Mad

Eloise

"Can you really not?" said Michael. "Do you really not see the way that he looks at her?"

"The way Colin looks at Penelope? In what way does he look at her?" asked Eloise completely befuddled.

Michael smirked before looking down at Eloise. "Like he wants to devour her."

Eloise let out a chortling laugh, drawing the people passing by them to stare but Eloise paid them no mind. "You do not know my brother Michael. Colin likes to devour everything."

Michael laughed but then shook his head in disbelief. "You really cannot see it can you?" When Eloise simply shook her head, he continued. "Your brother is head over heels in love with Penelope. How do you think I acquired this monstrosity?" said Michael as he pointed to his blackened eye.

Eloise stared at him. "But you said that you and my brothers were at the club and got into a fight with another patron. You are saying that Colin was the one to strike you at the club?

"No, in fact we were in your kitchen. Your brother knocked me flat on my ass. Rather impressive actually," mused Michael as he touched his swollen cheek.

Eloise shook her head disbelievingly. "Colin has never been the sort of man to resort to violence. He has always been so," Eloise paused searching for the right word. "He has always been so charming and happy"

Michael smiled and tipped his hat to Lady Cowper and Cressida Cowper who were walking past them before turning back to her and whispering. "Colin saw what he believed was the man that Penelope was courting, and his anger took over."

Eloise paused and looked up at Michael. "Why would Colin think that you were courting Penelope? You only became friends with Penelope after Colin left. How would he even know of your existence or your relationship with Penelope," asked Eloise her hand on her hips.

"Oh dear. I believe I may have revealed a little much," replied Michael his cheeks turning pink with embarrassment. "I suppose I should tell you what is going on."

"I suppose you should," answered Eloise haughtily. Eloise remained silent as Michael recanted the story of the night, he met a drunk Colin at Mondrich's and the night that he met Penelope and the subsequent meetings with Anthony, Benedict and even Hyacinth's bribes and their plan to get Colin to return to England.

"Does Penelope know anything about this?"

"No," said Michael emphatically. "And I would rather she did not find out."

"So, you concocted this plan with my siblings because you believe Colin to be in love with Penelope?" asked Eloise.

Michael smiled sheepishly. "It worked did it not? He arrived back in England weeks before his supposed arrival and the first thing he did was punch me in the face. He clearly received Hyacinth's letter and hastened back to England," said Michael before taking a small pause. "You should have seen him the night at Mondrich's, the way he spoke of Penelope, he was clearly a man in love, although he did not seem to want to admit it to himself. It seems that he is finally ready, and you and I both know that Penelope reciprocates his feelings."

The news that Colin could return Penelope's feelings came as quite the shock to Eloise. She had always believed that they would be a good match but has never said anything as she believed Colin to be indifferent to Penelope at least as far as romantic intentions were concerned. Although it did not escape her attention that Colin seemed to light up when Penelope was near, but she had thought that it was because they were friends. If Colin were truly serious about Penelope and wanted to court her with the intention of marriage, could their relationship actually work? Would they both be able look beyond past wrongs? Would Penelope be able to honestly forgive Colin after his despicable words last and would Colin be able to forgive Pen's biggest secret? Upon thinking of Lady Whistledown, Eloise felt herself become nauseous and become weak in the knees.