Rumor – Lee Brice
Girl you know I've known you forever
How many nights have we hung out together
Same little crowd, little bar, little town
Round this old dance floor
My boys are laughing and tap me on the shoulder
Making a motion like "Could y'all get any closer?"
They wanna know what's up when I'm still holding ya
Even when the song is over.
There's a rumor going round about me and you
Stirring up our little town the last week or two
So tell me why we even trying to deny this feeling
I feel it, don't you feel it too?
There's a rumor going round, and round, and round
What you say we make it true?
We make it true, we make it true.
Well I can shut 'em down, tell them all they're crazy
I can do whatever you want me to do, baby
Or you could lay one on me right now
We could really give them something to talk about
There's a rumor going round about me and you
Stirring up our little town the last week or two
So tell me why we even trying to deny this feeling
I feel it, don't you feel it too?
There's a rumor going round, and round, and round
What you say we make it true, baby?
Oh be honest girl now
Do you want to do this or not?
Should we keep 'em talking girl
Or should we just make them stop?
There's a rumor going round about me and you
Stirring up our little town the last week or two
So tell me why we even trying to deny this feeling
I feel it, don't you feel it too?
There's a rumor going round, and round, and round
What you say we make it …
Make it true?
What you say we make it true? Yeah
Come on over here
Let's really give them something to talk about, baby
There's a rumor going round
When he arrived at the Hawkins ball that evening, he immediately looked for her. Spotting her made the evening all the more enjoyable. He was still annoyed that she had read his journal, but he was left tongue tied by the vision of her in blue. He quickly composed himself as she left her brothers-in-law and headed towards him.
"Good evening. How is your hand?" Typical Pen. Making sure he was alright as a conversation opener.
"Much better, thanks to you." He had managed to avoid his mother fussing over him due to Penelope having bandaged his hand. If he had gotten assistance from one of the servants, they would have informed her immediately.
"I'm sorry again for reading your writing." Personally he would rather not speak about it. "But you truly write so well. You make it seem effortless, which is so difficult to do." Or maybe they could speak about it a little more. "I'd very much like to read more one day if you would let me."
He was not sure if he was comfortable with that. Still, if she really did enjoy his writing then perhaps if he chose what pages she read it would be fine. "Should we make an agreement?" Would she be brave enough to accept? "I will consider it if you speak to a least one lord tonight."
"Very well." Penelope was full of surprises. She was braver than she realised. "Whom do you suggest?"
Best to learn from earlier mistakes. Lord Basilio was by himself at the refreshments table. "Him. Lord Basilio."
For a moment he thought she might back out. "Lord Basilio is a Viscount." Well he was hardly going to suggest one of the servants.
"And you are Penelope Featherington. Do not forget that." He was proud to see that she stood a little taller at his words. "He's all yours."
He watched her walk up to the refreshment table as though she had no noticed the Viscount. For a moment it appeared to be going well.
This was the Penelope Featherington he knew. Smart and witty. Recently he was also noticing pretty. It wasn't that he didn't think she was pretty before, it was just that she lit up the room when he saw her these days.
Suddenly Lord Basilio burst into tears and scurried away leaving Penelope looking stunned. "Pen, what happened?"
"His horse recently died." Penelope looked a mixture of shaken and amused. How could he have picked the gentleman for her to approach who would dissolve into tears over is horse?
"You are joking." He couldn't help but chuckle. He would never have sent Pen over to speak to the Viscount if he had known he was so attached to his horse.
"I am not." Her giggle was so enchanting. How had he not noticed before? "Colin!" There was no heat behind her scolding him for laughing.
"Forgive me. Um I did not know." He glanced around to see if he could spot someone better suited. "Surely someone here is not in mourning." He couldn't help quipping. "We shall gallop along." Anything to hear her giggle again.
"Colin!" It was like delicate bells chiming in the breeze.
Lord Remington appeared to be on his own. So he ushered Penelope in his direction. It seemed to be going well. Every so often she would glance in his direction which was quite distracting. There were several points in his conversation with some gentlemen, that he wasn't aware he was being spoken to as he was so busy watching Penelope. Lord Remington looked to be enjoying their conversation which was good.
He joined her once Lord Remington had left her side. "Colin. Lord Remington has asked to call on me tomorrow." That was the result they had been working towards, so why did he not feel better about it? He should feel some sense of pride at least. Shouldn't he be pleased for his friend?
"Well that is excellent. Do you like him?" He hoped she would say no, but at least Lord Remington was not in tears over the death of a beloved animal.
"I did enjoy myself. Very much." They had appeared to be having quite an animated conversation.
"I'm certain he did as well." Certainty had looked that way from where he had been standing. As he looked away from her, he noticed a lot of people were watching them and whispering. "Pardon me, what are you whispering about?" He couldn't believe so many people were being noticeably rude.
"Mr Bridgerton, we were wondering why an eligible gentleman such as yourself would help a spinster find a husband." The condescending way the woman spoke was bad enough, but he still could not bring himself to think of Penelope as a spinster.
"Especially someone who is so beyond hope of success." What was wrong with these women? Any man would be lucky to have Penelope as his wife.
"Mmm… It's actually all rather sad." Lady Cowper of course had to hurl the final verbal blow. No wonder her daughter was so vile.
He saw the colour drain from Penelope's face as she gracefully placed her glass on the table and walked away. "Pen, wait!" He followed her out spotting Eloise following her as well. "Eloise! Did you tell anyone of my helping Penelope?" How else had those women found out?
"No. I did … I did not mean to." It was strange to see Eloise so flustered.
"Which means you did." Who had she told who would be so cruel to spread it around an entire ballroom so quickly.
" I confided in Cressida." Of all the people she could confide in. Cressida had always sort Penelope out to be cruel to her.
"Because you thought you could trust her?" There had never been a time he was so mad at his sister before now. "Why you are friends with Cressida in place of Penelope, I will never understand. What could Penelope possibly have done to warrant such maltreatment?" He left his sister speechless and went to see if he could catch up with Penelope. This evening had taken a disastrous turn and it tore at him that Penelope had been hurt as a result.