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“Okay, okay…” Penelope put her hand flat against her chest and took a breath to calm her panic. She then looked back and forth between Benedict and Colin who stood in front of her. They were already dressed in their suits with jackets whereas she was still in a dressing gown, only having just had her hair and makeup done. “You’re telling me - you’re actually telling me - that you don’t know where Simon is?”
Benedict shrugged to soften her incredulous tone before he drawled, “Well…”
“The ceremony is in less than two hours!” Penelope snapped.
“He can’t have gone far, Pen,” Colin soothed in an attempt to reassure her.
“He’s not a dog!” Penelope fumed.
“Look,” Benedict began, “there’s no need for Daphne to know right now-“ Penelope scoffed and rolled her eyes at his words. “Colin and I are going to find him. But you might need to stall her somehow. Just for a short while”
“Daphne?” Penelope raised her eyebrows in skepticism. “You want me to stall, Daphne ? The bride who has allowed precisely seventeen minutes for our manicures to dry or else the schedule will be thrown off?!” She waved her hands in the air in exaggeration.
Benedict and Colin looked at each other and winced.
“I’m sure you’ll think of something,” Colin patted Penelope on the shoulder.
“What?” Penelope looked at him in disbelief before watching, her mouth open, as Benedict and Colin turned and started jogging down the corridor.
Penelope was interrupted by trying to calm herself by the sound of the door opening behind her. “Pen, what’s up? What did they want?” Eloise asked.
Penelope shook her head before following Eloise back into the hotel suite, “Oh just something about buttonholes or something.”
“Buttonholes?” Kate asked as she paused from softly blowing her nails dry. “Is something wrong with the buttonholes?”
“The buttonholes?” Daphne practically started to hyperventilate as she overheard Kate’s question. She strode over to Penelope and took her hands in hers, “Is there a problem?”
Penelope looked at her panicked, wide eyes and was quick to reassure her, “No, no…of course not. The buttonholes are fine, Daph. They just wanted to…they wanted to…” As Penelope trailed off, Daphne continued to look at her for reassurance. “They wanted to have a feminine touch, arrange them or something,” she finished with a shrug.
“Oh!” Daphne gasped. “Ok…phew!” She sighed in relief. “Oh thank goodness. You had me seriously worried there,” she joked to Penelope.
Penelope forced out an awkward chuckle.
“Oh, oh!” Daphne looked at the wall clock in alarm. “It’s 11:53. Time to put on the dresses,” she ordered.
“I don’t think my nails are dry,” Eloise muttered as she tested whether her nails were still tacky.
“Eloise we do not have the time. We’re just going to have to help you into your dress. Do not touch the material,” Daphne barked as she dashed into the room situated off the suite’s lounge to get into her wedding dress.
Penelope put her hands on her hips and breathed out shakily. How the hell was she meant to stall her? It was impossible. She could only hope that Colin and Benedict would have more luck in finding Simon.
-o-
“So he’s not in the hotel room?”
“No.”
“At the bar?”
“No.”
“Kitchens?”
“Why would he be in the kitchens?” Benedict asked.
“Food,” Colin shrugged in an obvious tone.
“Not all of us think with our stomachs, Colin.”
“Well I don’t hear you making any other suggestions!”
Benedict snapped his fingers, “Maybe that’s it. Simon doesn’t go to drink or eat when he’s feeling like this. But…”
“How the hell did you find me?”
Colin and Benedict stood with their arms crossed as they glared at Simon, unimpressed to find him in a conference room at the back of the hotel on a video call.
“You’re working? Seriously?”
“Yes,” Simon snapped. “And this is a very important, confidential meeting so if you wouldn’t mind-“ Colin marched over and snapped the laptop closed, “-hey!”
“Have you forgotten the fact you’re marrying our sister in just over an hour?”
Simon rubbed his hands over his face, “No, no…haven’t forgotten that .”
“What the hell are you doing Simon?” Benedict asked. “Why aren’t you in the hotel suite getting ready?”
Simon shook his head and drummed his fingers on the conference room table. “I don’t know…”
“You don’t know? You don’t know why you’re here and not-“
“I don’t know if I can marry her,” Simon confessed.
“Simon. We are here. At the venue. The family. The guests. Daphne is almost ready. The officiant has arrived. What do you mean, you don’t know if you can marry her?”
“I think the point Benedict is trying to make,” Colin began, “Is why now? If you didn’t know…if you had doubts…why did you wait until now to say something?”
“It’s not that I don’t want to marry her, it’s just…”
Benedict sighed in exasperation, “Then what is it, Simon?”
“It’s everything that comes next!” Simon stood up in panic. “Today is the marriage and then it’s the honeymoon and then it’s going to be starting a family and…and…”
“Ok, ok…” Benedict put his hands out.
Simon put his hands on his hips and shook his head, “It’s…it’s just too much. It’s too much.”
A tense moment of silence passed before Colin asked, “Do you love Daphne?”
Simon rubbed his jaw and then put his hands on his hips, “What kind of question is that? Of course I love her.”
“Can you…imagine your life without her?”
Simon shook his head, “No…no, God, no. The idea of not being with her, I can’t even…no.”
Colin and Benedict looked at each other before Colin shrugged and said, “Then it’s that simple.”
-o-
“Shit,” Eloise muttered as she looked at her reflection in the mirror.
“What?” Kate asked as she smoothed out the material of her bridesmaid gown at her waist.
“I didn’t put my earrings in.”
“Where’d you leave them?” Penelope asked as she grabbed their dressing gowns and tossed them over the back of the chair before adjusting her dress strap.
“They’re next to the sink in our room, Pen.”
“I’ll grab them, your nails are still tacky,” she responded.
“I’ll come with you,” Kate followed Penelope. “I don’t want to be around when Daphne realises we’re taking two minutes of her precious schedule to locate some earrings.”
“And what? Leave me to deal with her instead?”
“Oh hush, we’re doing you the favour and getting you your earrings!”
“Which doesn’t take two people!” Eloise called after them as they left.
“Where did she say she left them again?”
“Next to the sink,” Penelope muttered as they started to search the sink surround and the bathroom counter for Eloise’s earrings.
Kate was searching around the sink, when she glanced down and saw the contents of the bathroom bin. “Oh my god,” she murmured in shock.
“What?” Penelope muttered and continued her searching, looking underneath the clutter of towels and cosmetics. “They’re not here are they? Where did she leave them?” She looked to her side and saw Kate bending down and using a tissue to pick up something from the bin and sighed in relief, “Oh, you found them.”
“No, Pen,” Kate whispered and stood back up. She held the end of a pregnancy test in her tissue covered fingers. “It’s positive.”
Penelope looked at her with wide eyes.
“Eloise is pregnant.”
-o-
Looking to her side as she heard the footsteps approaching, Penelope had just stepped out of her and Eloise’s shared hotel room, Kate following closely behind her, her eyes widening as she saw who was approaching. “Colin?”
“Pen!” Colin smiled in relief, having successfully found her to share the good news. He glanced over to Kate before looking back at her and continuing, “Just to let you know that you don’t need to continue doing that…that arrangement thing. Ben and I have it all sorted.”
Penelope nodded somewhat despondently, only sharing a brief closed smile with him.
“Is everything ok?” Colin asked in concern.
“Err…”
“Ah Penelope!” Benedict strode down the corridor. “Don’t worry about Simon, we found him“ he broke off his words as he realised Kate was also present, “-his tie.”
“Ah great, right,” Penelope forced a small smile and clapped her hands together. “Well, we better get back to bridesmaid central before Daphne…hyperventilates or something!”
With that Penelope strode down the corridor. Colin shrugged before striding off in the opposite direction.
Benedict’s brow furrowed in confusion at Kate’s uneasy posture, “What’s going on?”
Kate looked at him with wide eyes.
-o-
“…I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”
The wedding party and guests all clapped and cheered as Simon and Daphne kissed. After their kiss, they turned with their hands joined and smiled at their guests before beginning their walk back down the aisle, now as husband and wife.
Kate nudged Eloise with her elbow to prompt her to follow. Benedict scooped up her arm with his as she started her walk. Kate then followed, with Anthony doing the same. Lastly followed by Penelope and Colin.
“You ok?” Colin murmured to Pen as they walked past the clapping guests, throwing rice at Daphne and Simon ahead of them.
“Yeah,” Penelope breathed out, “Yeah, I’m good.”
“Panic over right?”
Penelope swallowed and gave him a single nod in response, unable to meet his eyes.
-o-
“You’re pregnant?” Kate hissed from the side of her mouth.
“Can we not do this right now?” Penelope begged in a whisper.
Penelope had known Kate had noticed the fact that she had not drunk any of her champagne when the wedding guests toasted Simon and Daphne after the ceremony. And when Kate and Penelope’s eyes met, Kate truly had the ‘penny drop’ moment. Penelope knew it wouldn’t be too long until Kate would tackle her about it. She just didn’t think it would be in the middle of the wedding photos.
“You said that Eloise was pregnant,” Kate whispered, trying not to move her mouth too much as the photographer continued to take photos of the whole wedding party.
“No, I didn’t. You did. I just didn’t disagree with you,” Penelope whispered, pretending to adjust her hair.
“You are unbelievable,” Kate fumed, her voice significantly louder, and lowered her bridesmaid bouquet in disbelief, as she glared at Penelope.
The Bridgertons all turned to look at them, the photographer also pausing at the disturbance. Realising the extent of her outburst, Kate looked at Penelope with wide eyes.
“You are just…unbelievable, Pen. Truly. We’re so glad you’re part of our family,” Kate stammered out with a strained smile.
Penelope nodded and looked down in embarrassment as the Bridgertons hummed and murmured in agreement.
“Ok to continue? Ok - looking this way everyone. Big smiles!”
-o-
“Err…quick question. Why does Benedict look like he’s about to cry every time he looks at me?”
“Oh, well…” Penelope began.
She was interrupted by Colin coming over and giving Eloise a fierce hug. He was smiling widely. “Oh, Eloise. Benedict just told me. He couldn’t help himself. I’m so happy for you!”
Eloise’s brow furrowed as she drew back from his embrace, “What? Why? ”
Colin nodded and gave her a wink, “I get it. I get it. This is Daphne’s special day. Best to keep it quiet. Don’t want to steal her spotlight, right?”
Eloise put her hands on her hips, “Seriously? What? ”
Colin’s smile dipped in confusion before he took a step closer to her, keeping his voice quiet, “El…it’s ok. I know about the baby.”
Eloise pulled her head back in shock, “Baby? What baby?”
“Your baby.”
“I don’t have a baby,” Eloise looked at him in horror.
Colin looked between Penelope and Eloise. Penelope kept her eyes on her champagne glass. “But…Kate and Penelope found a positive pregnancy test in your room,” he explained.
“Colin, I don’t know what to tell you, I…” Eloise trailed off and caught Penelope looking at her with both desperation and fear. Eloise swallowed, her eyes wide as she registered what had happened. Her mouth was dry as she choked out, “…I don’t have a baby yet because it’ll be coming out of me in like six months of course!” She joked in a forced, nonchalant tone.
Colin laughed at her strange sense of humour, “Well of course, El.” He then looked between her and Penelope again and noted the strange atmosphere between them. “I’m going to get a drink but…” he gave Eloise another hug and murmured, “I’m so happy for you and Phillip.”
Eloise, touched by his gesture despite it being for false reasons, stroked his back in thanks. She smiled at him as he pulled away.
Colin gave Penelope a smile before leaving the two of them and walking to the bar.
Penelope looked at Eloise in apprehension. “You’re going to say things now, aren’t you?”
Eloise nodded her head, her eyes fixed on Penelope’s.
-o-
“So who else knows?”
Eloise and Penelope had returned to their hotel room and sat opposite one another, each off the side of their twin single beds, their knees practically touching. They had escaped the wedding reception under the ruse of changing from their high heels into something comfier.
“Kate worked it out. After,” Penelope shrugged before clarifying, “She saw that I didn’t drink my champagne when we did the toast after the ceremony.”
“Ah,” Eloise nodded.
“I’m guessing Kate told Benedict that you were pregnant. Before she knew it was actually me of course.”
“Yeah that’s spreading pretty quickly, huh?” Eloise said sarcastically.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” Penelope cringed and put her head in her hands.
“It’s okay,” Eloise leant forward and put a comforting hand on Pen’s knee. “I can forgo drinking today. Probably looks better for you - less suspicious - if I’m not drinking either,” she explained. Pen gave her a grateful smile before whispering her thanks. “So,” Eloise withdrew her hand and sat back up straight again, “how far along are you?”
“I’ve got to be at least four months…” Penelope mumbled and rubbed her brow.
“Four months?!” Eloise shrieked. “You have got to be joking? How did you not know you were pregnant?”
“I don’t know…” Penelope whined, “I mean my cycles have always been irregular because of just…life, stress y’know.”
“But what about the morning sickness? What about the sore breasts? What about-“
“I don’t know, El!” Penelope sighed and began to fan herself. “I’ve been so busy with getting the final revisions done for these pieces by the deadline that I just…didn’t notice.”
“Wait?” Eloise held her hand out in front of her. “If you only took the test yesterday, how do you know you’re at least four months pregnant?”
Penelope blushed, “Well, that was the last time I had sex so…doesn’t take too many calculations to work it out.”
“Oh…okay, well,” Eloise shrugged. A moment passed before she let out a deep exhale and her eyes widened in realisation, “Oh….”
-o-
“Ah, Penelope!” Anthony strode over to her with purpose as Eloise and Penelope re-entered the hall. “Just the person.”
Penelope floundered, “Oh, well I was just about-“
“We’re dancing,” Anthony announced as he grabbed her hand.
“Oh, ok,” Penelope stammered as he pulled her over to the dance floor.
“Oh no, it’s fine. You go on right ahead! I’ll just get us those drinks then shall I?” Eloise called after them sarcastically.
“You okay?” Anthony asked as he began to step with Penelope, having drawn her in, one of their hands joined whilst his other hand was on the small of her back and her other hand was resting on his shoulder.
Penelope gave him a closed mouth smile and a nod before looking away again. Anthony hummed in acknowledgment, raising his eyebrows.
They continued dancing for several moments.
Unable to stand the silence any longer, Penelope huffed, “She told you.”
Anthony gasped comically, “Whatever do you mean.”
Penelope rolled her eyes and then pulled her hand back from its place on his shoulder to give him a gentle shove.
Anthony laughed and drew her closer to him, giving her a hug as they continued dancing. He pressed an affectionate kiss to the top of her head before murmuring, “Congratulations, Pen. It’s wonderful news.”
“Is it?” Pen muttered against his shirt.
Anthony’s brow dipped, “Of course, it is. You’re going to be a mum. That’s amazing.”
“Yeah,” Pen whispered almost inaudibly.
Anthony stroked her back as he rested his cheek on the top of her head, as they continued to sway, softly sidestepping to the music.
“What’s up with Pen?”
“Hmm?” Benedict mumbled as he took a sip of wine. He followed the direction which Colin had tipped his beer bottle in, to see Anthony hugging Penelope on the dance floor.
“She looks upset,” Colin murmured in concern.
Benedict sighed, “Must be a lot. A day like this.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, it wasn’t that long ago she and Debling broke up. She probably thought that one day she’d be marrying the guy. They were together for long enough. And then with Eloise’s news…she’s probably, y’know,” Benedict shrugged.
“What? Jealous?” Colin asked sceptically.
“Maybe on some level. But probably more…reflective. Thinking about what could have been.”
Colin considered his brother’s words and looked at him contemplatively. “That was surprisingly insightful,” he commented.
“What can I say? Sophie’s softened me.” Colin snorted and took another swig of his beer. Benedict swung his arm around Colin’s shoulder, “Look, my girl couldn’t be here this weekend and I’m not too proud to admit I’m missing her,” Benedict confessed, still bitter about the fact that Sophie had a career defining deal to secure in New York which meant she couldn’t be part of Simon and Daphne’s wedding. “But, if she was here. I wouldn’t stand on the sidelines and look at her from afar,” he gave Colin a pointed look at his words.
Colin stood up straighter at Benedict’s words and looked back over to Penelope.
-o-
“Nope that’s it. I’m sorry,” Eloise said to Penelope as she joined her with a large glass of wine in her hand. “I can’t stand the gooey-eye looks anymore. I need a drink.”
Penelope laughed and shrugged, “That’s ok. I don’t think it’s going to be long until people find out it’s actually me.”
“Pen, it’s going to be ok, y’know. It will be,” Eloise took one of Pen’s hands in her own.
“Do you know what’s ironic? I’m not worried about what people think about me having a baby. I’m worried about what people think when they work out who it’s with and the circumstances that, well…”
Eloise shook her head, “Opinions aren’t facts.” She looked at the wine in her hand and shrugged, “Stop worrying about what people will think. I’m here for you. You know that don’t you?”
“Yeah,” Penelope murmured, her voice becoming thick with emotion. “I know, El,” she whispered as she squeezed her hand in gratitude.
The moment was broken by Benedict barging into them. “El!” He practically shoved the wine glass to the floor as he watched her bring it to her lips.
“What?” Eloise shrugged before looking between him and the wine glass in her hand. “Oh! No need to worry!”
“What do you mean no need to worry ?” Benedict echoed back sarcastically. “You can’t be drinking. You’re pregnant!”
Eloise smiled and shook her head, “Ben, I’m not pregnant.”
“What?”
“Me,” Eloise pointed to herself, “not with child.”
Benedict floundered, “But Kate said-“
“She got it wrong,” Eloise shrugged.
“But the pregnancy test-“ he argued.
“Was mine.”
Benedict turned to look at Penelope with wide eyes. A moment passed before he whispered, “Yours?”
Penelope swallowed, “Yes. Mine.”
“Oh…oh, wow.” Benedict swallowed as he processed Penelope’s words. “Penelope? You’re pregnant?” She nodded in confirmation before she found herself being embraced in his arms. “I’m so happy for you!”
Penelope sighed softly before Benedict withdrew his arms from around her. She gave him a smile as he took hold of her hands in his and pressed a firm kiss on the top of them.
“And whilst we’re on the subject, just how many people have you let slip that it was me who is pregnant?” Eloise pondered.
Benedict winced and held up his hands in surrender as a stern voice called across the room, “Eloise Bridgerton!”
“Ah, shit!” Eloise muttered and looked down to the floor.
Violet Bridgerton strode with purpose over to where Benedict, Penelope and Eloise stood, “Eloise? Is what Colin has just told me true?”
“Violet, let me stop you right there-“ Penelope bravely tried to interrupt.
Violet’s eyes looked at the wine glass in Eloise’s hand, “And what do you think you’re doing? You can’t be drinking alcohol!”
“She can because I’m the one who’s pregnant,” Penelope announced.
Violet looked at Penelope in shock.
Eloise raised her wine glass in the air to toast the announcement before taking a large swig.
-o-
“Pen?”
Colin had found her sitting on some soft chairs in the hotel foyer, away from the late night dancing and drinking of the wedding reception in the main function room.
“Col-Colin! Oh, hey!” Penelope gasped in surprise.
“Why are you…” he trailed off before looking over his shoulder, “why aren’t you with everyone else?”
“Oh,” Penelope shrugged and looked down at the mug of tea in her hands, “I just wanted a bit of space really. It’s been a long day.”
“Right,” Colin awkwardly scratched the back of his head. “I’ll just leave you to it then,” he said and gave her a small, closed-mouth smile as he went to step back.
Penelope’s breath caught and she managed to choke out, “Actually-“
“Sure, I’ll join you.”
Penelope breathed out shakily but gave him a grateful smile, as he answered her unspoken question for her, and came to sit down next to her. She leaned forward to put her cup of tea down on the nearby table.
“Listen, I need to talk to you about something,” Penelope began apprehensively. She reached out and placed her hands on top of his. “I’m sorry for the past few weeks…and how we left things between us. It…wasn’t…I never thought we’d…” Penelope‘s voice hitched with emotion.
Colin turned his hands over so he could link their fingers together and murmured, “I know. It hasn’t been easy, has it? But we…” he trailed off.
“We agreed it was for the best, I know,” Penelope murmured and nodded in agreement.
Before Alfie had left for a conservation study in the Amazon, an expedition which meant he was away for several months, Penelope and Alfie had an awful argument. It had been building for a while. A long while in fact, to the extent that they had not even slept in the same bed together for several weeks. Penelope’s insecurities about Alfie’s close relationship with his colleague - who just so happened to also be going on this trip, ( convenient, no? ) - and Alfie’s suspicions about Penelope’s close relationship with Colin. It came to a head the night before his departure.
Alfie left the next day and as far as Penelope considered, their relationship was over. However, as nothing had been specifically said between them on the subject, it didn’t excuse Penelope for then instigating a romantic relationship between her and Colin. Their affair started only a couple of weeks after Alfie’s departure.
About six weeks after his departure, Alfie reached out to her, contacting her by satellite phone and confessing how much he missed her and how he regretted leaving things between them. The guilt of what had happened hit Penelope. She shared her thoughts with Colin and they agreed, however difficult it would be, that it was best if they stepped back to being just friends until Alfie’s return.
On Alfie’s return, Penelope was honest with him about what had happened. He was angry. Understandably. He threw hurtful comments at her. Nothing less than she expected. He was heartbroken.
Reeling from the hurt she had caused, Penelope had not reached out to Colin following the break up and fully immersed herself in work. She had seen him on a handful of occasions as soon, along with the other Bridgertons, she was fully involved in the preparations for Daphne’s and Simon’s big day.
Penelope breathed out shakily, “Ok so umm…” She swallowed as she felt her mouth become dry and struggled to meet his eyes. “You know how umm…Kate found a positive pregnancy test?”
“Yeah,” Colin shook his head with a smile, “I can’t believe Eloise is having a baby. I just…I’m so happy for her. I mean, the thought of me being an uncle...”
Penelope closed her eyes with a short sigh as she saw the genuine excitement in his eyes. She squeezed his fingers as she said, “Colin, you’re not…” She broke off with another exhale of breath. “You’re not going to be an uncle. Eloise isn’t pregnant.”
Colin’s brow furrowed as he processed her words. “I don’t…I don’t understand. She…she said that-“
“Eloise said what she said because…she was…” Penelope shook her head. “Ok…I’m the one who took the test. I’m pregnant.”
Colin’s eyes widened and he exhaled in shock. A beat passed before he whispered, “You’re…you’re pregnant?”
Penelope gnawed at her lips as she nodded.
Colin swallowed before murmuring, “Wow.”
“I know it’s a shock. It was a shock to me too,” Penelope chuckled lightly. “And…obviously at no point did we ever anticipate something like this-“
Colin’s lips on hers interrupted her words. Penelope hummed softly as he cradled the back of her head and smiled into the kiss. After a soft embrace, he pulled back, his nose brushing against Penelope’s and his breath fanning against her lips. Her eyes met his as his thumb and index finger came forward to frame the underside of her chin. “We’re having a baby,” he murmured, his lips brushing against hers as he spoke.
Penelope’s breath hitched as she whispered, “Yeah, we’re having a baby.”
A tear fell down her cheek as he pulled her face back towards his and pressed his lips against hers again, more firmly this time.
-o-
“Is that Colin kissing Penelope ?”
Daphne looked over her shoulder and smiled before gazing up at Simon, “Yeah.”
“Finally,” Simon murmured with a roll of his eyes.
“And err…” Daphne’s fingers toyed with the nape of his neck as they swayed gently from side to side to the music. “I guess I can probably say as everyone in the family knows by now…Penelope and Colin are having a baby.”
Simon looked at her with wide eyes, “What?” Daphne laughed and nodded at him. “That’s unbelievable,” he exhaled with a wide, excited smile.
Having turned as they danced, Daphne could now look past Simon’s shoulder and could see Colin and Penelope had returned to the main hall. Colin said something to their mother and after a delighted gasp, Violet beamed in excitement, and embraced Penelope in a loving hug. Daphne could see her other siblings watching with joyful smiles. “It really is…” Daphne murmured in response to Simon’s words.