possible, even in the most fantastical of dreams, was insult beyond injury.
It also made her bridle with fury, when had she ever asked him to do such a thing? Why would he disparage her in such plain words ? Not only was he making it clear he didn't think of her that way, but now everyone knew he didn't. And if a Bridgerton was staying clear of her, then it would be a signal to the others to keep their distance. She had scarcely believed her own ears, hearing him say such cruel words and could only flush in embarrassment when the other men erupted in laughter while Colin downed his drink.
That night had been hell, her row with Eloise, coupled with that had almost pushed her over the edge, Penelope had been inches away from begging her Mama to leave her in the countryside, wanting to avoid having to face not only the Bridgertons but the whole of the ton. The only reason she did not was because she knew there was no chaperone to watch her and spinster though she may be, it was still too improper and too dangerous.
So she had returned, against her will, and resolved to avoid the Bridgertons in their entirety, she had no prospects anyhow, maybe she could avoid going out at all?
Penelope began to pace, muttering under her breath, it was a pretty idea, but even she knew it was impractical. It would hurt their reputations if one of the Featheringtons became a recluse, especially after the scandal of last season with their cousin. She growled in frustration, looking at the sheet waiting for her quill, there was also the question of Lady Whistledown, if she stayed home, then Whistledown would have nothing to report.
She went to sit down by the window, resigned to her fate and watched as she often did across the square to Bridgerton House, it was a bustle of activity and as her luck would have it, she chose to sit just as the bane of her summer revealed to have returned.
Her head thunked back on to the pane of the window, red curls cascading down the side of her neck and all she could do was whisper to herself.
"What now, Lady Whistledown?"
When Penelope left the house a few days later, she was accompanied by her maid as she traveled to the modiste in order to prepare her wardrobe for the coming balls of the season. Dressed on of her own accord today, Penelope had forgone the typical loud hairstyles with feathers and gaudy colors for a more natural style, her hair remained coiffed but it was more subtle, with the curls loose, cascading over her shoulders and primly covered with a bonnet secured by a simple peach colored ribbon, one which complimented her baby blue day dress, overlaid with singular flowers of the same color as the ribbon. She looked shapely, as if she were finally becoming comfortable in her own skin, moving easily from place to place, even greeting several acquaintances as she perused items.
Indeed, she painted a different picture altogether than in her usual presence, trailing behind Portia, Prudence, and Philippa. She felt different too, especially since she was alone, she was able to duck into many different stores, take a look at jewels that felt more her taste and even paid a visit to the stationer to buy her own paper and ink and the bookstore, where she surreptitiously used her own money to procure a copy of Pride & Prejudice. She saw the maid's disapproving frown at the novel, considered by far and wide to be vulgar reading material for a woman of her breeding, but Penelope found she slipped her a few coins, the help was rather willing to glance the other way.
So book in hand, Penelope exited the store, eager to return home and begin a new adventure, taking a deep breath as she let the door close behind her. The air was so crisp, so clear, the whole of the town felt as though it were out and about today. Every person bustling this way and that, preparing for their own hopes and dreams, a feeling of palpable excitement hung in the air, in the excited chattering of young maidens gossiping about eligible bachelors and mamas discussing the ways in which to snare a man. There were young maids scurrying from bakeries and modistes with piles of boxes and bags in hand. And at the center of it all stood Penelope, able to take it all in, without reprimand or rebuke from her sisters or mother.
In this moment, she felt.. Free. Like a bird whose wings had been clipped but was learning to fly through the injuries, no matter how stilted the journey maybe. She wished that she could share these moments with someone, but she was utterly alone, entirely as a result of her own folly. Penelope gazed down High Street, wondering if she could find some way to atone for her sins to her, her maid murmured that Lady Featherington would be wanting Penelope home soon, so she took one last look at the lively streets before and turned to walk back to the carriage with her purchases.
Of course, being Penelope, she turned right smack into someone, feeling them let out a surprised "oof" when they collided.
"Oh!" She gasped at the impact, stumbling back a step, her bags and book slipping from her grasp as she lifted her hand to touch her nose which had been squashed against the wool coat of the mystery man. Gentle hands reached out to steady her and she heard the familiar charming laugh that she had grown up loving.
"Ah Penelope, I might have known I would find you coming from the bookstore, you would be the only woman aside from Eloise to find any pleasure there." Looking down at her was Colin Bridgerton, sun kissed and rugged, clearly the months away had done him good. He looked chiseled, with his brown hair lifting slightly in the wind and the roguish grin he gave her set the butterflies in her stomach aflutter. And still, Penelope felt her own expression completely shutter, willing all of her emotions to disappear and replaced with a taut, bland smile that didn't reach her eyes as she bowed her head a slightly to greet him. She was determined not to be seen as some kind of pining fool who would wax on about someone who clearly had no interest in them. It was time to think of herself for once.
"Good Afternoon Mr. Bridgerton, what a pleasant surprise seeing you here, I take it your travels across the continent proved fruitful and fulfilling?"
Colin's bright smile faltered at the blatant politeness in Penelope's voice. Her countenance was rigid, closed off and maybe even annoyed. He could see she was stiff and wound tightly, reminding, reminding him of birds he had seen often on the road, skittish and ready to fly away at a moments notice. He had never known her to be cross, at least not with him. He wondered what had happened to make her so while she was shopping. Colin thought maybe needling her a little would lighten her mood. He glanced at the book on the ground and bent to pick it up.
"Romance? Never knew you to read such drivel, Pen," He waved the book in front of her and was satisfied to see the crimson blush break though her stoic expression and color her face. She made to snatch it and was incensed when he pulled it away from her. She resisted the urge to fall into familiar patterns with him because she knew it was precisely that which he wanted her to do. Penelope struggled to control herself and held out her hand, the picture of poised femininity.
"I don't believe I have to explain my choice of reading material to you, sir, some of us know the limits of that which we can experience in life, and thus seek to find it elsewhere. If only so that we may pretend to experience it ourselves." Colin's mouth gaped open as she reached out to pluck it out his hand and tucked it into her bag. The ice in her tone was entirely new to him, there had been not one flash of affection in her countenance.
"If you'll excuse me then, I hope you have a pleasant outing Mr. Bridgerton."
With that, she was gone, leaving Colin completely lost. If there had been anything he had been counting on since his return, it was warm, kind, happy Penelope. Comfortable Penelope. To see her treat him this way, made him feel as though he were adrift in the ocean with no tether. What on earth was happening?
Her silhouette fading into the distance, her cool demeanor left him momentarily stunned, a chill lingering in the air long after she had departed