Two People Team Up to Solve a Dangerous Problem
It seemed obvious that they would solve this together. They neither considered they would be risking either of their reputations, nor did they think that somebody else was better suited to look into this.
If anything, they thought Cressida Cowper was behind all of this. Unlike Cressida, neither Colin nor Penelope felt confident in their suspicions to make accusations without any proof.
Colin would have preferred that Penelope left it up to him to solve, but Pen had a lot of experience in finding information or rather over-hearing information. Besides even Cressida wouldn't be foolish enough to try blackmail twice.
The note had not been handwritten. It had been composed by gluing words clipped out of old Lady Whistledown editions. The contents hadn't demanded money but for previous editions to be announced as false truths. Because there weren't any families or people singled out, they couldn't pinpoint one person or family that was behind this. However, if they didn't proclaim the editions were lies than it would be announced to society that they were sexual deviants which would bring shame to the Bridgerton name and not just to the couple themselves.
Penelope looked through the editions which had been singled out. Was there anyone who had been in more than one issue? Were there items that she had printed in haste and hadn't been sure the content were accurate? She wasn't concerned about her own reputation but she would not stand by and see Colin's reputation and the entire Bridgerton family taken down by a blackmailer.
"Are you certain it isn't Cressida?" Colin sat down beside her. "After all, Lord and Lady Cowper are finding it difficult to navigate society this season."
She shook her head. "Cressida got on the wrong side of the Queen by proclaiming to be Whistledown. When I discredited her, the Queen saw no need to believe anything she said from that moment on." Then she recalled something Colin had said to her at the time.
"What is it?" Personally he had never thought Cressida was witty enough to have written the Lady Whistledown editions. It turned out he had been correct. His biggest concern was what proof did the blackmailer have? He and Pen had some risky encounters but he was almost certain they hadn't been seen. Although there was the night before their wedding when he had Pen up against the store door out in the open.
"That I always imagined Lady Whistledown might be more clever." And she had been. His wife was incredibly clever but also kind. Something Cressida had never managed to pull off long term.
"When the initial short paper came out, Eloise said to me 'Now she has somehow written something coherent, not to mention published.' What if Cressida had not written it?" She had thought at the time that some of the wording was odd. "Cressida always chose a target and focused on one person. The fake Lady Whistledown issue and the blackmail letter is targeting the entire Bridgerton family."
"Well, Lord Cowper has tried to distance himself from the entire situation." Besides he didn't think Lord Cowper would lower himself to gluing pieces of cut out words onto a sheet of paper.
"Lady Cowper has always considered herself above all other families though. She is always quick to make a cutting remark." Rae walked in at that moment with a tea tray. "Thank you Rae."
"Ma'am." Rae turned to leave but then saw what Penelope and Colin were looking at. "Excuse Ma'am, Sir. The Cowper's maid mentioned around the time the fake Lady Whistledown issue was published how she was having to remove ink from Lady Cowper's gloves. Lord Cowper had cut back on her clothing allowance so she was having to wear them more than once."
This didn't seem strange to Colin but then he wasn't an expert in women's gloves. Penelope seemed to wear her gloves more than once, but then the Featheringtons had not had money to throw around so it could be his wife was more cautious with what she spent money on. "I take it Lady Cowper is not a prolific writer."
"No Sir." Rae smiled mischievously. "Anything she can get a servant to do for her, she does."
"Thank you Rae." The pieces were falling into place now. Penelope recalled a few occasions where Lady Cowper had made snide remarks to Portia. While they might not have been unfounded at the time, they were certainly unnecessary. "I think you may have solved a problem for us."
Colin waited until Rae left the room. "So Lady Cowper is blackmailing us. Well, that explains where Cressida gets that particular trait from." It appeared the apple didn't fall far from the tree and he was almost positive that Lady Cowper didn't have anything to back up her threats.
"It makes sense. I suppose it is quite maternal of her to try and re-instate her daughter's place in society." Although she suspected it was more a case of Lady Cowper re-instating her own place in society. "I wonder what the Queen will have to say about this."
That would still take some getting used to, his wife having the ear of the Queen. "We had better be certain of this before you speak to the Queen." Although how they were going to do that, he wasn't certain.
"Ma'am, Lady Cowper is here to see you." Rae's expression was that of someone who has just tasted something unpleasant.
Penelope flicked through each edition which had been requested to be retracted. Sure enough, there was something about one or all of the Cowper's in each edition. It may not be enough to prove Lady Cowper was attempting to ruin them and in fact all of the Bridgerton's but it was enough to test their suspicions. "Show her in Rae." She hastily wrote something on a piece of parchment, showed it to Colin and folded it.
Rae showed Lady Cowper in although it was obvious she would have preferred to be showing her out. Lady Cowper on the other hand had looked smug upon entering the room, was now looking less so upon realising Colin was not leaving his wife alone with her. "I believe I requested to speak to Mrs Bridgerton."
"Anything you have to say to my wife, you may say to me." Colin would not allow another Cowper to bully his wife.
"Rae, could you please see that this is delivered to the Queen?" She handed the maid the folded sheet of parchment with the slightest shake of her head that only Rae would notice.
At the mention of the Queen, all of the colour drained from Lady Cowper's face. "What could you possibly have to say that the Queen would wish to hear?"
"Perhaps the details of how your daughter attempted to blackmail my husband and I last season. Although considering she never wrote anything that was published as Lady Whistledown, she was only guilty of claiming to be her." Penelope got the tiniest bit of satisfaction when Lady Cowper flinched.
Clever Pen. His wife wasn't fully accusing Lady Cowper of fraud or blackmail, but just from Lady Cowper's reaction, his wife had confirmed their suspicions. "It appears the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. But then you were not aware that Cressida had tried to blackmail us." Colin struggled to keep the grin that was threatening to break out on his face. Especially when Lady Cowper's jaw dropped. "Your husband is already unhappy at being banned from his club. How will he feel when the Ton discovers that his wife and his daughter have a fondness for blackmail?" The best part of this was he and Pen had proof, he seriously doubted Lady Cowper could say the same.
"You Bridgertons think you're better than everyone else." Lady Cowper was snarling now. "No one will believe you anyway."
"Actually, no one will believe you." Penelope was over this family trying to strong arm her. "Your family's reputation is mud thanks to you and your daughter's actions last season." She was calling Lady Cowper's bluff.
"If it were not for your family's constant harassment of my wife, I would take you for a threat." Colin had, had enough of this woman's personal vendetta against his family. "Let me make myself clear, if anyone in my family receives any further threats or blackmail attempts, I will be contacting the law."
"And I will be publishing your sordid story for all to read about." Penelope added. Who did the Cowper's think they were coming into her home and threatening her family?
"We appear to be having a misunderstanding." Typical. She was back tracking on her threats.
"There is no misunderstanding." Penelope stood. "This is the last time anyone in your family makes contact with the Bridgertons or Featheringtons."
"Or what? You will write something nasty about the Cowper's?" Lady Cowper was bluffing. It was all she had left since her standing in the Ton was nothing to envy. They had turned the tables on her and she was still trying to get the upper hand.
Colin watched as Penelope transformed before his eyes. No longer a wallflower, this was his wife and she was no pushover.
"I know all the dirty little secrets of the Ton." Penelope's glare was pure ice. "You do not want me to publish all of yours."
It was amusing to see Lady Cowper visibly shrink back from his tiny wife. "You can show yourself out." None of their staff, who were like family to them, would be catering to this horrible woman.
Trying to sum up some dignity, Lady Cowper turned and walked out of their home. Penelope let out a relieved breath and sunk down on the couch. She didn't enjoy confrontations, but she was damned if she would allow anyone to hurt her family.
"Do you have any idea how impressive you are?" Colin loved his wife and thought she was beautiful, but when she went into protective mode, she was positively sexy.
"That woman makes me so mad. It is no wonder Cressida acts the way she does. I do not care what she says about me, but I will not stand by while she tries to destroy those I love." Penelope was not taking this from anymore Cowper's.
"Pen, how many dirty secrets do you know about the Cowper's?" This side of Penelope was a huge turn on.
"Enough to make life very unpleasant for them." The look Colin was giving her was enough to make her blush.
"Remind me never to get on your bad side." Colin reached out and tugged on the sash on her dress, both pulling her closer and undoing it. He kissed his way down her neck. "Although seeing you all fired up is incredibly arousing." His fingers quickly worked on the buttons on the back of her dress.
Penelope's giggles at her husband's antics quickly turned to moans of pleasure. The coffee table was closest, but they both had the foresight to realise it would not hold both of their weight. Pen tore herself away from her amorous husband long enough to close and lock the door. But scarcely had enough time to turn around before he pounced on her and removed the remainder of her clothes.
Every time they made love it got even better and she had been pretty impressed the first time. Bracing her back against the door he kissed and nibbled his way down her body. Her tiny hands gripping his hair and hung on for dear life as his tongue worked its magic at her core. Just when she thought her legs were going to give out beneath her, he stopped. "Why did you stop?" She hated when he did that.
"Because my love, you deserve the comfort of our bed." Colin led her to their room and continued where he left off spurred on by Pen's hands roaming his body. Shifting so he was over her, he thrust into her warm welcoming body. Every time they made love it was a life altering experience.
Penelope wrapped her legs around his hips taking him deeper. Their combined groans at the sensation just heightened their arousal. Their moves sped up as they continued their intimate dance. She gasped as Colin rolled onto his back so that she was astride him. When he sat up, she almost lost the ability to breathe.
Her body felt that now familiar tingle as her inner muscles clamped down on him as they climaxed together. They clung to each other as they caught their breathe. Any concerns they had regarding Lady Cowper's blackmail threats were gone. When they were together they could accomplish anything.
"Do we have to attend the ball tonight?" Colin nuzzled her neck. He would prefer to stay here with his wife.
"It is Lady Danbury's ball and the Queen will definitely be there." Penelope arched her neck to give him better access. "Our absence would be noticeable." When Colin kept moving down her neck to her chest, she briefly considered not attending. "But we could be late."
They were late, but still arrived before the Queen.