The Blossoming of Penelope Featherington | A BRIDGERTON Fanfic

Chapter 14

"What happened while we were away?"

"What?" Penelope asked, surprised, causing her mother to raise a brow. "I mean, what do you mean, mother? It wasn't that different from any other nights we had. I don't think." Penelope looked away as she smoothed down an imaginary wrinkle on her skirts. "It was quite boring actually..."

"Was it now?" her mother stared at her pointedly. "Because I have heard from some of the house that there was a commotion last night."

"Oh..."

"I asked Briarly but he said it was a personal issue of yours and he did not inquire further." Lady Feaherington walked into her room and sat at the armchair. She looked around with narrowed eyes. "Why is your room a mess?"

"I was just looking for a book last night and fell asleep right after," she said quickly with a nervous smile. "And the commotion or, uhm, however they put it was just me accidentally kicking down the writing table on my way to the...ladies room."

"I see... But Oh! The carpet! What-" She whipped around as if she was about to go and check.

"Absolutely fine, mother. Don't worry about it." Penelope reassured her.

Lady Featherington turned to her with an upturned nose. "The carpet may be fine, but the matter is not. You should know better to be careful, Penelope! It is difficult to find such fine embroidery as that in the country as of late."

"Yes, mother," Penelope answered placatingly. "I will try to be more mindful."

"Try? You know that I'm not fond of the word."

"I will be more mindful, mother." Penelope made her way past Lady Featherington, only allowing herself to roll her eyes when she was a good three feet away. Penelope guessed that she should be thankful that her mother's unconditional love for their furniture and other household paraphernalia gave her the opportunity to segue from a more scandalous topic.

It wasn't until the clock struck 12 noon that Penelope realized she was expected at the Bridgertons' for their weekly afternoon tea. Penelope felt her stomach do cartwheels at the thought of seeing Colin again now that he knew her deepest secrets and obviously had a lot of thoughts about it, too. But the idea that Colin had already leased a house reassured her that maybe he wouldn't be there, which is then contradicted with the logic that he only signed the papers yesterday, meaning the house wouldn't likely be ready for a good while.

She sighed as she walked to Number Five. She was thinking too much, she knew, but she also could not help but wish that Colin had suffered the effects from his crapulous night, making him unable to comprehend and remember anything to do with Lady Whistledown- or just her being Lady Whistledown. Then again, there was a part of her- a tiny, small, almost unnoticeable part- that was relieved that she had one person who she did not need to hold up pretenses on. Especially because it was him.

"Penelope!"

She was taken out of her reveries, making her realize that she was already in front of the gate. "Sophie?" she said, confused.

"How pleasant it is to see you again!" Sophie Bridgerton greeted her. "I don't know if I can say the same about you, on the other hand."

Penelope shook her head then let her gaze slowly traveled from her face to her midsection. "I'm merely surprised to find you here," she said cautiously, "with your husband being so..."

"Paranoid?" Sophie supplied.

"Caring," she finished.

"That is one way to put it, I guess," Sophie sighed exasperatedly, but Penelope could catch the humour and affection in her facial expression. "Unfortunately for him, I can be terribly stubborn."