"I would never dream of courting Penelope Featherington. Not in your wildest fantasies, Fife."
This picks up where we left off at the end of season 2!
Penelope Featherington must move past a night of unimaginable heartbreak from losing her best fri...
Penelope Featherington could not fathom an evening worse than this.
Sure, she had a few (albeit jarring) runner-ups when it came to awarding a night the title of 'Worst Evening Imaginable'. She had spent an inordinate amount of time out in society as an eligible miss, after all. It was an inevitable happening. Lord knows the ton is dreadfully petulant when considering the amount of time a lady spends on the market. The longer she remains unmatched the more dust that settles and collects beside her, on top of her, within her heart; shielding her from view for all eternity. Some young ladies are lucky in regards to avoiding this matter - snatched up by a romantic proposal and the promise of a dutiful husband achieved within their very first season.
Some.
Her unfortunate odds have tipped the scale against her - she was curvier than most, always dressed in atrocious colored frocks of her mother's choosing, and was such a nervous wreck when conversing with others that she barely spoke more than one-word sentences like a buffoon - leaving Penelope with far more embarrassment than proposals rendered (which was none thus far). Naturally, she hoped for the best regardless of her dreadful circumstances. No matter how hard she tried to qualm the unrealistic fantasies harbored in the cavernous crevices of her mind she still hoped, still prayed that one day she would find a man who found her worthy...
She knew that if she didn't marry by this season next (her third official season, she might add) then she would forevermore be awarded the scarcely coveted title of Spinster. In truth, she wouldn't mind the title all that much... not so long as she had Eloise right there beside her to endure it together.
Eloise.
She frantically searched the patron-filled grounds for her dear friend to no avail. Mother would not approve, especially not during her golden "Featherington Ball". Her behavior would have normally attracted the attention of curious onlookers mingling about; however, their gazes were trained upon the fireworks display above rather than the distraught countenance she currently possessed.
"I wish to never see or speak to you again."
Eloise's final words rang with a force that shook her inner self to the point of trembling disposition.
At this moment in time, she would not have minded if a single soul questioned her frenzied appearance. Candidly, her heart was too focused on the pain at present to uphold her gently-bred manners or worry if the visage she held would spark rumors of scandal. Eloise, her companion for as long as she could remember, her paragon when no one else cared, the sister she wished she had in her own; she was all that mattered. Nothing and no one could stop her in her tracks.
At least, that was the case, until her body slowed upon the sound of men's laughter. In the garden to her right, she could only just make out the crowns of a group of gentlemen enjoying each other's company. There was something about one of the melodic vibrations that hit her square in the chest... one that resonated with a piece of her soul and entangled itself discreetly. A familiar sound. A sound that typically made her body feel as warm as a radiant, sunny day.
Typically.
This was different. Her nerves, sensing hidden malicious intent, turned her blood cold and stopped her in her tracks. Right there in the middle of the cobblestone path. Right beside the garden, now a few feet away. Right in clear view of the troop... and to her dismay, right within perfect audible distance.
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"Penelope Featherington?" Colin Bridgerton remarked, a slight exacerbated lilt in his tone making the question sound almost... humorous?
"The way you were dancing with her looked... rather interesting. Are you courting the girl Bridgerton?" One of the men, Lord Fife, asked with a sly smirk on his face.
"Ah. Are you mad? I would never dream of courting Penelope Featherington, not in your wildest fantasies Fife." Colin proclaimed, awarding another bout of laughter from the men in his company. He joined them effortlessly. Comfortably. Unapologetically.
"Oh...!" The sharp intake of breath and exclamation escaped a stunned Penelope.
There was a rapid turn of his head. Emerald eyes met her azure eyes. Recognition. Guilt. Agony. Pure, unrequited agony.
Her heart squeezed with a force so strong that her stagnant blood furiously resumed its natural course. Warmth returned to her tingling fingertips and allowed for her hand to meet the expression plastered on her quivering lips.
No one said anything at first. The electricity of the moment was too palpable, too substantial to coerce the sound waves lodged in their throats. Colin at least had the decency to look horrified, but the rest of the group seemed more intrigued than anything. Waiting with bated breath how the two unfortunate souls before them would react. Whoever said men could not enjoy gossip as women did was clearly mistaken.
"... you are too scared to stand up for yourself in reality..." Eloise had said...
Stand up for yourself, for once in your life! Penelope urged herself. Upon feeling a rush of courage circulated by her frenzied beating heart, she recovered enough to glue a newfound stoic expression to her face.
"It would seem, Mr. Bridgerton, that your reputation of charm and kindness is ill-earned." She spat out the words with venomous intent, the formal use of his name inciting a wince in his countenance. "What a mad fool I have been..." Her hands shakily clasped behind her figure so as not to betray the act she had incredulously mustered. She had expected her voice to waver, to shiver and shake as her inner child was doing so presently - the child that had revered the man before her in such high esteem - but it remained steady. It sounded quite... foreign in her ears. Or maybe they were simply numb to sound.
"Pen...!" Colin whispered in disbelief, a soft crack in his tenor elevating the single vowel before crashing in desperation. She could tell he was searching for words of defense - words that would ultimately do nothing to quell the sharp sensations that terrorized every nerve in her body.
"Constant and loyal. Were those not the words you used to describe me but a fortnight ago?" She paused for a moment to coat her parched lips with whatever reprieve was left in her suddenly dry mouth. His gaze dropped for an instant before resuming their previous petrified position. "Constant and loyal... to a man who would forsake me at the drop of a hat. Publicly. Ruthlessly. Callously... I suppose I must re-evaluate your value in my life." His eyes widened in response, an act that sent a blaze of unrecognizable satisfaction through her. He didn't expect me to fight back. A part of her mind prickled in familiarity, recalling the spat she had with Eloise. She decidedly ignored the sensation and met his horror with the very words she had been crushed by not a mere moment before seeing him. By his own blood.
"I wish never to see or speak to you again." Eloise's voice rang out in her mind as her own mouth dispensed the cut.
Colin did nothing but stare, the guilt, shame, and outright surprise prevalent in his emerald eyes. There was something else sitting behind it all, an emotion she couldn't quite place, one the child within her longed desperately to dissect; but hurt mature Penelope... she cast any concern over his feelings aside. Before she lost the last of the resolve and courage that sprang up to her rescue, Penelope stood tall, turned away from the love of her life, and never once looked back. Worst Evening Imaginable, indeed...
A/N: Hey guys! Thank you so much for taking the time to read my very first ever fanfiction! I was feening for season 3 so much that I just had to write about it myself! I have read the books and seen the TV series too many times to count - but this will mostly follow the TV series timeline since I would love to add my own twist to it. I decided to stay true to the book, however, and have Pen confront Colin immediately instead of running away as she does at the end of season 2. Let me know your thoughts and how you guys feel about the bada** Pen response I wrote!
More to come soon! I'm a grad student so my time is limited, but I'll write when I can!
