Chapter Text
Dear Mr. Bridgerton,
As I write this, the ball will be occurring this evening. I truly wonder if by the time this letter reaches you, you will have figured it out. A shorter letter as I have many preparations to complete for the ball. Green.
Sincerely,
Stranger
Penelope put the letter under a floorboard in her room. She wasn’t to deliver the letter until later that evening so she had to put it somewhere her mother wouldn’t think to look. Once it was securely hidden, Penelope returned to her usual window spot with a book as she waited for her maid. She looked longingly down on the dead streets. The book she was reading had been picked over several times by herself. She was a devoted fan of Jane Austen, even though she hadn’t had the opportunity to read all of her books. Her favorite so far had been Pride and Prejudice, which she knew was a popular choice. Penelope was drawn in by the suspense and longing the two felt for each other. Eventually, the maid would come in and break her reverie, but not now. This was her time to escape. So far away were her troubling thoughts of the impending ball. Near was the romantic tension between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth.
*
Colin fiddled with his cravat as waited impatiently in the line of carriages with his mother and siblings. He hadn’t the presence of mind to really be attuned to the discussions going on around him. He stared out the window intently focused on counting how many carriages were still in front of them. It was the first ball Lady Cressida Twombley would be hosting without the input of her dear sainted mother-in-law, and she seemed to have spared no expense.
Six, five, four, three… Colin counted in his head as he watched the carriages disappear from the line. Soon enough it was their turn to have their door opened by the footmen, and Colin wasted no time in assisting his mother and sisters out of the carriage. Eloise nearly stumbles in the haste, but of course, he doesn’t notice. She scoffs as she watches him anxiously lead the family inside. Naturally, it should be Anthony that does this, but none of the family can begrudge Colin for his excitement. Least of all Violet, who is just glad that one of her remaining unmarried children seems to be interested in the social season.
After giving rather cold greetings to Cressida and her husband, the family progress further into the crowded room gracefully. Per usual, eyes are on them, less so now that the Viscount is married off, but there was still money to be chased. Colin spots a group of girls chattering about and pointing at them. It is then that he realizes he has never seen Pen have that kind of group. Of course, she had Eloise, but it pains him to think that even the other ladies of the Ton didn’t realize how much of an astonishing conversationalist Pen was. And during the pair’s rather infrequent rows, he hates to think of her all alone, facing the Ton by herself. Colin is certain his face has fallen at some point, but as soon as he realizes this, he pulls it back into a trained, easy grin.
Then his eyes begin their hunt, Green. Perhaps it is because he is looking for it, but it seems to Colin that the color appears everywhere he looks. As he spins his eyes zero in on every single dress that may even appear remotely green. Dark, light, mint, the author of the letters never gave him much detail. As his mother dragged him in a wide circle he made a note of all the names he could remember. Then, as if the task couldn’t be any more difficult, a distraction came into his path.
Penelope Featherington knew she had taken a risk by telling Colin the color of dress she would be wearing, but she was reasonably confident she’d heard just about a dozen girls talking about the color at the modiste. Yet the look in Colin’s eyes when he spotted her made the pit in her stomach drop as she worried her assumptions had been wrong. Maybe he’d already been close to figuring it out and she’d put the final nail in the coffin.
“Pen.” His eyes were shining just the way they always did. It made Penelope feel perfectly at home.
“Colin! It is a pleasure to see you!” Her voice was high and worried.
“Miss Penelope, you look so lovely, though I wouldn’t have thought that dress would be your mother's first or last choice.” Violet commends the young girl on her independence.
“To be sure it is not, but I find as of late that I and my mother have vastly different tastes.
“I am glad,” Colin breaks through quietly, “I am glad to hear you are wearing your own style, that is.” To be perfectly honest, Colin’s eyes hadn’t left Penelope face long enough to take in her dress, but he was sure that was exquisite too.
“Miss Featherington, you look wonderful in green.” Benedict came to stand next to his mother.
“Mr. Bridgeerton, I thank you. Your wife offered her advice on it when we spoke the other day.” Penelope smiled in that bright, uniquely Penelope way, and it angered part of Colin’s soul that her smile was for Benedict.
“Penelope, may I be the first to sign your dance card?” Colin spoke with a tone of mild indignance.
“I-That is-Yes of course!” Colin stepped toward her and held the card firmly in his hand as he signed it. Benedict had to laugh at the way his brother acted rather possessively. Truly Pen must put this poor man out of his misery soon.
“Colin is required to attend to his usual social duties, but we shall return him to you very soon Miss Featherington.” Benedict nodded politely as he lead his dumb little brother away like a mother taking a child from their favorite blanket.
“Penelope,” Eloise said as she watched her family walk through the crowd, “He is going mad, absolutely. And it appears our hint was not at all helpful to him as he is quite literally a blind man.”
“I know, but I am scared and you know that. The next hint will be more obvious, I’ll be sure of it. Please Eloise, I just can’t make myself tell him yet.” Penelope fiddled with the card on her wrist.
“I shall endeavor to never fall in love, for this intense foolishness the two of you have stumbled into is terrifying.” Eloise comments.
“Eloise, someday when we are both married and settled, we will see who has the final laugh.” Penelope sighed contently at the thought.
The night continued on, Colin got his two dances, and when all was said and done, Colin had made something of a decision.