The Blossoming of Penelope Featherington | A BRIDGERTON Fanfic

Chapter 3

"You really shouldn't let it get to you, Penelope," Eloise said. She was holding her hand, which would have been endearing and comforting had it not been for the fiery blaze in her eyes.

"I am not." Penelope smiled a little and tapped her friend's hand gently. How could it when it was her words to begin with. But it isn't entirely true, either. At that very moment, the reminder of her heartbreak that she chose to immortalize in a snippet of her life's work seemed to envelop her again. It took all her might, and the fact that she emptied out her tears to give any more, to keep her face from showing signs of pain.

It was not her words that affected her but why she had to do it. She needed to be told to give up, and who else would do it but her since she is the only one who knows what she was yearning for in vain.

"What do you mean you aren't?" Eloise looked at her incredulously. "You should be!" She finally let go of her arm and put both hands on her hips. "I mean you should be mad! How dare she demean you in such a way! Especially when she said that if you were ever to 'drag'" She looked at Penelope with wide eyes. "Drag! One of my brothers to the altar, it would be the end of the world." Eloise was panting at that point while shaking her head like a mad woman. "Have you ever heard such a theatrical way of saying something was such an impossibility?"

Penelope nearly choked on her tea at the sheer impassioned outburst her friend had done for her sake. She finally let out a genuine smile, grateful for a friend who cares dearly for her. "Well it isn't very likely, is it?"

"Well you have never told anyone that you wish it to be likely so why does anyone need to state such a prediction before you could say so or otherwise. It is simply unnecessary to include that bit."

"I-" she tried to start but not knowing what to actually reply. Eloise had a point, and normally, even as the infamously candid Lady Whistledown, she wouldn't have written that for anyone else- except, maybe, Cressida Crowper, the purely antagonistic existence in her life. But she needed to. For her and her alone. Not the ton, not even Colin Bridgerton. "Would you like more tea, Eloise?" She gestured towards Eloise's now empty cup.

"I- Well. Yes." She waited until the cup was filled again. She took one long sip, put the cup back down and breathed in deeply. "So are you planning on doing anything, Penelope? Has your mother said a word? Because, even though I don't always agree with her judgements, I might just be willing to listen and consider her plans. Surely my family's connections would be of help- I mean with Daphne alone, we have the support of the whole ton!"

"Eloise. Eloise. Eloise!" Penelope grabbed a hold of her shoulders,nearly shaking her in the midst of her rant. "It is no. Big. Deal!" She emphasized every word before Eloise had enough time to concoct her own plans. "I will get past this and so will you. Understood?"

Eloise stared at her in shock before slowly nodding. But when Penelope breathed out her relief, she spoke again. "Does that mean you have let it get to you?"

"What?"

"You said a while ago that you are not letting it get to you. Then, just now, you said you will get past it," Eloise said matter-of-factly.

Penelope let out an unladylike groan. "Eloise! Do stop it this instant!" She nearly slammed her hands on the table but stopped and slowed herself midway. She was not about to put herself in a situation where she would have to suffer the anger of her mother for the would-be stained linen and carpet. "The ton will move on soon enough, making it unnecessary for me to care much longer for their opinions on the matter. And it is not such a novel notion for me to be caught off guard by it."

A minute or two passed and Eloise finally settled down"I-I understand." She sipped from her cup once more and looked at Penelope with a small smile. "Just know that I'm here for you whenever you would need me."