Lady and Lord Whisledown

Chapter 5: Old Friends

Colin woke up with one of the worst hangover's he's ever head. And a man as travelled as he, definitely had his fair share of hangovers.

Mrs Wilson made him her 'special' hangover cure, garlic and raw egg. It was horrid. Utterly rancid. But it did indeed work. Colin needed to remind his mother that Mrs Wilson was due for a raise.

Eloise was the first one (or perhaps the last) in at the breakfast table. He was not quite sure of the time. This was his chance. He needed to know.

"El" he started; she was engrossed in a what looked like a romance novel hadn't noticed his arrival. A romance novel? Eloise? Truly, what had the Earth titled on its axis?

"Eloise!" he yelled quite loudly.

"Brother! You scared me" she held her hand over her heart with a shocked face, her mouth mimicking on O "How lovely to break your fast with me."

He sat beside her, picking at a piece of fruit – much unlike himself. He would usually have a plate, or two.

"I actually have been meaning to ask you" he started. She looked up, knowingly, but let him continue. "Penelope has not been here for some time."

She smiled. "That was not a question brother." Avoiding the inevitable.

"She used to come for Sunday tea did she not?" he enquired.

All Eloise could muster was a small mmhmm.

After some time, Eloise asked "Is there a reason for the enquiry regarding current friendship status with Penelope, Colin?"

"I mean to ask, I guess, well why?" He did not know how to approach the situation. "Why are you no longer aquatinted?"

Eloise and Penelope had been friends since leading strings, without knowing a reason he was not sure how to avoid enraging Eloise. "I mean we all know her, she is smart, kind-"

"She is anything but brother and you'd best stay away from her" Until that point Eloise had remained composed.

He pondered her answer. Penelope unkind? He'd known her just as long as Eloise, and unkind was absolutely not a word associated with Pen.

What had happened whilst he was away?

"You did not answer my question?" He tried again, this time with a smile.

"No, I did not."

The tension was thick, Colin felt awkward. Awkward in his own home, with his own sister!

"What have you been doing whilst I've been away sister?" he said, trying to aid her sour mood. Her face crinkled, and then a small, forced smile adorned her lips.

"Reading myself for the upcoming season" she sounded resolute.

To say Colin was shocked, was indeed an understatement. He had been gone six months, not an eternity and in what world would Eloise Bridgerton willingly 'ready herself for the upcoming season?'

Eloise noticed Colin's a gaped face and added "I was almost ruined last year; I cannot do that again to the family Colin....to Mother"

He smiled, only faintly. Knowing the feeling of scandal all too well.

"If I must play the part, I shall play it well." Eloise stood from her seated position, prime and proper with a clearly faked giggle. "I did mean what I said about Pen-Penelope, you best stay clear."

Colin had never been more confused than ever.

***

Eloise had assumed, since leading strings that she would have miss Penelope Featherington by her side for life. They were but five years old when they made each other's acquaintance.

Both struggled, deemed different in the ways of society, even in the ways of their families. She quite liked that.

She had found an outcast, like herself. That would always be enough for her. Her family, although different to herself and her Penelope, the reliable same old Penelope.

She had liked that Penelope would be there every time Eloise called.

She would be there each time Eloise and Benedict and Hyacinth quarrelled. Which was many a time indeed.

She was there at every important occasion, even the unimportant, informal ones as well.

She had even been there every Sunday for afternoon tea at Bridgerton House.

She had been there to play pall mall; she even had her own mallet – yellow of course.

To Eloise, Penelope was a confidant, an open book, a shoulder to cry on, a friend to jest with. Until she was not.

Not for one second did Eloise expect Penelope to be the infamous Lady Whistledown. Sure, she had the wits to pull it off, though she did not show it often. Even now, with the disdain Eloise felt towards her former friend, she could admit that.

But with everything written about the Featherington's, about Penelope.... No Eloise did not even consider it.

In one night, Eloise learnt that people were not always whom they seem to be.

Maybe she was partly to blame, had she not been so consumed looking elsewhere she would've seen, heard, what was right next to her.

The whole time.

Eloise felt stupid, for the first time in her life. She thought, no she knew she was the smartest in the family. Well maybe now second to Kate. She was intelligent. It was not arrogance, but fact.

Stupid would not be a word that she had labelled herself until well now.

Two years on the hunt for Whistledown and who did she share her theories with? Whistledown herself.

She had always wondered why she was one, two, three steps behind. Because Penelope knew just what not to do. And how did she know? Because Eloise told her.

Eloise was stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

Eloise spent the summer in reclose thinking back on every moment Penelope shared with her. She should be there, Penelope - at Aubrey Hall that was - enjoying the summer. As they had done for countless years. Instead she was on her own.

It was lonely.

It was enlightening.

Eloise opened her home; her family opened their hearts and for what? To be ridiculed in Whistledown? For her brother to be scandalised, for Eloise to be scandalised!

Penelope had tried to explain, time and time again. Eloise would not, could not hear it. It was of no matter.

She did not even know what she was most angry about – that she had scandalised her, the whole ton in-fact – or that she had kept it from her.

She did try to think of it from her perspective, but each time she came up with a new reason to be angry with Penelope. She could not see it from her perspective. Because Penelope's perspective was idiotic.

Perhaps she was jealous. She did admire Lady Whistledown for some-time. She thought her above society, she thought she had escaped it.

No, Eloise decided with haste she was not jealous. Penelope was beneath society, with no one to speak to anymore and receiving but one pity dance at every ball. Lady Whistledown was jealous and entrapped just like everyone else. Perhaps even more so.

Yes, Eloise had Penelope when they were children. But they were no longer children.

And well, Eloise did not have Penelope now. If up to her, she would not have Penelope ever again.

Eloise had herself, and when one only has oneself on the brink of ruin – one had better get started on self-preservation. Whatever the means.

She had not told anyone about Penelope, yet. She was not that cruel. She would watch as Penelope ruined herself.

Because there was one thing Eloise knew for certain, it was that Whistledown would be caught. She would be happy when that happened. Until then, she must protect her family.