Work Text:
For the first time in her life, Penelope Featherington doesn't want to use her feather.
Even in the most difficult of times, if her hands didn't reach for it, the feather itself seemed to call to her. Even then, in the Bridgerton garden, when the day still held some freshness of the morning, when Colin announced his engagement to her cousin. When her hopes, still lurking in the depths of her soul, were shattered along with her heart.
Penelope still finds the strength to sit down at her desk, pick up her feather, and write an additional note to the rest of the gossip she has collected for Lady Whistledown's pamphlet. Even though her anger and tears make it hard to write, she tries to make the prose focused, calm, and joyful, with a touch of irony that is hard to imagine Lady Whistledown without. This news calls for a little mockery. After all, who is Marina Thompson, the woman the third son of the widowed Viscountess Bridgerton is going to marry? She is now part of the Ton, beautiful, bright, but few people know her. And now Colin will have a fateful opportunity to get to know her better.
Penelope begged Marina not to involve him in her misfortune. She understood her cousin's situation well. Not completely, perhaps, but she tried sincerely. It's scary to be alone, with a baby in your belly, when your loved one is God knows where. And Colin... He's kind, and of course he will take care of Marina and accept her baby. That’s exactly why she has set her sights on him.
From her room, she cannot see the Bridgerton garden, but Penelope knows the celebration is still going on. Colin and Marina are being greeted, Penelope's mother is smiling for the first time in days, and her sisters feel like the hostesses of the event, even though they are far from it. The Bridgerton family will undoubtedly welcome Marina into their warm environment. They are all good people, and Marina will become a good sister and daughter to them in return. Colin will adore her, they will appear at balls, and everyone will look with admiration at the third son, who married first, and his beautiful wife.
Penelope's feelings, according to Marina, are just fantasies. Adoration that can be compared to sisterly love. Penelope knows how sisters love Colin. No matter how different the attitudes of Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, or Hyacinth may be, they love their brother equally. And Penelope would believe Marina’s words if her chest didn’t hurt so much.
Because if these are just fantasies, why don’t they disappear? Why, as Penelope is carefully writing the text with her feather, is she shielding the paper from her own tears?
She begged Colin to listen to her. She told him that Marina’s heart belonged to another, that she had a secret she was hiding from him. Colin lit up like a candle when Marina chose him. For him, this is fate’s blessing, the most incredible luck. For Penelope, it was the greatest tragedy of her life. And then Colin was touched that he had a friend like Pen, who was constantly looking after him.
Penelope couldn’t find the strength to tell him about Marina’s pregnancy. Colin would hardly have believed her, or worse, he would have been so angry he might have renounced their friendship.
"That's what friends do," Penelope said to Colin, even as tears welled up in her eyes. "I'll always look out for you."
She could write about Marina’s pregnancy in the Lady Whistledown column. She wants to, very much. To take revenge on Marina for her cruel words and contempt for her feelings. To take revenge on her mother for not marrying Marina off to someone else. To take revenge on Colin for refusing to see the truth. Then society would despise both the Bridgerton family and the Featherington family.
However, Penelope imagines how upset Colin would be to find out about the deception in this way. She imagines how disgraced Marina would be, who, apart from saying those words, has done nothing truly wrong to her. Colin doesn’t share the same romantic feelings as Penelope, and so she has no right to demand anything from him. What right does she have to take her anger out on him?
And the potential scandal would affect not only them. Penelope is already used to being the object of, if not ridicule, then complete ignorance. She has come to terms with that. For some people in society, Lady Whistledown is just a gossip—for others, an executioner. For some, living with a ruined reputation is like not living at all. Her mother and sisters could not bear it.
In a moment of realisation, Penelope throws down her feather. Her despair and rage have driven her to such awful thoughts. Take revenge on her best friend, her beloved? On the family that treats her with respect and kindness? What was she thinking? Penelope knows the answer to that question. She was thinking exactly like her mother. And it makes her sick to her stomach to realise she’s capable of such heartlessness.
Penelope picks up her feather again. The paper is not damaged by ink or tears. She ends the article by congratulating the newlyweds and wishing them a joyful celebration and bright plans for the future. Lady Whistledown will show some mercy today.
໒ა
There are three days left before the wedding. Penelope decides to talk to Marina again. More precisely, to beg her to tell Colin the truth. Even if she hasn’t found the strength to reveal everything in Lady Whistledown’s column, it’s not too late to save the day. She just needs to persuade her cousin to be sincere and honest with her fiancé. Penelope has never done anything more difficult in her life.
She knocks on the door, and it opens to a loud “Come in.”
Marina is not surprised to see her. She stands in the middle of the room, in front of the mirror, holding a pearl-coloured silk dress to her body. Penelope can see her belly, which is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. It’s a good thing her mother made sure Marina had enough skirts to hide it. But hiding a baby bump won’t work for long.
It’s also for Marina’s sake, Penelope tells herself. For Colin, and his happiness.
“Penelope, if you’ve come to talk me out of it,” Marina says as soon as the door closes behind her, “it’s too late.”
“I know,” Penelope says. She’s annoyed that her cousin, who never really knew her, now sees right through her. “I came to ask you something else.”
Marina stops in the middle of the room. There’s something in her eyes Penelope can’t read. She’s not annoyed, but she’s not friendly either. That was left behind the moment Colin stepped between them.
“For what?” Marina sits down on the bed and lays the dress beside her. Her wedding dress. “I’m listening.”
Penelope isn’t sure if she really means it. More likely, Marina expects the naive, love-struck girl to bare her aching heart, admit her feelings for Colin, and quietly accept defeat. But Penelope refuses to give her that satisfaction. She still doesn’t understand the depth of Penelope’s feelings. She would rather remain Colin’s friend than become the humiliated girl with unrequited love.
“Tell Colin the truth,” she says. “He’s very kind, he’ll understand. He’s in love with you and he’ll take care of your child. Don’t let him find out after the wedding. Don’t break his heart.”
The last words are pleading, and they’re meant to be. This is the great truth Penelope is ready to share with her cousin. She doesn’t feel humiliated. She’s doing the right thing. For Colin, for Marina. For the child, who would otherwise grow up surrounded by judgment and shame.
“Are you sure?” Marina asks, genuinely surprised by her words. “That I can open up to him?”
Penelope wants to cry. Just a few more words and she’ll be handing Colin over to Marina, for good. It’s all for his sake, she reminds herself.
“Of course,” Penelope nods, fiercely. “Of course. He’ll be surprised, maybe even angry at first, but he’ll appreciate your honesty.”
Marina is silent, her eyes flicking between the dress and Penelope again and again. Penelope just wants to hear a yes and retreat to her room until the wedding.
“If you have feelings for him…” Marina starts to say, but Penelope cuts her off.
She will not talk about her feelings. They belong to her now, only her.
“I like Colin. He’s nice, kind, brave, if a bit naive. We’ve been friends for a long time, and I want nothing but good and happiness for him.”
Marina nods in response. Her gaze moves back to the dress, then to the small desk, to a crumpled piece of paper Penelope had thought Marina would have thrown away long ago.
“My only feelings are for my child,” Marina says. “Who needs a father.”
“Colin will make a good father,” Penelope says quietly. Another truth.
Finally, something flickers in Marina’s eyes, something Penelope hasn’t seen in weeks. Warmth. A touch of friendship. She once again looks like a girl who found herself in a strange house with strange relatives, but who found a friend in her younger cousin. A cousin who also feels like a stranger in her own home.
“You understand me,” Marina says, maybe close to tears herself.
Penelope doesn’t say that she’s understood her from the beginning. Even when Marina chose Colin as her fiancé, despite the jealousy tearing at her heart, she understood. Marina’s inner mantra is likely the same as her own. For Colin’s sake. For the child’s sake. They really could have been good friends.
“So I’m asking you, begging you,” Penelope says, “tell him the truth.”
Marina still hesitates. Her eyes dart around the room, as if looking for something to hold on to. As if searching for a sign. Penelope already has hers. If Marina chooses to hurt Colin, Penelope will fight back. It will never be too late for Lady Whistledown to reveal the scandal of Bridgerton’s son raising a bastard. And they will all go down with it. And it will be Marina’s fault most of all.
“All right,” Marina finally says. “I’ll tell him tomorrow.”
Penelope feels something heavy fall from her shoulders—a stone, a boulder, or all her fears at once. Her chest feels light again. She can breathe. The first real smile appears on her face that evening. The first in days. Maybe the first in weeks.
Suddenly she remembers Colin's idea: a secret wedding in Gretna Green. Far away from the Bridgertons, from all of the Ton, from Penelope too. Although Penelope would rather not witness their union, she does not want to see the Bridgertons upset. A downcast Lady Bridgerton, a disappointed Anthony, an angry Eloise. She constantly says how bored she is with her brother, but Penelope knows that Eloise loves Colin just as much as she loves Benedict and the other brothers. Penelope will survive the grief, but the sight of the unhappy Bridgertons would finally break her heart.
"And please don’t run away to Gretna Green," Penelope insists. "His family will be upset to learn that you two have been married in secret."
Marina laughs.
"It’s Colin who wants to get married quickly," she says, as if she isn’t the first to benefit from the marriage.
"He doesn’t understand how it will affect his mother, his brothers, his sisters," Penelope says, indignant. There’s nothing funny when the happiness of so many people is at stake. "He’s so full of love, but you can bring him down to earth. Colin loves his family. He will regret not sharing his happiness with them."
Marina thinks, or pretends to think. Penelope tries not to show her irritation. She truly understands Marina and her situation, but for someone who risks so much in her position, her cousin is still not above playing with fire. Society may not fully condemn a secret wedding, but it will never be welcomed or considered decent. Colin, who has always wanted to be taken seriously, will never have a respectable reputation under such circumstances. And with a woman like Marina Thompson.
But that’s not Penelope’s problem. Colin will always see her as a friend, little Pen, someone with whom he can laugh and talk about anything. A gentleman’s reputation in society should be maintained not by his girlfriend, but by his wife.
"Well then," Marina agrees, "I’ll tell Colin tomorrow about the baby and the wedding."
Penelope is overwhelmed with joy. At least this way, she will save Colin from unnecessary talk and gossip, and no one in the Bridgerton family will feel abandoned. And she won’t have to resort to cruelty that would punish them both, and their families. Everything can work out well. In the meantime, let Penelope’s heart be filled with joyful wedding dancing.
Penelope approaches Marina, sits down next to her, and takes her hands as if she were her best friend. As if she were as close to her as Eloise. There is no tremor in Marina’s fingers, while Penelope’s hands must be sweating from all the talking.
"Thank you, Marina, for listening to me," she says, stepping on her heart first.
She rises and hurries out of the room, and as soon as Penelope opens the door, Marina speaks:
"You really love him that much."
Penelope could say yes, because what difference does it make? Colin doesn’t share her feelings; the wedding is going to happen anyway. Besides, if it weren’t Marina, it would be another girl—beautiful and worthy of being called Mrs. Bridgerton. It will never be Penelope Featherington.
"Colin is a dear friend of mine. And I wish him only happiness," Penelope replies, smiling at her cousin. "And my childhood infatuation will pass eventually."
She quickly returns to her room and closes the door with a bang that is unlikely to be heard. An echo passes through the room, then dissolves into the silence of the night. On the table lies Lady Whistledown’s completed article, ready to be sent to the publisher.
Penelope re-reads the text, making sure that her own mood has not been transmitted to Lady Whistledown. Colin and Marina’s wedding will clearly be the story of the day, even though it is announced at the last minute. The Ton will be buzzing with delight and the triumph of love.
At least Penelope has her feather. It is now her only and closest friend. She will continue to write, to make Lady Whistledown real, and maybe it will lead her somewhere. Somewhere where she will think less about Colin.
໒ა
When the wedding of Colin Bridgerton and Marina Thompson takes place, the sun gently warms the earth, occasionally hiding behind clouds. Unfortunately, Penelope herself cannot hide like that. She sits in the front row of the church between her sisters and occasionally glances at her mother and father. Lady Featherington feigns pride in her niece, whom she would rather not acknowledge. Lord Featherington seems to prefer being anywhere but here.
Sometimes Penelope catches Eloise’s eye from the opposite row. Eloise makes a face as soon as Lady Bridgerton and Anthony turn away, feigns boredom, and sends a message to escape with her eyes. Penelope would love to run away with Eloise anywhere. But after being pulled away by Benedict, Eloise turns her gaze back to the newlyweds.
Penelope cannot bring herself to look straight ahead. She knows exactly what Marina’s wedding dress looks like. Colin’s suit is most likely navy blue, his waistcoat embroidered with flowers, and he smiles sweetly at the love of his life, who is pregnant by another man and wanted to deceive him. And he chose her anyway. Penelope hears the priest’s speech and the vows of eternal love and fidelity quite clearly. She doesn’t want to see Colin and Marina smiling at each other and their future.
When the priest pronounces the couple husband and wife and the church erupts in applause, Penelope claps loud enough to drown out her own heart.
She steals a glance at Colin. His smile is radiant. He is happy and in love.
Penelope gently wipes away a tear when no one is looking.
໒ა
The celebration continues in the Bridgertons’ garden, the very place where the engagement took place. Lady Featherington circles around Lady Bridgerton, surrounded by other ladies, praising Marina as if she were her own daughter. Prudence and Philippa are also enjoying themselves, eagerly accepting snacks from the servants and not forgetting to look for gentlemen whose attention they can attract.
Penelope stands under a tree with Eloise, listening to her friend’s reflections on what this marriage will be like with the imminent arrival of a child. All the Bridgertons are already aware of Marina’s situation and the circumstances of the hasty wedding. Eloise feels sorry for Marina.
“She’s so young, and already a wife and mother,” she laments. “If Colin suddenly wants to travel, she won’t be able to go with him. She’ll be stuck with the child within four walls. What a terrible and boring fate.”
“I think Marina is the kind of person who will enjoy motherhood,” Penelope replies, recalling her cousin’s words: ‘My feelings are for my child first.’ “Colin will write to her while you and Francesca keep her company.”
“Men always have it good, they have it easy,” Eloise grumbles, “but a woman can’t have only one interest, otherwise she’ll get bored. You’ll see, the time will come when Marina will want to run away to at least one ball, just to escape the child.”
Penelope doesn’t want to think about Marina or her child. She needs to think about her own life. How to improve her prospects of finding a decent husband or prepare to become an old spinster. She needs freedom so that Lady Whisledown can continue to exist without undue fear of exposure.
Perhaps Penelope will be able to save some money and buy a small house somewhere where she can write freely, where she would not be disturbed by her mother or sisters. She would work as a teacher or governess during the day and devote her evenings to writing. Eventually, Penelope would have the courage to tell Eloise about Lady Whisledown, and then they could look for gossip for the column together.
And there is a man who’ll take her as a wife. Penelope wants him to be kind and understanding enough about her interests, to allow her to write. Even if he doesn’t love her and never pays attention to her again. Penelope is already learning to live without love.
Colin and Marina stand in the middle of the garden, not letting go of each other’s hands. The guests are busy talking, but one by one, they approach the new Mrs. Bridgerton, leaving greetings and wishes.
Penelope, no matter how much she wants to, cannot hide from the truth forever. And neither can they.
“I’m going to go congratulate the newlyweds,” she tells Eloise.
“Just promise me you’ll find me again,” Eloise smiles. “I don’t need my mother to tell me the rules of wedding etiquette, that I should greet them. I have my whole life ahead of me for that.”
Penelope nods, thinking that she too has her whole life ahead of her to let go of her love. Or perhaps, if she’s lucky, she’ll fall in love again. She’s read books that say love can come a second time, and that it can be just as strong as the first. Sometimes, it even outshines it. But Penelope finds that hard to believe. For that to happen, the heart must be free, and hers is still held captive by a childhood love.
Eloise hurries off to the drinks table, hiding among Lady Bridgerton’s guests. Penelope, taking a deep breath to gather air and courage into her chest, begins walking toward the newlyweds. The newly married Bridgertons, she corrects herself.
Colin, already glowing with happiness, nearly lights up when he sees her. It would be easier to free her heart and fall out of love with him if he had completely forgotten her existence. If only he had shown Penelope some cruelty or unkindness. Then there would have been room in her heart for a new, sincere, and, this time, mutual love. But Colin has always been kind to her. And that makes Penelope’s situation hopeless.
Marina also looks at her with a mixture of pride and pity.
“May your love be long and strong,” Penelope says, clasping Marina’s gloved hands.
“Thank you, Pen,” Colin replies, with a smile so dazzling it could rival the sun.
“Yes, thank you, Pen,” Marina adds, lifting her bouquet of white and pink roses, as delicate as her silk wedding dress.
Penelope nods shyly. She feels a little out of place, burdened by her thoughts and the memory of her desperate urge to use Lady Whistledown to stop the wedding. But everyone around her is happy. Colin is happy. Marina is happy. Their child will grow up surrounded by love and joy. One broken heart is a small price to pay. It is worthless anyway.
Lady Danbury calls for Marina, and she is forced to leave her husband’s side. As a woman of influence and an old friend of the Bridgerton family, Lady Danbury commands respect. Marina will have to establish a relationship with her. And knowing Lady Danbury’s curiosity, she will no doubt ask the new Mrs. Bridgerton about everything that piques her interest.
Colin remains with Penelope. It’s been a week since she tried to convince him that Marina loved another man, but it feels like an eternity. Penelope worries that, even with all his kindness, Colin might hold a grudge against her for interfering. And yet, he looks at her now the same way he always has, warmly, kindly.
“Marina told me everything,” Colin says, speaking slowly, awkwardly. The topic is still an uncomfortable one.
“She was afraid you’d be angry,” Penelope says, though in truth, Marina hadn’t been that afraid. She had only hoped the timing would be just right for Colin to believe the child was his.
“I was confused, and yes, a little vexed,” Colin admits. “But only because she didn’t tell me sooner. She could have trusted me from the beginning. Still, I answered Marina’s call for help, and she’ll love me all the more for it.”
“Of course,” Penelope agrees. She had no doubt her friend would do the right thing.
“And I will take care of her child.”
“You’ll be a wonderful father,” she says the same words she once said to Marina. That’s why Marina had chosen him.
You could have been the father of my children, Penelope hears her own voice inside her head. You could have had your own children, not someone else’s. You deserve so much more than this. A woman who will love you truly, not lie to your face. But I’m a liar too.
“Pen, I’m so glad I have a friend like you,” Colin says softly, his voice like warm wind on a cold, sunless day. Like rain on parched earth.
“I’ll look after you too,” Penelope interrupts gently, “because we’re family now.”
Fate, it seems, has a wicked sense of humor. She has become closer to Colin, bound by family, but not in the way she had dreamed. Now she is his wife’s cousin. A relative he’ll visit at most once a month. Unless, of course, they’re attending balls in London.
“You're going to live in Bloomsbury, aren't you?” Penelope asks.
That's where one of the Bridgertons' estates is located. Colin told her a lot about this house and said he always wanted to live there with his family.
"We will visit often," Colin assures them. "I’m sure our son or daughter will be delighted with their kind and sweet Aunt Penelope, as will the rest of the Bridgertons."
"That sounds wonderful."
It's time for Penelope to go, to disappear into the crowd with the possibility of overhearing the latest news or gossip. The sight of Colin—so happy, so in love—destroys her, makes her tears break out. But who wants to look at the sun any less, even if it's blinding? Especially when it has such a beautiful outline in the blue sky, surrounded by clouds.
Colin's eyes are as blue as the sky, and a separate sun lives in them. Penelope just wants it to shine forever.
"I'm very happy for you," she says.
It's true, bittersweet, like her favorite lemonade. She cannot ask for too much; her thirst will never be quenched. As long as Penelope’s sacrifice bears fruit, she will also learn to be happy.
Colin gently takes her hand. No one sees this, everyone is busy with their small talk. Marina is still with Lady Danbury and the other ladies, along with their mothers. But everything around her seems to change with Colin's touch. The music slows down, the clouds freeze in the sky. Or maybe it's just Penelope’s imagination.
"Pen," Colin says in a whisper, "we're not saying goodbye. We'll see each other from time to time."
Penelope would like to believe that, as a relative of the current Mrs. Bridgerton, she might have more opportunities to see the rest of the family. But what unmarried lady is allowed to maintain a friendship with a married man? And if she remains an old spinster, there will be twice as many gossips. Penelope is well aware of this. But she doesn't want to upset Colin on such a special day.
"Whatever you say," she agrees, secretly disagreeing.
But Colin seems to see right through her.
"Why do you sound like this is the last time we'll ever see each other?" he asks.
Penelope looks at him as if he were a stone statue that has suddenly grown up in the middle of a grassy field, though it could never have been there. Doesn't he understand? Doesn't he know that their relationship is going to change forever?
"You are a married man now, and you will manage youe estate. You will have many responsibilities, and... you won’t be able to visit us all the time with the baby. This is the natural order of things."
"I’ll try," Colin squeezes her hand. No one is still paying attention to them. There's no music playing anymore, just the sound of a broken heart somewhere.
He's so naive, Penelope thinks. It's as cute as it is funny and silly. Still, Colin doesn't have the maturity of his brothers, or he hasn’t spent enough time in society to understand all its rules. She wants to support his words, but she can’t live in dreams and fantasies anymore.
"Don't promise what you can't keep," Penelope says.
Colin squeezes her hand again. One part of her wants to hold on tight and not let go; the other wants to stop the torture and tear her hand away. Penelope listens to the former and holds on. This is their last touch.
"Then I will do everything to make my promise true," Colin says.
This is our last moment, Penelope thinks, looking into the sun with blue eyes.
“Colin!” Marina calls out. “Lady Danbury wants to greet us!”
The illusion is broken. Music is heard in the garden again, voices fill the space, and the crowd around them comes to life. Penelope pulls her hand away from Colin’s touch. It hurts as much as his strange look.
"I won't keep you any longer," she says. "Go to your wife."
Colin gives her a small bow, gallant and respectful, a true gentleman. And Marina is a real lucky girl.
"Thank you again, Pen," Colin says in parting. "You're my family now, too."
He leaves her and rushes to his wife.
The mother continues to circle Marina, now with Colin, while they tell Lady Danbury something. Lady Bridgerton and the other ladies give the couple proud looks, occasionally oohing and aahing as they glance at one another.
Suddenly, Penelope begins to lack air. The sun is too hot, her chest is tight, and sweat is gathering under the light sleeves of her dress. People are crowding around her, even though the garden is large and there should be enough room for everyone. Everyone is walking in circles, talking too much, too loudly. Penelope doesn't care what they’re saying, she doesn’t want to hear them. Her head is spinning, something is choking her, and everything around her is gradually turning into a fast and frantic dance.
Penelope needs air, peace, silence. She walks into the distance, not knowing where she is going.
The farther she walks, the more the landscape transforms into something like a forest. Thick trees rise around her, obscuring the sky, and the sun no longer reaches her skin. A breeze stirs, growing stronger as her steps quicken. Several times Penelope stumbles over roots or snags her dress on branches, but she doesn’t stop. She keeps going, away from the suffocating crowd, so full of happiness and joy. No one there cares about her anyway.
She pushes through the thicket and emerges into a small clearing that opens onto a vast, still lake. She doesn’t recognize the place. She’s not sure any of the Bridgertons have ever mentioned it. The surface is calm, serene, the sun’s reflection shimmering in a dance of gold across the water. It’s so beautiful that Penelope can’t help but move closer.
Up close, the lake is even more enchanting. Low grasses line the edge, and white water lilies float like scattered stars—flowers she’s only ever seen in books. She kneels, slips off one glove, and stretches her fingers toward the surface. When she touches it, a cold shock runs through her. She quickly draws back and pulls the glove on again.
Then she feels the presence of the wind. The trees sway, the grass ripples, and the lake stirs with gentle waves. Light fractures across the surface, sparkling in rapid, iridescent patterns. She can’t look away. There’s something otherworldly about it all, something that calms her soul, slows her heart’s frantic rhythm. Despite the cold, she feels an urge to immerse herself entirely.
A childhood memory rises: a fairy tale about a mermaid who traded her tail for legs to be with the prince she loved. But the prince married another, a princess from a neighboring kingdom. He cared for the mermaid, cherished her, but he had a duty to his people. And the princess was beautiful. Kind. He was quickly enchanted.
“What happened next?” Penelope had once asked the old maid who read her the tale.
“She had a choice,” the maid replied. “Kill the prince and reclaim her tail, or fall into the sea and disappear forever. Not just die—become sea foam. Because the mermaid had no soul, and a soul without a heart is worthless.”
Penelope had thought it was the saddest story she’d ever heard. She even told it to Eloise. Naturally, Eloise insisted the mermaid should have killed the prince. But how could you ever hurt someone you want to see happy? Is that love, then?
It hurts so much, Penelope thinks now, staring into the water. No matter how deeply she wants Colin to be happy, seeing him, his joy, is like a dagger to the chest. And every kind word, every sweet gesture, only drives it deeper, tearing her apart from within.
She doesn’t know how long she’s been standing there, watching the water's shifting reflections. No one has noticed her absence. No one is looking for her. They're all celebrating a love that doesn’t exist, while her own is gasping its last breath.
The wind quiets, and the water goes still, silky, untouched. Its sharp tranquility makes her freeze. Maybe she should plunge into it. Let the cold seep into her heart and still it completely. Let her whole being go numb, no longer shivering or writhing with pain.
Who knows? Maybe she’ll become a mermaid, haunting this lake for years—heartless, soulless, immune to love. And in that emptiness, she will finally be free of sorrow.
“Penelope!”
A voice calls out, familiar. Beloved.
“Pen!” comes another, a woman’s voice this time.
She turns her head. Colin and Marina are moving toward her. Colin is running, his wife hurrying to keep up. Their faces are blurred—waves gathering in her eyes distort everything.
There’s still time. Still a moment to step forward, to let the lake swallow her whole. To free the family from the weight of her presence. To leave society without its favorite target of mockery. To tear out the aching heart that will likely hurt for a long time yet. She will be forgotten quickly. Remembered only on occasion as the foolish girl who couldn’t bear unrequited love.
Foolish.
Colin’s voice pierces the air again, sharp and desperate. It stops her.
Penelope stands. And waits.