Eternal Flame

Singed to Ash

Colin and Eloise stepped out of the Featherington home, on their way to visit Penelope's print shop, just in time to run into two large, stoic looking men who the two assumed to be Bow Street Runners. Lady Featherington must have paid them a hefty sum to get them over so quickly. Colin shot his sister a look, silently letting her know that they should stay and find out what the men had to say.

"Ma'am, we are terribly sorry this is happening to you, but you must calm down," one of the men said, crossing to Lady Featherington and placing a hand on her shoulder.

Lady Featherington murderously at said hand, prompting him to remove it. "I do not care how sorry you are, sir," she spat. "I am paying you to find my daughter, and you are telling me there is nothing you can do!"

"Ma'am, as I said, there are only a few of us to spare at the moment, and our attentions are on the fire that occurred near the edge of Mayfair last night."

Colin and Eloise glanced at one another with equal expressions of worry. "Fire?" Colin asked.

The second man nodded. "Yes, an unmarked carriage was found tipped over, no horse or persons in sight. Lantern was knocked over and charred the whole thing to bits."

The two Bridgertons tensed. They couldn't tell if this information was good or bad, but they knew it was somehow linked to Penelope, and they had to know more.

"Did you find anything else in the carriage?" Eloise blurted nervously.

"Wasn't much to go off of. Everything was singed to ash. Only thing that was mostly salvageable was a blue maid's cloke," the first man explained with a shrug.

Eloise's eyes widened. Only one family in Mayfair had staff who famously wore the color blue and that was her own. Colin seemed to reach the same conclusion, and silently urged for his sister to hurry along to their journey to the print shop.

"Thank you for your time, gentlemen. Lady Featherington," he said, bowing slightly. He hoped the look he gave the woman was one of comfort, and reassurance that he would always look after her daughter. Just as he promised. "My sister and I must be off," he said with a clearing of his throat before dragging Eloise away.

"That had to be Penelope's carriage," Eloise said with certainty once they were outside.

Colin nodded, crossing the street to one of their family's carriages. "I know. We have to go to that print shop and see if any of the staff know anything." Eloise stopped just before entering the carriage. In the midst of all her panic and worry about finding Penelope, she had forgotten that she would have to face Theo. "El? What's wrong?"

"I..." She paused, considering if she should be honest with her brother. Deciding that it wouldn't make a difference in their search for Penelope, she kept it to herself. "Nothing. Let's go," she mumbled, shoving the thoughts deep down. What was done was done. Theo wanted nothing to do with her now, and she couldn't very well change that. But if Penelope was in danger and Theo knew something about it, he would help. That was just the type of person he was.

After a short while, they arrived at the dingy little shop, and Colin looked out the window, growing concerned as he took in their surroundings. "You and Pen both came here alone?" He very nearly growled.

Eloise nodded hesitantly. "A few times. But I believe Penelope changed her methods of printing this season. When the Queen and I came close to discovering her," she explaining offhandedly, mentally preparing herself for seeing Theo again.

"The Queen?!" Colin exclaimed.

Eloise paled, realizing she was digging her own grave, and Penelope's in the process. "It's not as bad as it sounds. When the Queen thought I was Whistledown, she made it sound as if she wanted an ally. She wants power and control above all, and with Lady Whistledown, she would have even more of it."

"The Queen thought you were Whistledown?!" He yelled.

"Shh!" Eloise hissed, clamping a hand over her brother's mouth before he smacked it away. She threw her back against the seat with a heavy sigh. "Yes, alright. Her Majesty threatened that she would expose Whistledown and ruin our family if I did not decide to work for her."

"Eloise, do you have any idea the kind of danger you've put yourself in?! Not to mention the family. If Anthony were to find out, he would---"

"You will not tell him, Colin. Please. Besides, it is over. The Queen no longer believes me to be Whistledown. No thanks to Penelope," she added under her breath.

Colin stared at his sister disapprovingly. "Does Pen know about the Queen's threats? Is that why she published that article about you?"

"It is what she claims," she said, biting her tongue.

"And yet you are still angry with her?" Colin asked irritatedly. "Even after she protected you, protected our whole family from ruin? Several times in fact! She...she protected me," he realized with a whisper, remembering how Whistledown, Penelope, had helped him escape a lifetime of unhappiness with Lady Crane.

Eloise rolled her eyes and groaned. "Don't you see? That is not why I am upset with her! I am upset because the person I thought was my dearest friend turned out to be a lie! She lied to me for years, and now I question if I ever knew her at all!"

Colin didn't agree with his sister's way of thinking, but he knew she was still too upset to argue the subject. His only hope was that she was here, which showed some part of her still cared about Penelope. "Whistledown or not, she is still Pen," he explained. "And now she is in trouble, and I am failing in my own promise to protect her," he said, his voice cracking with emotion.

"Colin," Eloise said gently, reaching out to him. "It is not your fault that this happened, nor your responsibility to ensure her safety. It was her decision to run off and risk her own safety to publish that article. Whatever happened after is not your fault."

Salty tears dripped down his cheeks. "Then why do I still feel like this?" He asked hopelessly. Eloise had never been good with emotions, her own or anyone else's, which is why she could only offer her brother an awkward pat on the back. As she sat with him and allowed him to cry, she began to wonder for the first time since Lady Featherington entered their drawing room, why Colin was so devoted to finding Penelope. And why wasn't he angry with her? Eventually, Colin wiped the tears from his eyes and unburied his face from his hands. "Right," he said, steeling his voice and rising to his feet. "We mustn't waste any more time. Let us find out what these people know about Penelope."