Captivating

I wrote this one shot last June when the original teaser photos came out so this would have been differnet now however, enjoy!

Colin had begun his walk over to the Featherington household. He had been giving her regular lessons on trying to find a husband to earn her forgiveness back. He had been a terrible idiot for saying what he had to the men before he'd gone back on his travels. Truthfully he had no idea why he had said it, it wasn't as if he was against the idea of courting Penelope, he just hadn't ever thought about it, it was Pen. However recently he had definitely noticed a change in her. All of a sudden all of these tiny details about her appearance were staring him right in the face, and he couldn't think why he hadn't noticed before. Like how long her hair was, and the exact shade of auburn it had become, or the way her eyes would twinkle when he had made her laugh. He wasn't sure why he was noticing these things now, and what they meant. However he tried not to dwell on it.

As he walked up to the gates of the house, he knocked and waited patiently for a response. To his surprise Penelope answered the door.

"Pen, where are your servants?" Colin asked concerned, he didn't want her to be here all on her own.

"Do not worry, they are simply out in the garden, the bad weather last night caused quite the mess out there, I knew it would be you" Penelope smiled as they made their way to the main room. Penelope had already called for food for when Colin had arrived, which turned up just on time.

"So, what is today's lesson?" Penelope smirked. She had become quite confident around Colin, something he was rather enjoying as of late.

"Well, it depends, how are things going with Debling?" Colin spoke, he tried not to share his disgust while saying his name. Colin did not like the man, however Penelope seemed pleased enough.

"I believe he will officially ask me to court him at tomorrows ball, he has been rather forward as of late" Penelope confessed.

"How so?" Colin asked, the thought of anyone touching her made his blood boil.

"Well, he always lingers his hands around my lower back when we are walking anywhere, and his eyes are well, always focused slightly south of where they should be" Penelope huffed. Truthfully Penelope wouldn't have thought anything of this before Colin, however his lessons have helped her understand the art of seduction as it were.

"And are you comfortable with that?" Colin asked, sipping his tea to try and calm himself down.

"Well, i'm not sure. Part of it makes my skin crawl, being so forward after such a short time. However the realistic side tells me I cannot be too fussy" Penelope chuckled.

"And whatever can you mean?" Colin quizzed.

"Well, I don't exactly have a stream of men waiting in line for my affection" Penelope huffed.

"You have no idea what it's like, I am so very trapped being a single women in society. I have a mother who wishes I was half the size I am. I have sisters who treat me as though I am younger than Hyacinth. I am twenty and yet have never been kissed let alone anything else" Penelope blushed.

"I didn't realise you felt that way, you never said" Colin almost whispered, too shocked to form any other words.

"I never felt the need to burden you with my troubles, you probably pity me enough as it it" Penelope signed.

"I do not pity you in the slightest, you are a dear friend Penelope and I want nothing more to help you find your happiness" Colin spoke forcefully.