5 Missed Calls

23.

3 January 2023
One Year and a Half Ago

There was a celebration at the Featheringtons, a family reunion. Penelope's cousin Jack was visiting from the Americas, Prudence was expecting her first baby on the way and Marina was also visiting from Liverpool.

The Bridgertons and other elite members were also gathered for business proposals Jack Feathrington had promised and some of the companies Penelope's brother-in-laws were discussing.

Penelope dressed in red lace gown with her hair up, was talking to Eloise outside on the balcony. "Do you have to go?" Her best friend asked before taking in her cigarette once more, "Does your mother know?"

"No, I'll keep it that way until I'm on the plane," she giggled. She had been writing novels under a different name, so her mother was not aware of it, yet. She was fortunate enough to even have her own publishing company with the likes of her mother.

Eloise was sad she would not be seeing Penelope for a whole year. "Who will I talk to now?" She sounded depressed.

"You work at the university, don't you? You can make plenty more friends there while I'm away. Personally I like Philip, I think he would make a good friend" Penelope suggested.

"I am intrigue with his knowledge on such cases, my students say he is a witch doctor," Eloise chimed with a smile. She looked below and can see her brother Colin and Marina talking in the gardens.

"They seem happy yet I don't understand why they broke up," Eloise said. Penelope turned her attention in the same direction.

"He does travel a lot, but they've been on many trips together so I don't see that being the problem," Eloise thought for a moment and Penelope didn't like to think about the ex couple going on trips together and who knows what else they did while away.

Eloise then remembered, "But you and Colin are close, are you not? Don't you know the reason they are no longer together?"

They were close and Penelope knew the reason why they weren't together was because Marina was with someone else and Colin found out about it. They remained friends because she knew Colin still cared for Marina.

"Marina isn'tthe one," Benedict interrupted happily with a glass at hand. Eloise smirked, "Why brother, you must be enjoying yourself, care for one" taking out a pack for her brother.

"Why thank you," Benedict was bored at the party, he was about to sneak off when he overheard the conversation between Penelope and Eloise. The trio watched the couple as they were making their way back inside the mansion.

"I was going to explain before Bridgerton here interrupted," Penelope lightly laughed. "As I was saying, Colin is in his season of competing and his only love is Athena. No woman can keep him off the track, if one woman did exist she who will surely would have his heart," Penelope explained, but Penelope did believe Marina was the one for him.

"Well said Featherington, a poet at heart I see," Benedict joked.

"She's an author, she supposed to be melodramatic and artistic," Eloise said matter of factly.

-

The trio laughed, grabbing Collin's attention, he looked up from the garden and can see them enjoying themselves. He was then staring at Penelope and Marina noticed this.