The Blossoming of Penelope Featherington | A BRIDGERTON Fanfic

Chapter 18

"No, mother! Not at all!"

"No, what?" Her voice became louder and was becoming more shrill with every word. "That you see me as a fool? Or that you will choose to continue playing me for one?" Penelope didn't know what to say to subdue her anger and defend herself at the same time.

Lady Featherington shook her head, her eyes reflecting an incredible sense of disappointment and a hint of contempt. "Do you know what it was like to know from someone else's mother about how the daughter I believe to be dutiful and meek wrote about her family for all of London?" There was a crack in her voice that Penelope had never imagined her mother capable of showing such weakness and vulnerability without masking it with insults of projection. "When Lady Cowper came to my door with that news in hand, all I could think was 'why'?"

"Lady Cowper?" Penelope gasped. Cressida. Who else could it have been. "Mother, you know Cressida had always hated me, you shouldn't-"

"Then is it a lie?" She waited for her to answer but Penelope had nothing. "So you really are her. Lady Whistledown. What an idiot you must peg me for not even doubting you for a second." She gave a sarcastic huff of laughter.

"I don't! I swear," she begged. "I don't understand why you're so disappointed. I thought you loved reading the papers."

"You don't understand? Don't get it twisted, Penelope. Just because I read your Whistledown papers, does not mean I love what was in them." Penelope almost cringed at the way her mother practically spat out her pseudonym. "Especially when she talked so wretchedly about her own family." She eyed her intently. "Her own mother."

"Of all the people out there in society that have looked down on us," there were tears in the baroness' eyes, forcing Penelope to look away, filling her with guilt. "I would never dream that it was you. My daughter." She stood up shakily. "And yet you had me fooled. You had us all fooled with your demure...act! You stood beside us, silent while you laughed at us behind our backs..."

She couldn't handle what her mother was saying of her- how she labeled her as fake and pretentious and deceitful. But she still wanted to defend herself. She wanted to retain the little respect the baroness might still have for her. "I was young and foolish..." she said. Her eyes were stinging from unshed tears while her chest constricted from the overwhelming and warring emotions within her. "I was mad at the ton and at myself-" she followed her mother and stood up but Portia would hear none of it.

"You will remain home until I say so," she said dismissively. "I would have said 'until the news dies down' but it is unlikely that that would be anytime soon." She walked away but stopped short just as she opened the door. "No letter will be sent to and fro your room." Then, she left with a slam behind her, leaving Penelope in tears.

It has been five long days since a word from Lady Whisteldown was published, and everyone was talking about it along with why. Two scheduled releases had gone by, but the biggest news of the year continued to spread like wildfire- his engagement with Penelope was all but swept under the rug. The only hint that people were reminded about their relationship was when they would ask him where Penelope was or if Lady Whistledown was going to make a return anytime soon.

Within that time, Colin was filled with worry. He tried to go to her. He sent notes and knocked at their door but their butler would turn him away upon Lady Featherington's instructions. The only time he would get any valid information about Penelope was through Felicity, and even then...

According to her- during the one time she got to leave the house- Penelope barely went out of her room and none of her two family members said anything to one another. Felicity smiled tightly as she said it, and Colin decided to stop the short interrogation the moment he saw the slight quiver in her lips, despite his obvious desperation. It hurt him that he couldn't be with her during such a difficult time especially after he spent weeks convincing her that he would be able to protect her. It didn't help that everyone around him added to the noise of worries he already had to deal with.