Slining Doors

Collect the pieces

The doctor left Colin lying in bed and went to meet the viscount.
"Don't worry he'll recover soon he had a little collapse, too much anxiety. A couple of days off and no fuss"
"Okay doctor, thank you"
Kate was very apprehensive and paced around the room.
"You attacked him like you usually do, didn't you?"  Kate pointed at Anthony, and when a woman points at a man, the wise man shuts up.
"You said you'd be more accommodating to him, you know what he had to go through after Penelope's rejection, we were losing him. You know how fond I am of him. I feel so sorry for Anthony," Kate said wiping away a tear.
"My love, he's my brother, I love him with all my heart but you also know that if we don't stop him he will do something irreparable."
Tom introduced himself saying that Penelope Featherington was seeking an audience with the viscount.
Kate and Anthony looked at each other.
"Send her into the living room"
"You stay with Colin I see what Penelope needs"
"Are you going to tell him that Colin has been sick?"
"No, at least you don't ask me."
Penelope was agitated, nervous and angry.  These three emotions together made her feel bad especially if the cause of her malaise was Colin Bridgerton.
"Penelope dear how are you?"  Anthony said going towards her.
"Kate or are the kids sick? I saw the doctor come out and you look in great shape"
Anthony bowed at Penelope's compliment.
"We're all fine, my brother got sick but he's better now" she said remaining vague.
"Benedict?"  Penelope said trying not to sound worried.
"No Penelope it's not even about Gregory, it's the idiot brother who collapsed my living room after an argument"
She saw Penelope stiffen and then she turned to Anthony with a look so full of pain and shock that Anthony was baffled.
"I came to say that this morning he showed up at my house, it seemed to me that he understood that he is not welcome, he spoke to Charlie"
"Well you talked to us, it's new and it's in one piece?"
Anthony Charlie didn't like him very much, he seemed to him a sneaky person, but he had never told anyone.
"I don't think Anthony should be joking, given your brother's background."
Anthony knew that Colin had hurt Penelope as much as the gentleman who was courting her, but he didn't understand how Penelope could have forgotten all the affection that existed between her and Colin.
"You can use her name Penelope, you don't get any disease if you call him by his name, my brother, Colin" she said almost angrily.
"I hope Colin recovers soon" she said walking towards the door "so I can tell him to stay away from me and Charlie"
Anthony sighed, he understood Penelope he understood Colin and heck he didn't understand how he could have come to all this.

Penelope as soon as she went out the door had to lean against falling to the ground, she was mad as hell at Colin, but knowing that he had felt bad, had enveloped her in an anguish that hadn't felt for a long time, and she got angry with herself for the power Colin still had over him.

Colin's eyes snapped open and he sat up like a spring.
"Colin not so fast," Kate said worriedly
"Wh-what happened?"
"You felt bad, you argued with Anthony and then you collapsed on the floor. How are you feeling?"
"As if you were living in a parallel world...if I told you something, would you listen to me without thinking that I'm crazy?"
"Of course"
And Colin recounts his last 8 years spent with Penelope.