Wouldn't You Like to Know?

Fourteen

Fourteen

Colin hadn't really planned on kissing Penelope in the elevator. But she was wearing that pastel blue dress that showed off her curves, she smelled of perfume, and he hadn't been able to stop himself. His whole family seeing them kiss was a happy accident that he planned to use to his advantage even though Penelope kept looking at him like he she wanted to murder him. Meanwhile, Benedict had walked over to him and whispered, "Was that planned? Mom will be sending out wedding invitations before Christmas."

Colin smirked. "Kissing her? Yes. Her hitting the elevator door button to open it so the whole family would see? No."

Benedict chuckled. "Better you than me."

They went into the family room. Hyacinth and Gregory were away at school, so they wouldn't be there. "Where's Anthony and Kate?" Colin asked.

"They're running late," said Violet, "so they said we could start without them."

"Where's Francesca?" Penelope asked.

"In Scotland," Violet said, "she's been studying abroad there. She keeps on joking she's never coming home." Violet laughed in a way that Colin knew she was in denial, but he shook his head. Francesca had always complained about how loud home was because there were too many of them. Simone and Daphne are still in London, but they'll be coming for Christmas. Penelope, will you be here for Christmas?"

Colin glanced at the redhead, who was blushing almost as red as her hair. "Uh....I just got here," said Penelope, "and I'm not sure what my Christmas plans are."

Colin smirked. "Count Pen in, Mom."

Penelope looked at him like he'd lost it. "Colin---I uh, I have a family of my own, you know, and I don't know how long..."

He reached underneath the table and squeezed her thigh. He had brought her to Sunday dinner because he knew that once Violet had the idea in her head that he was dating Penelope, she would stop at nothing to make it happen. Penelope had always been her favorite of the Featherington's, and the favorite of her children's friends. Violet had always reminded his brothers to dance with Pen when they were at school, or a party, so she wasn't such an outcast. He often thought his mother saw something of herself in Penelope, and that was why she liked her so much.

After Violet was in on the relationship, he could work on bringing Penelope around to actually dating him for real. But he had to get her to admit to being Lulu Rochester first. He didn't want there being any secrets between them.

He also wished he could be rid of his family, and be alone with Penelope. She looked so hot and sweet in that dress, he wanted to tear it off her. "We're here!" his brother's fiancé, Kate Sharma, called cheerfully.

She came in with Anthony, holding hands.

Colin eyed the two of them. The last he had seen them together; they'd been bickering at a corporate anniversary party for the magazine his father used to own. When he first met Kate, he had thought her domineering, and didn't see how she would manage to work alongside his brother. But once they both admitted their feelings for each other, the work became a lot smoother.

Kate was all smiles, and his usually hardened, arrogant brother had at least some now, compared to when he had none.

"Sorry we're late, Mom." Anthony walked over to where Violet sat at the head of the table and kissed her on the cheek. "We had a few things we needed to get done at the office." Anthony's gaze landed on Penelope then.

"Penny!" he smiled when he saw her. "I didn't think you'd ever come back here. Did you and Eloise finally make up?"

Eloise rolled her eyes. "No, I'm not the sibling she's here with."

Benedict chuckled. "No one's made up, but she has been making out with Colin."

Colin grinned.

Penelope through a spoon at Benedict's head and he narrowly dodged it.

"Hey!" he shouted. "That was unnecessary."

"Funny, because it felt necessary," Penelope hissed.

Colin winked at Pen. "Good to be back, isn't it?"

"Wait, you and Penny are dating, Colin?" Anthony said.

Penelope groaned and sank down in her chair, covering her face in her hands. Even Eloise laughed a little at this, but Pen, he noted, did not throw a spoon at Eloise.

Colin chuckled. "Absofuckinglutely."

Anthony walked over and patted him on the shoulder. "Good on you, brother. It's about time you two finally got together. You two had that crush on each other for ages."

The room fell silent then, and Penelope was suddenly not sliding down in her chair. She glared at Colin. "I'm sorry, CRUSH?"

It was now Colin who wanted to throw a spoon at his brother, only Anthony instead of Benedict. He winced. "Listen, Pen, I think we should discuss this---"

"No!" she said. "What's he talking about? What crush, Colin Bridgerton? Because you always told me that you didn't like me like that and that we were better off as friends. Were you lying to me this whole time?"

"Pen I---"

She got up from her seat and stormed off. So much for a nice, fucking family dinner. He got up and ran after her. "No!" she turned and shouted at him. "I fooled myself into thinking that I could do this, but you----you always find a way to make me feel small somehow."

She pressed the elevator door.

"Pen, come on. You can't leave."

"Can't I?" she said. "It's not high school anymore. I definitely can."

The door to the elevator opened. She stepped through. Maybe she was right. Maybe there was too much history between them, and bringing her to the house was a mistake. But she didn't know everything about him and Marina. And he might have read her story, but he hadn't told her his.

The elevator door closed and Colin stared back at his family.

"Did I say something wrong?" Anthony said.

"Fuck, Anthony," Colin hissed, "I never told her I liked her in high school. I lied about it because of the movies I was doing with Marina."

Benedict coughed. "Don't stand here arguing with our idiot brother, Colin. Go after her. Obviously."

Colin sighed. "You are all a pain in the ass." He didn't take the elevator. He took the stairs instead and he ran all the way to the bottom floor, somehow managing to get there exactly right as the door opened.

Only it wasn't Penelope that came out. It was Portia Featherington. Penelope's mother. "Fuck."