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It was an oddly quiet day. The Featherington girls had come over to hang out because they were the only other kids at the end of the cul-de-sac and had been their playmates ever since the day Colin had kidnapped Penelope and brought her to their house.
Daphne sank further into her beanbag chair which was propped against Philippa’s while she read an article in Tiger Beat out loud to the Featherington girl.
When Daphne first met Philippa she had found her annoying. She was slow on the take and really loud, but Philippa was also well meaning even when you just wanted her to shut up so no one else noticed that something was wrong. But Philippa liked all the same things that she did and took ballet at the same dance studio Daphne had contemporary dance practice at.
It was nice to have a girl her age nearby. Colin was her twin, but he was still a boy and Eloise had always been closer to Francesca and when Penelope entered their lives, Eloise had met her match and finally made a friend outside of their family.
So Philippa was wonderful to have around as long as Prudence didn’t follow. Prudence was a bundle of eye rolls and scoffs and because she was older she didn’t care to hang around the younger kids.
Hyacinth and Felicity were busy playing with the Crayola super pack of crayons while Gregory was attempting to make something with his Lego blocks. Daphne wasn’t sure what it was just that it seemed like he was trying to make the biggest structure possible.
Eloise and Francesca were using the family computer to look up online resources for sheet music. Francesca was currently interested in playing piano compositions of rock music. Eloise just liked to take any opportunity to be on the computer and would most likely try to boot up Sims when Francesca was done. Her latest project was a recreation of their neighborhood with both of the Bridgerton and Featherington families.
And then there was Colin and Penelope.
Daphne frowned over the top of her magazine. She hadn’t been paying attention to the two of them and hadn’t realized when sitting next to each other had turned into Penelope sitting with her back to the arm of the sofa and Colin lying between her legs, resting his head on her stomach.
Penelope might not have thought it was weird or thought anything of it because she was thirteen, but Colin was fifteen and had already been told about certain boundaries he was supposed to have with girls.
Granted, the warning may have been in regards to Philippa who was his actual age. Colin had only scrunched up his nose in disgust and shuddered, promising that nothing would ever happen.
Daphne watched as Colin nuzzled his face into Penelope’s stomach. Penelope stiffened at the action. She took the copy of The Hunger Games that she was reading on Colin’s recommendation and tapped the spine on the top of his head.
“Don’t be mean to me,” Colin grumbled under his breath. Penelope tapped the spine against the top of his head again.
Daphne had noticed that Penelope was becoming more self conscious of when something drew attention to the softer parts of her. Unlike Prudence who was tall and willowy or Philippa who was of average height and lithe, Penelope was petite and an early bloomer, getting curvier and curvier.
Daphne and Eloise had been there for Mrs. Featherington’s exasperated rambling. She had winced at every backhanded comment, squeezing Eloise’s hand in warning to keep silent as Penelope stared at the floor, tears welling in her eyes. Clothes for young teens weren’t exactly designed for girls that developed fuller figures sooner than their peers. Portia’s solution seemed to be dresses and cardigans for her third daughter while the older ones got to wear fashionable low rise jeans and baby tees.
Penelope didn’t seem to mind much except for the fact that her mother was a fan of florals and bright colors. It wasn’t as if the clothes were bad. Penelope just seemed uncomfortable and her mother didn’t let her accessorize or shorten her hemline to make the outfits trendier.
Penelope went back to reading, scratching at Colin’s scalp, completely unaware of how Colin melted against her, sighing dreamily.
Daphne cleared her throat to get his attention. Unfortunately, Colin didn’t notice that she was attempting to warn him until Anthony had strolled into the media room and dumped his school bag by the couch. Daphne shrank further into her beanbag, hiding her face behind the magazine.
“Hey! Ow. Anthony!” She heard Colin whine. Philippa’s airy giggles had her lowering the magazine. All she could see was Anthony and Colin’s back as Anthony dragged Colin out of the room by his ear.
Eloise cackled, taking Colin’s spot on the couch as Penelope adjusted herself so she was sitting properly, pulling at the skirt of her dress.
“If your brother knocks my sister up, my mama is going to castrate him and bronze his balls as a trophy,” Philippa muttered.
Daphne let the threat settle in her brain. On one hand, no one threatened her brother. On the other hand, if Colin’s behavior was more than insensitive overstepping of personal space then he would deserve it.
So she just shrugged her shoulders and flipped to the next page in her magazine.
“Anthony would probably help her.”