CHAPTER ONE

"Collin, will you at least look at me?"

"My mother was curious about is not seeing each other recently and I did not want to arouse suspicion."

"Are you going to call of the wedding?"

"I am a man of honor… and we were intimate. Perhaps that was another part of your planned entrapment."

"I did not mean to entrap you, Colin. I love you. What will this marriage be?"

"That depends. I notice there was no Whistledown this morning. Are you going to stop publishing?"

"I do not know."

"Let us get through this wedding and then let us decide what this marriage will be."

"And we shall have a quartet over here or perhaps-"

"Mama, stop!" Penelope called out, startling everyone in the room into silence. She took a shuddering breath. "Please, stop. There is no reason to continue with the preparations."

"Pen?" Colin whispered, confused.

Lady Featherington glanced at Lady Bridgerton, confusion written on both their faces, before stepping forward. "Darling, we have such a short time until the wedding. We-"

"There will be no wedding," Penelope interrupted. Her eyes flitted towards Colin, but she refused to meet his eyes.

"Penel-" Lady Bridgerton's voice trailed off as she looked between the three others, her stomach falling.

Closing her eyes and pursing her lips, Penelope fiddled with the ring on her left hand. She moved toward Colin, her voice low, "I would not trap you in marriage that you do not want. My only wish is for you to be happy and that is clearly no longer with me." She handed him the ring. "Good-bye."

Colin stumbled back, "Penelope."

Penelope's eyes filled with tears and she turned and fled, ignoring the calls from the others.

"I'll talk to her," Lady Featherington promised, sweeping out of the room.

"Colin." Lady Bridgerton moved in front of her third son. "What is going on?"

He glanced down at the ring and then at the door that Penelope and her mother had left through moments ago. "I… I am not sure."

"Did you have a disagreement?" she pressed further. "Surely, it could be nothing so bad as to call off the wedding? She has loved you for years."

"She… I…." Thoughts were swirling in his head too fast to grab on to a single one. He felt weak in the knees and it took all his strength to keep himself upright.

Lady Featherington uncharacteristically entered the room quietly. She shrugged with bewilderment when the others turned towards her. "She will not speak to me."

Lady Bridgerton placed her hand on Colin's arm when he seemed poised to chase after her. "We will give her a day or two to settle. We will tell no one of this." She pinched Colin's arm to get him to agree. "We will return in a day or two."

Waiting until the Bridgertons departed, Lady Featherington returned to Penelope's door. She knocked gently. "They have gone, my dear. Will you not now speak with me?

Penelope slowly opened the door, reveling her face, tear-streaked and red. She stepped aside to let her mother inside. "I do not wish to speak of it, Mama."

"Penelope, I do not understand what has happened. Just a few days ago, you were fluttering around here with your head in the clouds, lost in love. Now, you are breaking your engagement. Do you know what that will do to you?"

Penelope clasped her hands together. "It is better than entering a marriage of resentment. I will not do that."

"You will be ruined!"

"I don't care!" Penelope shouted back. "I am tired of society, of these rules. I am tired of having no say in my life, of letting others' decisions decide who I am, how I am allowed to interact with society. I am my own person. I have my own voice!"

"Of course, you do. But you must understand that we women must find quiet, subtle ways to release our voices." Lady Featherington reached her hand out and then let it fall by her side. "Won't you please tell me what has occurred between you and Mr. Bridgerton?"

Penelope slid her eyes to the right, tears filling once again. "I cannot."

Lady Featherington sighed. "The Bridgertons will be back tomorrow or the day after. Penelope, spend your time until then deciding if this is what you truly want."

Penelope began to pace as soon as her mother closed her door. A week ago, everything had seemed perfect. Even Eloise had been coming around. They may never be friends again, but they would be able to stand in the same room together. She was happy, so happy. Now, all she felt was despair.

"Planned entrapment," she whispered to herself, his face roiling through her head. She had thought the comments at the end of last year's season had been bad enough, but to imply that she would force him into marriage, when she had not even kissed someone at the beginning of the season, was inconceivable.

Penelope wiped her eyes. She was done crying; she was done being meek. She was Lady Whistledown and she would not change that for anyone.