Work Text:
“Why does Colin look like he’s swallowed something vile?”
Anthony brow furrowed as he looked around the crowded ballroom to spot their younger brother, but in the swarm of similarly dressed gentlemen he chose to instead look for a young woman with fiery red hair, quite certain that Colin would be somewhere right next to her. And as expected, he spotted his future sister-in-law at the far corner of the ballroom, dressed in what his wife would call a forest green dress - Anthony couldn’t tell the difference between green and forest green to save his life - with a scowling Colin standing close to her.
A little too close to her. Anthony groaned, leave it to his siblings to never mind the rules of propriety and show a modicum of restraint. Colin stood behind Penelope, his one hand a little too low on her hip and his front almost pressed to her back as he glared at the gentleman facing them. Anthony didn’t even want to think of where his other hand was.
“They’re betrothed.” Benedict said warningly, noting the vein that popped up in Anthony’s forehead. He wasn’t surprised Benedict didn’t give a jot about propriety - he had been thoroughly amused that their younger brother had debauched Penelope Featherington in Anthony’s study. On his table . And they weren’t even engaged then! No matter how often and how loudly Colin insisted he hadn’t comprised her virtue, Anthony couldn’t enter his own study without first shivering in revulsion.
“Nevertheless,” Anthony murmured, tilting his head as he realized that Benedict was right. It had happened rarely, but here it was - Benedict was quite right. Colin did look like he had swallowed something vile.
And he also looked like he wanted to murder the gentleman in front of him.
“Who in the world is that man?” Anthony asked.
“Isn’t that Lawrence Faraday?”
Colin had never thought himself capable of violence. For as long as he could remember he’d never felt anything akin to rage, or even anger. Finding out about Lady Whistledown and Penelope’s subsequent disregard for her own reputation and safety had been the only time in his life Colin had felt slightly angered. Not at her work or achievements but at how lightly she took her own safety and security. Even that had quickly disappeared once she assured him she planned to bring the legendary column to a close and quickly distracted him with her nimble fingers.
But this, this , Colin could not bear so easily.
Lawrence Faraday was back - smiling with that lopsided, mischievous smile that had mothers hiding their debutante daughters and wives swooning. And more importantly, pretending that Colin seemingly didn’t exist.
“You look lovely Penelope.” Colin controlled the urge to scowl and instead placed himself quite strongly behind his bride to be. Penelope - her given name like they knew each other beyond one miniscule interaction. Like they were even passing acquaintances.
Like his wonderful, beautiful wife to be hadn’t first asked this maddening future duke to kiss her.
Like she hadn’t just blushed prettily and smiled at him, readily putting her hand in Faraday’s as he all but demanded a dance before Colin could even get a word out. Colin once again resisted the urge to scowl and punch Faraday in the face as he watched him twirl Penelope around the floor.
“Careful, or Lady Danbury will take your permanent scowl as a commentary of her fine soiree!”
Colin groaned out loud at Benedict’s cheeky tone, knowing full well that where he was, Anthony with a knowing smirk was sure to follow. Colin turned around and glared at his eldest brother who winked right at him. “What do you two want?” Really, was it too much to ask that his family let him simmer in his ire alone - and without taking pleasure in his discomfort.
He was certain if Hyacinth had been present she would ask if he’d joined the family only recently.
Bridgertons never let an opportunity go to take the mickey out of a sibling.
“Just wondering why you look so sour?” Benedict said with a casual shrug of his shoulders. Unwittingly, Colin’s direction flitted back to where Faraday was dancing with Penelope, and was disappointed to find that she didn’t look like in need of rescuing. Instead, the duplicitous wife of his, seemed quite happy conversing and dancing with Lawrence.
“Ah!” Anthony said knowingly, “Honestly Colin. Gentlemen are going to dance with your wife, or bride-to-be as may be the case here. It’s all innocent, It’s not really something to pout over.”
“I have no problem with gentlemen dancing with her.”
Benedict pursed his lips, thinking out loud, “I think that was meant to imply that Faraday isn’t a true gentleman?”
Colin looked at him strangely, “Would you really categorize him as that?”
They both turned instantly to Anthony, as if he was the one true decider of who was and wasn’t deemed privileged enough to be considered a true gentleman.
Anthony seemed to think for a while, and then shrugged indifferently, “He’s a duke-to-be.”
Colin rolled his eyes, “His title can hang for all I care. Would you let him court Eloise then, or Hyacinth?” He added, with a secret smile - knowing full well Anthony would show his hand.
The Viscount’s eyes darkened as he leveled them with a hard glare, “Over my dead body.”
“I rest my case.” Colin said happily.
“Yes, but still,” Benedict continued, intent on digging further, “It’s just a dance. Are you hiding something from us brother?”
Colin turned to him with a deadpan look, “Has anyone ever told you that you gossip more than the women in our family.”
Benedict grinned, “Yes.” And added with absolute pride in his voice, “My wife.”
Colin made a sound that quite put him in mind of a cat drowning and turned to look from his brothers to Faraday and Penelope still on the floor - still not looking like she needed a dashing rescue from him. He let out a sigh in defeat, encroaching into everyone’s personal life was how Bridgertons showed love, so he might as well let them in.
“It’s not a dance, It’s him .” He said pointedly, only barely managing to hiss the words out.
“Him being Faraday?” Anthony asked gently, leading them slightly away from the throng of the crowds so they wouldn’t be overheard.
Colin ensured he still had Penelope in his line of sight before nodding. “Pen.. well you can say that Faraday isn’t just a gentleman about the ton . They’ve had interactions in the past. Pen knows the blounder.”
Benedict's face split into a wide grin as he whistled low, “Little Miss Featherington! A rogue under our nose, keeping on with a duke to be. Oh I love it !”
“No!” Colin all but screamed, elbowing Benedict hard enough to earn a glare from Anthony, “I will kill you.” He thought over that for a second. “First I will kill Faraday then I will kill you. It isn’t like that… they met somewhere by mistake and she, well I can say for sure she was not in the right mind when she…”
“When she…?” Anthony prompted while Benedict simply twisted his neck to look at Penelope with a renewed sense of pride and awe.
Colin rolled his shoulders in discomfort, the memory of finding out about Penelope and Faraday’s interactions still quite raw - despite it being more than a year since the incident. But the overwhelming emotion wasn’t jealousy or anger, it was fear. Something he’d never brought up to Penelope, because they were good - everything was perfect. He had made up for his monumental mistake of running away and she had forgiven him.
And she loved him.
Loved him like he loved her. Completely and all consumingly.
And Colin was certain there was no feeling better in the world than being loved by Penelope Featherington.
So watching her today with Faraday had brought up the hidden fear. Fear that if he hadn’t seen them, if he hadn’t intervened, if she hadn’t told him the truth, if she hadn’t asked him to kiss her.
Then maybe, maybe it would have been Faraday.
And not him.
“She asked him to kiss her.” Colin whispered slowly, like it was his greatest failing in life.
In retrospect, if Colin hadn’t been conflicted at that moment he would have thoroughly enjoyed the complete look of shock on Anthony’s face. His eldest brother stood agape, his mouth open in a half frown half O as he tried to grapple with the words that had tumbled out of Colin’s mouth. Benedict on the other hand, recovered quickly and let out the most unsubtle cackle known to man, shaking his head and peering over the large potted plant to sneak a glance at Penelope.
“ Christ Colin, you’re marrying up and how.” He remarked, thumping Colin on the back and letting out a wild laugh again, “Penelope Featherington turned out to be the biggest rake amongst us all, it seems.”
Colin was certain if the words had been spoken by anyone other than his brother, and weren’t laced with genuine pride he would have called them out for a duel.
“What do you mean she..” Anthony spluttered, finally having recovered from his dormant state, “What do you mean she asked him to kiss her.” He whispered so softly that barely any sound left him at the words “kiss” and “ her”.
Colin sighed for the umpteenth time and began the sordid tale of when Penelope Featherington, the light of his life, asked the blasted Faraday to kiss her. “She claimed something about stifling society rules and how she was to never experience love and romance like she read of in her books, and how horrible the ton is - which it really is, you cannot deny,” Colin paused at the furious look on Anthony’s face and continued, “Uh yes. And how she wanted to have at least one experience in her life - and was certain no one would want her, which is absolutely untrue. Anyhow, Faraday and her ended up in a delicate situation - nothing happened - but she kind of sort of had a secret over him and asked him to kiss her in exchange for keeping quiet. And the bastard is a rake, and perhaps would have done it even if there wasn’t a secret to protect. You know how he’s always had a prolific fondness for red-headed pro…”
Anthony cleared his throat to let him know he had veered off topic again, “Right yes. Well, I thankfully realized something was wrong and intervened and convinced her that it was an absolutely insane notion and she must abandon the thought of it. She agreed, then we fell in love and we will get married and live happily ever after once I’ve kidnapped Faraday and dumped him on a ship sailing for Prussia or somewhere.” Colin finished hurriedly and took a long deep breath.
Thankfully, Anthony had stopped looking like he was going to combust once he learnt nothing untoward had happened, and simply shook his head at Colin in his disappointed brother stance. Colin on the other hand, could care less, the dance was finally over and Faraday was joyfully leading Penelope over to the lemonade stand.
This was his chance… he had to go now.
“How did you get her to change her mind?”
“What?” Colin asked, confused at Benedict’s abrupt question.
“You said you convinced her to abandon the notion, but how?” Benedict prodded, “She seemed to be quite strong willed in her pursuit, and you did go away for a year - so how did you convince her?”
Colin tugged at his cravat as his ears reddened, “I might have kissed her instead.”
“ You what ?”! Anthony hissed.
“We are betrothed, Anthony calm down.” Colin hissed back at him.
“Yes, but this was a year ago.” Benedict pointed out.
“Whose side are you on?” Colin whirled at him and was faced by a thoroughly amused Benedict.
“Penelope’s. Always.” He replied with stunning conviction.
“So… so,” Anthony said, “You prevented Miss Featherington from comprising her reputation and virtue by comprising her yourself and then ran away for a year, only to come back gloomy and distraught over her and somehow manage to convince her to marry you in the two months?”
Colin took a pause to think over that statement before shrugging and nodding in agreement. He wouldn’t put their love story quite as glib as Anthony did - but it was factually true.
“Honestly, these are the kinds of things I expected from Benedict not you.” Anthony murmured, earning a loud Hey! from the aforementioned brother. “But I suppose it is ending happily.”
“Yes, of course.” Colin said assuredly, a grin taking over his countenance instantly, “It ends very very happily.”
And then before he knew it, all the fears he had bottled up inside him burst open, “It’s just… it terrifies me. To think of what would have happened if I hadn’t noticed them, if I hadn’t intervened. If…”
“Don’t Colin,” Anthony warned, “Don’t torture yourself with the what if’s. Everything turned out exactly as it should - though I would have much prefered if you hadn’t defiled my future sister-in-law in my office. You both were meant to be.”
“Yes, on that I’m firmly on your side brother.” Benedict nudged him playfully, “It’s been painfully obvious to the rest of us for years that you two belong together. You just were determined to make it as dramatic as possible.” He added for good measure.
And somehow, standing in between his two older brothers, their looks of mortification and amusement replaced with genuine warmth and love - Colin felt lighter. He felt some of that fear slink away, instead focussing his energy on Faraday and Penelope fast approaching them.
“Bridgerton,” Faraday exclaimed loudly, nodding at all the brothers as he bowed low and gracefully guided Penelope back to him.
“Faraday.” Colin managed to hiss through his teeth as the man thanked Penelope for the dance and walked away with a smirk on his face.
Benedict, thankfully, grabbed Anthony’s elbow and pulled him away, but not before Anthony could turn back and glare at Colin with a look that screamed “Behave!”
Penelope laughed delightedly as Benedict yelled back that needed to have a long chat with her later on. “What was that about?” She asked him, easily fitting into his side and leaning in slightly. “Colin?”
“What?” He started, his attention still slightly off.
Penelope simply smiled, leaning up on her tiptoes and whispering, “You know seeing Faraday again made me realize something.” Colin looked down at her, her smile wide and bright, her blue eyes light and filled with glee as he held his breath, “I’m really glad you channeled your eldest brother and decided to stop my hairbrained plan on securing a scandalous kiss.”
“You are?”
She nodded emphatically, scrunching up her nose adorably and Colin really wished he could bend down and kiss the pert little thing, “I never really wanted him, per say. I just never thought I could have who I truly wanted.”
Penelope leaned into him further, burrowing into his heat and placed a strong, sure hand on his chest right over his thumping heart, forgetting about proprietary and society, “I always wanted my first and last kiss to be with you Colin. Only you.”
And just like that, without even knowing his inner turmoil, without him ever voicing his fears, and with a few simple words she had righted everything in his life.
To hell with it, Colin thought internally, and sweeped down to plant a thorough kiss on her lips and was awarded a delighted squeak in response.
From somewhere in the distance he heard a muffled cackling and a loud shout of “ Colin Bridgerton!”