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2025-01-07
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Summary:

Diverges after the events of season two.

Penelope learns of her mother's involvement in the ruby mine scheme making it her third heartbreak in a single night. Overwhelmed, tired, and angry, she decides to leave her family, the Bridgertons, and the ton behind, but not before destroying her reputation to keep them all away.

Notes:

Going to try something different for this fandom in that I do not have the entire story completed before posting as I hadn't in previous fandoms. I've always managed to finish the stories eventually so wish me luck!

Chapter Text

“Insipid wallflower indeed.”

“I would never dream of courting Penelope Featherington.”

“I will not allow Portia Featherington to cut me out of the money that we both stole.”

 

It had started as a wonderful evening. Sure, she had no one sign her dance card, but Penelope Featherington was used to that. At least, there had been no outward mocking at this ball. Eloise had decided to give up her search for Lady Whistledown and their friendship appeared to be going back to the way it had been before Theo, before Bloomsbury. The news that her cousin had swindled the ton of their funds was not a welcome surprise, but Colin being the one to protect her and her family was a delightful one. Then, he had asked her to dance and told her she was special to him.

Penelope should have realized that it was too good to be true as only moments later, she came upon Eloise in her ransacked room having discovered that Penelope was Lady Whistledown. The ensuing fight between the two nearly broke her. Desperate to preserve their friendship, Penelope rushed to find her in the garden, only to overhear her good friend, Colin, disparaging her to a group of eligible bachelors. She had no hopes amongst the gentlemen, but it broke her heart to be so carelessly disregarded by someone she had considered a close friend for doing nothing more than accepting a dance that he himself had asked for.

She rushed towards the backstairs to reach her room, passing by the study. Cousin Jack’s angry voice caused her to pause and there she learned her mother’s involvement in the scheme. As she heard Jack confirm what she had hoped deep down had not been true, Penelope felt the last bit of her heart shatter. No longer running, she reached her room with an eerie calmness.

Glancing around her destroyed room, Penelope came to a single realization: she could no longer remain here in a house with a corrupt mother that had little care for her, in a neighborhood with a former best friend that despised her, and a ton that had nothing but scorn for her. She had the Whistledown money, and while it would not last forever, it would give her several years to come up with a plan for her life. Perhaps she could write novels or become a governess. A companion to an elderly widow would not be so bad either.

Penelope expected to feel nervous or scared at the idea of going off into the world alone, but instead found peace and serenity. She pulled out a small bag from her closet and stuffed the Whistledown money inside. Next, she gathered only a few of her simplest dresses and a few other garments and placed them on top. She pulled a silver dagger with rubies from beneath another floorboard, a gift bestowed to her by her father when he had drunkenly come home after a good night of gambling. Penelope tucked the dagger against her ankle in case she needed it quickly.

She may have been confident that going out into the world was the correct path, but she also knew it was a dangerous one.

Glancing around the room for anything that she may have missed, Penelope’s eyes landed on some blank paper and her ink pot. She supposed for a moment that she ought to write her mother some sort of note so she did not worry, but then, how often did she worry about Penelope? Unless her mama thought it might make the family look uncouth? No, her mother would not be receiving a letter. Penelope briefly considered sending word to Colin or Eloise, but quickly brushed that off as well. Clearly, neither sibling wanted anything to do with her.

Still, it did not quite feel right to leave without any word. An idea slipped into her head nearly immediately. She would use Lady Whistledown one final time. She would expose what she had overheard from Colin. She would clean up Eloise’s reputation as much as possible. For her sisters’ sakes, she would place all of the blame of the ruby scheme on her cousin Jack, but perhaps put in a line just enough to scare her mother. In the very end, Penelope would reveal herself as the gossip columnist.

She nearly regretted not being able to see the reactions of the ton when it was announced that she, Penelope Featherington, the girl no one took a second look at, was the one who had spilled all their secrets. But no, it was best to place as much space between her and town after the issue came out. It would ensure that no one would come looking for her after the initial shock wore off and it became evident that she had fled. Even the Queen would give up her search, Penelope was sure, when there were no more issues to come and she became bored. The Queen would soon find something else to entertain her.

A plan in place, Penelope nodded her head determinedly. She jotted off her issue, ensuring her ruin, before slipping out the servants’ door. Fireworks were still lighting up the sky, but Penelope did not stop to watch. Without a single glance at her home, she slipped into the darkness and out of the ton.

Chapter 2: CHAPTER TWO

Notes:

Thank you for continuing this journey with me!

Chapter Text

Three-ish years later...

“Good morning, Miss Collins!”

“Good morning, Miss Katie!” Penelope called back to the young girl feeding chickens as she passed her way into Havenshire. “Have you finished that book yet?”

Katie brushed a few strands of brown hair from her forehead. “Nearly. Mama says I may borrow another one next week if I do my chores without complaining.”

Penelope grinned. “That sounds like a very good plan. I look forward to seeing you next week.”

After biding farewell to the girl, Penelope continued her walk. She strolled this path to the village of Havenshire nearly every Monday to gather supplies and to see people other than her housekeeper and cook. Penelope had lived in the small house on the outskirts of the village for just over two years. She had traveled around the country those first nine months, both to cover her tracks should anyone have attempted to find her and so that she could find a place she could feel at home.

A home she did find in Havenshire, a small hamlet within a day’s journey of Bath. Though small, the people were pleasant enough and did not question a single, young woman leasing a house on her own. Best of all, they did not seem to hesitate to accept her story that she had been the lone heir of a naval captain father and a mother that had died in childbirth. Before passing himself, her father made her promise to find somewhere to settle down and live her life.

She had left London as Penelope Featherington, the third daughter of a disgraced family of the ton, and emerged Eleanor Collins, the only daughter of the deceased John and Mary Collins.

The village had been welcoming, while allowing Penelope her privacy. She had become a favorite with the local children and their mamas as she helped with their reading and lent out books. Occasionally, she invited them and their families to a picnic where she entertained them with stories. In return, no one asked many questions about her past nor pressed her to make a match herself. Whatever they truly thought of her story, they kept it close to themselves.

Penelope entered the local grocer, who also acted as the post. She was immediately set upon by the grocer’s children, anxiously telling her the new things that had learned and asking about the next outing they could attend. Penelope smiled indulgently at the children as they were ushered out the door by their mother, extracting a promise from Penelope for another picnic soon.

“Good day, Miss Collins,” the grocer greeted when the store became quiet again.

Penelope smiled. “Good day, Mr. Bertram. I would ask after the little ones, but I see they are well.”

“Well and as you can see, making noise wherever they go,” he joked. “What can I get for you today, Miss Collins?”

“You can start by calling me ‘Eleanor’.”

Mr. Bertram grinned. “I am afraid I cannot. My mother would rise from her grave to whip me should I even think to do so.”

This was a long standing conversation between the two and it pleased Penelope to have the friendly banter. “In that case, I shall need some beef, flour, tea, and a few of those strawberry tarts that Mrs. Bertram makes. We cannot get enough of them in my household.”

“Coming right up.” Mr Bertram busied himself with her order.

“Good day, Eleanor, Mr Bertram,” a pretty young blond greeted as she entered the store.

Penelope smiled. “Good day, Maria. You look excited today.”

Maria’s dark eyes grew bright. “Indeed, I am! I have received word that my cousin, Virginia, will be coming to stay with us for a few months. It has been years since I have seen her, though she is a most faithful correspondent.” Maria practically vibrated. “Ginny is a ferocious reader. She is outgoing and kind and smart as a whip. I believe you shall like her very much.”

“I look forward to meeting her then,” Penelope assured the girl.

“Ah, that reminds me,” Mr Bertram interrupted, placing Penelope’s order on the counter. “A package has come for you, Miss Collins. It’s heavy.”

Penelope was unable to prevent a grin from spreading across her face. “Oh! It must be my manuscript!”

Maria and Mr Bertram exchanged delighted glances. “So soon? I thought we would have to wait for months for the next one!”

“Mrs Bertram will be most pleased. She has nagged me near daily to ask you for an update.”

“Well, now, you will be able to give her the happy news.” Penelope turned over the book in her hand. It was her third novel, but she had yet to lose the elation that she had felt with the first. She scanned the letter included. “My publisher states the book will be released in three weeks time. They will be sending more books for the town.”

Maria and Mr Bertram expressed their delight at the news. Penelope gathered her ordered and bid them good-bye, promising to meet Maria’s cousin as soon as she was able. She wandered home slowly, taking in the beautiful day, greeting several people on her way. Upon entering the house, she immediately went to the kitchen where she gave the order to the cook. She waved to the housekeeper as she passed to the small drawing room.

Sitting upon the chaise, Penelope took a deep breath. She glanced around the empty room, a bit of sadness settling into her chest as it always did when she returned from the village. The cook, Mrs. Huxley, and the housekeeper, Charlotte, were both pleasant and friendly, but insisted on maintaining a distance as her employees. She could understand why, having witness how so many of the ton treated their servants.

For a moment, Penelope allowed herself to imagine Eloise and Colin sitting in the room with her, eagerly discussing her latest novel. Eloise was excitedly reading every chapter aloud while Colin laughed in delight at her antics. She could see them both turn to her in mind.

But Eloise's grin quickly turned to anger as it had the day she discovered the Whistledown truth. Colin stood and turned his back on her, laughing derisively. Penelope forced the image away. It did no good to dwell on those thoughts, especially when she seemed unable to control them. She sighed and began to re-read her newest book, pretending she was doing it in a room full of nameless friends.

Chapter 3: CHAPTER THREE

Notes:

Thanks for hanging in there with me while I get this story set up!

Chapter Text

Nearly three years previously…

 

“Eloise!” Lady Bridgerton bellowed urgently from the hall. “Eloise, please come quickly!”

Eloise hurried down the stairs and skidded to a stop in front of her mother. She frowned when she realized that Lady Bridgerton was not alone, but was, in fact, with Lady Featherington and Anthony, all looking grim. “Yes, Mama?”

“By any chance, did Penelope come home with you last night?”

“Penelope?” Eloise repeated with a sneer. She schooled her face when her mother’s eyes widened. “No. We had… a fight last night and I returned home alone.”

Lady Featherington gasped and put her hand to her forehead. “What did you fight about?”

“We-” Eloise shook her head and took a step back, not wishing to reveal the subject of their argument. Even in her anger, she could not betray Penelope that way. “What is going on? Where is Penelope?”

“It appears that she disappeared sometime in the night,” Anthony explained, his expression tight. “The last anyone can remember seeing her was in the garden. She was running towards the house in tears.”

Eloise paled. “That must have been after we argued. We fought in her bedroom and I returned home immediately after.” Eloise looked to Lady Featherington. “What was the state of her room?”

“Nothing seemed amiss,” Lady Featherington told her.

“The floor? Was anything disturbed there? A loose floorboard perhaps?”

Anthony stepped forward. “What do you know, Eloise?”

Eloise looked away from all of them. She had always had a hard time keeping things from Anthony when he brought out his fatherly tone. “I-I… well, I- Penelope is, well-”

“Ma’am, you need to read this!” Mrs. Wilson interrupted, rushing to Lady Bridgerton with a paper in her hand, not bothering to apologize for the breach in conduct.

Lady Bridgerton, Lady Featherington, and Anthony crowded around the paper, the latest Lady Whistledown. Lady Bridgerton groaned when she reached the end of the first part, detailing Colin’s words from the previous night. “Oh, Colin. How could you?”

Mrs. Wilson cleared her throat. “You need to read to the end, ma’am.”

“Oh, dear,” Lady Bridgerton breathed out a few minutes later, clutching her hand to her heart.

“Oh, God,” groaned Lady Featherington, her hand flying to her head.

Anthony’s eyes flew wildly from the paper, to the two older women, and finally landed on Eloise, who had been trying to make herself small. “How is this possible? What do you know?”

Eloise lifted her chin. “Know what?”

“That Penelope is Lady Whistledown!”

“She has revealed herself?” Eloise shook her head, distraught. “Why? She had to know that I would keep it a secret.”

Anthony moved closer to her, squeezing the top of his nose with his fingers. “So, you did know.”

Tears welled in her eyes and she was unable to stop them. “I did not know until last night. I discovered her money under the floorboard of her bedroom along with every copy of Whistledown. She- she admitted once pressed.” Eloise began to wring her hands. “But I did not think- I do not know- Why would she run?”

“I do not believe that you can blamed alone for this, Eloise,” Lady Bridgerton told her, her voice mixed with anger and compassion. She glanced briefly to Lady Featherington, who had gone unnaturally still. “It appears that Penelope was hit with a few… unpleasant reveals last night.”

“What?”

Lady Featherington cleared her throat. “It seems that my cousin is a thief. There are no ruby mines. He swindled the ton of their money and fled some time last night. Penelope was made aware of his deceit during the ball.”

Anthony shared a brief look with his mother. “It also seems that Penelope overheard Colin stating to a group of… gentlemen… that he would never dream of courting her while laughing at the idea. I saw her crying in the garden last night, but I was unaware as to the reason why.”

“Penelope would not have left with Lord Featherington, would she?” Lady Bridgerton asked, tentatively.

“No,” Eloise replied immediately. Her eyes flitted away from Lady Featherington. “She would not have trusted a Featherington to have her best interest.”

Lady Featherington frowned, but could not disagree. “She would have gone to a Bridgerton before last night, but it is clear you do not have her best interest at heart.” She sighed. “I had Lord Featherington followed to the docks. He was alone.”

Anthony put his hands up. He did not want to go down the path of the Featherington relation if he was confirmed that Penelope was not with him. “Eloise, please, let us know if you can think of anything that might point us in the direction of Penelope. Lady Featherington, please check the floorboards of Penelope’s room to see if she has taken the Whistledown money. I will send the servants to the docks and to inquire after hackneys.”

“Do we not have enough carriages, brother?” Colin quipped as he sauntered up to the group. He stopped suddenly when all eyes turned to him, none friendly. “What did I do?”

“Penelope has disappeared,” Anthony told him.

Colin’s face drained of all color. “What?” He raced forward. “Lord Featherington-”

“Is gone. Alone.”

“What is being done to recover her? Has there been a ransom note? Have the Bow Street Runners been called? Who would wish to harm her? Have-”

“Colin!” Lady Bridgerton chided. She thrust the Whistledown paper towards him. “We have every reason to believe that Penelope left on her own.” She shook the paper when Colin looked at her confused. “Read it.”

Frowning, Colin skimmed over the gossip column. He nodded when he reached the information about Jack Featherington. “Oh no. I didn’t know… I didn’t mean… I was drunk! I didn’t mean to hurt her.”

Lady Bridgerton gave him a thin smile. “Continue reading.”

“Penelope? Lady Whist- How? What? Penelope is Lady Whistledown?” he shouted.

“So, it would appear,” Lady Featherington groaned.

Eyes wild, Colin turned towards Eloise. “I do not understand.”

Eloise wiped away the tear that fell from her eye. “I do not either. I only discovered the truth last night and I was too angry to listen to her explanation. Even if I do not agree with her actions, I wish… I wish I had listened.”

“Come,” Anthony told them gently, but firmly. “Let us find what information we can to bring Penelope home.”

Chapter 4: CHAPTER FOUR

Notes:

Thank you for patience while I get this story set up.

Chapter Text

Present…

 

“Miss Collins,” Charlotte hissed, entering the sitting room to find Penelope dusting the shelves. “Miss Collins, I have told you that I will do the cleaning. It is not proper that-”

“It may not be proper,” Penelope retorted, turning around, “but it will give me something to do during the day when my writing has become troublesome.”

Charlotte rolled her eyes and grinned. Her mistress was a most unusual young woman, but she was kind and generous, if a bit mysterious and secretive. Still, the position was good and the pay was excellent, even if she had to keep reminding her mistress that she was the mistress.

“Did you need something else, Charlotte?” Penelope asked, after a few moments of silence. “Or did you simply come in here to reprimand me on how I spend my time?”

“Oh, yes. A Miss Maria Cunningham and her cousin, Miss Virginia Hannigan, have arrived for a visit if you are available.”

Penelope grinned as she wiped off the dust from her dress. She quickly patted down her hair before handing Charlotte the cloth she had been cleaning with. “Yes, please, send them in.”

“Good day, Eleanor!” Maria bubbled as she and her cousin enter the sitting room. She grimaced when she noticed her cousin’s surprise. “Uh, good day, Miss Collins.”

“Good day, Maria,” Penelope replied, curtsying slightly. She turned to the other unknown young woman. “You must forgive us forgoing formalities around here. I find that I have little patience for them these days.”

Maria smiled. “Eleanor, this is my cousin, Miss Virginia Hannigan. Ginny, may I introduce you to Miss Eleanor Collins, the absolute best author and my friend.”

Pink covered Penelope’s cheeks at the praise. “It is very nice to make your acquaintance, Miss Hannigan.”

“You as well,” Virginia replied, shyly. “I adore your books.”

“Ginny!” Maria hissed.

Penelope raised a hand. “It is fine, Maria. An author can never hear to much praise for our works. It feeds our egos.” She winked at the two ladies who giggled. “Please, come sit and I shall ring for tea.” The girls settled on the chaise while Penelope sat on a chair near where the tea would be placed. “Tell me, Miss Hannigan, how are you finding our tiny hamlet? And please, call me Eleanor.”

“Virginia, please, or Ginny,” Virginia insisted in return. “I have not been to Havenshire since I was but a girl of eight. It is just as beautiful as I remember. My mama wished for me to have one last carefree summer before my first season, but spending time with Maria has truly made it magically.”

“Your first season in town?” Penelope questioned, paling slightly.

Virginia nodded eagerly. “Oh, yes. Of course, I will not mingle with the first circles, but I am looking forward to attending events and balls and such.”

Penelope looked towards Maria, more relaxed when she realized that there was very little chance of Virginia overlapping with her former acquaintances. “And you, Maria? Will you join your cousin?”

Maria blushed, shaking her head. “Oh, no. My papa does not like town and he does not see the point in spending the money when a local boy will do.”

“Perhaps, Mr Smith?” Penelope teased. “He does seem to be rather fond of escorting you.”

“Maria!” Virginia exclaimed. “You did not tell me that you have a beau.”

Glaring at Penelope, Maria pouted. “I do not. Eleanor sees romance everywhere. It makes her a fantastic romance author, but a rather duplicitous friend.”

Laughter broke out among the three women. “Have you had a great romance or two, Eleanor? Is that why you write so well? Have you left a string of broken hearts wherever you have been?”

“No,” Penelope snorted. “No, not at all. I write of romances because I believe that are fantasies, not reality.”

“You do not believe in romance?”

Penelope shot her a lopsided grin. “For some, perhaps, but for most of us, it simply does not exist, not in the form of books. If we are lucky, we find someone that we can tolerate the rest of our days.” She grimaced as the faces of the two girls fell. She would not be the one to ruin their romantic fantasies. “Of course, there are exceptions. My second book was loosely based upon a romance that I witnessed from afar.”

“Susanna and Ambrose?” Maria blurted out. “I did not know that. They are my favorite!”

“I have to admit that I much prefer Ruth and Jasper’s story. Every time Jasper comes riding in on the white horse to rescue Ruth from her abusive papa, I nearly swoon," Virginia countered.

Penelope laughed, delightedly. She served the tea before settling into a wonderful afternoon exchanging ideas with the two young ladies. Her worries over being identified disappeared as Virginia told more of her life story. It did not appear that they would have kith and kin in common. She had made it this far without being discovered and was happy in her home. She did not wish to run away in the middle of the night once more.

“Oh goodness!” Maria exclaimed. “We have been talking your ear off. My mama expected us home an hour ago.”

“I am sure your mama would understand,” Penelope told her gently. “We have been known to get lost a time or two in our conversations ourselves.”

Maria giggled. “That is certainly true enough. Thank you for seeing us today, Eleanor.”

Penelope dipped her head. “I am very glad that you came. It was very nice to meet you, Virginia. I do hope that you will stop by again before you return home.”

“I will,” Virginia promised. She linked her arm through her cousin’s and left the house, tittering. Virginia waited until they were out of sight of the house to pull Maria behind a tree. “Maria, do you know who that was?”

“Eleanor?” Maria questioned, her brows furrowed. “She is my friend.”

Virginia shook her head. “She most certainly is not. She has been lying to you.”

“What do you mean?”

“That is not Eleanor Collins. That is Penelope Featherington… or as she is known in London, ‘Lady Whistledown’.”

Chapter 5: CHAPTER FIVE

Chapter Text

That is not Eleanor Collins. That is Penelope Featherington… or as she is known in London, ‘Lady Whistledown’.”

“You cannot possibly know that,” Maria countered in disbelief. “You have never met anyone of that circle.”

Virginia looped her arm with her cousin’s and pulled her towards the lane. “This is true. However, my maid, Jane, has a cousin who worked in the Featherington household. We met up with her in the park while we were visiting my grandmother not long before Lady Whistledown was revealed and Jane’s cousin pointed Penelope Featherington to us. The Featheringtons were always embroiled in some sort of scandal.”

Maria frowned. “I cannot imagine Eleanor-”

“I will never forget that hair, Maria!” Virginia insisted. “The color is so unfashionable, though I suppose she cannot help it.” Maria huffed, still not believing. “I am in earnest, Maria. In the last issue of Whistledown, she revealed herself to be Penelope Featherington. According to Grandmama, all of London was in an uproar, not just the ton. The queen spent months searching for her, but she was never found. Oh, this is just like a mystery book!”

“Ginny, you mustn’t say anything!” Maria begged. “Eleanor is a good person. She is my friend. I do not know if she is this Penelope Featherington or was, in any case, but I know what she is now. The entire town adores her. She is a fantastic author. Eleanor has made sure that anyone that wants to learn to read can. You must keep your thoughts to yourself.”

“I-”

Maria grabbed both of Virginia’s hands. “Please!”

Virginia sighed. “I promise not to say anything to anyone about Lady Whistledown.”

“Thank you,” beamed Maria. She looped their arms together once more. “Come, we must get home before my mama has our heads.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You are awfully quiet this evening,” Jane, Virginia’s maid, commented as she brushed out the younger woman’s blond locks.

Virginia sighed. “I learned something today, a great secret, and I am unsure what to do with it.”

Jane paused her ministrations. “Is this a secret that you can share with me or one that you must keep to yourself?”

“Well, I did promise to not talk about…” Virginia’s voice trailed off as she realized that she had only promised Maria not to discuss Lady Whistledown. Virginia cleared her throat. “This must stay between the two of us. You must promise me, Jane.”

“I promise,” Jane swore, leaning close, her eye twinkling.

Virginia breathed deeply. “The lady that Maria introduced me to today, Miss Eleanor Collins…”

Jane urged, “Yes. What about her?”

“I believe… No, I am near certain that she is not Miss Eleanor Collins, but is, in fact, Penelope Featherington.”

“Penelope Featherington?” Jane repeated. “Do you mean Lady-”

“Ssh!” Virginia ordered. “I promised that I would not discuss her. But I did not promise that I would not discuss Penelope Featherington.”

Virginia and Jane giggled together before Jane continued brushing. “How certain are you of her identity?”

“I know I only saw her once in the park, but her image was everywhere for months, even for those of us that do not live immediately in London. Grandmama still has several of the flyers.”

Jane shared a knowing look with Virginia in the mirror. “What is your dilemma then?”

Sighing, Virginia fiddled with the trinkets on the table. “Maria truly likes Miss Collins. The entire town does from what she tells me. And, honestly, I do not want to be caught up in a scandal during my first year out. I do not think it will end well for my prospects.”

“But?”

“But I remember your cousin talking about the sadness in the Featherington house when they were unable to find her. Lady Featherington has rarely been seen in public since. Grandmama says that the Bridgertons have never quite the same either, that one of the male children has never gotten over her disappearance and continues to search for her today.”

Jane rolled her eyes. “Your grandmother is a gossip. She does not even know either of these families.”

Virginia grinned. “True, but she also rarely wrong in what she knows.” She turned to face Jane. “I am unable to stop thinking, ‘what if it was Jenny that disappeared like that?’ She may be my annoying, little sister, but I cannot imagine spending years not knowing if she was alive or dead. They must all feel that heartbreak.”

“And thus your dilemma?”

“Exactly.” She wrung her fingers together. “Nothing feels as if it is the correct answer.”

Jane grabbed Virginia’s hands in her own. “I may have a solution for you. My cousin, Margaret, no longer works for the Featheringtons. They got rid of most of their servants when they fled town. She works for the Bridgertons, now, and she happens to be in Bath currently with the youngest Bridgerton.” Off of Virginia’s disbelieving look, she continued, “We were hoping to be able to meet up while we were so close. It is less than a day to Bath.”

Virginia frowned. “You wish to involve your cousin?”

“My cousin is trustworthy,” Jane assured her. “She will know if someone in the Bridgerton household should be told and whom. I will write to her in the morning, if it is acceptable to you.”

“You promise that she will be discreet?”

Jane nodded. “The most discreet.”

Virginia took in a deep breath. “Then, yes, please write to her tomorrow. I will pay for it to be expressed.”

“It will all be fine.” Jane squeezed her shoulders as she turned her back around to finish brushing her hair. “Perhaps, she is not even Penelope Featherington, but a distant cousin. It was a rough sketch of her and we did only see her the once in the park. You may be worrying over nothing.”

“I certainly hope you are correct, Jane. Mama will kill me if I am drawn into a scandal, especially one such as this.”

Jane embraced her from behind and laughed. “But your grandmother will be absolutely thrilled!”

Chapter 6: CHAPTER SIX

Chapter Text

Colin stood at the edge of the sand and watch as his youngest sister, Hyacinth, walked the beach with her maid, Margaret. They were running up to the water and running back when the waves lapped their shoes. He could hear their laughter on the wind even in the distance. It made his heart full to see Hyacinth so full of life, even if it was twinged with sadness at how grown-up she had become since he had seen her six months ago. They had precious little time before Hyacinth would make her debut. Time was slipping away.

“Colin!” Hyacinth shouted when she spotted him causing him to shake his head as he sprinted towards. It was still a few years before she would make her debut. The melancholy would do him no good now.

“Hyacinth!” he called back, stepping out onto the sand. He picked her up and spun her around as they both chuckled. “Who is this young woman in front of me? This cannot be my baby sister.”

Hyacinth preened. “I am quite grown. And still taller than Gregory.”

Colin grabbed her arm and placed it in his as they began to walk, Margaret a few steps behind. “I am certain that annoys him to no end. Tell me, have you been enjoying your time with our aunt?”

“It has been nice being able to see the ocean daily,” she replied.

“But?”

“It has been so boring here! Aunt Milly does not like drama in the least. There have been no stories of scandals or romance or intrigue. Her friends spend their time discussing their grandchildren and sewing.” Hyacinth sighed loudly. “I have taken to making up stories of the birds to pass the time. Please tell me that you have come to take me home.”

Colin pursed his lips, teasingly. “Well, I am not certain that you have been with our aunt long enough to learn the decorum that you were supposed to. After all, a young lady must be able to comport herself in even the most boring of drawing rooms.”

She glared at him. “If I can listen to Benedict rambling about his art, Eloise about the misfortunes of women, and Anthony about, well, Kate, I most certainly can handle anything a drawing room may throw at me.”

“I have come to take you home,” Colin laughed. “I was only in town for two days when I could no longer bare the silence without my youngest-”

“And favorite-”

“Sister,” Colin concluded with an eyeroll. “So, I begged our mother to be the one to fetch you. I did not think you would mind leaving a bit early.”

“Not at all!” Hyacinth clapped. “But, tell me, brother, how were your travels?”

Colin let out a slow breath. “The people were friendly. The food was unique, but delicious. The sights were beautiful. But-”

Hyacinth frowned. “But there was no sign of Penelope.”

“No.” He grabbed a shell from the sand and tossed it into the ocean. “It was a long shot anyway. I do not believe that Penelope even once mentioned wanting to move to southern Ireland.”

“Where in Ireland shall you go next?”

Colin threw another shell. “I have exhausted the search in Ireland, unless I visit every home in the entire country. No, I will go to Scotland next. At least there, I will be able to visit Francesca and John.”

She laid her head on his shoulder. “I am certain that you will find her. I only wish we knew that she was safe.”

“We will just keep wishing for it to be so.” Colin kissed the top of her head.

“Are you to stay for the season?” Hyacinth questioned.

Colin stared longingly out at the ocean. “I have not decided. I do not wish to dance at balls and drink at White’s as I pretend that everything is fine, that Penelope isn’t out there somewhere alone. But, I do miss you all and I run the risk of Edmund not recognizing me a bit at this rate.”

Hyacinth giggled. “Did they show you the Anthony walk while you were in town?”

“No,” he replied, his eyebrows raised.

“Benedict has taught him how to march like Anthony. He even pauses to put his hands on his hips. Anthony absolutely despises it, but it makes Kate laugh so he will not dare put an end to it.”

Colin laughed. “I see that our brother is as whipped as ever.”

Smirking, Hyacinth added, “Even more so these days. Do not tell anyone, but Kate is expecting again.”

“That is wonderful news! How is it that you have come to know this information if no one is to know?”

“I may have overheard Anthony telling Cook to remove onions from all meals for the time being. Avoidance of onion was the same affliction that Kate had while pregnant with Edmund.”

Colin tapped her nose. “You just as nosy as you have ever been. I will wait for the announcement to make my congratulations.”

“Margaret!”

Colin and Hyacinth stopped suddenly causing Margaret to near crash into them. “Oh, I am so sorry!”

“It was our fault entirely,” Colin assured her. “I had forgotten that we were not alone.”

“I believe that it is Katy calling for you,” Hyacinth told Margaret. “And it appears that she is holding something in her hand.”

The three stood and watched as Katy hurried towards them, sand flying from beneath her feet. She was breathless by the time she reached them. “Margaret, an express came for you.”

Margaret paled. “An express for me?”

“Open it, Margaret,” Hyacinth encouraged. “What does it say? Is everything alright with your family?”

“My, uh, my family is fine, Miss Hyacinth,” Margaret assured her, her eyes skimming over the missive. “It is from my cousin, Jane. She is the maid for Miss Virginia Hannigan. They are currently visiting Miss Hannigan’s family in Havenshire. She writes…” She took in a deep breath. “I believe that you should read this, sir.”

Colin shot her a confused look, but took the paper. He, too, paled as he read the note.

Hyacinth placed her hand on his arm. “Is everything well, Colin?”

“I… I do not know. Margaret’s cousin writes… Well, it appears that they may have found Penelope.”

Chapter 7: CHAPTER SEVEN

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“Penelope? Penelope Featherington?” Hyacinth repeated. “Why do they think that?”

“According to Margaret’s cousin, the young woman that she cares for recognized her. They admit that they have only seen Penelope once in London, excepting the flyers that were circulated. Miss Virginia Hannigan was introduced to a local author in Havenshire, a Miss Eleanor Collins.”

Hyacinth jumped a bit. “Miss Eleanor Collins? I adore her books!”

Colin glared at her for the interruption. “She believes that this Miss Collins is, in fact, Penelope. She has the red hair that the Featheringtons are famous for.”

“We must pack straight away,” Hyacinth insisted. “How far is it to Havenshire?”

“It is about half a day’s journey,” Katy supplied when eyes turned to her.

Colin frowned. “You are not going with me.”

“Do not try to stop me, brother,” Hyacinth nodded once when Colin gave in. “If we leave soon, we can be there by nightfall.”

Katy cleared her throat. “Havenshire is a small hamlet. They do not even have an inn to rest at.”

“We shall leave in the morning,” Colin decided. He held up his hand when Hyacinth protested. “I am as anxious as you to go, Hyacinth, but we must do it safely. We will leave first thing in the morning and be there by luncheon.”

“Fine,” Hyacinth acquiesced when it was clear that Colin would not be swayed. “Come, Margaret. Let us begin to pack.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Are we nearly there?” Hyacinth whined, her brown curls bouncing with the road.

Colin sighed and shifted in the carriage seat. “We are about half an hour closer than the last time you asked.”

Hyacinth glared at him. “Perhaps if you provided more entertainment, I would not need to whine so much.”

“Perhaps if you had stayed at our aunt’s house, you would find some sort of entertainment.”

“And miss seeing Penelope? Not on your life.” She stuck her tongue out at him. “Besides, she may not want to see you after… after all these years, but she will be thrilled to see me.”

Swallowing audibly, Colin frowned. She had nailed one of his greatest fear, that even after all this time, Penelope would refuse to see him. “Hyacinth-”

Leaping across the carriage suddenly, she pointed out the window. “Look! I believe we are here in Havenshire. Why are we stopping?”

“I imagine that they are asking for exact directions to Pen- to Miss Collins’ home.”

“I suppose that makes sense.” Hyacinth continued to studied their surroundings. She smiled as a group of children surrounded a man walking out of what appeared to be the grocer, jumping and giggling at something he had in his hand raised over his head. “It is a pleasant looking town.”

Colin shifted in his seat. “I am not sure that it is large enough to be considered a town.”

Hyacinth rolled her eyes. “The people seem to be quite friendly. Hello!” she shouted, waving at a passerby who smiled and waved back.

“Hyacinth, that is quite enough,” Colin scolded. He tugged on her blue dress to pull her from the window. “We are moving once again.”

“I hope she is not too much further,” she commented, her eyes still pointed outside. “What do supposed Penelope, if it is Penelope, has been doing these last few years? Besides writing, of course. Do you think she has a husband? Maybe children?”

Colin frowned. “The letter did not mention any family.”

“But-”

“And, in fact, the letter called her ‘Miss Eleanor Collins’.”

Hyacinth smirked. “So, no husband and children then.”

Colin folded his arms and bit back another sigh. He was used to being teased by his siblings over his search for Penelope, but he found he had no patience for it when he was so close to possibly seeing her. They insisted that he must have more feelings for her than friendship, but Colin was adamant that he simply wanted to know that she was thriving and to apologize for the things he had said about her. If the thought of her with a husband caused him to become a bit squeamish, it was only because he wanted to be certain that whoever she married was good enough for her.

“It is not your fault, you know.” Hyacinth whispered. Startled, Colin briefly looked her in the eyes before flitting away again. “I know that you blame yourself for the words that you said that night. I cannot pretend that your words that night were not devastating, but they were not the only shock that she received that night.”

“I was her friend,” Colin murmured. “I did not treat her very well with my words. Perhaps, if I had spoken of her as I should have, she would have turned to me, to us, instead of running away.”

Hyacinth reached across and took his hand. “And if she had not fought with Eloise, perhaps, they would have plotted their revenge on you the next day. Or if Jack Featherington had not been a thief, perhaps you would not have drunk so much and made such a statement. Or if her family had not disregarded her so, she never would have started Lady Whistledown in the first place. We cannot go back and change the past. We will never know what behaviors would have changed the outcome. We can simply move forward, love her, forgive her, and bring her home.”

His lips turned upwards at the edges. “When did my littlest sister become so wise?”

“I have always been this wise. I have just been waiting for the rest of you to catch up with me.” They both chuckled, glad for the bit of light respite.

“I do not know,” Colin continued after a bit, “if I can forgive her for her lies and I do not know if she should forgive mine.”

Hyacinth opened her mouth to respond, when the carriage came to a stop and the coachman knocked on the top. “Well, brother, it appears that we are here.”

“So we are.”

Notes:

So, I have been trying to stay two chapters ahead before publishing, but chapter nine is kicking my butt for some reason. So, I'm breaking my own rule and giving you this chapter since it's been awhile since the last one

Chapter 8: CHAPTER EIGHT

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“They lived afterwards very happily together.”

Penelope smiled as the group of children in front of her clapped. She had invited several of the farmers’ families to a picnic. She had just finished her third story, much to the delight of all involved.

“Another! Another!” Young Alex McMinnon shouted as loud as his three-year-old lungs would allow.

Penelope smiled indulgently at the young blond with curls in his eyes. “I believe that has been enough for today, Alex. But it looks like Cook is coming out with some sweets for all of you.”

Alex cheered along with the rest of the children and chased after Mrs. Huxley as she carried a tray of sweets to the table, each hoping to be the first to pick one out. Penelope stood from her chair stretching. She wandered through the adults, pausing to discuss their children, the picnic, or congratulations on her new book.

Breathing in deeply, Penelope closed her eyes, reveling in the sunlight. She felt light, lighter than she had in days, but then, she always lost some of the heaviness weighing on her when the children were around. These picnics always lifted her spirits. She felt useful. She felt appreciated. She felt… seen.

“Miss Co-yins!”

Penelope turned to find six-year-old Sally running towards her, her red curls bouncing all around her. “Hello, Sally!”

Sally grinned as she latched onto Penelope’s skirt. “Miss Co-yins, fank you for inv-ing me and me bro-fer to the pic-ic!”

Stroking the hair from Sally’s forehead, Penelope gave her a sweet kiss. “You are most welcome, Sally. I hope you had lots of fun.” She laughed when Sally nodded excessively. “Now, run along and grab a cookie before they’re all gone.”

“Miss Collins.” Charlotte took Sally’s place as the young girl skipped towards the desserts.

“Yes, Charlotte?” Penelope’s eyes remained on Sally as she grabbed a cookie for herself and her brother before running into her father’s arms.

Charlotte cleared her throat to gain Penelope’s attention. “There is a carriage approaching.”

Penelope gave her a tight smile. “They are a little late for the festivities, but we have plenty to share.”

“It is not someone from the town, Miss Collins,” Charlotte pressed. “We do not recognize the carriage. And…”

“And?”

“And it is much fancier than anything we have in town,” Charlotte admitted. “Do you want me to send them away?”

Penelope’s stomach dropped. Her palms were moistening as her heart sped up, pounding into her ears. Her first instinct was to run. Her next was to use the townsfolk to create a buffer between whoever was in that carriage and herself, lock her doors, and never step outdoors again. She wanted to scream and cry and hide.

She pinched herself in stop her mind from spiraling further. She had no reason to believe that whoever was in the carriage had any idea of her true identity. She had managed to go nearly three years without being recognized. There was no reason to believe that had changed now. There were many reasons that an unknown carriage could be coming to the house.

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Penelope straightened her spine. “No, that will not be necessary, Charlotte. Please have them wait in the drawing room and serve them tea. I shall be in when I have said my farewells.”

“Yes, miss.” Charlotte bobbed her head and hurried towards the house.

Penelope turned her attention back to her guests, who were beginning to take their leave. Her heart felt buoyant as nearly all of the children hugged her good-bye and their parents made promises of invitations to dinner. There were no separation of classes in this town.

“Sir!” Charlotte called out, hurriedly. “Sir, Miss, I need you to return to the drawing room! Sir!”

“Pen?”

Penelope froze and her heart dropped as she heard a voice she had not heard in nearly three years. She trembled head to toe as her breath became shallow. The world around her lost focus. She refused to turn around to face him.

“Penelope!”

At the sound of the higher voice, Penelope turned and was immediately hit by a running body. “Oof!”

“Penelope!” Hyacinth cried, holding tight to the smaller woman. “It is you! It is really you. I did not wish to hope truly, but you are here! And you are well.” Hyacinth pulled back to look at Penelope’s face. “You are well, are you not?”

“I… I am well, H-Hyacinth,” she stuttered, keeping her eyes focused solely on the girl in her arms. “How, um… Where… How did you come to find me?”

Hyacinth took a deep breath, grasping Penelope’s hands as she refused to release her completely. “It twas my maid. She has a cousin whose charge is visiting someone here. The young lady apparently recognized you and sent word to my maid for confirmation.”

“Miss Virginia,” Penelope whispered to herself, her head rolling back. “I feared that she recognized me. She hid it well.”

Hyacinth crocked her head to the side. “Who is Miss Virginia?”

Penelope waved her off. “It is of no consequence.”

“Have you been here the entire time?” Hyacinth asked. “All of Mayfair was in an uproar when you disappeared. The Bow Street Runners looked for you for months and came up with nothing. How shocking should it be that you were near Bath this entire time.” She squeezed Penelope’s hands. “There were several people that tried to take over as the new Lady Whistledown, but none of them had your talent. Oh, we have missed you so much! How are you? Are you well?”

“I-”

Hyacinth cut her off, continuing to blabber. “Colin has been searching for you everywhere. We were beginning to believe that he was never coming home. As soon as he read the letter, he was making plans to come here. He tried to leave me behind with my aunt, but I would not hear of it! Isn’t that right, Colin?”

Penelope turned and faced the man that had starred in so many of her dreams and so many of her nightmares; the man she both longed for and feared. “Colin.”

“Lady Whistledown.”

Notes:

Thank you for all the comments, kudos, and bookmarks. I appreciate each and every one of you!

Chapter 9: CHAPTER NINE

Notes:

Whew, you guys are mad at Colin. LOL! I have to admit that I did not plan on having him so angry either, but it's the way the story wrote. Try and hold on as it's going to be a bit bumpy ride, but we'll get through it.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Colin mentally kicked himself as Penelope’s body went rigid and Hyacinth glared at him. He was unsure what caused him to utter those two words when she finally greeted him. But as he saw her standing there, conversing with his sister, he was overwhelmed with all of the emotions from the past few years. Hurt, anger, disbelief, heartbreak, relief, joy. They all warred within his chest at seeing his friend in front of him.

“Perhaps we should take this inside,” Penelope suggestion, stiffly. She stepped away to talk to Charlotte. “Charlotte, can you have some tea and biscuits brought to the drawing room, please? You and Mrs Huxley may go when the rest of the picnic is cleared.”

“Will you be all right, Miss Collins?” Charlotte glanced warily at newcomers to her mistress’ home.

Penelope nodded. “I will be fine. These are some old friends.”

Charlotte took Penelope’s hands in her own. “Eleanor, will you be all right?”

“Yes,” she whispered back, “I promise.”

Charlotte dipped her head once. “Very well. We shall see you in the morning.” She lowered her voice. “I will have Thomas come by tonight just to make sure everything is fine.”

Squeezing her hands, Penelope smiled. “Thank you, Charlotte. I shall see you in the morning.” Penelope turned to the two Bridgertons watching her intently. “Please, come inside.”

Penelope lead them into the house and down the hall, silently. She fiddled with her hands as she went, increasing in speed each time she glanced backwards at Colin and Hyacinth. They were also quiet, observing the house.

This was the fork in the road that Penelope had been avoiding even thinking of for three years. In the back of her mind, she was always certain that someone would find her, that someone would know her true identity.

“This is a very pleasant home that you have here, Penelope,” Hyacinth offered after the silence of the room became too much for her to bear.

“Thank you, Hyacinth.” Penelope smiled gratefully at her. “It is small, but it meets my needs.”

“Do you live here alone?”

Penelope glanced around the room, her head bobbing a bit. “I do. Both Cook and Mrs Huxley have families. I could have found staff that did not, I suppose, but I appreciate having my privacy.”

Colin huffed under his breath, “Of course, you do.”

“What was that?” Penelope asked, straining for politeness, but falling just short.

“I said…” Colin stood and abruptly cut off as Charlotte enter the room with their tea.

Charlotte glanced suspiciously between her miss and the man now pacing behind the sofa as she set up service. “We will be going now, Miss Collins, if you do not need anything else.”

Shaking her head, Penelope shot her a reassuring smile. “I shall see you in the morning, Charlotte.”

Penelope turned her attention back to Colin. “I believe that there was something that you wished to say to me, Mr Bridgerton.”

“Penelope!” Hyacinth interjected, desperate to dispel the rising tension in the room. “You must tell me how you began Whistledown. No one has been able to discover it.”

“It was an accident, really,” she began to explain, keeping one eye on Colin. “My mother made attend several engagements before my actual debut. They were even worse than the ones after I debuted. They overwhelmed me and my family was of no support. All of you were still at Aubrey Hall and there was no one with a kind word.

“But as I hid in the shadows, along the walls with the staff, I began to hear stories of the people there. Knowing their secrets made them seem less intimidating and more human. So, I began to write these stories down, adding my own observations. It was supposed to be… silly.” Penelope shook her curls. “One day, my papers got mixed in with some of the papers that my father’s solicitor was taking with him. To this day, I do not know how.”

Hyacinth exclaimed, “Perhaps it was kismet!”

“Maybe it was the devil,” Colin murmured just loud enough for Hyacinth to scowl at him.

“It was my father’s solicitor who thought to turn it into a column. He was the one to suggest the first columns be given out for free. He set up the initial printer. Sadly, he passed away before the second issue so he never got to see the fruits of his labor.”

Hyacinth looked at her in awe. “You did this on your own? After the initial set-up?”

Penelope shrugged. “I had some help along the way.”

“Such as?” Colin nearly demanded.

“Such as no one I will disclose.” Penelope busied herself with the tea while she tried to gain her bearings. The anger coming from Colin was not unexpected. Neither was the excitement coming from Hyacinth, if she was being honest. It was the way his anger was manifesting that had thrown her. She had expected him to yell when they were finally alone. She had prepared herself since he had shown at her house; earlier after she left Mayfair, if she was being honest. The snide marks under his breath, however, unnerved her. Colin had always been straight forward with her.

Well, until the night of the Featherington Ball anyway. Perhaps, that was the beginning of this man that sat in her drawing room. Perhaps, in the time that she had been away, he had truly transformed into every other member of the ton: quick with a criticism, but only where it could barely be heard.

Penelope sighed when she had passed out the cups. “Why are you here?”

“We have come to see that you are well,” Hyacinth replied, confusion coloring her tone. She glanced between Colin and Penelope with a frown.

“That is why you are here, dear Hyacinth,” Penelope shot her a smile before turning back to Colin, “but that is not why your brother is here. Have you come for your pound of flesh? Or to turn me into the Queen? I doubt the reward is still as high as it once was, but perhaps it is bragging rights that you are after? You always hated Whistledown and now, you can be known as the one to track me down.”

Colin clenched his jaw and glared at the books on the shelf as if they had wronged him. “I have not come for Whistledown.” His eyes flicked to hers. “I have come to see after my friend’s – my former friend’s – well-being after she abandoned us for years, no one knowing if she even lived! I have come to see you, not Whistledown.”

Penelope rolled her shoulders, holding her chin high. “There is no me without Whistledown and no Whistledown without me. If you wish to avoid Whistledown, I suggest you return to your carriage and forget that you ever saw me. Whistledown and I are one in the same.”

“No!”

Notes:

Sadly, this is my last written ahead chapter. Hopefully, inspiration hits me soon!

Chapter 10: CHAPTER TEN

Notes:

So, I really struggled with this one until I let Hyacinth run free so this is a Hyacinth heavy chapter, but you do hear a bit about the folks back home. Some of them are left intentionally vague, just as an FYI

Chapter Text

“No!” Colin roared, standing suddenly. “You are not Whistledown. You are Penelope Featherington.”

“I am both!” Penelope shouted, standing suddenly. Her entire body flushed with anger and her chest heaved. “I am both Penelope Featherington and Lady Whistledown. I have spent years reconciling the two and I will not let you set me back.”

Colin rose, too, the vein in his forehead throbbing. “You cannot possibly be proud of the things that you have done as Whistledown. The lives you have ruined? The destruction you have caused? These… these actions you have done? How do you live with yourself?”

Penelope stalked towards him. “I left! I left everything I knew and everyone I loved.”

“You left to avoid responsibility!”

“I left because there was nothing there for me!”

Hyacinth leapt from the sofa and placed herself in between the two. “Enough!”

Colin took a deep breath, his eyes widening. “You have spent far too much time with Anthony if you are able to channel him this much.”

She huffed. “I will be certain to give him the compliment.” Hyacinth glared at her brother. “I do not understand why you are behaving so, Colin, when you have been searching for Penelope for three years.”

Behind her, Penelope gasped quietly while Colin clenched his jaw.

“And here she is!” Hyacinth continued. “She is standing right in front of us, alive, safe. Is that not what you have wished for?”

“I-”

Penelope gently laid her hand on Hyacinth’s shoulder. Her anger left her with the younger girl’s first word. She found herself tired, tired of running, tired of being someone else. If she was honest with herself, the fight left her the moment she saw the two of them on the hill. “Hyacinth, it is fine. There are many emotions in play right now.”

“But-”

“There are many reasons for your brother to be angry with me. There are many reasons for you to be angry with me.” Penelope stepped away, wringing her hands. “What I have done… What I have done is unforgivable. I hurt a lot of people, my family and yours in particular. I have changed the course of relationships, not the least of which was your brother and Marina.”

Colin stepped closer to the two. “You have done some good as well.” Penelope stared at him, confusion coloring her eyes. “I am not so unreasonable as to not admit to that. Daphne would be married to Berbooke if not for the power of Whistledown. Gossip amongst the ton would not have been enough.”

Hyacinth glanced between the them, frowning. “The two of you are exhausting. You were going for each other’s throats not three minutes ago and now, you are defending each other. I do not know how Eloise put up with both of you for so long.”

“Hyacinth,” Colin whispered as Penelope’s face fell and she studied the floor.

“How is she?” Penelope asked after a few moments.

Colin adjusted his waistcoat. “She is… she is Eloise. She befriended Cressida Cowper the first year of you were gone.” Colin laughed at the face Penelope made. “I know. We were all rather surprised. Fortunately for all of us, though not for Miss Cowper, she was forced into marriage with a Lord Greer at the end of the season and the friendship between her and Eloise fell apart. Fortunately for Lady Greer, Lord Greer met with his untimely death not quite a year into the marriage. She is rarely seen in town now.”

Penelope released a slow breath. “That is a lot of information. I admit that I am having difficulty seeing Eloise and Cressida as friends. Then for Cressida to marry old Lord Greer of all people.”

“She attempted to match with a Lord Debling that season,” Hyacinth gossiped, eagerly, “as he was looking for a wife before embarking on a three year voyage to watch some birds.” Colin shrugged when Penelope raised a brow. He had not paid much attention to Lord Debling. “However, he overheard her gossiping about some of new debutantes and that was the end of it. He married the very quiet Miss Williams. She seems very happy, even though Lord Debling has not been back to England yet.”

“After that season, Eloise convinced our mother to allow her to spend the next year in Scotland with Francesca and her husband,” Colin continued.

Tears gathered in the corners of Penelope’s eyes. “Oh, Francesca got married?”

Hyacinth nodded enthusiastically. “She is married to Lord Kilmartin. He is a peculiar fellow. He is very much like Francesca. The first time Lord Kilmartin called upon Francesca, they sat in completely silence, but they enjoyed themselves! Can you imagine? Anyway, they married by special license so that they could have a small ceremony at home and not the big affair that Mama wanted. Then, they scurried off to Scotland, taking Eloise and Lord Kilmartin’s cousin, Michaela.”

“I am surprised that your mother allowed Eloise to miss a season.”

“Well, Mama thought she would be able to concentrate on Benedict and Colin that season, but Colin-” Hyacinth cut off abruptly with the glare from her brother. “Anyway, Mama spent her time attempting to pair off Benedict and preparing for the arrival of the next Lord Bridgerton.”

Colin shook his head. “Anthony and Kate had a beautiful, baby boy.”

Hyacinth nearly bounced off her feet. “In India! I thought Mama was going to have an apoplexy when she found that they were traveling to India while Kate was pregnant, but Anthony wanted to see Kate’s home before the baby came. So, Mama spent the season trying to find Benedict a match as he was the only Bridgerton left at home who was out as well as buying and making a million things for Edmund. That’s what they named the baby, by the way. Mama cried for three days when we received the letter.”

“It is the perfect name for the next Lord Bridgerton,” Penelope agreed. “So, has Benedict found his love then?”

“He did!” Hyacinth squeezed her hands together in delight. “At Mama’s masquerade ball last year, but she was wearing a mask and did not know whom she was. He searched for her for most of the season only to find her working as a maid. A maid! Can you believe it? But Mama did not care as long as Benedict was happy and Anthony’s objections died as soon as Kate became involved. Benedict is so incredibly happy. Sophie keeps him on his toes. They shall have the most beautiful babies, as much as Anthony and Kate, and Daphne and Simon, and Francesca and Lord Kilmartin, John.”

Penelope tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “It certainly sounds as if it has been an eventful few years for the Bridgertons.”

Eyes widening, Hyacinth exclaimed, “For your family as well! Miss Prudence has-”

“Hyacinth,” Colin said sharply, watching the color drain from Penelope’s face. “I believe I saw a swing outside. Perhaps, you should like to take some time to yourself.”

“Of-of course,” she stuttered. “I am sorry, Penelope.”

Penelope squeezed her hand. “You have nothing to be sorry for. Dear Hyacinth. It is simply a lot of information to take in at once. Take a few cookies with you. Cook is quite fantastic at them.”

Hyacinth nodded. She wrapped a few cookies in a napkin and hurried out the door. She shot Colin an apologetic look before disappearing.

“It appears that Hyacinth is the one to go to for all of the news,” Penelope commented before turning red when she realized the implication that she and Hyacinth were alike. “I mean-”

“It is fine, Penelope,” Colin assured her. “She was always a big fan of Lady Whistledown, no matter how much my mother attempted to curb it.” He breathed deeply. “Now, why don’t we sit down and I can tell you a bit more about your time away?”

Chapter 11: CHAPTER ELEVEN

Notes:

Another talking chapter. I'm trying to get them to move along to more action. They do not want to listen.

Chapter Text

Penelope nodded with a slight sigh and sat down on the chaise. Colin sat on the opposite end, watching her carefully as she prepared both of them a cup of tea. She handed his with a tight smile before sitting herself, her body rigid.

“I apologize for my earlier outburst,” Colin told her.

“I apologize for mine as well,” she replied, holding up her hand to stop his protests. “Emotions are running high with… all of this. I believe we may both give ourselves grace.”

Colin nodded his agreement. “Do you… do you wish to know of your sisters?”

Penelope stared at her hands, rubbing her thumb over the back of her other hand. “They must despise me, but, yes, I would like to know of my sisters. I did fear the damage that I might do to Prudence’s reputation.”

“Phillipa, Mrs Finch as she is now, is the mother of a beautiful baby girl and is nearing confinement on her second. I cannot claim an intimate relationship with Mr and Mrs Finch, but they seem to be happy and nearly always by the cheese.”

Penelope smiled, faintly. “A-and Prudence?”

“Prudence is also no longer a Featherington. Your mother married her off to a Mr Henry Dankworth as quickly as she could after, well, after everything. Mr Dankworth is renowned for his love of his wife. He trails after her at every event. They, too, had a daughter. I believe she is about the same age as Phillipa’s little one.”

“My m-mother?”

Colin took a deep breath. “Lady Featherington was rather subdued the season following the-” Colin waved his hand around rather than name it, “even with both of your sisters married. However, she found herself invited to every thing, every soiree, every ball, and her drawing room was filled with callers for everyone wanted to know about Lady Whistledown.”

The room went still at Colin finally saying the name of her alter ego. He watched as her face drained of color and her eyes glossed over. He wondered what she was thinking in that moment, whether it was regret over the things she did as Lady Whistledown or if she was embarrassed that her mama was using it for her own clout.

“The one thing that you can always count on is my mother using a scandal to her benefit,” Penelope huffed at last. She laughed to herself. “Ironically, this may have made me my mother’s favorite after all this time.”

“She does miss you, though,” Colin assured her quietly. “Whenever I am back in Mayfair, she insists that we meet for tea so that I can apprise her of my travels… and my search for you.”

Penelope stared at the floor. “Why did you search for me? After my last issue… I believed I had written enough so that no one would look for me, except perhaps the Queen.” She grimaced when he didn’t laugh as she intended. Nervousness entered her voice again. “I thought that I had burned my bridges between the fight with Eloise and what I wrote about you and my family. I thought you would all curse my name and then put me out of your minds.”

Colin looked aghast. “You believed that we could forget about you? Penelope, you have been Eloise’s friend since you were seven-years-old. You have been a part of the Bridgerton family all this time. You are – were – my best friend. There is not a day that we have not thought of you, that we have not worried about your welfare.” He scooted closer to her. “Your mother may have found a way to use your reveal, but she has not forgotten you. Neither have your sisters.”

“I do not understand.” Penelope rose from the sofa suddenly. Her head was whirling at what Colin had just told her, too fast for her to truly grasp onto them. It unnerved her. “No one cared whether I was there or not. No one talked to me except to scorn. No one saw me except to tear me down. Now, you are telling me that they have missed me? You must be mistaken. Unless they miss using me for all of their frustrations.”

She began to pace, ignoring his attempts to interrupt, growing increasingly unnerved. “I had no safe place left. After Eloise uncovered the truth, there was nothing left for me. I tore my heart out. I ripped my soul apart. I left everything and everyone that I have ever loved and they miss me? They could not be bothered to ask how my day has been, but they missed me?”

Colin rose and stood in her path, forcing her to bump into his chest. She instantly reddened as she looked up at him through her eyelashes. “Pen, you must calm down. You are working yourself into hysterics!” He placed his hands on her shoulders and looked her directly in the eyes. “Breathe with me. In. Out. In. Out.”

“I’m sorry,” she said in a small voice when she had gained her composure. “I always thought that when this day would come, when I would inevitably be discovered, that I would be more dignified. But, once again, my brain has forsaken me. On paper, I am brave, strong, fearless. There is nothing that I will not face. But when it comes to my speech, I am the same wallflower that I have ever been, quiet, meek, fearful.”

“Pen,” Colin started, “you… are not-”

“Please, do not.” Penelope held her out up to prevent whatever it was that he was going to say. “I no that I have no right to ask anything of you, but please, do not try to make me feel better. I have accepted what I am. Mostly, accepted.” She took a deep breath. “I am sorry for the pain that I have caused your family and mine. I was selfish, again. I did not stop to think that my leaving might bother anyone, not after that night.”

Colin was having a hard time keeping up with her changing moods. “Do… do you want to hear more of home?”

Penelope shook her head. “No. No, I do not think that I can bare it for now.” She took a deep breathe. “I suppose the only question that I have for you is now that you have discovered my whereabouts, what are you planning to do?”