Chapter Text
Penelope had a quiet and, yes, happy life. She was the editor of a major French publishing house and had become an agent for a couple of young YA authors who were doing very well with their period romance stories.
But her real engine was little Eddie. Her little son was 4 years old, his beautiful blue eyes and pink skin were testament that he was a Featherington, but anyone who stopped for 2 seconds to look at him could see the faithful copy that he was of his father, a father who she prayed every day never knew he existed.
*****
5 years ago
Eloise's wedding had been perfect. She was the most radiant bride she'd ever seen and yes, she'd cried every damn second of the ceremony. She was so happy for Eloise, there was no one in the world who deserved to be happier than she.
She had agreed to be her maid of honor despite the fact that now they spent less time together, Penelope had moved to Paris a year ago after accepting a promotion at the publishing house where she worked and that had arrived at an ideal moment in her life.
Without thinking about it too much, she took the first plane she could and left behind everything that had hurt her so much, her mother, her sisters, even Colin, so when Eloise appeared one day at her door with a huge rock on her finger, she had no heart to refuse to return and there she was, wrapped in a tight-fitting red dress that, in El's words, made her look like a femme fatale.
She had already given her speech, which by the way had made half of the attendees cry and the other half laugh, she had participated in all the photos that the bride had wanted, greeted all the relatives who introduced her and even danced with a very grown Gregory, she had even interacted with Colin, they had greeted each other politely and even gave him a hug, she was content to be calm by the open bar with a drink in her hand, she was no longer the same Penelope as before, but she also didn't feel comfortable being in front of so many people who had known her.
There she was, with a whiskey in her hand, when a hand was placed on her waist
-Shall we dance, Pen?-
Of all the Bridgertons, Anthony had always been a mystery to her. He was the more secretive of the Bridgerton brothers and after the Kate debacle, he had become even more closed off. She didn't blame him, that woman literally undone him, or at least, that's what Eloise had told her, so when she saw him there, handsome in his tailored suit, a well-trimmed beard and the expensive lotion that flooded her senses, she could only smile and let him guide her to the dance floor. And that was all it took.
The rest of the night had turned into a blur, they had danced and laughed and drank non-stop, she remembered saying goodbye to Eloise through tears, she remembered Anthony's strong arms around her comforting her, she remembered the smell of leather from the car seats, she remembered opening the door of her hotel room and she remembered him.
He who slept with his face glued to her neck and a possessive hand on her hip, he who had given her perhaps the most passionate night of her existence and one of the best orgasms of her life, if not perhaps the first... That had been animal, wild and something of just one night. There were no "I love you's", no promises of an eternity together, there were simply fire, dedication and mutual satisfaction.
Anthony had been a very skillful and generous lover, but she had to get out and soon. She knew that she had to be at the airport before 5 pm, and she was sure that if she woke him up, there would be no human power that could get her out of that room.
As she could, she let go of the brunette, who only managed to settle with his face on the bed and continue sleeping.
Silently she bathed, tidied up, and left a note for Anthony, "A night I'll never forget."
*****
And it had been practically impossible to forget, when 3 months later and thinking she was intoxicated, her doctor sent her some studies that revealed Eddie's existence.
At first, she cried and thought about, you know, not having it, but after much analysis, she decided that this was the sign that she could also make a new life that was only hers there, in that place that had made her so happy.
Her mother had died a couple of years ago of a sudden heart attack, and with her death, her only family obligation had also disappeared. She hadn't been back to London since Eloise's wedding, and the few times the brunette had shown up in Paris, she'd been smart enough to keep her from being anywhere near Eddie.
Edmund Featherington was her world and she was not going to let anything or anyone comes to alter it, or so she thought.
*****
That morning, the babysitter had called in sick and Penelope had an important meeting with a Latin publisher that was interested in distributing some of her “children's” books, as she called the authors she represented.
Without finding much of a solution, she decided to take little Eddie with her and ask Theo, her assistant, to keep an eye on him while the meeting ended.
She was already late and entered the meeting room without giving it much thought.
- Désolé je suis en retard, la baby-sitter d'Eddie a annulé à la dernière minute..-
-Pen?-
And at that moment, everything changed.