Falling for Penelope Featherington

3 ~ Tention Between Friends

"Pen." Colin said looking at her.

The young Bridgerton didn't really know what he was doing. But the moment his sister spotted her outside their drawing room window, he knew he had to see her. Talk to her. They were still friends. Right?

"How. Um. How are you?" Colin said rather awkwardly. He tried his best to act as casual as possible. But it was rather difficult when she looked as nice as she did... and all for that stranger.

"I am well. You?" Pen said looking at him with a smile. That smile that had haunted his dream.

"Good." He said still looking at her. Had she always looked this nice? Or had he just been blind? That is to say, she looked beautiful before— an image of their last dance together, flashed into his mind— but still she looked, rather different.

"Good." She said with a rather nervous laugh. She wasn't sure why but the look he was giving her made her heart beat faster. Faster than it did with Jacob. But it shouldn't. Not after their time apart. Not when she knew that he didn't feel the same.

There was then an awkward silence between them.

Colin couldn't seem to take his eyes off of her. Penelope in return, couldn't help but blush as she looked back at him.

"How was..." She began the same time he said "when did..."

The two stood quietly, waiting for the other to speak.

"Um. Go on." Colin said looking at her as he held onto the banister of the stairs. He felt as if he didn't he would somehow fall and embarrass himself.

"I was just going to ask... How was your holiday?" Pen asked with a nervous smile. She herself also held onto the banister, feeling like she would pass out.

"Alright..." Colin said with a nod. A million questions then began to pop up into his mind. Most of them about his dream. Their relationship. Her new one. But the only one he dared to ask was: "Why didn't you write?"

Pen looked at Colin. She had somehow hoped he wouldn't ask that. Because the answer would lead them down a path she'd rather leave closed. Especially when she thought about his words. I would never dream of courting Penelope Featherington.

"Pen?" He asked, drawing her attention back to him. He could tell she was thinking about something and it ached him not to know. Especially if they were the reasons why she had barely spoken to him. "What's wrong?"

Penelope looked at him and gave him the best smile she could muster. "Nothing. I. I've just been busy."

"With Sir Williams?" Colin asked before he could stop himself. He could have sworn he felt his heart ache when she nodded her answer.

"He was here a moment ago... If I had known you were coming over. I would have introduced him to you." She said with a smile. Damn that smile.

Colin tried his best to smile, but it nearly killed him to do so. "Perhaps next time."

There it was again. An awkward silence. But Penelope killed it with the words that he swore would kill him. "Actually, he's going to be at the ball tonight."

"Oh. Uh. Really?"

"Yes."

Another silence.

"Is that why you came over?" Penelope asked with a smile. Something about it, Colin finally notice, was forced. Was talking to him now that painful?

"No." Colin said shaking his head, still looking at her. He couldn't help but admire her. Even through the tension, he couldn't help himself.

"Then why did you?" She said sharply. Something about her tone made him confused. Mostly because he had never heard it before. Was she... angry?

"I. I just needed to know."

"If the rumors of Whistledown were true?"

Colin wasn't sure how to respond to that. What had he been thinking? The two hadn't spoken in months and for reasons he still didn't know. Was there something he did that upset her? As a matter of fact, he could barely remember what the last thing he said to her was.

"I thought that perhaps she was mistaken."

"Why?" Pen asked suddenly coming closer to him. A part of him should be pleased, but from the look on her face he knew that his suspicions were correct, she was angry with him. "Is the thought of someone courting me that ridiculous to you?"

What? Why would she say that?

"No, Pen that's not what I..."

"Sir Williams sees me for what I am. A woman."

Colin then thought back to a conversation they had last season. He hadn't realized that his comment about her "being Pen" and "not counting" as a women would make her this upset.

"Pen I didn't mean it like..."

"I know how you meant it." She said angrily. She then stopped herself from saying any more. They were outside after all.

"Pen. I. I'm sorry."

Penelope bit her lip and took a deep breath. It was taking her everything she had not to give in. But he had already done it. He had hurt her. Multiple times. And while she knew it was unconsciously done, it didn't make it any less real or painful.

"Good day Mr Bridgerton." She said before quickly walking back inside, slamming the door herself and leaving Colin alone.