Everything Has Changed Now

Chapter 12 - No more grudges

Chapter Summary:

Penelope finds out the truth and realises that Colin was not at fault, and decides to take a wiser step to save their relationship.

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Notes:

I know how many of you are waiting for that reunion and trust me, it is by the door ;)Enjoy the new chapter :)

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As soon as Colin left, Penelope burst into tears. The reality of what just happened dawned on her as she moreover kept thinking of the past trauma she had already lived through, as if that was not enough.

She found it hard to believe what had transpired.

Following all the past events with Colin. She truly believed that he loved her. Her heart was crushed, and she felt shattered.

As Penelope keeps sobbing with her back against the door frame, she gradually collapses on the floor, crying her heart out uncontrollably. Her maid stumbles upon her on the floor crying by the door upon not finding her in her bed chambers when she goes to check on her mistress.

Upon seeing her state, she is shocked and right away asks Penelope about the matter. However Pen was unable to respond and when she did, she was whimpering through her quavering voice and it was incomprehensible to the maid.

When she finally gathered herself, she gave an account of what had occurred.

Penelope conveyed the details of how Colin acted in a way that made her feel as though he would never trust her; she was let down by his betrayal of her confidence. She told her that even after all this time, he had not grown to trust her, and that she had realised everything was over. In a tremulous voice as she kept on bawling, Penelope told her narrative, shortly after the maid had placed her down on a sofa after realising that it was unsafe for her to remain on the ground given her state.

The maid presumed it to be a misunderstanding because she had witnessed how Colin was by her side all the time and the maid had only informed Penelope of Colin's presence in her drawing room in the morning, she was completely unaware of his presence the eve and was the one who went to buy the herbs the previous day. Penelope did not give it much thought and had assumed it was her maid, William or Mary that had bought it.

The maid then dispelled her misconception that her husband had been by her side throughout the whole night and was present the day before as well.

"He did not leave your side for a minute, even if he might have contracted the fever with you but he still stuck by you all night Ma'am. I attempted to persuade him to go home so he wouldn't discover you were with child or to rest but he did not agree. I believe he did not even sleep well as he kept an eye on you all night since each time I would check on you I would find him awake."

"He even went to buy the herbs that helped you to heal during the night and he was waiting for you outside while I changed you but unfortunately you were already asleep by the time I had finished and he seemed really dejected he had missed the opportunity to speak with you."

"What?!" Penelope stared at her with eyes wide open, flabbergasted. "What are you saying?"

Penelope was still trying to digest the information, very much stunned, 'so it means Colin had been there the whole time and did not just specifically come by this morning to spy on her', she thought. Her musing wavered as the maid went on.

"Mr Bridgerton even cried upon seeing your condition this morning. Some moments before you had woken up, I noticed a solemn tear falling down his cheek while in the drawing room, waiting for you to wake up."