Chapter Text
The Bridgerton drawing room was quiet, save for the soft rustle of Rae's skirts as she approached Eloise. The envelope in her hand bore an unmistakable seal, and her expression was serious.
"Miss Bridgerton," Rae said, her voice trembling slightly, "I have a missive for you from Miss Featherington."
Eloise took the envelope, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. She broke the seal and unfolded the letter, reading aloud:
"My Dearest Eloise,
I write to you with a heavy heart and a request that I hope you will honor. Please meet me at Hyde Park tomorrow at noon. It is imperative that I speak with you before I leave Mayfair.
Yours, Penelope"
Eloise sighed, crumpling the letter slightly. "I cannot imagine what she could possibly have to say that is so urgent. And why is she leaving Mayfair?"
Rae stepped forward, her expression earnest. "Miss Bridgerton, please. It is truly important. Miss Featherington is in desperate need of your understanding and kindness."
Eloise frowned but nodded, her curiosity piqued despite her reservations.
The following day, Eloise arrived at Hyde Park with a mixture of skepticism and curiosity. She found Penelope waiting near a secluded bench, looking pale and frail. Eloise’s heart wasn’t in it, and Penelope noticed immediately.
"Eloise, thank you for coming," Penelope said weakly. "Could we sit? I feel quite dizzy."
Penelope's face went even paler, and Eloise, despite herself, helped her to the bench. "Are you ill?" Eloise asked, a hint of concern in her voice.
Penelope managed a faint smile. "No, just dizzy. It happens often these days."
Eloise’s eyes narrowed. "What is it, Penelope? What do you need to tell me?"
Penelope took a deep breath, stalling for a moment. "I regret many things, Eloise. Not telling Colin the truth is one of them. But there is more. Much more."
Eloise frowned. "You said you were leaving in your missive. Things didn't work out with my brother, as I suspected they wouldn't, but you are young. You will find someone else willing to marry you."
Penelope shook her head. "It won't happen for me. Despite the fact that I love Colin desperately and can't have him, I am ruined and will not have the chance. You were right, Eloise. Colin couldn't accept me for who I was. I delayed telling him because I wanted to live my heart's greatest desire for a while. And I am fortunate for it. I will treasure the time I was granted for the rest of my days."
Eloise's gaze softened slightly. "I feel there’s more to be said. Tell me. All of it."
Penelope hesitated, her hands trembling in her lap. "Eloise, I... I am with child."
Eloise gasped, her mind racing. "But how? You and Colin... before marriage?"
Penelope nodded, tears welling in her eyes. "We were foolish, both of us. He believed he could love me, and I clung to that hope. But now, I am ruined, and I have no future here."
Eloise’s thoughts flashed back to conversations with Francesca about marriage and relations. "I understand now. But why leave? Why not wait and tell Colin?"
Penelope shook her head. "Because if I stay, he’ll do the honorable thing. Because I cannot bear the thought of him resenting me. Of being trapped in a marriage he does not want. And also, I do not know where to write to him. He has severed all ties."
Eloise’s expression softened further. "You must let him know. He deserves to know about his child."
Penelope sighed. "I’ve spent days thinking about it, and you’re right, as you have always been. He could never love me without knowing all of me, as you pointed out. And he doesn’t. But he has to be informed. I am afraid he would burn my letter without reading it. That is why I need you to write to him. To give him the choice. He can be part of the child’s life, or he can remain distant. I will manage, Eloise. I have funds, and a friend has found me a place in Cheshire so that I can start over. I’ve also considered the possibility of him wanting to raise the child as his own, and it would break my heart, but he or she would grow up surrounded by your family, so I can accept that if that’s his decision."
For the first time, Eloise broke down, her eyes filled with tears and concern, her contempt forgotten. "Please, do not go. We can find a way."
Penelope smiled sadly. "The Queen is no longer searching for me, and Lady Whistledown has retired her quill. I safeguarded Colin's reputation when I announced the end of our engagement so that he could leave on his tour and return to the Ton unscathed. But my fate is sealed. I am resigned to it. Just please, write to him. Give him the chance to decide."
She put her hand to her belly, and Eloise's eyes widened in shock. "You delayed telling him about Whistledown because you are with child?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Penelope shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I did not know at the time he broke things off."
Eloise's mind raced with the implications and her eyes filled with tears.
"I cannot stay, Eloise. If I start showing, it will ruin both our families. This is the only way. But promise me you will write to him." Penelope pleaded, her voice soft but tinged with desperation.
They had a heartbreaking goodbye, in which Penelope tried to keep herself composed. She thought it was the last time she was seeing Eloise. "It's okay," she said softly. "I've gotten used to not having you for the past year and a half. I've made my bed and lain in it."
Eloise, her heart heavy with regret, whispered, "This is not the end, Penelope. I promise."
Far away, Colin was traveling when he received Eloise's letter. His heart pounded as he read its content, and the words blurred as tears filled his eyes.
"Eloise," he whispered, his voice breaking, "I have made the greatest mistake of my life."
He read the letter again, the reality sinking in deeper with each word. Penelope was carrying his child. She had left, and he had no idea how she was or who she was with. The pain of his own stubbornness and fear hit him like a physical blow.
He sat down heavily, the weight of his regrets pressing on his shoulders. How could he have been so blind? He had abandoned the woman he loved out of fear and pride, and now she was gone, facing the future alone and pregnant.
His mind raced with thoughts of Penelope—her courage, her resilience, and the love and kindness she had shown him despite everything. He realized he had been a fool to let her go and he couldn’t let this be the end.
With a trembling hand, he began to write a letter to Eloise, pouring out his heart.
"Dear Eloise,
I have read your letter countless times, each word a dagger to my heart. I have made the greatest mistake of my life by leaving Penelope.
I was afraid, consumed by my own insecurities, and in doing so, I have wronged the only woman I have ever truly loved. Now, she is carrying my child, and I am filled with a regret that I cannot even begin to express.
I must return. I must find her. I must make things right. Please, Eloise, help me. I’ll need to know where she has gone. I know I have no right to ask this of you after everything, but I am desperate. I need to find her, to be there for her and our child. I cannot bear the thought of her facing this alone, thinking that I do not care. I will do whatever it takes to make amends.
I will prove to Penelope that my love for her is real and unwavering. I will not let fear dictate my actions any longer. Thank you for your honesty and for giving me this chance to be a better man.
With deepest regret and hope,
Colin."
As he sealed the letter, Colin felt a renewed sense of purpose. He would find Penelope. He would make things right. No matter the cost, he would not abandon her again.
Back in Mayfair, Colin, having returned, faced his family. The atmosphere was tense, and the weight of their disappointment was palpable.
His mother, Violet, looked at him with a mixture of sorrow and sternness. "Colin," she began, her voice steady but filled with emotion, "you have dishonored not only Penelope but our family as well. You haven’t acted as the man I raised you to be. You must make amends. Soon, you’ll have a child out there. A child who should be here, in a healthy and loving environment, with parents who are not only spouses, but partners. I know you were shocked to learn about Penelope’s identity, but can you honestly tell me the secret overcame your love for her?" Violet asked, expecting an honest answer.
Colin shook his head, his hands wiping the tears that threatened to fall.
Anthony, having watched the interaction, stepped forward, his tone not as his mother’s, his anger barely contained. "How could you be so careless, so thoughtless? You broke off the engagement, which we did not support, and now you have abandoned her in a time when she needs you most."
Colin’s voice broke as he responded. "I was afraid, Anthony. Afraid of the consequences, afraid of what loving her might mean for my future. I was wrong. I see that now. I need to find her, to make things right."
Benedict placed a hand on Colin’s shoulder. "Then go, Colin. Find her and bring her home. Prove to her that you are the man she deserves."
Eloise, tears in her eyes, nodded in agreement. "You must go, Colin. She needs you now more than ever."
Colin's resolve hardened. "I will find her. I will not rest until she and our child are safe and cared for. I swear it."
With determination, he knew he had to set out on his journey to find Penelope, his heart filled with a fierce love and deep regret. He would make things right, no matter the cost.
Colin felt the sting of his family's words, his shame deepening. He turned to Eloise, who sat quietly, her gaze unwavering. Her eyes met his, filled with a blend of sadness and resolve.
"I was as stubborn as you, Colin," Eloise said softly, but her words cut deep. "We both have wronged her in our own ways. She was only doing what she thought was best for us. And unlike me, you can still make things right. Don't let your pride stand in the way any longer."
Colin nodded, their words sinking in. "I will not," he said, his voice resolute. "I will find Penelope and make this right. I owe it to her, to our child, and to all of you."
His family watched him, their expressions a mix of hope and lingering disappointment. Colin knew he had a long road ahead, but he was determined to do whatever it took to restore everyone’s faith in him.
Colin and Eloise traveled to Cheshire and found Penelope in a modest cottage, working with Genevieve’s friend to learn how to sew dresses. The room was simple, adorned with handmade trinkets and warm, muted colors. Penelope’s hair cascaded down her shoulders, unrestrained by the societal norms she once adhered to, and her dress, though plain, was lovingly stitched.
When the door opened and Penelope saw Colin standing there, her face went ashen. Her eyes widened in shock and fear, and instinctively, her hand moved protectively over her swollen belly. She tried to compose herself but faltered as she motioned for them to come inside.
In the small, dimly lit kitchen, Penelope faced them with a mixture of dread and resignation. Her heart pounded as she tried to keep her voice steady. "You can come back in a month," she said quietly, her eyes never leaving Colin’s. "But please, let me see my child sometimes. I’m already in love with it."
Colin, stunned by her appearance and the sight of her belly, struggled to find his voice. The shock of seeing Penelope like this, carrying their child, hit him with severe force. His travels, once so vital to him, felt utterly meaningless now. He had spent so many months seeking something he had already found—Penelope, and the life they could have had together. His heart ached with the realization of how he had missed out on so much time with her.
"I understand… I understand your need to take the child away from me," Penelope said, her voice trembling. The uncertainty and pain in her eyes reflected her deep fear. "After everything... I know what to expect."
Tears welled up in Colin’s eyes as he stepped forward, his hands shaking. "Penelope, I’d never deprive our child of you," he said, his voice breaking. "I’ve been a fool. I’ve been searching for meaning, for something to replace what I had, but everything seems so hollow without you. I am here to make amends, to be part of our child's life. Please, let us talk."
Penelope’s heart was torn between hope and despair. Her thoughts raced as she looked at Colin, now standing before her with an earnest expression. Despite the time and the distance, she couldn’t ignore how handsome he looked, how the sight of him stirred her old feelings. The ache of her broken heart was still fresh, and seeing him now, knowing what they could never have, was almost too painful to bear.
"I can’t go back to London," Penelope said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Not without shaming my family and yours. I’ve been trying to build a new life here, ignoring what I once dreamed of."
Colin’s face reflected deep regret and sorrow. He faltered, his own heart breaking at her statement. The thought of her remaining in this small cottage, far from the grandeur and familiarity of London, cut him deeply. He wished he could undo the past months of separation and make things right.
"Penelope," Colin said, his voice laden with anguish, "I... I won’t go back without you. I won’t leave you here. You deserve so much more. If you go back with me, if that’s what you wish, I’ll do everything I can to ensure you have the life you were meant to have, the position you deserve. Just... please, don’t shut me out. Let me make things right."
Penelope looked at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. The pain of the past months was still raw, but so was the hope of what could have been. She hesitated, torn between the desire for a future with Colin and the fear of being hurt again.
Eloise watched silently, her heart heavy with the unresolved emotions between them. The room was filled with unspoken words and lingering regrets, as Colin and Penelope faced each other with hearts exposed and futures uncertain.