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“That third boy son yelled at me! The letter C!” Four-year-old Penelope sobbed and that alarmed everyone near them. Especially Edmund and Violet Bridgerton. They are currently at the Bridgerton House and the Featherington sisters were invited to be the Bridgerton kids’ playmates. But really in all honesty, not to be rude and all, they only wanted the shy (well now she’s most likely not) and cute little redhead.
“Colin...” Violet grounded out. “Stop being mean dearest, you only met her for the first time today.”
Colin dramatically gasped. Not believing that his mom scolded him in front of Penelope Featherington of all people. The little redhead girl who glares at him like she is ready to throw hands and fight him head on. “She knocked me off the horse with her yellow bonnet mama!”
“I did not mean that! Why are you being petty! I am but a girl! Besides! It is a pony!” She reasoned out. Edmund shook his head in amusement. There will never be a dull moment with his children and now he relished Penelope adding to the chaos. Not that he was not worried that his son just got knocked out of his horse or pony though. He wiped Penelope’s tears first and tapped the top of her head, even gave her a little wink because he was amazed the little girl stood up for herself and did not back down in front of a man—well, boy actually. Penelope sniffed and wiped her tears on the other side of her cheek, pouting at Edmund before the latter made big steps to his son and carried him. The boy grumbled, “Papa. I am already nine.”
“And still a boy. Squabbling with a young lady.”
“Young lady.” Little Colin scoffed and looked at Penelope, who was now crossing her arms at him. “Look! Is that how a young lady should act?”
“You shouted at me! That is rude! Is that how a young gentleman acts?” Penelope squabbles back. Even raised her right brow at him. Not letting him have the last say. Never.
Everyone seemed to enjoy their small childish banter and just watched them from one kid to another. Moving their heads if one of the children spoke to banter. Violet covered her mouth to stifle her giggles but she Is now forming some kind of plan in her head—for the future. She glanced at her husband and when she found mirth and amusement in his eyes she reckoned both of them had thought of the same thing. One day…surely these two will get along.
“What is rude is knocking people out of their ponies with their yellow bonnets!” Colin frowned, maintaining his stare. The redhead inwardly smiled as she got him to say it was a pony.
“Again. I am a girl!” Penelope waves her tiny hands at him before she gildes them down to her entire body as if proving that she is human. “I am not the wind! The wind blew my bonnet! Did I call the wind? No! No little girl can do that!” Penelope puffed. Cheeks forming full like when her sister Eloise or Daphne used to look like when they ate too much biscuits and their mama would tell them that that is not how a young lady should act. Seeing Penelope’s cheeks puff, he thought she was adorable for just a single moment but then when he compared her to his sisters, he frowned. Penelope? As his sister? He did not know but he did not like the sound of that. Hmph, more like my frenemy! His nine year old hindbrain thought.
Colin, still not wanting to back out now, mirrors Penelope as he also crosses his arms. “You should have held your bonnet then! Or ran after it when it blew!”
“I cannot believe you right now.” The little girl sniffed and cutely wiped her tears that slipped again. Colin was taken aback and with guilt in his eyes he glanced away.
“Should a young gentleman really be this petty and raise his voice to a little girl like me?” Penelope narrowed her eyes at him. Colin was about to rebut and bicker with her with the same tone she is using but when his eyes caught hers, he looked away. He cannot help it, those blue eyes are intimidating but at the same time mesmerizing. “No.” He softly mumbled, enough for her to hear. Edmund smiled at his tempered son that always gets away with his charm surrendering to a four year little Penelope. Even his own wife crumbles with just one smile of their third born.
“You landed on the mud so you are fine!” Penelope pouted as Benedict and Eloise tapped her back. Colin frowned at the sight of it and that heightened his emotions once again as Edmund groaned, so much for just praising his son in his head. “You laughed at me!”
“Because! Because!” Penelope’s cheek flushed and now she is starting to giggle again. “Your bumbum landed…” she gasped and covered her mouth as if she just said a huge secret—more like a forbidden word that four year olds are not supposed to say, especially in other houses—then she blinked and smiled innocently at Edmund. This girl is instinctively mirroring his third son. Using charms to get out of any punishments and have their own way. And that he did. Edmund Bridgerton did not do or say anything about it and the young girl just smiled cheekily at his wife and the Lady merely shook her head in amusement—surprised at herself for letting little Penelope have it her way. Not that she really did anything bad in the first place though.
The little redhead then giggled and tried to catch her breath as she continued to speak to Colin, “...on the mud!” She tried to cover her mouth to stifle her chuckles but obviously failed, “...and it made a slushy sound! Like when an eclair splat on the floor!”
Everyone tried their hardest to hide their laughs so that Colin would not be embarrassed. Some succeeded like Anthony, Daphne and their parents but Benedict and Eloise immediately failed.
“Now now!” Violet collected the others while eyeing her husband as if telling him to talk to the two mischievous children. Edmund widens his eyes but Violet only chuckles at him, blowing off a flying kiss. The Lady even invited Prudence and Philippa inside to give them space. Edmund sighed in defeat and knelt down to place his son on the ground. “Now now, we are the Bridgertons. We always have each other's back until the end of time but we also admit to our mistakes and know how to apologize…properly.”
“But papa I got hurt!” Colin tried to weasel his way out and Penelope rubbed her fingers together, nervously. With a shy voice she mumbled, “Forgive me for being careless with my bonnet, Co-Colin.”
Edmund glanced at her and a soft curl tugged at the end of his lip. He meant to scold those words to his son but yeah, maybe one day Penelope would officially become a Bridgerton. Would one day become his daughter. He slightly shook his head, what on earth is he thinking, matchmaking kids for God’s sake. But it is cute to hope and he knows in his heart that they would make an amazing pair once they are of age and that deep inside he already approves of this match. He cannot wait for the day it would unfold in front of everyone, to the ton, and especially to them, Bridgertons.
Colin pouted and anxiously rubbed the back of his neck. “And I am very sorry for raising my voice at you, Pen..”
Penelope nodded and Colin nodded back, smiling at the little girl. Edmund felt a warm bubble forming in his chest but that very same bubble popped when the little girl grins wide. Oh no.
“But I do not apologize for laughing at the slushy sound!” Penelope giggled and she immediately turned around to run away and escape. Colin playfully made an angry remark, “Why you little cheeky one!” and ran after the little redhead as they sprinted through the grass at the backyard of the Bridgerton House. Edmund could only smile and shake his head at their newfound energy.
—--------
“And I am very sorry for my callous comment here last year. It pains me to see you upset.” Colin mentioned as he stared at Penelope. Studying her very closely. She looks so pretty in her dress gown today. Colin thought. But then again, Penelope had always been pretty.
“Then perhaps you should not have come.” She answered in a tone that is both surprising but familiar and then, God help him…he laughed.
Well, God did indeed help him because it was a soft manly giggle rather than a rude chuckle of some sort but Penelope creased her brows all the same. “Pardon me?”
“Uhh. No. No. I apologize, Pen.” Colin cleared his throat and placed both of his hands at his back.
“Well, apologizing twice is obvious considering you just laughed at me. Last year and right now. But you still should tell me why. Especially for today’s reason Colin.”
His eyes sparkled hearing her call his name again and then he turned serious the next split second. “I was…half drunk. Not an excuse really, but I could barely tolerate such liquor back then compared to now.” He then rambles on and Penelope frowns but deep inside she was really happy to hear from him again. Him sharing about how now he could outdrink five husbands and that he still could hold three more drinks even after all of that.
“You still did not explain Colin.” Penelope pouted and Colin gulped at the sight of those red rosy lips. He shook his head as if that would erase the thoughts looming and forming in his mind. “Right. That was me being an idiot, Pen. I have no other explanations for it. Yet, I just want to say and assure you, I am not the man I was last season. And I am most certainly not ashamed of you Pen, the opposite is true, in fact. And I do hope you know that…I deeply, deeply care about you. And that I am very proud to call you my very good friend.”
Penelope softened her gaze and sighed. “It has been vexing. Watching you walk back into society with such ease. When every year, I pray I might finally feel that way amidst the marriage mart. And that comfort never materializes.”
Colin quietly sighed as he was pained seeing his dearest Penelope like this. But he knows that the last thing she wants or needs right now is his pity. Then, he thought of a brilliant plan—to which he mentally kicks himself days later after this very moment. “Well, if a husband is what you seek, let me help you.”
“Help me how?” Penelope peered curiously at him as Colin smiled—almost like a smirk. “Do you remember when we first met?”
She scrunched her nose and tilted her head. “What about it? And how does it connect to what we are currently talking about? Not to add, I was still rather curious as to why you laughed at me mere minutes ago, Colin.”
A small curve tugged at the corner of his lips, delighted that his name once again rolled over her mouth. “Precisely everything about it Pen. Why I laughed and how it would help you in finding a…husband.” Colin slightly frowned at his last word. That was kinda weird. Penelope was always there. She is the only thing that is constant aside from his family and now, thinking that she’ll actively search for a husband this season, he fears that he’ll lose her for good. Their conversations, exchanging good wits and barbs…all of those moments he took for granted. His heart clenched and he did not know why. More like confused as to why or what he was feeling. And yet, he pushed all of those fears aside because if he did not do anything right now, he’ll lose her right now. Then, he caught her gaze and reminisced once more, “I just remembered how you always talked back and argued with me back then when I was riding my horse, minding my own business…”
Penelope cut him off with a “...that was a pony,” to which he playfully glared at her before he continued, “...then I was assaulted by a devilishly yellow head covering.”
Penelope cutely chuckled and rolled her eyes. “It was not my fault, the wind blew it off my head.”
“Yet you certainly seemed pleased when I landed in the mud.” Colin cocked his head to one side with a lopsided grin as he paced a step forward and sat beside her.
“And then you shouted at me. What a nice young gentleman you are Mister Bridgerton.”
“Hey! I apologized!” He slightly leaned in as if that would add weight in defending himself.
“Yes, only after I seek your forgiveness first.” She snorted and crossed her arms in an unladylike manner. Colin’s eyes danced as he remembered she was like this way back then too. “Mm-hmm. But then at that time, you were so very charming about it. Teasing me, mercilessly, in fact.” Penelope blushed at him, calling her charming. “And that is all you need Pen for you to successfully find prospects.”
“Uhh. You do not mean I need to find an eligible bachelor who’s riding a horse and make my bonnet—”
Colin did not let her finish since it was quite obvious she meant recreating their first meet with some other dumbass. He was even offended that she would dare to let that precious memory of theirs be passed on to some jerk because truly, how could such a man exist that would be worthy of one Penelope Featherington? Before he even thought of it the words came flying off his mouth. “No! That memory is ours. Ours alone, Pen!”
Penelope was surprised as his voice was stern and there’s even a hint of anger and jealousy? She blinked her eyes as fast as she could to delete that thought. Maybe I’m just imagining it. How could he be jealous of someone when I do not even have one prospect. Wait…as if he could be jealous of me in the first place.
“Uhm. Pen.” Colin tried to get her attention as the redhead was staring blankly at him. She meekly hummed, “Yes?”
“As I was saying…I meant that you simply just need to be yourself.” Colin beamed.
Penelope facepalmed and snorted. “That is impossible, Colin. I can only do such a thing when…”
“When what?”
Penelope chewed her inner lip, “When I am with you..”
“Oh.” Colin managed to blurt out. The man was too stunned to speak, then he looked away to compose himself but secretly smiled while doing so. “Then, we shall have lessons and I’m certain you will quickly master them.”
“Lessons?” Penelope almost shrieked. “W-with you?”
He looked at her as if she suddenly had gone daft and was even slightly offended that she was surprised, “Well, you did just say you’re comfortable with me, yes? Besides, how could I let you have lessons with another gentleman?” There was a tad bit of possessiveness in his tone. Colin stared at her awaiting her response. He was actually so nervous she’d say no and he’ll have to bear her hatred for the rest of the season or worse, the rest of his life. So he voiced out his last plea, “There is nothing more I want than to earn back your favor, Penelope.”
She felt his sincerity. Well, Colin had always been so very kind and she could see that he truly regretted his actions. Now…that only made her feel guilty because how could she be cruel to him when in fact she did way worse. But she guessed he’ll never know even in the future because one day with his help she’ll hopefully and finally find someone to be her husband. Maybe this time she’ll really move on and forget her feelings for him. Penelope sighed at that thought because how could she ever forget about Colin Bridgerton? If such a matter was so easy then surely she’d already done so years ago. She looked at those kind blue eyes of his and nodded, “Fine.”
“Great!” He stood up and jovially placed his hand in front of her. Penelope quirked an eyebrow at him and scoffed, “You want me to shake your hand?”
Colin let out another manly chuckle and she glared at him. “Colin I swear if I were a man, I’d already punch you, once moments ago and twice right at this very instant.”
“Thank goodness you are Penelope Featherington then.” Colin smirked and she narrowed her eyes even more. He quickly changed his approach and honestly told her, “As I said, I merely am reminded of your rather unique and charming temper Pen. You know, kitten has claws.”
“Hmm.” She leaped from her seat and suddenly accepted his hand that had him caught off guard. Colin quietly gasped when he felt her ungloved flesh - so soft, and he also felt some kind of connection, slowly creeping into his entire being. He looked at her, studying her face. The very same face he had seen over the years of their friendship and laughing from one ball to another.
He was about to say something—anything, he do not know what it is but he wanted to…stop something or to take back something that he said. But before he could breathe one word Penelope peacefully mumbled, “So I guess I’ll see you sometime soon, Colin.”
He tenderly smiled at her as he scooped his free hand to hers to feel more of her soft skin. “I shall see you soon.”
And with that Colin left, quite satisfied that for now, he could have Penelope and spend a little more time with her.