An other possibility

Chapter 7

When Colin touched Penelope's lips he felt at home.... alive... Penelope's soft, moist lips intoxicated him.  Penelope's perfume, that mix of jasmine and cinnamon made him remember the trip to Greece, his favorite of hers.  The heat that Penelope was emanating at that moment was literally sending him into a tailspin and so he became bolder trying, with his tongue, to part Penelope's lips that until then were still stiff and inexperienced.

When Penelope felt Colin's lips on hers she felt...lost...
How many times had she wished that Colin would show him more than just her brotherly affection, to hold her in her arms like now… but in that moment she remembered two things that stiffened her.
The first of her…she had just vomited on him, literally and emotionally, what she had been inside for some time…
And according to her..... she wasn't the woman for Colin, he had to have a complete, immaculate woman and she wasn't.  She as soon as she felt Colin's tongue push against her lips, as much as she liked it, she pushed him away…she had to.

Colin felt Penelope's small hands against her chest and he loved it about her except that her hands were pulling him away from her.  Colin groaned in disappointment.
"No Colin, what are you doing?"
"I'm kissing you, like I should have done for a long time...Pen I..."
"No Colin please don't say anything...I...I can't...I can't take this right now. You don't deserve this."
"You're right, I don't deserve you, but I will spend all the time you give me to show you that I'm only yours and if you give me another chance, I will always be by your side."
"I can't ask you this after what happened, you deserve a woman who knows how to give you the best of herself, I can't, not after what that man did to me.."
"You mean that man has...violated you? Cursed....I should have killed him..but Penelope I love you...now I know and it doesn't matter what he did to you, i.e. what that took you away. I don't care."
"But yes to me!! I could even have a child. I would tarnish your person, your family, and I don't want to....I can't do it to you! I love you too much."
"Did you say you love me? Do you love me? After all I've done and said you love me!"  Colin cupped Penelope's face in her hands and looked at him with all the love he felt for her.
"That's exactly why I can't accept your courtship, I would never do such a thing to you."
"But I said I don't care! I love you Pen, I accept everything about you! I'll accept this child too, if there will be .."
“That's not fair. Now Colin if you can get me off, I want to go home.”
"But Pen.."
"Please Colin"
Colin although he wanted to run away with her away from everything and everyone, he could not help but open the door of the carriage and let her down.  He knew Penelope was right, this company would boycott her, her baby and her family.  And Colin couldn't help but see Penelope walk away from him.

Penelope almost ran home and locked herself in her room, threw herself into bed and cried.  She could be happy, Colin wanted her, accepted her.  And she loved him nonetheless.  But how could she do this to him?  Everyone knew what happened to him and if she was going to marry a Bridgerton they would surely assume that she Penelope set up Colin to cover up her pregnancy....if she was pregnant with her.
Well she was nauseous, pregnant women are nauseous…but she was also very stressed maybe that's why she threw up.  She was regretting not seeing the doctor.
But Londoners would still speak of her as the one who duped a Bridgerton.
And to think that once upon a time no one noticed it!
He looked at the flowers Lord Drebling had brought him and thought of him, he was sweet, affectionate and he wasn't a Londoner, he probably wouldn't stay in London he would travel again, he certainly didn't think of getting married, but he seemed interested in her.
Of course if she had married him no one would have said anything, she wasn't from the place.  Perhaps she would take her away with him and she would never again feel those malevolent or pitying looks that everyone gave him.  Maybe he could keep her happy too.