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"Look at who we have here," Penelope woke up to the low timber of Colin's voice. She was curled into a ball on his comfortable sofa, snuggled into his soft blanket. Colin smiled at his girlfriend's adorable state, sitting next to her. He rested a hand on the curve of her hip, rubbing the soft flesh of her lower stomach with his thumb, "When did you come? And why the hell are you in the living room and not in my bed?"
"I didn't want to bother you," she said, giving herself a stretch, sitting up to rest her forehead on his shoulder. The brunette rubbed her back gently, sensing how troubled the girl in his arms was.
"You could never bother me, gorgeous," he smiled into her hair, "Care for a breakfast?" he asked, and she nodded, getting up after him to move to the kitchen. Colin was much better of a cook than she was, so she let him handle the food as she made some coffee. She hugged him from behind as he mixed whatever he was cooking, her face buried between his shoulder blades, arms tight against his waist, hands pressed against his hipbones. Colin couldn't deny how much he enjoyed Penelope's soft flesh pressing against his form from behind. He would much rather hold her in his arms and just disconnect her from all the outer world, pulling her into their own, but this was almost as good. She inhaled his scent, finding comfort in his presence. Colin wanted to know what was bothering his precious girlfriend. He wanted to solve whatever issue Penelope was dealing with. He hurried to turn off the stove and pull Penelope against the counter. He captured her lips in his, kissing softly. Though he was aware the day before was not the best for the crimson-haired woman, he couldn't imagine a better morning. Penelope was here, and he could pull her in his arms anytime he wanted. After breakfast and coffee, he pulled her to his bedroom, his bed a mess, but it didn't matter. She was fast to curl her voluptuous body in his longer one; he wrapped his arms around her fuller torso, fingers trading into her curls. He rested his forehead on hers, bopping her nose with his,
"Now, beautiful girl," he smiled, "tell me what is bothering your pretty little head?" he asked, kissing her cheekbones.
"My mother visited yesterday," she sighed. It all made sense now. Portia Featherington was a heartless woman when it came to Penelope. It gave Colin all the reasons to kidnap her from her family as often as he could.
"What did the wench say," he asked.
"Col, it is still my mother," she chastised half-heartedly.
"She doesn't act like a mother, darling," Colin said. Penelope was too kind of a woman to blame her mother even though with all the evil she did to her. She was too forgiving, to the point that it became self-deprecating, "I know you are an angel by your nature, but you have to realise at one point that she is not good for you."
"I only have one mother, love," she sighed.
"That is wrong," he smiled; ever since she was a little girl Penelope was an honorary Bridgerton, and nothing really could change that, now that they were together and Colin did not plan to let her go ever, her honorary status was more of an official one, "you know that even without our relationship or my existence really, my whole family adores you. My mother would kick me out just to adopt you as hers. I think sometimes, the reason she pushes us into a marriage has nothing to do with me at all. She just wants you to be a Bridgerton and legally her daughter."
Penelope didn't really have an answer to that. Violet Bridgerton had been more like a mother to her than her own mother. After becoming Colin's official girlfriend, Violet was even more affectionate, which Penelope didn't think was possible. Colin pulled her onto his chest, enjoying how her breath hit his chest. He knew his girlfriend still got shy when the topic was talking about feelings.
"She asked about us," she said softly.
"And?"
"She thinks you will dump me soon," she sighed.
"I am willing to handcuff myself to you and lose the key, Pen," Colin said softly.
"I know," she said, "I know, Col, I really do."
"Then, what is bothering you, my love?" he asked, pulling her soft hand to his lips, pressing tiny kisses from the back of her hand to her fingertips. Her other hand was resting right above his stomach; nose pressed to his chest. Anxiety was rolling off in waves from the girl in his arms, "I know the effect your mother has on you. She is evil, we both know, and I know she is your mother and my future mother-in-law, but biology doesn't define us, darling. I know her words are bothering you, bringing the doubts. But that is also okay. She can make you doubt as much as she wants. I will always be here to remind you how real our love is."
"Your future mother-in-law?" Penelope whispered. They never talked about marriage before. Not in a serious matter. Only a couple of hints and teasing Colin gave when Penelope wore something white, making her ruby curls shine against the fabric.
"I want to marry you, Pen," he smiled. He could already picture their lives when she would officially become a member of the Bridgerton family. Colin had known the round curved girl in his arms for so long, the moment he realised that all the emotions he felt towards her, the reason he felt especially protective of her, and how he hated when anyone else danced with her at the family gatherings, especially Benedict with his too affectionate self, he asked her to be his girlfriend. He knew he wanted to ask her to be his wife that moment, but he realised the importance of slowing down for the first time in his life. The moment he realised how much he loved her, the idea of marriage somehow became something he desired rather than something he had been running away from, "I always wanted to marry you, lovely," he smiled, though Penelope couldn't see his face from where she was pressing her face against, his voice was lighter and delightful, "Whenever you want, whenever you are ready, just give me a hint and you will get the best proposal of your life."
"Since when have you been thinking about marriage?" she asked, shocked at how used Colin was to the idea. She lifted her torso a bit to turn and see his sculpted face, her tits falling to rest against his side, Colin's hand on her hip sliding up, squeezing the soft rolls curling across her back.
"Always," he smiled at her, enjoying how wide her cerulean eyes go, her little pink mouth hanging slightly open, "The moment I realised you were not just a close friend, but I was hopelessly in love with you, I knew I wanted to marry you. It just clicked Pen. I knew there couldn't be anyone else, and I couldn't be happier than I was with you."
"You never told me you wanted to get married before," she whispered, still watching her boyfriend's calm and bright face.
"I knew you would get anxious about it," he smiled, "I know I usually am impatient, I rush a lot, I fail to wait. When it comes to you, darling girl, I can wait. I am a patient man only for you. And, I would love to call you my wife, but only when you are ready, darling."
***
It was a week later when Violet Bridgerton decided to have a tea party inviting every Bridgerton and Bridgerton-to-be, in-laws included. That's how Colin found himself an arm curled around Penelope's meaty waist, glaring at Portia Featherington, who made sure every time she opened her mouth, she would hurt Penelope somehow. Colin was a patient man when it came to people; he didn't want to be patient when it came to Portia. But, he also promised Penelope he would not answer Portia too much. The only positive thing about the situation was that all his siblings were on the other side of the garden, and he was seated with his girlfriend, her menace of a mother and his own mother, who was watching the tension radiating from his son as Portia spoke more and more.
He stayed silent when she commented on how Penelope's dress was clinging to her middle, showing her belly, which Colin agreed did show the curve of her belly. That is why he loved that dress; it hugged Penelope beautifully all over. Showed her curves and round spots and how soft and feminine she was all over. He stayed silent, pressing his lips to her soft cheek, pressing his thigh to hers, distracting her from her mother's cruel words with his body.
He stayed silent when Portia commented on how wild Penelope's ruby curls looked, so unladylike. Colin just curled one around his finger, enjoying how soft and shiny it was. He didn't answer when Portia started gushing about Prudence's current relationship that only was on its second week, rolling his eyes at how their relationship was much older and much stronger than some monthly fling Prudence tended to have lately.
He even didn't answer when she started talking about Phillipa's new hobby and how successful she was when his Penelope was much more successful and was promoted to head editor a week ago. While he was silent, he was not unaware. He was not blind. He could feel how Penelope would curl into herself, her smile less bright the more Portia spoke, and she didn't seem to be shutting up anytime soon. He also noticed how his girlfriend didn't eat at all. She would sip on her tea silently.
However, he couldn't stay silent anymore when Portia said, "You don't really need that cookie, do you, Penelope? Never had much self-control that one," when Penelope took the first bite of the afternoon.
Penelope knew what was coming, from the way Colin just froze and puffed his chest, from the way his hold on her waist tightened. She put a free hand on his chest, trying to calm her boyfriend, making sure he didn't make a scene. She knew it was a lost cause. Colin was loud and dramatic; worst of all, he was a Bridgerton. And almost all Bridgertons loved making scenes. And Colin was the most protective person she had in her life, and she had Eloise in her life.
"Col," she whispered, but just one look into his stormy eyes was enough to know there was no stopping him.
"What is your problem with my girlfriend?" he asked, voice neutral but face hard as steel.
"She is my daughter; why would I have a problem with her?" Portia asked, giving out a laugh, not even aware of all the hurt and insult she threw at Penelope's face all afternoon and her life.
"I don't know," Colin bit back, "But ever since I met you, you did nothing but insulting her. Ever since we started dating, you did nothing but make her feel bad about herself, about us. Even now, you act as if what we have is not real, as if our relationship worths less than Prudence's one night stands that you call 'boyfriends'. You act as if Penelope's success worths less than Philippa's hobbies. So yes, Portia, what is your problem with Penelope?" he pressed. Penelope was overwhelmed with two emotions at the same time. Fear of learning why her mother hated her for so long. And safety for knowing Colin had her back, even when she didn't have the guts to do so herself.
"I," Portia stuttered, looking at Violet for support, who was unusually quiet, letting her son harass her.
"Yes, you?" Colin pressed.
"She doesn't deserve anything that she has," Portia said, eyes shining with determination, lip curled into a sneer.
"Choose your next words very carefully," Colin warned.
"She is shy, fat, workaholic, and everything a woman shouldn't be! I didn't raise her to be this way! She is a failure," she accused, and at that moment, Colin saw something he never noticed before, not on Portia's face but towards her own daughter: jealousy.
"Penelope is the most feminine and beautiful woman I have ever seen," he said, before calling her on her bluff, "And she is not a failure, you are. And you are dead jealous of your own daughter. She is successful, she is independent, and she has people who love her no matter if she forces herself in some moronic standards or acts like a person she is not—something you never had and never will."
"Are you going to let him talk to me like this, Violet?" she asked, seeking for support.
"We all been letting you talk like this to Penelope for years, unfortunately. Previously, I restrained myself as I thought it wasn't appropriate to mend into family issues. But, now that she is a part of my family, no one talks to my daughter like this, even her own biological mother," at that, Penelope had tears in her eyes, hiding by letting Colin pull her into his chest as Portia stood up to leave.
"You will regret this," she hissed at Penelope in particular.
"Yeah, yeah," Colin said, "don't expect an invitation to the wedding or visit from the grandchildren."
After Portia left and Eloise joined the table, noticing how tense the situation was around the west side of the garden.
"God, I wanted to do this for so long," Colin said, Violet knew it was wrong parentally, but she couldn't help but agree. Portia had been torturing the poor lass for too long.
"Thank you, both of you," Penelope said, head still against Colin's shoulder.
"Oh, darling," Violet said, noticing how misty her eyes were, "There is nothing to thank us for. There is more for us to apologise, darling."
"No, never," she shook her head, "I know how terrifying my mother is, and Colin and I were complicated for years. I can understand how it made you feel, probably, and I can't blame you for any of it. Especially not when you gave me a safe haven all my life."
Violet smiled at the younger woman, who was trapped in her son's long arms, all over her round body, her own eyes misty.
"So," she said, smiling, "what is this wedding I have been hearing about?"