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Penelope Featherington’s heart was starting to beat faster with every step she took closer to Bridgerton House. Her childhood friend and secret crush, Colin Bridgerton, had written to her weeks ago that he had cut his second tour short and would return home. His ship should have reached London last week. Of course, she knew that bad winds could lead to voyages taking longer than planned. Still, she knew that he would return any day now and she couldn't wait to see him. Neither could she stop herself from hoping he would be in the drawing room of Bridgerton House every time she came there this last week.
But as she entered the drawing room, she was disappointed yet again. Colin was nowhere to be seen, and she knew his family well enough to know that the third son hadn't returned from his long journey yet.
“You look disappointed to see us!”
Penelope looked up. She hadn't noticed that the eldest Bridgerton brother and his wife had come over to greet her. Penelope had spent two weeks with the Bridgertons at Aubrey Hall after they had returned from their honeymoon, and she had had the chance to get to know Kate. She really liked the elder woman and she knew that she would understand her without judging her.
So she searched for Kate’s gaze and sighed. “It’s not you. It is just Colin wrote me a few weeks ago that he had cut his tour short and would return home. I had just hoped his ship would have reached England by now. I am so looking forward to hearing more of his stories!” she confessed.
Kate frowned. “Hmm, I didn't know he planned to return early. But then I have to confess I didn't exchange many letters with Colin since he left. I think I received his last letter three months ago. Did he write to you, Anthony?”
Both women looked over to the eldest Bridgerton, but he seemed too lost in thought to hear them.
“Anthony?” Kate asked carefully and put a hand on his arm.
The viscount winced at her touch and shook his head.
“Please forgive me. I just remembered that I have some important business to attend to that I completely forgot!” he mumbled and looked at Penelope directly. “I haven’t heard anything from Colin in months. But did he write you which ship he was planning to take back?”
Penelope nodded. “Yes, he booked his crossing on the Victory III. Why do you wish to know that?”
She couldn't read the expression on Anthony’s face when he answered.
“I will visit the harbor tomorrow and ask when the ship is due to return. They normally have more information there!” he explained.
“Oh!” Penelope said. That made sense.
“But if I could ask you for a little favor? Could you not tell my mother that Colin should be back already? I know she is trying to hide it, but she is always worried about him when he travels and I don't want her to worry anymore without a reason!”
She looked over to the older woman, who currently sat next to Francesca and Hyacinth.
“Of course. But will you tell me what you have found out after you visited the harbor?”
She looked back to Anthony. Anthony nodded, but Penelope didn't fail to notice that he didn't look her in the eye.
“And now you have to excuse me. I am late as it is!” he said and left the room without another word.
***
Kate had followed her husband. She knew him well enough by now to know that something had happened, even though he tried to hide the fact from Penelope and her. When she entered his study, he was busy packing some papers into a briefcase.
“What is going on?” she asked quietly but with a firm voice.
Anthony looked up for a few seconds. “Kate, nothing is going on. I just forgot an important appointment. That is all!”
She looked doubtfully at him, and her husband sighed in frustration. She went over to his desk and leaned against it. She took Anthony's hands in hers and pressed them firmly. “Talk to me!”
Her husband shook his head and avoided her gaze.
“Anthony, you are not alone anymore. Whatever is hurting you, you can share it with me!”
Anthony didn’t answer at once. But after a few moments, he did look up and started to explain.
“Yesterday morning, Parliament received a message. The Victory III was caught in a storm. She sank a few miles off the coast. They managed to find some survivors and brought them to a hospital outside of London. The message asked all relatives to come there. I thought nothing of it; Colin wasn't supposed to return for another two months, but when Penelope…!”
He closed his eyes and took some deep breaths before he managed to continue.
“When Penelope told us that he was supposed to be back already, I knew it. I don’t know how I did, and I really did hope that it was just a coincidence. But it wasn't. He was on that ship!”
Kate pulled him into a hug. She knew how much his siblings meant to him and she could imagine how he must feel. If she imagined that it was Edwina—no, she couldn't even think about that.
“Oh, Anthony,” she whispered.
“I have to visit the hospital. I… I need to know if… if Colin…!”
He didn't need to finish his sentence; she knew what he was afraid of. Kate nodded. “Of course you have to go. But there is still hope. Colin is young and he is strong. They did find survivors; why shouldn't he be one of them?”
“I hope he is still alive. But I cannot tell the family before I know for certain!” He released himself from Kate's embrace and looked at her desperately. “If he died… I don’t even know how to…!”
She put one hand on his cheek. “We will leave at once. As long as we don't know what has happened to Colin, we will only worry. We will decide what we tell them after we know the truth!”
“You are coming with me?” He sounded surprised.
Kate nodded. “Of course I will. I know how much he means to you. I will not leave you alone!”
***
They didn’t talk much during the drive to the hospital, but Anthony was grateful to Kate for coming with him. Her presence was the only thing stopping him from losing his composure completely, even though he wasn’t able to think of anything else but his little brother.
When they entered the hospital, they went over to the front desk immediately.
“Excuse me, Miss!” Anthony started. “My name is Anthony Bridgerton. My younger brother, Colin, was on board the Victory III. I only learned this morning that he took this ship. Can you please tell me if he is among the survivors?”
The woman behind the desk looked at him with pity in her eyes.
“Most of the survivors are still unconscious, and we haven’t had the time to look through their belongings to identify them. We have almost 50 survivors here and we are quite understaffed for such a large number of patients. So I cannot tell you for certain if your brother is here. But if you wait for a few moments, I will fetch one of the doctors and he will take you to them. You can see for yourself if your brother is one of them!”
Anthony nodded. “Thank you!” was all he managed to say.
The woman got up and disappeared behind a door. Kate took a step forward to stand beside him and took his hand in hers.
“Only 50 survivors!” he mumbled. “There were at least 500 people on the ship. Maybe even more!”
His wife pressed his hand reassuringly. “Have some faith, Anthony. We will know in a few moments.”
Anthony nodded. She was right. In a few moments, he would know the truth. He just wasn't so sure anymore if he really wanted to know. What would he tell his family and Penelope if Colin wasn't one of the survivors? How was he supposed to explain to them that he would never return?
It took only a few minutes until the woman returned with an older man, but for Anthony, it felt like an eternity.
“My name is Doctor Smith. I was informed that you are looking for your brother?” he asked kindly and bowed slightly.
Anthony nodded. “Yes, we are looking for Colin Bridgerton.”
The man inspected him carefully before he gestured for them to follow him. “Please, come with me.”
Both of them followed him through a long hallway, and he led them into a large, open ward. The doctor led them down a passage in the middle of the room. There were beds on both sides. Anthony held his breath every time he looked at one of them, but he was disappointed each and every time. He could feel tears starting to form in his eyes as they neared the end of the row.
Finally, his gaze landed on the next bed and he stopped dead in his tracks. “Oh God!” it burst out of him, and he felt tears of relief flow down his cheeks.
His little brother was pale and had some scratches on his face. But his mouth was moving and he was breathing. He was alive.
“I guess this is your brother?” the doctor asked in a calm voice.
It was Kate who answered him. “Yes, this is Colin Bridgerton. What can you tell us about his condition?”
Anthony tore his gaze away from Colin and looked at the other man. The older man nodded slightly. “He hasn't woken up yet since he was brought to us. We tried to give him some water and, to our relief, he is swallowing. So we were able to give him water and some porridge. From what we have gathered, they were in the water for almost two days before they were found, and now they have been here for two days. That means they haven't had much to eat for the last four days and are completely exhausted. That is most likely why he hasn’t woken up yet. But that also means we don’t know yet what kind of damage your brother may have suffered. We will only be able to tell once he wakes. However, there is some good news: Your brother hasn't developed a fever, and he is calling out for someone from time to time. That strongly suggests his brain hasn’t suffered much damage.”
Anthony's heart skipped a beat. He hadn’t considered that Colin could have permanent damage from the sinking. He had believed that if he found him alive, then everything would be all right.
“What kind of damage should we expect?” he asked.
The doctor shrugged his shoulders. “There are many possibilities. In the worst case, your brother will never wake up again. But even if he does, he could be paralyzed—either completely or partially. If he suffered brain damage, there is the possibility of memory loss or an inability to speak. All of that could be temporary, but in the worst-case scenario, he might wake up but no longer be the man you remember. But since he is calling the same name again and again, I am confident that at least a part of your brother is still with us.”
Anthony looked back at his brother. “Who is he calling for?”
“He is calling for Penelope. Sometimes he calls for 'Pen', so I assumed that was a pet name for her.”
The Viscount nodded thoughtfully. “He is calling for his best friend, Penelope Featherington,” he explained.
The doctor moved to the other side of the bed and handed him a seabag. “He had this with him when he was found.” He paused for a moment, looking at Colin. “I assume you wish to take him home?”
Anthony took the seabag and searched the doctor's face. “Can we take him home?”
In truth, he wanted to bring Colin home desperately, but he would do nothing to risk his health further.
“As long as a doctor visits at least twice a week to check on him, there is no reason why you shouldn’t. In my experience, patients in his situation profit from being in familiar surroundings, surrounded by the people they love. Besides, you can likely provide better care for him at home than we can here.”
Anthony exchanged a look with Kate. She nodded slightly, and he turned back to the doctor. “Thank you very much, Doctor Smith. I will arrange his transfer before evening.”
The doctor nodded one last time and left the two of them alone with Colin.
Anthony sat down on the chair next to Colin's bed, the seabag still in his hands.
“Oh, Colin,” he whispered. “Why did you have to return so early?”
Kate stepped beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Maybe it has something to do with Penelope?”
Anthony looked up at his wife in surprise. “What do you mean?”
“Well, Penelope told me they had been corresponding quite frequently over the last few months, and he is calling for her. Perhaps he cut his tour short because he missed her?”
Anthony looked back at his brother, who lay motionless in the bed. He understood what Kate was implying. He knew they shared a close bond. Perhaps she was right. Perhaps he had realized during his travels that he felt more for the young woman than mere friendship. But would he really cut his journey short for that? Anthony shook his head. Of course he would. That would be just like Colin: to travel thousands of miles only to realize that what he wanted had been right in front of him his whole life.
“I was thinking,” Kate interrupted his thoughts, “perhaps we should bring him to Aubrey Hall until he is feeling better.”
“You are likely right,” he agreed. “If the rest of the family learns what has happened, he won’t have a moment’s peace.”
Kate nodded. “That too, but I fear your mother will not be able to sleep until he wakes.”
Anthony met her eyes and saw the thought she was holding back: If he wakes at all. But he pushed it away. Colin hadn’t survived the sinking of the Victory just to sleep for the rest of his life. He had to believe that.
“The only question is: What do we tell Penelope?”
Anthony sighed. The young woman knew Colin was expected back any day, and though she had promised not to say anything to the family, he knew her well. If they said nothing and simply vanished to Aubrey Hall, she would worry, and within days she would be asking his mother and siblings about him.
“I fear we must tell her the truth,” he mumbled. “If we tell her he missed the ship, she will wonder why he hasn’t written to her.”
Kate nodded. “Perhaps we should invite her to Aubrey Hall. She will be worried regardless, and the doctor said it could help Colin to be near those he loves. Even if I am wrong about his feelings, she is still his best friend and incredibly important to him.”
Anthony searched her gaze again. “Very well. We shall take Colin to Aubrey Hall and write to Penelope, asking her to join us for a few weeks.”
***
Penelope had been confused when her mother had come into her room and told her that she had received a message from the Viscountes. She had asked Protia to send Penelope to Aubrey Hall for a few weeks to stay with her. It made no sense to her. Kate hadn´t mentioned any plans this morning that she and Anthony would travel back to Aubrey Hall or that she wanted her to join them. But her mother hadn't given her any choice. She had told her that she couldn't decline this invitation. It was an honour that the viscountess had invited her and she had to go.
So she had entered the carriage that Kate had sent for her this morning and had traveled to Aubrey Hall. She had been slightly disappointed that that would likley mean that she would miss Colin's return, but there was nothing she could do. Besides she was sure that they would have enough opportunities to talk, once the Season began in a few weeks.
When she exited the carriage she was surprised to find Kate and Anthony standing in front of the house waiting for her.
Penelope went over to them and currtised in front of them.
“I thank you for the invitation!”
“Penelope!”; Kate smiled at her and pulled her into a short embrace. “Thank you for coming. Please join us for tea!”
Penelope smiled back at her and the three of them went into the drawing room where the tea was already prepared for them.
Penelope waited till all of them had a full cup in front of them, before she turned to Kate. “I don't wanna be ungrateful, but can I ask why you invited me here? Yesterday It didn´t seem like you were planning to come here!”
Both Bridgertons exchanged a look and Kate put her cup down in front of her and looked at her with a serious expression.
“You remember that Colin wrote you that he booked passage on the Victory III?”
Penelope nodded and she got a bad feeling. What did her visit have to do with Colin? But before she could ask, Kate continued with a low voice.
“The Victory III was caught into a storm and she sank!”
Penelope's cup slipped from her fingers and it broke on the table. The tea spilled and some drops went onto her dress. But she didn't realise it. Hot tears were streaming down her checks. It could not be true. She struggled to breathe. “Colin!”; she managed to get out with difficulty and looked desperate to the viscountess. “Colin is dead?”
“Oh Penelope!”, Colin cried out and took her hands into hers. She didn´t seem to have expected that reaction. “Please forgive me!”
She shook her head. “Colin is not dead. He did survive the accident. But he still is unconscious and hasn't woken up yet!”
Penelope closed her eyes and breathed deeply in and out a few times to calm down. She hadn´t lost him. Not yet at least.
She had a thousand questions. She wasn't sure which one she should ask first.
“Where is he?”, it poured out of her.
“We brought him here!”; Anthony answered quietly. “The doctor hoped that it would be good for him to be in a familiar surrounding and with people who meant a great deal to him!”
Penelope nodded slightly. That made sense. Colin felt the most at home here, even though he never told that to anyone but her.
“Can I… can I see him?”; she asked shyly.
Kate smiled at her softly. “If you want to see him then we will bring you to him, but…!”
“But?”, she asked and couldn´t stop her voice from shaking. Kate wasn´t able to hide her worry in her voice. There was something that they hadn´t told her yet.
“As long as Colin hasn´t woken up we don´t know if he will have permanent damage. There is the possibility that he can't walk anymore or that he will not be himself at all!”, Anthony's voice was firm, but she knew him well enough to know that he was as agitated as she. He was just better at hiding his feelings.
“I don't care!”; she whispered. “As long as I can be with him, I don´t care if he can walk or know who I am!”
Kate pressed her hand, which she was still holding firmly. “I have hoped you would say that!”
She let go of her hand and got up. Anthony followed her example.
“Let us go see him!”, she said.
Penelope nodded and got up herself.
Her legs were shaking. She didn't know what to expect. but she was serious. As long as Colin was alive and would wake up, she didn´t care about his condition. As long as he would wake up.
***
Penelope had followed the two Bridgertons through the house into the family wing. Kate opened the door to Colin’s room and let her enter first. Penelope had never been in his room before, but at that moment, she didn’t have eyes for anything but Colin. As soon as she entered, her eyes found him. He lay in the bed and looked almost as if he were just sleeping. He looked so much smaller than she remembered. She walked over to the bed slowly and looked at him closely. He was pale, and a few scratches on his face seemed to be starting to heal.
“Can he hear us?” she asked Kate and Anthony.
“We don’t know. But it can’t hurt to talk to him!” Kate encouraged her.
Penelope sat in the chair next to Colin’s bed and, after a short hesitation, she took his hand in hers. “Colin, I… I missed you. Please come back to me. You promised to tell me more about your travels. Do you remember?”
To her surprise, she felt him press her hand once. She breathed out in surprise.
“Penelope?” Kate asked, looking at her with concern.
“He pressed my hand. I am sure!”
She saw them exchange a look before Kate looked back at her. “Continue talking to him. Maybe he really can hear you!”
Penelope swallowed and looked back at Colin. “Your letters were the only thing I looked forward to during the off-season. I love the way you write. I always feel like I am there with you when I read them. How should I survive the off-seasons without your letters? Prudence got married and I am alone with my mother!”
She could hear Anthony’s sharp intake of breath and wanted to ask why, but then she saw it for herself. Colin started to move, and she felt him press her hand once more. She held her breath as Colin slowly opened his eyes. For a moment he looked confused, but when his eyes found hers, he smiled softly.
“This must be a dream!” his voice sounded weak and dry. “Or I have died and this is heaven.”
Penelope started to cry, not noticing that Anthony had come over to the other side of Colin’s bed.
“You are at Aubrey Hall, brother. The ship you were on sank in a storm, but you… they got you out of the water and to a hospital!”
Penelope had never seen Anthony so emotional before. His voice was shaking, and she could see that he was fighting back tears. The self-assured Viscount was nowhere to be seen.
Colin turned his head carefully to the side and looked at his brother. “I remember,” he mumbled. “There was water everywhere. I thought it would end there.”
Anthony grabbed his free hand and went down on his knees next to the bed. “But you did return to us, and that is all that matters. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t!”
Kate stepped next to Anthony with a glass of water in her hand. “You should drink something, Colin. Can you sit up?”
“Hello, Kate,” Colin greeted her and let go of Anthony’s and Penelope’s hands. Carefully, he pressed his palms against the mattress and sat up slightly. He grimaced in pain, but he held out his hand for the glass. Kate gave it to him, and he took a few sips before handing it back.
He looked back at Penelope. Gently, he lifted his hand and brushed a tear from her face. “I don’t like it when you cry, Pen.”
Penelope laughed through her tears and placed her hand over Colin’s. “I thought I had lost you forever,” she confessed.
“You didn’t,” he answered seriously.
“Thank God,” Penelope whispered, looking over at Anthony, who seemed to have recovered himself. He wiped away his tears and stood up. “I will call the doctor; he needs to examine you thoroughly.”
Colin rolled his eyes. “Is that really necessary?”
His brother looked at him with concern. “The doctor at the hospital couldn’t tell us if there was any permanent damage,” he explained. “He told us there was a chance you wouldn't recognize us or might not be able to walk again.”
“Oh.” Insecurity appeared on Colin's face. “I do recognize you, and I can feel my legs. They hurt, but I can feel them.”
He tried to move and lift the blanket, but Anthony stopped him. “Please, let us wait for the doctor. At least your brain seems undamaged. That is all I care about at the moment!”
Colin wanted to reply, but Penelope interrupted him softly. “Anthony is right, Colin. You have been asleep for days. You haven't eaten anything. If you get up without supervision, you could hurt yourself. You can’t tell me you aren't in a lot of pain already.”
Colin sighed and shook his head. “I can’t deny that. Everything hurts.” His voice sounded miserable, and he began to cough. He turned to Kate, who gave him the glass again. He took a few more sips before nodding slightly, and she took the glass back.
His gaze met Penelope’s again. “Will you stay?”
He had never sounded so vulnerable, and it almost broke her heart. But he was here, he was awake, and he was talking to her. She felt nothing but relief.
She smiled and nodded. “As long as your brother and sister don’t send me away, I’m going nowhere,” she promised.
Colin lay back down and moaned slightly. “Even if I am a cripple?”
Penelope took his hand and squeezed it hard. “At least then you can’t run away anymore and will have no choice but to tell me about your travels!”
A huge smile appeared on his lips, but his eyes began to drift shut. “I came back early for you…”
Penelope felt her heart begin to race, but before she could reply, Colin had fallen fast asleep. Anthony left the room, presumably to send a servant for the doctor. Kate sat down in the chair next to Penelope and took her free hand.
“Everything will be all right now, right?”
The older woman smiled softly. “As long as you have patience with him, I have no doubt about it.”
Penelope looked back at Colin. She would always be patient with him, no matter how long it took for him to get healthy again.
***
Two hours later Anthony returned with the family doctor. The older physician had tried to wake Colin carefully and everyone was relieved when he woke up at once and was able to talk to them. The doctor asked Kate and Penelope to leave the room for the examination and so Anthony was left alone with his brother and the doctor.
He stayed out of the way, while the older men examined his little brother. He asked Colin a few questions that he seemed all to answer to his satisfaction. He asked Colin to sit up and carefully started to examine him. At some touches Colin winced in pain, but the doctor only nodded. At last he looked over to him. “Lord Bridgerton, may I ask for your assistance?” Anthony nodded and got up. “Of course, what can I do?” “Take your brother's hand. He will be shaky on his feet but I need to see if he can put strain on his legs!” Colin turned to his side and put his legs over the edge of the bed. He took Anthony's hand. “Are you ready?”, Anthony asked. Colin swallowed and sought his gaze. “What if I can't walk again?”, he asked miserably. Anthony smiled at him reassuringly. “Then we will do everything so that you will still live a happy life!”, he promised, but that didn't seem to comfort Colin at all.
“I had a plan!”, he told him. “I would go to a flower shop on my way back from the harbour and I would go straight to Penelope's house. I wanted to tell her that I realised that I had loved her for a long time and asked her to marry me!” Anthony couldn´t stop himself from smiling proudly at him. Kate had been right. Finally he had realised what a wonderful woman had been right in front of him all this time. “”And now? If I can't walk anymore?", he asked and looked at him. Anthony had to swallow, he hadn´t seen this look on his face since he had been a little boy. “She deserves a whole man, who can give her everything she wishes for. Not a disabled man who can't even dance with her. She loves to dance!” “Well!”; Anthony told him. “I believe everything that Penelope wishes for is you. No matter if you can walk or not!” Colin looked at him thoughtfully and nodded slightly. “I will try!” he whispered and looked over to the Doctor.
The man nodded and took his other hand. Colin pressed both of their hands and carefully got up. Anthony could see the pain in Colin's eyes but his little brother bit his lip and suppressed a scream. “Try to take a step forward!”, the doctor told him and Colin carefully took a step forward and then another one. “It is exhausting!" The Doctor exchanged a look with Anthony and both of them led him back to the bed. As soon as his legs touched the bed Colin let himself fall backwards on the bed. He was shaking from exhaustion. The fact that Colin let Anthony help him get under the sheets told him how bad his brother was feeling.
Concerned he looked over to the doctor, but wasn't able to read his expression. The man looked to his brother and started to explain. “You have a few broken ribs. That is the main reason why every move hurts. Your muscles are completely overtaxed and your body has shut down almost completely. Not eating much has only worsened your condition. But all of this is nothing unusual. There is no reason why you shouldn't recover completely. But the next few weeks will be hard!”
Anthony breathed out in relief. He hadn't even realised that he had held his breath. “What can we do to assure that he will recover?”, he wanted to know. The other man turned towards him. “Your brother should eat a few small meals over the day. Light Meals. His stomach has to get used to food again, until he will be able to eat normal amounts again. Please make sure that he drinks and rests enough. But it is important that he uses his muscles, even when it hurts. He should sit up a few times each day and he should stand up as well. Start like we did, with 2 or 3 Steps and after a few attempts make him take a few more steps, but slowly and carefully. I will leave something for the pain but he should only take as much as he really needs!” At the last sentence he looked back at Colin. “What you need most of all is patience Mr Bridgerton. you were lucky to survive but it will take time to recover!” Colin nodded, but didn't answer him. “I will make sure that he will follow your instructions!” The older man nodded satisfied and promised to come back in a week to look after Colin.
Then he left the room and both brothers were alone. Anthony went over to the chair next to Colins bed and sat down. He hid his head in his hands. When he looked up again he noticed that his brother was watching him. “I owe you an apology Colin. I should have written more. Without Penelope I wouldn´t even have known that you were on this ship, and then… maybe we wouldn´t have found you and who knows if you would have woken up there!”
“Oh!”; Colin said surprised. “Is that why she is here and the rest of our family isn´t?” Anthony shook his head. “It’s part of the reason!”; he confessed. “I couldn't think of a lie to tell her, but… The doctor in the hospital he told us, that you called for her in your sleep. Kate thought it might help you to have her close. And apparently she was right. I spent hours yesterday sitting here and talking to you, without a reaction. She was here for 5 minutes, holding your hand and talking to you and you woke up!” Colin smiled softly. “I thought I was dreaming when I heard her voice. Thank you for bringing her here!”
For a while it was quiet, then Anthony started to grin. “So you decided to make Penelope my sister-in-law then?” Colin nodded thoughtfully. “If she agrees!” “I don't think you have to worry about that. But if I may ask, why now? You have known her for years and she has been out in society for 2 years. Before you left for your tour I didn't get the feeling that the two of you were more than friends!” Colin looked at him with big eyes. “After I started traveling again I started to miss her. In the beginning it was just every now and then, but the longer I traveled the more I thought about her. And after a while I realised that the best thing on my journey were her letters and I started to see her everywhere I went. One morning I woke up and I just knew it. I went on this tour to search for a purpose, for something that would give my life sense. But I didn´t need to search. It was right there in front of me the whole time. Just across the street and I realised I have loved her for a long time I just didn't realise it before. I knew I had to come home and tell her, before it was too late!” Anthony put a hand on his shoulder. “I am really happy for you Colin. Penelope is a great young woman and she will be a wonderful addition to the family!”
“Can you not tell her anything about my feelings for a while?”, Colin asked him. “I don't want her to stay with me out of pity. I want to wait until I am recovered to tell her!” Anthony watched him closely but nodded after a while. He could read in his eyes that it was important for him and he decided that he wouldn't push him. He was sure, that Penelope wouldn't leave his side until he was healed anyway, so there was no reason why Colin couldn't wait, until he was ready. “Thank you Anthony!”
***
Penelope spent almost all her time over the next six weeks with him. After she got up she went to his room and brought him breakfast. When the servants cleaned up the dishes Anthony helped him to get up and walk a few steps. Colin was relieved that it became easier with every passing day. After a week he managed to take a lap around his room, before he had to lie down again. He also started to feel better slowly, even though everything was still hurting.
After he took his walk with Anthony Penelope normally sat down next to the bed and the two of them would talk for hours. About his travels, about her off-season and the books both of them had read over the summer and about the gossip that he had missed while he had been away. So he spent his days. The servants brought him 5 small meals every day. When he finished Anthony would come to make sure that he had indeed eaten and drunk enough. Kate would come join him and Penelope two or three times a day and would join in whatever kind of topic they were discussing. It warmed Colin's heart to see her joking around with his sister-in-law and getting along with his oldest brother.
Other than that Kate and Anthony left him alone with Penelope and he was very grateful for that. After they ate dinner Penelope would wish him good night and would return to her guest chambers for the night.
After two weeks the doctor allowed him to get up on his own. He was relieved that he was able to get up without Anthony's help and was able to use the chamber pot without the help of his valet.
The next time the doctor came he allowed him to walk in the house and the gardens as long as he would take breaks and be careful. Not longer than half an hour per day he had told him, but for Colin it felt like a lot. He used this opportunity to promenade with Penelope through the gardens of Aubrey Hall. With the walks in the fresh air his appetite returned and after five weeks he almost felt like his old self again.
The doctor was satisfied with his progress. He asked him to keep being careful but he saw no reason why he couldn't return to London and participate in the social season. Even though he advised him not to dance more than two or three dances in an evening.
Colin knew that his family wanted him to come back to Bridgerton House. He was surprised that they respected his wish and didn't come to Aubrey Hall. Anthony had returned to London for a night a few days after he first woke up and talked with them. It seemed that he had put his foot down. Colin had asked him to tell them not to come until he had talked to Penelope. He knew if Eloise was here he wouldn't have a single moment alone with his best friend.
A few days after the doctor's last visit the two of them were promenading through the gardens again and he knew he couldn't wait any longer and neither did he want to.
“Pen?”, he asked.
She walked at his side and turned so that she could face him. “Yes?” “I came back early for you. I had it all planned out, but I never got the opportunity to do it!”
Penelope smiled softly at him. “What was your plan?” she asked, clearly curious.
Colin came to a halt and grabbed her hand. “I had planned to get a big bouquet of flowers and come to your door. I would go down on one knee and tell you that I had been an idiot. That I spent all this time traveling through the continent searching for a purpose, when I should have known all along that my heart was searching for you. I would have told you that I loved you and asked you to marry me!”
Penelope had listened to him quietly and looked at him with big eyes. “Do you still want to do all this?”, she wanted to know and sounded almost shy.
Colin looked at her with a lovely smile. “Well I had to adjust the plan a bit!”; he told her and went down on one knee in front of her.
He used his free hand to get something out of the pocket of his jacket. “It might not be as spontaneous and romantic as my original plan but I do have a ring this time!”
Penelope put her hand in front of her mouth and looked at him in disbelief.
“Penelope Featherington I love you. Will you marry me?” It was simple, but it was honest and Penelope seemed to understand that. She sank onto her knees and through tears she managed to answer with a single yes.
Colin got the ring out of the box and put it on her finger. She beamed at him and he couldn't stop himself from pulling her into his arms.
“I love you Colin. I always have!” She carefully pushed him away a bit so that she could look him in the eyes. “I would have married you no matter what. Even if you hadn't remembered who I was or if you weren't able to walk again!”
He took his hand and brushed a strand of hair out of her face.
“I know!”, he answered. And it was true. She had been by his side whenever he needed her. Even before his accident and he knew deep in his heart that she would never have left him, even if he had never recovered. He smiled at her. “But I am really happy that I am able to fulfill your every wish you may have!”
She shook her head. “All I ever wished for was being with you!”
Colin laughed at that and pulled her back up with him.
When they both came back to the house, Kate and Anthony were already waiting for them. He found his brother's gaze and answered his silent question with a nod. Anthony looked at him proudly, and took a step forward. He pulled Penelope into a hug and whispered his congratulations to her. Kate went over to him and embraced him.
After they parted she went over to Penelope to hug her future sister-in-law and he stood in front of his big brother. Anthony pulled him into a long embrace.
“Father would be proud of you, I am sure of that…!”; he whispered so that only Colin would be able to hear it. “And so am I!”