Chapter Text
“Dearest gentle listener, if there is a crime, Lady Whistledown is sure to uncover it. Tonight, I bring you the case of one Mary Pearcey who was found wandering the streets of North London on the night of October 24th, 1890, pushing a pram heavy with the corpses of her lover’s wife and child. What would compel Mary Pearcey to commit such a dastardly crime? And how did she do it? For all the gruesome details, stay tuned to ‘Lady Whistledown Is On The Case’, your Regency-era True Crime podcast, brought to you by The Cafe on Montague Road.”
Penelope Featherington carefully pressed the red button on her laptop to stop recording. She waited to see the wave form register on the main window of her computer screen before playing back what she had just recorded. The intro was campy and dramatic - exactly what she was going for. After almost a dozen episodes, she was finally getting the hang of recording a podcast. This realization came with an immense sense of relief. After all, she had quit her job as a secondary school History Teacher to pursue a life of crime. True crime, that is.
Even as a little girl, Penelope loved nothing more than to sink her teeth into a good mystery. She was always with her nose stuck in a Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys book, much to her mother’s dismay. When she became a teen-ager, she graduated to Sherlock Holmes and Inspector Poirot novels. But it was during her years as a teacher that she got hooked on historical crime fiction, which was a delicious mash-up of true crime and time travel. And now, it was her turn to take her loyal subscribers - all 37 of them - on a suspenseful roller coaster ride week after week as they go over clues, scrutinize back stories of suspects and figure out whodunit on infamous murder cases from the Regency period. She was aware that her podcast was quite niche and for that reason would never bring her fame and fortune but she didn’t care. She loved it anyway.
Penelope whipped off her headphones, a satisfied smile on her face. She was done recording for the day, and ahead of schedule too. This called for a reward. She shrugged off her bathrobe and bounced downstairs to the establishment at the ground floor of her small apartment building.
“Give me the usual, barkeep. I’m celebrating,” Penelope announced, as she flung open the door to The Cafe on Montague Road.
“Sssh!” Edie Sharma, neighbor and cafe proprietress, hissed. She barely looked up from the iPad she was hunched over.
Penelope approached the counter. “Hello? Long-time customer here...” she said, waving a hand in front of her friend’s face.
“Long-time, non-paying customer,” Edie reminded her sweetly.
“Isn’t that what official sponsors to podcasts are for? To supply me with free iced lattes?” Penelope grumbled.
“Forget coffee for a minute and get over here. You’re going to want to see this.”
Penelope sidled over next to Edie. “What are you watching that’s so interesting anyway? Is that BBC News?”
Edie pressed play.
“Breaking news. The Metropolitan Police confirm that celebrity and model Marina Thompson has been left in critical condition after falling from the third-story balcony of The Ton, one of Mayfair’s oldest and most exclusive night clubs.”
A photo of Marina’s latest magazine cover was flashed onscreen.
“Emergency services were called at the early hours of Sunday morning following reports of the incident during the launch of Queen Magazine’s anniversary issue in which Ms. Thompson is the cover. The 29-year-old was assessed by paramedics at the scene before being taken by ambulance to a private hospital for treatment.”
The photo was replaced by a video showing the night club being cordoned off with neon yellow tape.
“An investigation is under way to establish the full circumstances of what has happened. We will be keeping you updated as new information becomes available. And now back to sports...”
“Holy shit,” Penelope gasped, turning to Edie.
Edie stared back at her, equally wide-eyed. “I know, right? Wasn’t she dating Colin Bridgerton?”
“Engaged."
When Colin Bridgerton and Marina Thompson first got together, the pair instantly made headlines. She, the beautiful It Girl and model, and he, the dashing travel photojournalist from one of Britain’s most prominent families. They looked good together and were good together. It was a fairy tale romance poised for a happily ever after until paparazzi leaked photos of Marina in the arms of a handsome military man.
“Ooof. Have you heard from Eloise yet?”
Penelope shook her head. If she felt sick with worry, she reminded herself that it was because this was a Bridgerton they were talking about. Her best friend’s brother. A member of her most beloved family. She would have been just as concerned if the person involved were Anthony or Benedict.
“I should call El,” Penelope murmured. “Should I call El?”
“You may not have to,” Edie said, just as Eloise Bridgerton burst into the cafe.
“You guys would not believe the day I’ve just had!” She declared, making a beeline for them.
“We were just talking about you,” Edie said, watching Eloise dump her bag on the counter.
“El! What happened?”
“Have you been following the news about Marina Thompson?” Eloise asked them.
Penelope and Edie nodded eagerly.
“Colin got called in to the police station this morning. I accompanied him.” Eloise was a lawyer so it made sense that she would be by her brother’s side at a time like this.
“How is Colin? Is he in pieces from the news?” Penelope asked.
“Why don’t you ask him yourself?” Eloise said, jerking her head towards the door where her brother stood, peering inside the cafe uncertainly.
Penelope’s pulse instantly quickened at the sight of him. Tall and broad-shouldered, with thick chestnut brown hair and eyes an exceptionally intense shade of green, Colin Bridgerton was undeniably gorgeous. But she always forgot just how much until she saw him again.
“Of all the gluten-free, soy-free and dairy-free cafes in all the world, he walks into mine,” she muttered to herself.
Colin walked up to her until they stood face to face, and it was like Penelope forgot how to breathe.
“Hello, Pen,” Colin greeted, his voice warm and low. “I don’t know if this is okay, but I asked Eloise to bring me here to see you.”
“To see me? Why?” Penelope practically squeaked in surprise. Up close, she noticed that Colin had dark circles under his eyes and he hadn’t shaved.
“I need your help. I don't think Marina’s fall was an accident. Somebody wanted her dead and I need to find out who.”
Out of all the things Penelope imagined Colin Bridgerton would say to her at their reunion, this was definitely not one of them. She blinked up at him in confusion. “I don’t understand.”
Colin opened his mouth to explain but hesitated, glancing meaningfully over her shoulder.
Penelope whipped around just in time to catch Eloise and Edie quickly averting their eyes. The two women were obviously eavesdropping on their conversation. She rolled her eyes at them before turning back to Colin. Gesturing to a table at the back of the cafe, she said, “Step into my office?"
Once they were both seated, Penelope raised her eyebrow at him inquiringly.
Colin didn’t say anything at first. He just stared at her, studying her.
Penelope was suddenly conscious of the fact that she was wearing her favorite Jessica Fletcher t-shirt with the holes in it and that she hadn’t had time to brush her hair that morning, only gathering it up in a haphazard bun. She pushed back a wayward strand of hair behind her ear.
“Its been a while,” he began, when he finally spoke. “Has it been - what - six years? Seven?”
"Thereabouts,” Penelope replied. But she didn’t feel like engaging in awkward small talk just then. They had more urgent matters to discuss. “What are you doing here, Colin?” she asked gently.
“I need your help, Penelope.”
“I got that part. But I’m failing to see what any of this has to do with me.”
“I know you’re Lady Whistledown.”
Penelope's jaw dropped. “How did you - ? Did Eloise - ?” she sputtered. Only a handful of people knew that she was Lady Whistledown and that was by choice. If her own family’s reaction to her announcement that she was going to quit her steady job to do a Regency era true crime podcast was any indication, people simply would not understand. So she decided to do it anonymously.
“Eloise caught me listening to your podcast a few weeks ago and she freaked out. I had to know why.”
“El and her big mouth,” Penelope groaned loudly.
“I heard that!” Eloise objected all the way from the counter.
“Good!” Penelope shot back.
When Penelope turned back to him, Colin said, “There is a crime that needs solving. You solve crimes.”
“I have a true-crime podcast, Colin. That’s hardly the same thing,” Penelope argued.
“Podcasts have been known to help solve cases. Like ‘Up and Vanished’? ‘The Teacher’s Pet’? In both cases, the podcasts brought new information to light that led to the culprits of the crime.”
Penelope was impressed that Colin knew his True Crime podcasts, but still. “There are people who actually do this for a living, you know. Like the police? If there is anyone who can figure out what really happened to your fiancé last night - ”
“Ex-fiance.”
“Sorry. Ex-fiance,” Penelope said, taken aback by his curt tone.
Colin sighed. “But I don’t want them. I want you," he insisted, softening his tone. "You notice things that others don’t. You’re methodical and you’re thorough. And you have good instincts. I know because I’ve been following your podcast from the very beginning.”
Penelope felt the heat rise to her cheeks. The thought of Colin Bridgerton listening to her podcast for the past three months gave her a flutter.
“What do you expect me to do, Colin?”
“Maybe find something that the police might miss? I don’t know,” Colin said, tiredly running a hand through his hair. “I just think the more of us that are looking into this, the better the chances of getting answers. And Eloise tells me you have a contact within the Metropolitan Police?”
“I might,” she replied reluctantly.
“Marina's condition is still touch and go right now. But if she makes it, whoever wishes her harm may strike again to finish the job and we can't let that happen. And if she doesn’t make it...” He slumped against his chair, a pained expression crossing his face.
Penelope's heart went out to him. She had never seen Colin Bridgerton look so completely distraught before. It was clear that he still cared for Marina very much. “I’ll see what I can find out, okay?” she said gently.
“That’s all I ask,” Colin said gratefully. He reached for a napkin and quickly jotted down his phone number. "I'm also giving you Rose's number."
"Who's Rose?"
"Rose McGlynn is Marina's personal assistant. She knows everything about Marina, even more than I do. Any questions you might have, she would be the best person to ask."
After sliding the paper napkin over to Penelope, he cocked his head to one side and said, “Do you know what? I think this is the longest conversation you and I have ever had. Just the two of us.”
“Is it?” Penelope murmured.
“I mean, you and Eloise kept to yourselves mostly but I distinctly remember us hanging out a few times back in the day. Do you remember?”
“It was a long time ago, Colin,” she said with an apologetic shrug.
“Right. Silly of me to think you'd remember," he agreed sheepishly. "Look, I know this sounds crazy and I'm asking a lot. And it's not like we're close - " he stopped, looking at her from underneath his thick lashes. "Anyway, thanks for agreeing to do this, Pen. For whatever reason."
If she were to be completely honest with herself, Penelope didn't know either why she said yes. She didn't even know Marina personally. And she wasn't a detective. She could not think of a single reason why she agreed to help.
But then Colin Bridgerton smiled at her and for the first time that day, Penelope caught a glimpse of the carefree boy she used to know. And suddenly, she was able to think of at least one.
******
When Penelope returned to her flat, she headed straight for her wardrobe. She flung it open and tiptoed to reach the top shelf where she pulled out a small package wedged in between her sweaters. She sat on her bed, resting the package on her lap. Seeing it again instantly brought back a memory long buried...
Eloise had decided to throw a party at Aubrey Hall to celebrate her and Penelope's graduation from university. Colin was flying to Peru for his first writing assignment for National Geographic the next day. It was the perfect time for her to give Colin his going-away present.
She bit her lip nervously. If Colin were to assume she fancied him because of the present, so be it. It was the truth anyway.
Penelope had been in love with Colin Bridgerton since she was sixteen. How could she not? He was handsome and smart and funny and adventurous. But most of all, he was kind. He didn't talk down to her and Eloise, like a lot of their friends' older siblings did. He never made her feel self-conscious about her weight or her penchant for wearing yellow. And while he groaned as loudly in protest as his siblings whenever Penelope chose an old Alfred Hitchcock film yet again for movie night at Aubrey Hall, she knew that by the time the end credits rolled and all the other Bridgertons had fallen asleep, Colin would still be wide awake, giving her a conspiratorial wink from his perch on the Lazyboy. It was that wink that fueled many of Penelope's fantasies.
But up to this point, that was all it was. A fantasy. She knew that she was smart and kind and funny herself but somehow whenever she was around him, her brain got all fuzzy and she became tongue-tied. It was most frustrating.
Penelope had high hopes that her graduation from university would change all that. She had already turned 21 and was soon to get a job. She and Colin, who was five years older, would finally be on a level playing field. She just needed to make him see that. Penelope was convinced that the gift-wrapped package in her hands was the key. "This is it. It's now or never," she told herself.
She found Eloise in the middle of the dance floor with a group of their friends. Penelope pulled her friend aside. "El, do you know where Colin is?”
“Why on earth would you be looking for Colin?” Eloise asked, saying her brother's name like it was a four-letter word.
“I need to ask him something. Something - uh - geography-related.”
Her best friend narrowed her eyes at her suspiciously, making Penelope grip even more tightly the package she hid behind her back. Eloise had no idea what she was about to do - had no idea Penelope had feelings for her brother, in fact - and Penelope preferred it to stay that way.
“I last saw him with Anthony and Benedict at the front of the house. Count on my brothers to have a houseful of people and still choose to hang out with each oth - ”
“Thanks, El!” Penelope said, not even bothering to wait for Eloise to finish her rant. She made her way to the entry hall of the Bridgerton home.
"...Your first assignment for National Geographic. You must be chuffed.” Penelope heard Anthony's voice from the other side of the double doors. She pressed herself against it to listen.
“If I pull this off, it could launch my career," Colin said excitedly. "Just think of all the places I’ll get to cover. All the stories I’ll get to tell. All the people I’ll meet.”
“Just say 'All the women I'll meet' and go,” Benedict said with his lazy drawl.
“What are you going on about? There's a house full of women right here. You don’t need to travel halfway around the world to find one.”
Colin and Ben groaned in unison.
“What?” Anthony demanded.
“Just because you found someone amazing, you think everyone should be coupled up,” Benedict complained.
“All I’m saying is that sometimes the best person for you could be right under your nose.”
“Like who?” Colin scoffed.
“Like...Like Penelope Featherington.”
Penelope's heart skipped a beat at the mention of her name.
“El’s best friend?” Colin asked incredulously.
“The one who doesn’t speak?” Benedict added.
"Not to you maybe," Colin snickered. Then a loud thunk. "Ow!"
"She's just shy," Anthony said. “Anyway, Kate seems to like her.”
“Of course, if Kate The Great likes her...” Colin teased.
“You two are being assholes.”
“Look, I happen to like Penelope too, okay? She's a sweet girl. But Eloise would castrate me if I so much as look at her best friend. You know how territorial she gets. She’s worse than a Rottweiler.”
Anthony and Benedict chuckled.
“Besides, it's just Pen. She's like another sister to me. She doesn't really count.”
"Oh," Penelope let slip a tiny gasp, feeling like her breath had been knocked out of her. She had always suspected deep down that this was how Colin regarded her but she held out hope anyway. To hear him actually say it out loud however...She felt her heart twist exquisitely in her chest. So much for Colin seeing her as something more. It wasn't going to happen. Not now. Not ever. Fighting back humiliated tears, she stumbled back to the thick of the party.
Penelope carefully peeled back the wrapper of the package, revealing a leather-bound journal. She traced her fingers over Colin’s initials embossed on the cover. She flipped it open to the first page where she herself carefully wrote in calligraphy a quote from Colin’s favorite author, Jack Kerouac. "Lean forward to the next crazy adventure beneath the skies. Love always, Pen." Colin was an avid journal-keeper. It was one of the many endearing things about him that she had filed away in her head. Just like she had every encounter with him seared in her memory. And despite all her efforts to forget, that included the day that he broke her heart without him even realizing what he had done. But Colin didn’t need to know any of that. If there was anything Penelope learned from her obsession with true crime, it’s that everybody was capable of lying. Even her.