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Chapter 2

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"Miss Featherington." The voice was familiar as it greeted her from behind and she turned with a wide smile. The man bowed in front of her while taking her hand and clasping it in his and she curtseyed. "How are you this fine evening?" He stood now next to his gorgeous wife who was able to wear the bright colors easily, complimentary to her skin tone. Her love of bright colors pulled him from the precious blues and greens that his family was known for, opting now for deeper, richer tones like the cerulean blue of his shirt today under the lighter colored jacket. They merged both of their worlds together and they made a very handsome couple.

"Very good indeed, thank you, Lord Bridgerton. Lady Bridgerton." Penelope included the newest Bridgerton in her reply, she really liked Kate, she was a perfect addition to the family.

"Penelope." Kate greeted in response, taking her hand in hers and squeezing. "How good it is to see you."

It had been a week since the last ball and other than the daily teas she had with the ladies of the house earlier in the week, she hadn't seen much of them. She had missed a ball herself since she had been feeling a bit under the weather and so hadn't made it to either until this night.

It had allowed her to get ahead on the issues that she needed to pen for her readers but she hadn't gotten as far as her time away would normally have allotted for. She really hadn't been feeling herself. "Not to worry, it wasn't anything catching." Penelope wasn't sure what it was that had illed her so, but no one else in the house had come down with it, not even the servant who attended to her.

Her mother, sisters and in-laws had all kept their distance. It was typical. Had she been dying, her mother might have stepped foot into her room and patted her hand.

"Hmm, I worried about you and wanted to see you but was firmly turned away when I arrived on your doorstep."

"I'm surprised Anthony allowed you to get so far." Penelope teased the two and Anthony's arm twitched as if he was going to reach out and touch her in a playful manner, and in the Bridgerton house he would have. He did not have such liberties here, even Colin had to hold back though he got away with far more than strictly what decorum would allow.

"Allowed would imply I have some sort of control over her. I assure you that we are either two strong willed individuals who coexist or she is the one who controls me." The three of them shared a look and he didn't need to clarify which was true.

Penelope allowed for that and tried to gracefully back away from the conversation but he forged ahead.

"We were all really rather worried about you, Penelope." He said her name softly enough so no one would overhear and she smiled gratefully, glad it wouldn't have to be mentioned in Whistledown's next issue. Even more so, she was glad of the attention and care in Anthony and Kate's eyes as they looked at her, truly including her, as always. Sometimes they got wrapped up in their own dramas and paid her less heed but she was never completely forgotten nor anymore of an afterthought than their own siblings and family.

"I rather missed all of you too. It was lonely and quiet in my house." Even her sisters and mother had gone out to the balls without her, gone shopping without her. She had been left with just the maids and her own thoughts but too tired to do much more than half-heartedly write a first draft and read a few chapters in her latest novel.

"I think Francesca would have loved to switch places with you."

"I will keep that in mind for future occasions, I would rather not be ill and cooped up at home myself, so as long as it isn't severe, I'd take her offer of a switch." Kate had a warm, amused smile while Anthony nodded ruefully, caught in his own words so skillfully and also acknowledging Francesca would still probably take that deal.

"It's just not the same without you." Kate said and Anthony nodded.

"I don't think I recall a time in the past that you'd been gone for so long from our halls." Anthony added. "I know another Bridgerton that missed you dearly." He gave a nod toward someone behind her and she turned, knowing it could be a number of people whom he spoke but fewer that would be present at this time. Eloise greeted her with a broad and warm smile. Violet trailed behind her, letting her only daughter currently on the marriage mart have her space. Eloise was pushed forward only a season after Penelope and Eloise's older sister Daphne.

Francesca wanted to come out this year but Violet thought it best to give Eloise space, especially with all save one of her sons' recent antics to focus on. However, seeing the direction Eloise was heading, Violet hastened her steps to nearly over take her daughter and caught up Penelope's hands in her own, her eyes scouring Penelope's face. "How are you my dear?"

"Mother." Eloise chided softly, sliding her arm around Penelope's, her best friend.

Violet ignored her daughter, waiting on Penelope's answer. "Quite a bit better, more so now that I've seen all of you."

"Colin is quite cross with you." Eloise gossiped. "He had to dance with all the eligible misses at the last ball."

"I will have to apologize the next time I see him."

"You shall do no such thing. It is good for him to have to face the masses and not hide behind your skirt." Violet shook her head and missed the look of consternation that briefly passed over Penelope's face at the idea of it. It was hard enough seeing him dance with one of the debutantes flaunting their good breeding at him, much less a whole night of it. She swallowed back her instant reply, holding her tongue as she normally did at these public gatherings. "Though I do think it is quite beautiful the way you two move together, so effortless and perfectly coordinated."

They'd been dancing together nearly their entire lives, no one else had the history or the other's steps down like them; they'd learned together. Then again, Eloise was still two left feet and she'd been at every dance lesson with them.

"Speaking of, I have not seen him. Will he be arriving later?" Penelope tried to keep how genuinely interested she was from her voice and face. She schooled her expression and her voice into the perfect mirror of a close friend and nothing more. If writing ever took a downward turn for her, she might entertain becoming a poker player. It wouldn't take her long to read up on the rules and tricks, she was already done reading everything she could get her hands on about Chess. She just had no one to put that new knowledge up against.

She tried to remind herself that reading about things was different to putting it into action. She was terrible at the piano forte though she understood the mechanics of it perfectly, she just didn't have the timing or the dexterity. If it were as easy as reading about it, she'd be the diamond of the ton with her sparkling wit, style and flirting skills. She would probably be married off already to any man of her choosing.

"He did not wish to submit himself to another round of mamas pushing him into the arms of any unoccupied female. Not that I blame him, it's hell dancing with people you only know peripherally." Eloise complained, her fan twitching in her hand, clearly uncomfortable being so close to the dance floor, no matter how long she spent at these balls. "I wish I could have skipped this one too." Eloise caught herself but then grinned at Penelope. "Though then I would have had to wait even longer to see you again."

Penelope hugged Eloise's arm closer to her. "I wouldn't have been able to bare that."

The two started giggling together and the rest of the family knew they'd lost them to each other. Anthony nodded his head toward the drink table and the three of them left the two girls to themselves. It wasn't long before Anthony was on the floor with Kate. They danced for two songs before they split apart to engage in conversation and dance with others. Anthony danced with Eloise and Penelope in turn each before depositing them back together. Penelope had two other dances with some of the men who were forced to by their mothers, not wanting to leave her completely out. She wasn't highly titled but there was old family money they wouldn't be able to dismiss, even as the third daughter.

Eloise had a few more gentlemen ask for a dance than Penelope but Eloise only agreed to the ones that asked when Penelope was also on the floor. Even dancing with different partners, they were able to continue their conversation across the dance floor with well timed looks that the other could read easily.

Penelope had to hide a snort by pretending to trip at one point when Eloise made a particularly funny face. She coughed to cover it further. "Pardons, I'm still in recovery." The man with her was practically faceless and nameless for how much she was paying attention to her dance partner. He'd already bored her within the first few minutes of meeting, she knew he wasn't a real suitor and she hadn't put forth anything interesting to sway his attention into truth. She had attempted to at first but he shut her down without saying much. It was fine, she was more entertained elsewhere.

The man only made a small sound that didn't give much away, he was probably just as bored as she was. It was a shame because she loved dancing so much normally. This just felt like steps that she had to follow and nothing more. The song didn't do much to change her feelings, which was probably a blessing, he didn't ruin one of her favorite songs.

Benedict swept her up into another dance right after that one. He chuckled a little at her startled look but she relaxed when she realized who it was. "I couldn't let you die on the dance floor, it is a shame to be out here and not having fun, it is most unlike you."

Benedict was always a fun dance partner. He was entertaining and skilled. "Thank you for the well-timed rescue." They chatted a bit while Eloise suffered through another man's offer of a dance and she declined but he didn't go anywhere and chatted at her, asking occasional questions which she forced an answer to. "I think your sister may need a similar rescue." Penelope nodded toward her friend and Benedict glanced over his shoulder.

"Nah." Penelope's eyes swung to him, Eloise was his favorite sister. "It's good for her."

"Bridgertons and knowing what is good for the others in their family." Penelope teased.

"I assure you I do not know what you're referencing." He had not been part of the conversation, that was true, but it was still accurate and he knew it too. "It's so easy to see when you're not the one being corrected by the family members." There was a curious light in his eyes and Penelope's head tilted to the side and he caught the question in her own eyes and he was wry when he answered. "Mother does know best in the end, usually."

Penelope's lips turned into a frown. "Yours, maybe."

"Lady Featherington pressuring you into something?" He was just like the others, he knew her too well to miss what she was referencing, though she only confided in Eloise on matters of her family other than the banal.

None of them were blind and her mother was transparent. Penelope shrugged. "Only picking out curtains for her matronly home and planning for two rooms to be occupied."

Benedict shook his head. "It is a bit premature, don't you think?"

Penelope tossed a wide look around the ball filled with far too many familiar faces and none of which sparked anything from her. "Pickings are getting slim and it's getting more likely every year."

"I think if you allow one more year to pass, you'll find that things change." Benedict said mysteriously and Penelope was for once confused by what he could mean. She didn't want a boy, she wanted a man, what could next year bring that was different from this one? She couldn't see it, she was certain next year would be worse than this one.

Her sisters had married, only one had a title but with not much else going for him. The other had no title but a far greater personality. They were at least both genuinely kind and made her sisters better. She would ignore all other faults with them because true kindness was a rare commodity. There was only one other family she knew who carried that gene and it was of no wonder that she gravitated toward them so much. It was scarce amongst all humans no matter their class or gender.

With renewed determination not to be her mother's handmaiden into old age, she decided that she would follow her sister's path next year if nothing else. She would find an untitled man to marry, maybe a doctor or a lawyer, at least they would be educated and challenge her intellectually. They may not be interested in marriage to her though, what was her position compared to a love match, which was far more common in their ranks? It would be a social climber that would take her hand in marriage and she'd probably be quieted because whatever she had to say would not be on par with their agenda. Someone with her aspirations and ideals would be unlikely to marry someone in her position. There was only one way that would happen and she had been painstakingly careful to never let that occur.

She would have to cast her net wider next year.

With that decision in mind, she relaxed into the night. She didn't have to try so hard. She had a plan and it didn't include those in society that were currently present other than her continued friendship with the Bridgertons and her access to the gossip that surrounded her.