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Penelope Featherington was horrified as she looked at herself in the mirror. The dress that her mother envisioned for her first ball looked atrocious and did not suit her at all. She sighed. Her mother had insisted that she debut a year earlier than usual, along with both of her older sisters. And apparently, she had decided to dress her in the most hideous dresses imaginable.
She was pulled from her thoughts when the bell at the modist's door rang. She looked over to the door and saw Lady Bridgerton entering the shop. Her mother immediately walked over to their neighbor and greeted her joyfully. “Oh, Lady Bridgerton, isn't it wonderful. Finally, our girls will participate in the social season. I can hardly wait!”
“Of course, Lady Featherington!” The other lady cast a glance over to Penelope and smiled gently at her. “Hello, Penelope!”
She curtsied slightly. “Lady Bridgerton!”
The mother of her best friend turned back to her mother. “I see you are still in the middle of preparations!”
“Yes, I had hoped Penelope would lose a bit more weight, so I waited until the last possible moment to have her dresses made!”
She cast a slightly reproachful look at her youngest daughter, but Penelope simply lowered her gaze.
“But it is what it is. What matters is that her dresses have cheerful colors. As you know, Lady Bridgerton, cheerful colors show men that they are cheerful women. That is all the men of the ton really want, isn't it?”
Lady Bridgerton nodded thoughtfully and looked over at Penelope. “To be sure, however, since Penelope is debuting earlier than usual, it might be better to clothe her in muted colors for at least the first few appearances to appear a bit more mature. After all, men should see that Penelope is no longer a girl, but a young woman!”
Penelope looked up and could see her mother looking thoughtfully. To her surprise, after a few moments, she nodded vigorously. “I hadn't even thought of that, but you are right!”
She turned around and called the modist over. “Madame Delacroix, we need to completely change Penelope's dress. I am thinking of a shade of blue? What do you have here?”
The modist led her mother to the bolts of fabric and Lady Bridgerton came over to her. She smiled gratefully at the older woman. “Thank you, Lady Bridgerton!”
The other woman nodded reassuringly at her. “I know you had hoped to debut together with Eloise, but I promise you I will still help you this season wherever I can!” she said softly, briefly reaching for her hands and squeezing them once.
Penelope wanted to say something more, but at that moment, her mother returned with the modist in tow and began talking to her youngest daughter.
***
Colin Bridgerton was not quite as opposed to the social season as his two oldest brothers. But then, he was only 20 years old, and he knew that no one truly expected him to find a wife just yet, so he intended to simply enjoy the season. To dance with a few women, flirt a little, and simply have fun.
He had just finished the first dance of the evening when he saw out of the corner of his eye that the Featheringtons had arrived. He had never cared much for the two oldest sisters, but the youngest had been his best friend ever since he met her 10 years ago. He turned in their direction, and the next moment he froze.
Penelope was not wearing yellow, as he was used to with her. No, she was wearing a blue dress, and what a dress it was. It was hard for him to take his eyes off her. She looked like a woman, the thought shot through his head, and he felt his stomach tighten. He had known that she would debut this year, so why had he never thought about the fact that she was now a woman?
He immediately pushed the thought away again and walked over to her.
“Pen!”, he greeted her softly and watched as a gentle smile crept onto her lips and she curtsied slightly.
“Colin!”, she answered, and he couldn't help but smile at her.
“Will you grant me the honor of putting my name on your dance card?”, he asked softly. “Oh!”, Penelope said, looking at him with wide eyes. She was obviously surprised by his question. Nevertheless, she held out her arm with her dance card to him. Colin carefully reached for the pencil and wrote his name down for the next dance. Penelope watched him with beaming eyes, and he smiled softly at her. As he let go of her arm again, he sought her gaze. “Before I forget to tell you later: this dress suits you exceedingly well. You look fantastic!”
Penelope blushed. “Thank you!”, she whispered, and Colin laughed softly.
As the dance floor began to clear and the next dance was imminent, he reached for her hand and led her over to the dance floor. The two took their positions, and as the music began to play, he expertly led her into the first dance steps. He was mildly surprised by how well Penelope could dance. Most debutantes were a bit insecure on the dance floor in their first year, but Penelope did not seem to have that problem. He sought her gaze, and she looked at him with such a sweet facial expression that he felt his heart begin to beat faster. He didn't know what was wrong with him today. It was Pen, his best friend, the girl with whom he had sat by the lake at Aubrey Hall for hours, laughing. But today, something was different. He just couldn't say exactly what it was.
As the final notes faded, he bowed to her and offered her his arm so she could link arms with him. He led her off the dance floor. “Would you like something to drink?”, he asked softly. Penelope nodded shyly. “I would love to!”
Colin gave her a light smile. “Wait here, I'll be right back!”
He walked with quick steps over to the lemonade table and fetched two glasses. When he returned to Penelope, he handed her one of the glasses.
“Thank you, Colin!”, her voice was quiet, and he could hear the uncertainty in her tone.
He looked at her encouragingly. “Tell me, Penelope, is the evening so far as you imagined it?”
She shook her head. “To be honest, I was afraid I would spend the whole evening standing alone at the edge of the dance floor and no one would pay attention to me!”, she confessed softly.
Colin looked at her in surprise. “How did you come up with that idea?”
Penelope looked at the ground. “My mother wanted me to lose more weight. She made it clear to me over and over again throughout the last few months that I am not good enough!” “Oh Pen!”, Colin reached for her hand and squeezed it gently. “Forget the nonsense that your mother has told you. You are perfect just the way you are. When I saw you in this dress, you took my breath away!”
“Colin!”, she said, indignant. “Please do not make fun of me!”
“I am serious, Pen. There is no other woman here with whom I would rather spend my time than with you. In fact, I would love to come call on you tomorrow, if you will allow it!” Penelope looked at him scrutinizingly for a few moments before she answered. “I would be happy if you came to call on me!”
Colin exhaled with relief. He hadn't even realized he had been holding his breath, but now a beam spread across his face. And apparently, he seemed to have finally convinced Penelope that he was serious, because she laughed out loud, and Colin couldn't help but join in. So that hadn't changed after all. They were still Colin and Pen and could laugh together.
***
Colin had waited in the background as his mother comforted Daphne and finally sent her to bed. After Anthony had angrily left Bridgerton House and Benedict had retired, he was finally alone with his mother.
“Mother, can I speak to you briefly?”, he asked softly.
Violet turned to him and surveyed him attentively. “Of course, shall we go into the drawing room?”
Colin nodded gratefully and followed her silently into the family's private drawing room. His mother waited until both of them had sat down before looking at him encouragingly. But now that he sat here, he didn't know how to begin.
“When you look for men for Daphne, what is important to you?”, he finally asked softly.
His mother looked at him thoughtfully for a moment. “Well, I wish for Daphne what I wish for all of you. That she finds a partner who loves her and whom she loves!”
“Oh!”, Colin said, surprised. “But I always thought you believed that friendship is the best foundation for a marriage?”
Violet smiled at him gently. “I do. That is how your father and I started. But I know how fortunate we were and how rare it is to fall in love with one's best friend!”
Colin nodded thoughtfully. “Father and you, you met as children, didn't you?”
“I was 11 and he was 12!”, his mother confirmed with a blissful smile. “Your father moved to Mayfair with his parents after his father became the Viscount!”
“And then you both simply fell in love with each other?”, he wanted to know.
Violet shook her head. “Oh no. It was not that simple. To be honest, I was a little in love with your father from the very beginning, but to him, I was just his best friend. Years later, he told me that it took him a long time to realize that I was a woman and not the little girl he had met!”
Colin looked at her in surprise. He knew that his parents had married when his father was 20 and his mother was 19 years old. His mother seemed to sense his thoughts, as she laughed softly. “When your father realized that I was a marriageable woman, it became clear to him quite quickly that he felt more for me than friendship, and a few months later we were married!”
She leaned forward and reached for her third son's hand. “I assume your questions have a reason?”
Colin felt himself blush slightly, and his mother smiled knowingly. “Penelope reminds me very much of myself when I was her age. I could never do anything right for my mother either and was very shy when I debuted. I was very grateful to your father that he was by my side, even if he did not see me as a marriage candidate in my first season. He was simply a good friend who cheered me up. But after he finally saw me as a woman, then our courtship was like a dream!”
Colin did not answer immediately, and she nodded to him encouragingly. “I know you would like to have him here right now to be able to talk to him. But he would tell you the same thing I am telling you, Colin. As long as you listen to your heart, you will make the right decision!” Colin nodded thoughtfully. “Thank you, Mother!”
***
Penelope sat on the settee and watched the bustle in her family's drawing room, half amused, half shocked. By now, there were 12 men there, all wanting to court her cousin Marina Thompson, who was spending the season with them. The young lady seemed surprised and overwhelmed by all the attention. Her two sisters, on the other hand, sat on another settee, and they clearly found it difficult to hide their displeasure. Especially Prudence, who pursed her lips and looked over at the men in frustration. But no one seemed to pay any attention to them.
Her mother did not look much happier than her two eldest daughters. But Penelope didn't really care. She kept looking out the window, over to Bridgerton House. Colin had left the house half an hour before calling hours began and had gotten into a carriage. She had watched that with mixed feelings. He had promised her he would come today to call on her. But perhaps he had changed his mind overnight. Could she really blame him, if he did? She had to swallow. She couldn't change it, but after the ball last night, she had begun to hope. But if he was coming to see her, where had he driven off to so early?
She held her breath as a Bridgerton carriage came into view and stopped in front of Bridgerton House. She couldn't see who stepped out, but she was sure it was the same carriage Colin had taken this morning. As the carriage drove away, her heart skipped a beat. She had been right. Colin had returned, and he was holding a beautiful bouquet of flowers in his hand and slowly began to cross the street. Had he really driven into town to get her flowers?
She didn't have much time to think about it, because a few minutes later, the footman announced Colin's visit. She felt her legs grow wobbly as she stood up and looked toward him. He offered her a radiant smile before greeting her mother. Then, before she really knew what was happening, he was standing in front of her and handed her the bouquet of flowers. “For you!”, he said softly. Penelope accepted the bouquet and looked at it closely. It was a colorful bouquet consisting of many different flowers. She looked back up and noticed that Colin was watching her.
“I fear I am not as good a friend as I believed. It occurred to me that I don't even know what your favorite flowers are. So I thought if I brought you a colorful bouquet, I might get lucky and the right ones would be included!”
Penelope had to laugh softly. She felt a warm feeling spread through her stomach area. It was typical of Colin to give things such thought, even if it wasn't really necessary.
“I don't have afavorite flower!”, she explained to him softly. Colin looked at her in surprise, and Penelope nodded slightly. “I like it best when flowers grow wild together and are beautifully colorful!”, she explained to him. “So the bouquet is just right!”
He laughed with relief. “Then I am glad, and I must confess that I am looking forward to being able to put together different flowers for you every time I come to call on you!”
She sought his gaze. “You plan to come call on me more frequently?”, she asked softly. Colin suddenly looked nervous and ran a hand through his hair.
“Shall we perhaps sit down?”, Penelope asked, and he nodded in relief. Penelope gestured for him to sit and handed the flowers to her maid, who stood beside the settee, before sitting down next to him.
Colin carefully reached for her hand. “May I be honest with you, Pen?”, he asked softly.
She looked at him with wide eyes before slowly nodding. “Of course!”
But Colin didn't seem to quite know how to start, as he attempted to speak several times before finally bursting into laughter.
“I am not particularly good at this, am I?”, he asked, and she had to join in the laughter.
“I was an idiot, Pen!” She looked at him blankly. “What do you mean?” Colin smiled painfully. “I must confess, although I knew you would debut, I didn't really think of you as a woman. To me, you were simply Pen, my best friend, the girl with whom I could talk and laugh for hours. But when I saw you in that dress yesterday, I had trouble thinking clearly. You were simply breathtaking, Pen!”
Penelope stared at him open-mouthed, unable to reply anything. Her heart was pounding in her throat. She must be dreaming. Colin Bridgerton was not actually sitting here in her family's drawing room calling her breathtaking.
Colin squeezed her hand tighter. “You have become a woman, Pen, and now that I have seen that, I can no longer think of you any other way. I cannot and will not imagine dancing or flirting with any other woman anymore. You are the only woman with whom I want to spend my time. I believe it was always you. I just didn't understand it before!”
“Colin!”, her voice trembled. “What… I…!” She sought his gaze and saw his blue eyes beaming at her. Still, she was unable to form a proper sentence.
“I had not intended to find a wife this season, but now… I cannot imagine sharing my life with another woman. I understand if you do not want me, but…!”
Penelope took her free hand and placed it on Colin's upper arm. “I want you, Colin!”, she interrupted him gently. “I have wanted you longer than I care to admit, to be honest!”
Colin looked at her with beaming eyes. “Really?”
Penelope nodded. “Really!”
A grin crept onto Colin's face. “So you will let me court you for the rest of the season?”
“Most gladly!”, she confirmed.
“Oh Pen!”, Colin said, and she could see the joy in his eyes. “We will take all the time in the world. We will enjoy this season together, without pressure, without any expectations?” Penelope nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes… that sounds good!”
He brought her hand, which he was still holding, to his mouth and gave it a light hand-kiss. She couldn't help but beam at him. As much as she had dreaded the season, in that moment everything was forgotten. She knew that with Colin by her side, she no longer had a reason to be nervous, and maybe, just maybe, she would even have fun in the end.
***
The first weeks of the season had flown by. Penelope had been right; with Colin by her side, she had fun. He spent every event by her side, and at every ball, he danced two dances with her and spent almost the entire rest of the evening with her. The two liked to stand at the edge of the dance floor and laugh about the gosip they picked up.
Her mood was so good that it didn't even bother her when her mother began pushing yellow dresses on her again. The ton had now seen that she was no longer a little girl, so now she had to start dressing in cheerful colors to find a husband.
It was the only drawback for her: even though Colin came to call on her almost every day, her mother didn't really believe he had serious intentions. But as long as she didn't prevent her from spending time with him, she cared little about it. Fortunately for her, her mother had her hands full with Marina and paid little attention to her anyways.
***
Penelope stood in the entrance hall of Bridgerton House, waiting for her best friend, with whom she wanted to go to the market. But Eloise seemed to be late. The redhead was used to waiting, and it didn't really bother her. She was, however, surprised when, after a few minutes, not Eloise but her mother approached her.
“Penelope, my dear. You must forgive Eloise, but she will need another half hour before you can leave!”
“Oh!”, Penelope replied, surprised. “That is no problem. I can just come back later!”
She was already turning to leave, but to her surprise, Lady Bridgerton held her back.
“I thought we could take the opportunity to drink tea together? I have wanted to invite you for a few weeks now, but I had my hands full with Daphne!”
Penelope looked at her uncertainly. But she could never have refused her wish, so she nodded slightly. The older woman placed a hand on her shoulder and led her toward the family's private drawing room. “I am glad you are here!”
Penelope watched the older woman closely, but she seemed genuinely happy to see her.
It did not surprise Penelope that the tea was already prepared when the two entered the room. Lady Bridgerton let her go first and sat down opposite her. She poured her a cup, added a sugar cube, and handed her the cup.
“Thank you very much!”, Penelope said, accepting the cup.
Eloise's mother smiled gently and poured herself a cup as well. “How have you found the season so far?”, she wanted to know. Penelope looked up.
“Oh, I have had fun so far. More than I expected!”
“I hope my son has played his part in that?”
Penelope blushed slightly. She hadn't expected such a direct question. “Colin is wonderful. I… I wouldn't have expected him to court me at all. Sometimes I wake up in the morning and am convinced that I was only dreaming!”
“Colin has had feelings for you longer than he knows himself. He just needed a little push in the right direction!”
Penelope looked at her open-mouthed as the other woman took another sip from her cup with a gentle smile. Lady Bridgerton set her cup down and looked at her, laughing. “I know my children, Penelope. I always knew that I could leave Colin in peace during his first seasons in society. He is so much like his father. Colin needs a connection to the woman he is going to marry. All I had to do was make sure your mother let you wear a proper dress at least once!”
“That… that was planned?”, she asked, perplexed, and the other woman laughed softly and shrugged her shoulders.
“I didn't know you would be at the modist, but the opportunity was favorable!”
Penelope shook her head in disbelief. “I… I don't know what to say!”, Penelope managed to get out.
The older woman just laughed and waved her hand. “You don't have to say anything at all. I see how happy you and Colin are when you are together. That is all I wanted, for both of you!”
Penelope wanted to say something more, but at that moment, Eloise entered the room.
“I am sorry, Pen, but we can leave now!”, she said, looking at her expectantly. Penelope exchanged a final glance with Lady Bridgerton before setting her cup on the table and standing up.
“Then let's go!”, she said, walking over to her best friend.
***
Colin had never given much thought to which of his siblings would be the first to marry. Anthony and Benedict were 8 and 6 years older than him. He had always believed one of them would be the first to take a wife. But neither seemed to have any interest in giving up their bachelor lives. Instead, it was his sister, 18 months his junior, who would be the first to step up to the altar. He still couldn't believe it.
The wedding itself would be an intimate affair with virtually no guests outside the family and Lady Danbury of course. Daphne's future husband had invited a friend and his wife, and to his great delight, Daphne had asked Penelope if she would also like to attend the ceremony.
He knew that at the subsequent breakfast, the majority of the ton would be present, so he enjoyed all the more having her almost to himself during the ceremony. Penelope came to Bridgerton House early to ride to church together with the family.
Colin had been waiting for her in the entrance hall and greeted her with a kiss on the hand. Penelope rewarded him with a beautiful smile, the kind he had seen on her so often lately. She was wearing a pink dress that suited her significantly better than the usual yellow dresses her mother had forced on her over the last few weeks.
“I am glad you came!”, he said.
“I am a little nervous!”, Penelope confessed. “I have never been to a wedding before!” C
olin laughed softly. He himself had attended several weddings, but he could well remember the first times Daphne and Francesca had been allowed to attend and how excited both girls had been back then. Colin couldn't really understand it, but he knew what a magical effect a wedding ceremony could have on a young woman.
He tenderly reached for her hand. “I am glad Daphne invited you!”
Penelope beamed at him blissfully. By now, the entrance hall had filled up nicely. Benedict approached the two.
“Mother said we should take the first carriage!”, he informed his younger brother.
Colin nodded and offered Penelope his elbow so she could link arms with him. Francesca joined them and Benedict, and the four of them walked toward the first of the three carriages and climbed in one after the other. The way to the church was not particularly long, and the four did not speak much. As they stepped out of the carriage, Colin reached for Penelope's hand and led her into the church. Penelope wanted to turn into the third row, but Colin stopped her.
“Colin?”, she asked softly, but he merely shook his head and turned into the second row. He knew she was going to protest, but Benedict placed a hand on her shoulder and nodded at her encouragingly. Penelope sighed and then reluctantly followed Colin into the church pew.
Colin could hear Benedict's quiet laughter and rolled his eyes. But he decided to ignore his big brother. He waited until Penelope had sat down before he sat next to her. He still hadn't let go of her hand, and if it were up to him, he wouldn't do so anytime soon.
Simon's friends were already sitting on the other side of the church next to Lady Danbury, and shortly after them, his mother entered the church together with Gregory, Hyacinth, and Eloise. His mother did not seemed surprised that Penelope was sitting next to him and passed them without comment, shooing her two youngest into the first row. Eloise cast an annoyed glance at him before sitting next to his mother in the front row. His second sister had noted the fact that he was courting her best friend through gritted teeth, but he didn't really know what she thought about it.
He cast a glance forward; Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings, Daphne's future husband, had also arrived by now and stood in front of the altar. As the music began to play, all those present stood up. Colin looked toward his little sister, who entered the church on Anthony's arm and walked toward her future husband. Colin smiled at her encouragingly. He knew that the way the wedding had come about was not how Daphne had wished. But he also knew that his little sister nevertheless had feelings for the Duke of Hastings, and he was sure she would be happy.
His gaze fell on Penelope, who was looking forward with a dreamy expression on her face. It took Colin's breath away as he saw her like that. For a brief moment, he saw her before his inner eye, walking toward him in a white dress. He had to swallow, but he didn't manage to pull his eyes away from his friend. Even when the guests sat back down, he kept his eyes fixed on her. Colin didn't catch much of the ceremony. Only when his siblings stood up in front of him did he return to reality. He stood up and began to applaud. As he looked forward, he saw the couple slowly begin to move.
He smiled gently and turned back to Penelope. He leaned forward slightly so that only she would hear him. “What do you think about us following their lead?”, he asked softly. Penelope let her hands drop and looked at him with wide eyes.
“Colin!”, she whispered. “Are you sure?”
Colin nodded gently. “I am, Pen. The last few weeks with you have been the happiest in my life, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I don't have a ring because I didn't plan this, but I mean it, Pen. I want you to become my wife. So what do you say?”
He could read the answer on her face before she replied. “Yes, Colin, I will marry you!”
He grinned from ear to ear and pulled her into his arms.
“Oh Pen!”, he whispered.
As he pulled back from her, he looked deep into her eyes, and he was just about to lean forward to kiss her when he heard a clearing of a throat.
He looked up and saw his eldest brother standing beside the church pew, looking at him with raised eyebrows.
“Anthony… I…!”, he began, but the expression on his brother's face silenced him.
“I heard everything, Colin, and I approve of the engagement, but Penelope is and will remain a young, innocent lady. As long as she does not bear our name, you will treat her as such. Do we understand each other?”
Colin sought his brother's gaze and then nodded. “Of course, Anthony!”
To his surprise, a broad smile spread across his brother's face. “Now that we have cleared that up, let me be the first to congratulate you!”
He stepped up to Penelope and held out his hand, which she hesitantly took. “Thank you, Lord Bridgerton!”
Anthony nodded at her and then patted his brother on the shoulder. “But now we should join the others. I am sure Mother can hardly wait to hear your news. Sheś been expecting them for quite a while now!”
***
Penelope had not expected Anthony to announce her and Colin's engagement at the wedding breakfast. She had expected that she would share the news with Colin's and her family. But after all the guests had arrived and the newlywed couple had greeted everyone, he had taken the floor and announced to the assembled ton that his younger brother and she were engaged.
The two were immediately surrounded by members of the Bridgerton family, who showered them with congratulations. However, it did not escape Penelope's notice that her father had walked over to Anthony and was speaking to him forcefully. Finally, Colin's brother led her father out of the room. But she didn't have time to think much about it, because at that moment her mother was standing in front of her. She first offered her hand to Colin before pulling Penelope into an embrace.
“So he actually intends to marry you!”, she said so softly that only Penelope could hear her. “Who would have thought!”
She could hear the disbelief in her mother's voice, but she merely smiled and nodded. “Yes, Mother, he does!”
“Hmm!”, Portia said as she pulled away from her. “Who would have thought that you would be the first of my daughters to marry?”
Penelope did not answer, but her mother didn't seem to expect an answer either, as she nodded at the two once more before walking over to Lady Bridgerton.
It took a while for the stream of well-wishers to taper off, and after a while, her father returned to the room with Anthony, visibly in high spirits. He walked over to the two of them and offered Colin his hand. “Mr. Bridgerton, I would like to offer you my congratulations!” Colin smiled politely and took his hand. “Thank you, Lord Featherington. I promise you I will take good care of your daughter!”
“I assume as much!”, Penelope's father answered tersely, before briefly squeezing Penelope against him and then leaving the two alone again.
Colin watched him leave, shaking his head. “I wonder what he had to discuss with Anthony!” Penelope shrugged her shoulders. “I don't know, but I can't imagine it was anything good!” Colin nodded somberly. “I fear you are right. But you won't have to worry about your father much longer. Once you are my wife, you will never have to worry about anything ever again. I promise you that!”
Penelope looked at him with beaming eyes. “I know, Colin!”
He reached for her hand and squeezed it firmly. “Come, let's get something to eat. I am starving!”
Penelope laughed out loud. “Of course you are hungry!”, she teased him. “When are you not?”
***
It would only take until evening for him to find out what Lord Featherington had had to discuss with his brother. He was sitting with his two oldest brothers in Anthony's study, having toasted with them. He didn't even have to bring it up himself. It was Benedict who looked at Anthony questioningly.
“What was so important that Penelope's father had to discuss with you that it couldn't wait until after the wedding breakfast?”
Anthony sighed loudly and took another sip from his glass. “Penelope has no dowry!” “What?”, Colin and Benedict blurted out at the same time.
Anthony nodded somberly. “None of his daughters has one!”
Colin looked at him blankly. “But how can that be? I know the Featheringtons aren't quite as wealthy as we are, but he is a Baron. His daughters should, despite everything, each have a dowry of at least high four figures!”
“Should!”, Anthony confirmed quietly. “But I suspect he has gambled them all away. I have heard quite a few rumors over the past few weeks that he has built up a mountain of gambling debts. But until now, I at least believed he had left his daughters' dowries untouched. But apparently I was wrong!”
The three brothers fell silent for a moment. They were all aware that it was almost impossible for a young lady to make a good match without a dowry.
“I assured him that we would forgo a dowry for Penelope. Your inheritance is generous enough that you don't really need her dowry!”, Anthony said, turning to him.
Colin nodded thoughtfully. He knew his brother was right. His father had ensured that all of his sons had an estate of their own that yielded sufficient money. Furthermore, Anthony had invested his money well in recent years. Colin was wealthier than some of the Barons and Viscounts in the ton. But his heart ached for Penelope. He couldn't understand how a father could gamble with his daughter's future like that, and her sisters would likely not be as fortunate as Penelope.
“Do you think he can get his finances back under control?”, he asked softly.
Anthony shrugged his shoulders. “Perhaps, if he really wants to, but I didn't get that impression!”
Benedict placed a hand on his shoulder. “Don't think too much about it. You are marrying her, and after that, you can essentially be indifferent to what her father does. I haven't had the impression so far that Penelope is particularly close with her family!”
Colin knew he was right. Her family had never treated Penelope particularly well, but nevertheless it was her family, and Colin knew it would not leave her cold if they had problems.
However, he pushed the somber thoughts away and nodded at Benedict. In the end, he wouldn't be able to change it anyway, and he did not intend to let his wedding with Penelope be ruined.
***
Penelope wouldn't have thought how exhausting the weeks before a wedding would be for the bride. Her mother complained to her almost incessantly about why she couldn't have waited a bit longer before marrying Colin. Asking if she was not aware of how exhausting it was for her to organize two weddings at the same time. Because not only were she and Colin getting married, but her cousin Marina was also engaged. Penelope spared herself pointing out to her mother that Marina had gotten engaged after her and that she had had no influence over when Colin had asked for her hand. Especially since he had obviously not planned it. But he had apparently let himself be inspired by the emotions at Daphne's wedding and had spontaneously asked for her hand.
However, Penelope cared little whether he had planned it or not. Every time she saw him, she could read in his eyes how happy he was with his decision. A few days after their engagement, he had come during calling hours and presented her with one of the Bridgerton family rings. It was an old ring belonging to Violet, as Colin had told her. His father had given it to her after his birth, and Lady Bridgerton had insisted that it become Penelope's engagement ring. She knew her fiancé well enough to know how much it meant to him that she wore a ring on her finger that his father had once chosen himself.
In all the stress, she had only found an opportunity today to spend an afternoon with her best friend. When she arrived at Bridgerton House, Eloise was already waiting impatiently for her, even though Penelope was not late. That was more than unusual for the young woman. Normally, Penelope always had to wait for her.
“Let's go!”, Eloise said softly and set off. Penelope had trouble keeping up.
“El, wait!”, she called after her, and to her relief, she at least slowed down.
When Penelope caught up with her again, she smiled at her friend.
“How are you?”, she asked, but Eloise merely scoffed. “As if you actually cared!”
Penelope looked at her in surprise. “El, of course I care. What makes you think otherwise?” Eloise did not answer immediately.
“El?”, she asked again with emphasis, and the second-oldest Bridgerton daughter stopped and looked at her with raised eyebrows.
“I thought you were on my side, but you are just like everyone else!”
“What are you talking about?”
“About you marrying Colin. I thought you were different. I thought you understood me, that you wanted more than just to be a wife. But once you are married, you will become just like the other women of the ton. Then you will only wanna talk about needlework and children. Nothing else!”
Penelope didn't know immediately what to answer, and Eloise seemed to misunderstand that, as she turned on the spot and began walking again.
“El, please wait!”, she called after her. “Let me explain!”
Eloise didn't turn around, but she slowed her pace. Penelope sighed and ran after her. When she caught up to her, Eloise refused to look at her. But the redhead knew she would listen to her anyway.
“I promise you, after my wedding to Colin, I will not only talk about babies and needlework. In fact, we have spoken about wanting to wait a little before we have children!”
Eloise cast a brief sideways glance at her, and Penelope had to suppress a grin. That had apparently caught her attention. “Colin had originally intended to go on a tour of the Continent after the season, and he asked me if I would like to join him. We will be traveling for at least half a year. We are traveling to Greece, to France and to Italy. If we like it, maybe we will do a second tour the following year!”, she explained to her softly. “I have always loved reading about foreign countries; I can hardly wait to see them with my own eyes!”
Eloise sought her gaze. “Oh!”, was all she could manage to say.
“There is something else I never told you!”, Penelope whispered.
Her best friend stopped and looked at her with concern. “You aren't sick, are you?”
She shook her head. “No, but I… I have started writing a book. It isn't finished, and it certainly isn't any good, but it brings me joy!” She could read in Eloise's eyes that she was impressed, and it gave Penelope the confidence that she could get through to her after all. “At home, I had to write in secret. It was already a thorn in my mother's side when I read so much. But I told Colin about it, and he… he asked if he could read it. I hesitated at first, but in the end I gave it to him. After he read it, he came back and talked to me about it for an hour. Oh El, he encouraged me to keep working on it and to write more!”
She paused briefly and smiled softly. “I know you believe that marriage means giving up all freedom, but for me it is quite the opposite. When I marry Colin, I will have so many opportunities that I would never have had otherwise. And yes, one day I want to be a mother, but even then I can continue writing. Colin would never stop me from doing so. Besides, you know your brother. He is a good man. He will never force me into anything or demand anything of me that I do not want. Can't you understand even a little bit that a marriage with Colin is something desirable for me?”
Eloise looked at her attentively. “Do you love him?”
That was a question Penelope had not expected. But she nodded immediately. “You have no idea how much I love him!”
The look in Eloise's eyes softened. “May I also read what you wrote?”
Penelope laughed softly and nodded. “Colin still has it. I will ask him to give it to you!”
***
Penelope had feared the entire time that something would happen that would ultimately prevent the wedding. Be it that Colin would change his mind after all, or that Anthony suddenly decided to forbid his brother to marry her. But what she had not anticipated was that her cousin would cause her dream not to come true in the end.
She hadn't spent much time with Marina, but she had liked the young woman. She hadn't been quite as mean to her as her two oldest sisters. But they had also never really talked about personal things. And so Penelope was completely taken aback when she returned one evening from her walk with Colin and heard loud voices from the drawing room.
Surprised, she walked to the door. Having arrived there, she could see that Marina's fiancé was standing in the middle of the room, shouting at Marina and her parents. She couldn't bear listening for long. But a few minutes were enough for her to understand what was going on. Marina was pregnant, and her fiancé was not the father. Her cousin had tried to pass the child off as his, and he had found out. She didn't even need to hear her mother's excuses. She knew for a fact that her mother had known. It suddenly made so much sense. Why her mother had tried to hold Marina's wedding as quickly as possible. Even before she was to marry Colin, even though Penelope had been the first to be engaged.
She might be young, but Penelope understood exactly what the whole thing would mean for her: Marina's fiancé would tell the story to the ton, and Marina and her whole family would fall from grace. The Bridgertons would have no choice but to break the engagement between her and Colin. Perhaps they could marry in a few years, but then she doubted Colin would wait that long. She felt tears welling up in her eyes, and she ran into her room, threw herself onto her bed, and wept uncontrollably.
It did not surprise her that no one came to call her for dinner. She wasn't hungry anyway, and it didn't bother her. She didn't know how long she lay there. The tears did not stop flowing until she finally fell asleep from exhaustion.
***
“Colin, wait!”
He closed his eyes, but stopped and turned to his eldest brother. “I am going to see Penelope, and I don't care what you or anyone else has to say about it!”
Anthony shook his head firmly. “You will not set foot in Featherington House!”
Colin crossed his arms, and his expression darkened. “Penelope has done nothing wrong. She can neither help that Miss Thompson is her cousin nor who her parents are. I am going to marry her in two weeks, Ant. If you don't support us, then I will look for work and provide for Penelope and myself that way. I love her, and I would rather give up everything than be without her!”
Anthony sighed and took the final steps toward his brother. “I do not want to stop you from marrying Penelope. But you cannot be seen visiting the Featheringtons!”
Colin sought his gaze. “If I don't come today, she will think I have broken off the engagement. She will be devastated!”
Anthony placed a hand on his shoulder. “Everything will be alright, Colin. I will send a message to Penelope that she, and she alone, will visit us for tea this afternoon. Do you think you can wait that long?”
Colin swallowed, but then reluctantly nodded.
“Good!”, Anthony said softly, smiling at him encouragingly. “We will find a solution so that your wedding can still take place!”
Colin looked at him doubtfully. He knew what kind of scandal the Featheringtons had fallen into. The ton would not forget that anytime soon, he knew that. He could not imagine how Anthony intended to ensure that the wedding would still take place. Especially since the celebration was planned to be at Featherington House. But his brother seemed confident, and Colin didn't really know what he could do other than trust him. He only hoped that Anthony truly knew what he was doing.
***
Penelope stopped in front of the door to Bridgerton House, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. It had surprised her when she received the invitation from Bridgerton House. But perhaps she should have expected it. After all, she was wearing Violet Bridgerton's old ring, and she could understand that she wanted it back. Besides, she knew Colin well enough. He would want to tell her in person that their engagement was over.
She opened her eyes again and knocked. Postponing it wouldn't help. Better to get it over with quickly. The door was opened, and the footman greeted her kindly. She tried to return his smile, but she knew she failed miserably. In silence, she followed the man into the family's private drawing room. Anthony, Violet, and Colin were waiting for her. When Colin saw her, he stood up and walked over to her.
“Pen!”, he whispered, and she couldn't manage to look him in the eye. “Hello, Colin!”
“Shall we sit down?”, he asked, and Penelope could hear the nervousness in his voice. Penelope still avoided his gaze as she shook her head. “There is no reason for that. I know why I am here!” She reached for Colin's hand and placed the ring into it. “Please don't make it harder for me than it already is!”
To her surprise, Colin placed a hand under her chin and forced her to look at him. “Why are you giving me back the ring?”, his voice trembled, and the pain in his eyes almost broke Penelope's heart.
“It is from your father. I cannot keep it, not if we…!”, she had to break off as she felt tears running down her cheeks again.
“Do you no longer want to marry me?”
The question surprised and pained Penelope at the same time. Upset, she took a step back and wiped the tears from her face. “Don't be so cruel, Colin. Of course I still want to marry you. But after what Marina did… I know it is no longer possible!”
To her surprise, it was Anthony who answered in Colin's place. “You cannot marry in the way you had planned, but I see no reason to break the engagement!”
Surprised, she looked at the Viscount, and for the first time that day, she felt hope rising within her again.
“Would you not like to sit with us after all?”, Colin asked in a quiet voice.
Penelope looked at him intently and then nodded hesitantly. Colin reached for her hand and led her to the seat next to his mother. After she sat down, he sat beside her. He took her left hand and put the ring back on her finger.
“It belongs to you!”, he explained to her. “No matter what happens!”
She sighed, but she knew him well enough to know he would not be argued with. She looked over to Anthony.
“Mother and I have spoken at length, and we have come to the conclusion that you two can get married in two weeks under two conditions!”
“And what would those be?”, Colin asked.
Violet leaned forward slightly and reached for Penelope's hand. “I know it will be hard for you, Penelope. But the only way for you to marry as planned is if you marry solely within our family present. We have spoken with the clergyman. He will come here and conduct the ceremony at Bridgerton House. But no one from your family will be able to come, and we will also not host a large celebration with the ton!”
Anthony nodded somberly. “After the wedding, you will go on your tour as planned. When the next season is around the corner, we will see what the mood is. Once the situation has calmed down again, you can return to Mayfair in the following season. Should it take longer, you can stay at one of our country estates in the meantime. But in 2 or 3 years at the latest, the scandal will be far enough away that at least you can return to society. Even though I do not know if the same can be said about your parents!”
Penelope needed a few moments to compose herself. “I don't think my mother will agree to that!”
To her surprise, Anthony shook his head. “She won't like it, but she will have no other choice. Your father has agreed!”
That confused Penelope completely now. “How did you get my father to agree?”
The two brothers exchanged a look, and Colin finally nodded slightly. “Penelope, your father has gambling debts. Neither you nor your sisters have a dowry. I suspect that was the reason Miss Thompson stayed with you after it came out that she was pregnant. Because your father owes her father money!”
Penelope blinked slightly. “I still don't understand!”
“We waived your dowry when you and Colin got engaged. I wrote to your father that if he agrees to you marrying Colin here at Bridgerton House without anyone from your family present, I will provide him with 10,000 pounds for your older sisters' dowries. They probably won't need them anytime soon, but it was nevertheless an offer your father could not refuse!”
It took a few moments for Penelope to truly understand what he had explained to her. “So you bought me from him?”
Colin looked at her pained. “Please, Pen, you know that isn't how it is. I want to marry you because I love you. It is simply the only option we have at the moment!”
Penelope sought his gaze. “And you are sure that you still want this. Even if it means we might have to wait 2 or 3 years before we can return to London. You could miss the debuts of Eloise and Francesca. If Daphne has children, you wouldn't be able to visit them!”
Colin shook his head firmly. “Pen, we might not be able to show our faces in Mayfair, but no one is going to stop us from meeting my family at Aubrey Hall or visiting Daphne at Clayton. And I am 100 percent sure that no one can stop Eloise from visiting our new home, wherever it may be!” He took her hand in his. “The only thing I have to forgo is dancing with you at balls, and I think I can live with that if I get to have you by my side every day instead!”
Penelope couldn't help it. She started crying all over again.
“Oh Pen!”, Colin whispered.
“I am sorry. I just thought you called me here to end the engagement. I didn't even dream that you could still want me!”
“I will always want you, Pen!”, he answered, looking at her earnestly. “And I don't care what it costs. As long as I have you, it is worth any price to me!”
***
The day Penelope Featherington was to become Penelope Bridgerton was different from what she had dreamed of. Nevertheless, it was her wedding day, and she could hardly wait to marry Colin. The evening before, a footman from Bridgerton House had collected her personal belongings and brought them over to Bridgerton House. After she had gotten up and dressed, her maid had packed her final personal items into a small suitcase and handed it to her.
She had nodded to her and left her room. Her sisters and her father were nowhere to be seen. But her mother stood at the foot of the stairs, looking up at her.
“Good luck, Penelope!”, she said, squeezing her briefly. Just as quickly, she released her youngest and, without another word, went into the breakfast room.
Penelope looked around the entrance hall of her family's house one last time before walking over to the door and leaving the house for the last time in the foreseeable future.
She had expected that in the end she would feel wistful or sad, but all she felt was relief and anticipation.
She crossed the street and entered Bridgerton House; Violet was already waiting for her. She pulled her into a tight embrace and handed the suitcase to one of the maids, who brought it to Colin's room.
Then Violet led her into her dressing room, where her wedding dress was already waiting for her. It did not take long for Penelope to be dressed, her hair done, and a little makeup applied.
Violet smiled at her gently as she walked with her into the family's drawing room. Colin stood beside the clergyman, looking toward her with a smile. His siblings, including Daphne and Simon, stood in a semicircle around the two of them. They all had smiles on their faces.
Penelope exchanged one last glance with Violet before walking over to Colin with firm steps. Colin took both her hands in his and looked at her lovingly.
Penelope would not be able to remember much later on. She knew that she and Colin had exchanged their vows, but all that remained in her memory was the kiss. After they were declared husband and wife, Colin leaned forward slightly and sealed her lips with his. Penelope Bridgerton kissed her husband, Colin Bridgerton, for the first time on their wedding day in the drawing room of Bridgerton House, and it was wonderful.