Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

May 14,

1815 

Dearest Penelope, 

I have finally arrived in Rome! It is indeed a splendid location to start my travels this year. The weather has been kind, always a soft breeze present, even with the unyielding sun. 

I have net yet visited any places, so I cannot share anything of value or novelty. When I arrived at my location earlier today, I promptly felt the need to let you know. 

So, I am writing to inform you I look forward to your letters during this bout of my travels. The mailing system here is far better than some other places I have visited before, so normally you will receive this and future letters more rapidly. 

I plan on staying here for the next month and will send word once I change places and have another address for our correspondence. Please share how your days are going. Is it already warm at home? 

As always, I look forward to hear from you. 

Once I have explored something worth mentioning, I will send word back. 

You can use the following address for further correspondence: 

Via delle Fornaci, 70, 

Rome, 00184

I wish you the most adventurous and sun filled summer period to come. 

With fondness, 

Colin

May 25

1815 

Dearest Penelope, 

This last week I have met many new people and new traditions customary here. 

I will detail them further below in this letter in the hope you will find this tale as riveting as myself. 

But first; I noticed I did not receive a letter back from you yet. Am I correct that you are staying in the countryside or am I to forward my letters to your home in Mayfair? Please let me know. 

For now, I will patiently wait on word back from you. 

Now, for the adventures I have experienced this far: 

I have met several people from the inn I’m staying at. It is marvelous how many different cultures can be under the same roof. There are a couple of gentlemen from America, here for work. I have shared a fair bit of drinks with them and they have been so kind to take me on a tour throughout the city. 

It is marvelous, Pen! Buildings and statues look completely different here than at home. 

Because of the continuous warmth, the lives of the people are designed to be outdoors. The front doors of homes are always wide open, welcoming anyone in. 

The people here are so kind. I was invited by a family to dine with them and I have never experienced such flavors! I have bought some of the local spices from the markets and plan on bringing them home so I can bring the scent and taste to you. 

Please write back with tales of the many adventures you must have experienced already by now. 

As always, I look forward to hearing from you. 

With fondness, 

Colin. 

June 5, 

1815 

Dearest Penelope, 

I hope this letter finds you well. 

As I sit here in the gardens of Della Mole Adraina, surrounded by water and the tallest trees I have ever seen, I find my thoughts wandering towards you. 

It has been some time since my last letter arrived at your doorstep. I am beginning to wonder if perhaps it was lost in transit. I asked my family, but Anthony let me know that he received my correspondence with great speed and that you are, in fact, residing in the countryside. 

Perhaps you are busy, soaking up nature and roaming the grounds. I hope you are experiencing nothing but delight. 

Please, do share your thoughts with me. A single line would suffice to soothe the growing concern I’m feeling. 

I have always cherished our contact during my travels and miss it greatly. 

With fondness, 

Colin

June 20, 

1815

Dearest Penelope, 

I have prayed before sending this letter, in the hopes it will secure a swift arrival to you. 

I wanted to inform you I have traveled further and am now residing in Sevilla, Spain. The weather here is even more bright than Italie, if you can imagine!

But I must admit my spirits are less than bright these days. It has been some time since I last heard from you and I find myself haunted by your silence. 

Have I said something to offend you? Or has something changed between us that I am yet to understand? 

I cannot help but feel insecure in this uncharted territory. Your letters and friendship have always been a comfort for me, something to cherish, but now I feel as if I”m searching for that connection with you whilst it slips further away with each passing day. 

If there is something troubling you, please know that you can confide in me. I am here, even with an ocean between us. 

With all my fondness, 

Colin 

July 15

1815

Dearest Penelope, 

I write to you once more, though my heart is heavy with your continued silence. 

It has been far too long since I heard from you. I have enquired about you by my family, wondering if you had perhaps fallen ill, if I needed to come home immediately. They assured me you were well, but I couldn’t help but notice that Eloise hasn’t mentioned you in her own letters. 

Has something happened between the two of you? I don’t mean to pry. 

Just know that I”m here. 

Again, even with the ocean between us, I can offer an ear and if you are in need of it, some advice. 

I am staying at Seville a bit longer, the city too big to explore in just two weeks; 

Please write to me. You can use the same address I shared in my last letter. 

I would love to share tales about my experiences, but don’t want to overlook if anything is amiss at home for you. 

Please send word as soon as possible. 

With all my fondness, 

Colin

July 27

1815

Dearest Penelope, 

I am deeply troubled by your silence. 

The absence of your correspondence has left me feeling lost and confused. 

Your thoughts matter to me, so please share them. 

Always yours, 

Colin

August 5

1815

Dearest Penelope, 

The day stretch endlessly without your letters and I find myself consumed by an emptiness that I cannot seem to shake. 

I wish to understand why you have not written back. I fear I have somehow driven you away, though I am at a loss to understand how or why. 

I simply long to hear from you, even if the only thing you have to share is that you have done nothing this entire summer period. 

Even then, I will still cherish your words. 

Always yours, 

Colin

August 15

1815

My dearest Penelope, 

I write to you again, this time from Aveiro in Portugal. 

I fear my words may not convey the depth of my despair. Your silence has stretched on, and with it, my spirit has begun to fray. I find myself in a place I never expected to be - lost and aching for your presence. 

I often sit in my room, contemplating what to write to you. The words have always flown freely whenever I wrote to you, but now I am not sure what to write. 

So, I ask of you once more, if I have done something to deserve this silence, please let me know. Even just so that I’m sure you are indeed in good health. If the need is there for me to return earlier from my travels, I will happily do so. Just please let me know. 

If I have done nothing and your silence comes from another place, please let me be there for you.

I will include a tale in this letter that I think you might like, in the hope it will lift the burdens you might possibly experience right now. 

When I arrived, I met a wonderful woman here, all by herself traveling the country. She confided in me that she has been traveling alone for the last twenty years! Here they don’t find it quite so strange for a woman to be alone, as they do at home. 

It has led me to think of you and your own wishes to see the world. If you could come here - to Portugal - you might find that the people are very chivalrous to foreigners. 

The woman - Lady Kelton - has given me a list of things to keep in mind when traveling as a lady for the first time, especially when alone. I have written everything down and plan on giving it to you when I return. 

I told her about you and your curiosity of the world, how you would love to see the sights that I’m always rambling about in these letters. 

I hope reading this brought you comfort and I will wait for your reply. 

Always yours, 

Colin

August 27

1815

My dearest Penelope, 

I am at a loss for words, but feel compelled to reach out once more. 

Everyday when my host comes inside with correspondence, I hope it will be from you. But your name is never called out. 

Please, Penelope, I beg of you to let me know that you are safe and well. 

I have enquired my family about you but it has been some time that I received word from them too. I imagine it must be rather busy at Aubrey hall with all the other Bridgertons present. 

It has never been my intention to let these letters from me be a burden to you. 

So, I plead once more to send me word back. I will not send more letters, for I wish you to only look back onto our correspondence with fondness. 

With aching longing, 

Colin

September 20

1815

My Penelope, 

I promised in my last letter that I wouldn’t burden you with another letter, but I cannot help my worries. 

Are you well? Are you happy? How is your family? I know you don’t always enjoy the summer, having to spend everyday around your mama and sisters. But if that is the case, please write to me! I will try my hardest to bring even a second of happiness in your days. 

Eloise sent me word that she has not been spending time with you, so no one can stifle my worries about you, for they have also not seen you the last months. 

I miss you. 

Each adventure that I embark on, feels more empty, knowing you are not there across the ocean, aching to hear from my tales. I always look forward to writing to you. Because of your own clever use of the quill, it challenges me to use the right words, find the pacing of the story and flesh out the people I meet. 

I have not yet shared many stories with you these last months, but I am documenting everything in my diary. So please, if you want to, I could share them with you when I am back. The prospect of seeing your face when you hear about my experiences when I tell you for the first time, excites me. 

I would embrace you if you were here, so please allow me to send one through this letter. 

I hope it fills you with warmth. 

Yours, 

Colin

September 29

1815 

My Penelope,

I find myself in a place of profound loneliness. 

Even though I am surrounded by people and rich cultures, I find myself thinking of you. 

I miss you and your letters. 

I miss home and you are an integral part of that.

 I miss my family, and yes, that also includes you. 

Next week I will return home and I cannot wait to see you. I hope you will have also returned to the city by then. 

If not, is it okay for me to come to your home in the countryside? I don’t want to wait longer than necessary to see you again. 

This is my last letter. 

Tomorrow I will be on a ship, coming back to Mayfair. 

I look forward to seeing and hearing from you. Whenever I had your letters during my last bout of travels, I could imagine your voice. Now, it’s distressing how soon I forget how you sound. 

Please be well and safe. 

Please be there when I return. 

Please let us talk. 

With all my heart, 

Colin

Chapter Text

December 5

1816

Dearest husband, 

During my rearranging of our home library I stumbled upon something of great treasure. 

The letters you have sent me through your last bout of traveling, lay forgotten, in a box. We have Rae to thank for sneakily keeping all of those, because back then I had asked her to throw them away, not being able to bear your words. 

Now, as I sit here, surrounded by books and the love and warmth in your letters, I cannot help but smile. 

With great speed and pleasure I have gotten my quill and paper and am writing to you. 

It seems only natural to tell you the following in writing, instead of mere vocal words. 

Colin, your words have left me loved and aching at the same time. 

First off all, you write so beautifully, as always. Secondly, I regret not reading these letters sooner. If I had known of your feelings, I would have surely sent word, even whilst I was hurt and angry. 

I can assure you that the loneliness and loss of connection between us back then, was not only felt by you. 

I felt as if I had lost an integral part of myself. 

But I assure you that you have never lost me. Not my words, nor my heart. 

I’ve always been here. 

When I read your words just now, I can’t help but smile. 

We have come so far, as individuals and together. 

And I love you for it. 

I love the life we have, our quiet home where we spend time laughing and reading to each other. 

In all honesty, I have never felt more. Just more. More happiness, more love, more giddiness. 

And that is because of you. 

I say we lay to rest the ups and downs we experienced during all of those years of childhood. 

These letters I will cherish greatly and fondly and I hope we keep writing to each other, even though we are mere rooms apart at this very minute. 

I love you, 

As my husband, 

As my lover, 

And most of all, as my best friend

Your loving wife, 

Pen

Chapter Text

My dearest Elliot,

As I write this, you are but a month old, a tiny, perfect miracle who has captured your mother’s heart and mine in ways I could never have imagined. Right now, you are fast asleep, your little fists curled, your chest rising and falling with each delicate breath. In these quiet moments, I find myself marveling at the life we have brought into this world.

Eighteen years from now, when you read this, I wonder if you will have any recollection of these early days. I am sure you will hear plenty of tales from your mother about your first year—stories filled with laughter, late nights, and all the little moments that make life feel richer. It is she, Elliot, who will always be the heart of our home. Your mother is the bravest, most intelligent, and most compassionate woman I know, and I hope you see her as the example I do.

I suppose a father is meant to give his son advice, isn’t he? You may laugh at this when you are older, but here are some thoughts I have for you:

Firstly, never fear to follow your heart, Elliot. Life will undoubtedly present challenges, and it is far too easy to make choices out of obligation or fear. But I have learned that the truest satisfaction lies in living a life aligned with one’s passions and principles. Remember this when life’s currents grow strong, and when others tell you to pursue paths that do not feel right in your soul.

Secondly, cherish family. You, my son, are a Bridgerton, and that means you are surrounded by people who will love you fiercely, perhaps meddle more than you would like, but always, always, stand by you. And above all, respect your mother. She is a woman of remarkable kindness and resilience. Let her be a guiding light for the way you treat others in this world.

And lastly, know that your worth lies in far more than your name, your wealth, or your accomplishments. It lies in the quiet, steadfast choices you make every day. You will know, as I have, moments of both triumph and regret. But be true, be kind, and be humble in both fortune and hardship.

Eighteen years seems like a long time from now, yet I know that when I look back, it will feel like the blink of an eye. I hope to be the father you need, a man you can turn to in trust. I may not have all the answers—indeed, I am learning every day—but my love for you is unwavering.

I look forward to knowing the young man you will become, Elliot. Until then, I remain,

With all my heart,

Your father,

Colin Bridgerton