Ten minutes after Colin left, Penelope made her way outside of the venue towards the fountain he told her about. She expected him to be waiting for her there, but she hadn't expected a leggy blonde woman to be wrapped around him with her lips pressed tightly against his.
"Go figure," she huffed, taking a pull from the bottle of champagne she thankfully stole from a waiter. "Finally meet a nice, cute guy, and he turns out to be another asshole." She quickly panicked when she realized the couple were turning around and walking in her direction. Then she ducked behind a nearby pillar, waiting for them to pass. She took another long drink and wandered over to the fountain. She kicked her shoes off and dipped her sore feet into the waters, not bothering to think that this might be some sort of desecration on Italian superstitions. She sat there, pondering what her love life had come to when her eyes met that of the beautiful female statue. "What are you looking at, fountain lady? Laughing at my misfortune? You know what, I don't believe in your wishing well bullcrap anyway!" Her sister had given her the spiel about 'La Fontana dell'Amore', and she didn't buy it for one second. Sure, briefly, she thought about trying her luck and tossing in a coin, but after the mess with The Englishman, she was glad she saved her quarter. Penelope stood on shaky legs, bottle still firmly in one hand as she waved a finger at the statue. "Love is a myth," she slurred. "And I'm not gonna let all these poor people fall victim to your lies." She bent down and grabbed a shining silver Euro from the bottom of the well, holding it up in the moonlight. "So I'm saving you." She picked up another one, placing them both in her purse. "And you, oh and you," she decided, stealing another one at random. "And..." Her eyes caught something in the water, much darker and larger than the rest around it. She recognized it as a poker chip, instantly knowing who it belonged to. "You," she declared, determined to make the owner of the piece feel as awful as she did.
Penelope took another drink of champagne, letting the warm, giddy effects of the alcohol wash over her. She laughed, holding up her soaked skirts and twirling around, feeling lighter than she had in years. She was done waiting for prince charming to sweep her off her feet. She didn't need love, and she certainly didn't need Colin Bridgerton.
Little did she know, Colin had emerged from the steps of the venue, watching in awe as Penelope danced under the stars, glowing under the pale moonlight. He wore a dopey grin, laughing as an Italian police officer chased her out of the fountain. Penelope ran away giggling, the coins tucked safely in her purse and momentarily forgotten. The fates had aligned the moment she took those coins, however. Her actions would rewrite history and cause a turn of events that would change her life, as well as four others, forever.
