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It was true that Colin had a bit of wanderlust. He’d itched to leave the Ton and see a bit more of the world as soon as he’d arrived back home but there was also a piece of him that always found himself longing for the closeness of his family and the familiarity of their friends.
He had hardly expected to find himself on the precipice of marriage quite so young. He could be a bit impulsive at times, jumping head first into situations without properly thinking them through. He had certainly liked Marina well enough but he’d leapt without looking. He knew that much but he didn’t think he was making a mistake. He was tired of people suggesting that he might be.
He would have never admitted that second thoughts had crossed his mind long before his family had questioned him. He was too prideful for that. More so, he was a man of his word and he fully intended to follow through on his proposal. He was pretty sure that he loved her and that they could be happy. He felt fairly secure in the fact he would make her happy. Even if Penelope had gotten in his head with talk about some former love, she was just as wrong as everyone else.
Marina had moved on to him, right? She loved him.
His frustration at the situation was why he’d slipped from the Bridgerton home for a walk, hoping that the thoughts could cease and his mind could rest so he could properly plan his elopement. He walked the blocks surrounding their home several times before he decided the refuge he sought was likely in the kitchen and not the streets.
The silence of his stroll was interrupted before he could make it there though, causing his footing to speed up ever so slightly. Whatever thoughts of his elopement or Marina Thompson slipped from his mind all together.
He knew distress and he also knew the source of where the distress was coming from. It rippled through him, sending his body into action seeking the cries as if he were a sailor and it was a siren’s call.His fists clenching as he mentally prepared himself to find Pen, comfort her and then pummel whoever had hurt her within an inch of their life.
His stride slowed though when he caught sight of her safely wrapped in the arms of his younger sister. If there was anyone who could fix whatever ailed Penelope, it was Eloise. They’d been as close as two peas in a pod since before they could properly walk. Colin felt some reassurance knowing that her sister wouldn’t cease until her closest friend was in better spirits.
Penelope’s cries were so loud that he could not possibly imagine the sort of heartache that could have precipitated such an outcry. He simply knew that he detested it. He detested whoever would harm a girl who had never been anything but kind and respectable. Not once did his mind spring forth the prospect that he could have been even marginally responsible.
In that moment, he furious with whoever was responsible. A part of him, despite knowing Eloise was quite equipped to deal with the situation desired to cast her aside and to wrap Penelope in his own arms and to make her smile as she so often did when they were in each other’s company. He wanted to dissolve the tears into laughter. He felt fiercely protective of the red haired girl and knowing something was wrong didn’t settle right in him.
He resisted whatever urge he had to comfort her himself, questioning whether she’d even actually want him there. They were friendly but Eloise was her best friend. He was just the rake of a brother. He kept his distance afraid that stepping in at this point would only serve to add injury to insult. The last thing Colin Bridgerton wanted to do was hurt her further by embarrassing her with his presence.
He didn’t see any harm in crying though and if he could have told, he would have. He had held his sisters plenty of times while they’d cried about some unfortunately incident in their lives. He was acutely aware that Penelope was not one of his sisters though and it wouldn’t have been proper.
He remained in the shadows stalking the incident, watching and attempting to listen, determined to at least satisfy one of his two urges by discovering the source of this pain. If someone had harmed Penelope, they’d regret it. He would even recruit Anthony and Benedict if necessary to ensure it never happened again.
“Please tell me what’s wrong,” he heard Eloise plead.
Penelope’s reply was muffled through her tears and he mentally cursed, attempting to stretch the limits of his hearing while trying to not be seen or heard. If he could just get a little closer, maybe he could make out what was being said and then he could fix it.
Whatever she said made Eloise furious. He could tell in the way his sister’s face changed, the fact she was pretty sure some unladylike words slipped out. He definitely caught what he thought to be ‘kill her’.
His eyebrow raised and he tilted his head trying to work it out. Was it one of her sisters? Her mother? Maybe this was just some simply family issue and it could be resolved without violence.
Just as the light bulb began to light up in his head that this was about Marina and by proxy him, he felt a hand on his shoulder.
“What are you-”
Before Benedict could properly finish his sentence, Colin was covering his brother’s mouth with his hand, turning and using his body to try and keep him from being noticed by pushing him further into the dark of night. He brought a finger to his own mouth, giving a sharp look as if to warn him to be quiet.
Benedict clearly didn’t appreciate the greeting either. His face contorting into confusion but he ran with it.
“I heard Pen – uh, Miss Featherington in distress,” he explained trying to keep his voice to a whisper so attention wouldn’t be drawn to them. He was torn between turning back so he could hear more and drowning his new found guilt in whatever could be found in the pantries. Benedict being out there all but guaranteed they’d get noticed if they lingered. He tried to compose himself, to not earn additional questions from his older brother by playing it off.
“Let’s go inside. Eloise has it in hand.”
Whatever torment he’d felt before had magnified though. He felt like an absolute churl. Penelope hadn’t just been trying to save him, she’d been trying to communicate her own feelings on the matter and he’d ignored them. He had been so wrapped up in trying to prove everyone wrong he hadn’t been listening.
He wasn’t sure that he could live with himself if he hurt her. He wasn’t sure he could handle hearing more.