Blooming Penelope Featherington

Home.

"In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." - Jane Austen.

As Penelope woke up that morning, she turned to find a vacant spot next to her. Colin was missing, not that her heart didn't ache at the loss of his warmth, but her body could do with a break this morning. Last night was... adventurous. She sat up and grabbed her phone from the table. She hadn't heard it go off, but she had countless missed calls and messages.

___________

Prudence 10+ missed calls
Philippa 3+ missed calls
Unknown number missed call

Prue: Penelope answer

Philippa: ANSWER...

Prue: PENELOPE

___________

She quickly unplugged the charger and phoned Prudence back, but before she could ask what's wrong, his sisters shrieking voice came through the phone, "Penelope Featherington where the FUCK are you?"

Penelope huffed and rolled her eyes, "I'm in the country at the Bridgerton's." Prue let out a sigh, "Of course you are." Penelope heard panicked voices in the background, "Prue, what's going on?"

"Mums been in an accident, we're in the hospital and it doesn't look good. You have to get back here straight away."

"What, what... what's happened?"

"I'll explain when you get here. Just hurry."

Penelope threw her phone on the bed and jumped up to her suitcases. Quickly trying to pull out something quick and easy for her to get on. Colin had appeared at the doorway pulling out his headphones, obviously just back from a run, "Pen what's going on?"

He watched Penelope as she frantically ran around the room. She didn't answer. He grabbed both of her shoulders to calm her, and she instantly broke down to the floor. All he could do was hold her, and all she could do was cry.

She explained everything and he tried to calm her, but she was a mess. He shouted from his room for anyone to hear him, and Eloise came running in. Eloise held her hand as Francesca, Kate, and Daphne got her packed up and ready to go. They moved all her things into Colin's car within ten minutes and then waved them off. Penelope felt like she was in a daze, people were talking to her, cuddling her, but she didn't hear a word or feel anything from anyone.

She was too lost in her own thoughts.

After Penelope's father had passed a few years ago, things for the Featherington's changed, the family grew further apart. Her father was always the glue that kept them grounded or the reason that kept Penelope coming back to visit. Her mother and sisters were intolerable, she never got on with any of them. So when her sweet father died, she found less reasons to visit, even less reasons to call and more reasons to argue. The last time she saw her mother was well... explosive. Penelope announced her book signing at a dinner to rub it in her mother's face, and her mother laughed telling her 'It will amount to nothing, your just like your father living with your head in the clouds'.

That was the final straw.

Penelope knew her mother was no saint, but she was her mother after all. There was something about becoming parentless that made her feel heartbroken. Her mother leaving this earth without some type of closure would destroy Penelope.

She couldn't let that happen.

The car journey was quiet, it was only three or so hours to the hospital and Penelope couldn't find words for conversation, instead they sat in silence. Colin would occasionally grab her hand, or her thigh to let her know that he was there.