Penelope saw Sir Crane standing motionless, looking down the street.
-Good morning Sir Phillip.
-Lady Featherington, good morning.
-So much formality is unnecessary; you can call me Pen or Penelope as you feel most comfortable. I hadn't had the chance to give you my condolences.
He pursed his lips.
-Thank you Penelope.
"Sir Phillip," greeted Colin who had Thomas in his arms.
-Lord Featherington, congratulations on your firstborn, I know very well how much it cost you both, but it was worth it because he is beautiful, identical to you.
Colin lifted his son proudly, he had to admit that he loved receiving all the compliments, but he saw that Pen wasn't so happy.
-he looks like me physically, but I hope his personality is like his mother's, after all she is the smarter of the two.
Penelope smiled.
-We must go to the dining room, the food will be served very soon.
The three of them began to walk, Colin talking cheerfully with Phillip about the latter's investigation.
Upon arriving at the dining room, everyone was waiting for the guest; even the twins were sitting with the family.
Penelope didn't see Eloise anywhere.
Isn't she thinking of going down?Penelope asked.
Lady Featherington looked at Kate asking her with the eyes, his sister-in-law didn't know what was happening either.
Once seated at the table, Kate gave the order for the food to be served, but a door was opened, everyone looked at the impertinent, it was Eloise who was wearing the most beautiful house dress that Penelope had ever seen.
For all the Bridgertons by marriage or blood, it is evident that Eloise was interested in Sir Phillip since she never dressed up to receive visitors, which made Violet very happy, even more so when she saw that Kate had left a free place in front of the guest.
"I'm sorry for the delay," Eloise apologized.
Phillip couldn't hide how much he liked the fifth Bridgerton.
"How did it go with the editorial?" Eloise asked so that everyone would stop seeing her.
Colin smiled widely.
-Why did you go to a publishing house? -Anthony asked worriedly.
-Colin wrote some logs of his travels, and they bought them at the publishing house, they are going to start with a hundred copies- Penelope announced
Everyone began to congratulate Colin.
He held up the juice.
-I would like to make a toast to my wife, not only did she force me to leave my comfort zone, she was also my editor and my publicist, I remained cold when the owner of the publishing house asked me questions, and she stood up like a professional -Colin raised His juice- to Penelope.
Everyone toasted her.
-And how much they will pay you? -Gregory asked.
-I receive 5% of each book sold, and Penelope will receive payment for her work as editor. I'm sure they won't have to change the work.
-I didn't know you like to write, Anthony mentioned.
-now you know, and you must buy at least five copies. -Colin mocked.
-You will only have 95 more to sell. -Anthony continued the mockery.
"I'm sure," Violet interrupted, "that it will be a great success."
Everyone began to eat, little Anthony's nanny took the child so his parents could eat and offered to take Thomas, but Colin refused, as the baby was asleep in his arm and he didn't mind eating with just one hand. Of course, Penelope cut the meat into pieces so that the third Bridgerton could eat in peace.
-Are you going to start looking for houses? -Eloise asked.
"I didn't know we made you uncomfortable," Penelope mocked. "I know Thomas cried a little last night."
-No, I -Eloise didn't know what to say -It wasn't what I meant.
-You are not very eloquent today, sister - Anthony joined in the mockery - I hope the visit doesn't make you nervous.
"I'm very sure Miss Bridgerton has another reason for her lack of eloquence," Phillip smiled.
Eloise looked at Anthony threateningly, the viscount was quite amused.
"You must be right, after all, Eloise mentioned that she would never be interested in the male gender," Anthony insisted.
Colin almost laughed as he saw Eloise's face turn pale.
"El even mentioned that we should wait comfortably because seeing her dressed as a bride is never going to happen," added the third Bridgerton.
Penelope pinched his leg.
-Surely she still needs to meet the gentleman worthy of changing her mind. -Phillip concluded thoughtfully.
The table fell silent.
It was no longer funny for the brothers to make fun, because they could see that dart hurt their younger sister.
After lunch, Sir Crane thanked him for the invitation and took his children away.
Eloise managed to control her emotions until she heard the front door close behind the guests.
"If you'll excuse me," El said, looking at the floor.
Thomas started to cry
"He must be hungry," Colin said, giving it to Penelope.
She went up to Eloise's room and opened the door.
Eloise heard her nephew crying.
"Welcome to the club," she greeted, covered in tears.
Penelope lay beside her sister-in-law, took a sheet to protect herself, and settled Thomas down for lunch.
-You should have gone down earlier, so you could talk to him alone.
Eloise looked at her.
-Yes, I talked to him.
-what? Tell me everything.
-I brought him to my room, I tried to kiss him, but he refused. He asked me never to try it again, and he said he had been able to hear me when I said he would never be with a widower, with children.
cried harder
-What did you answer?
-He left the room, he didn't let me say anything.
Penelope tried to think of a plan, and Kate entered.
-Your brothers feel bad for bothering you, but you must understand them, they don't know the whole story. -Kate said.
-I dressed pretty so he would see me differently, the only thing he did was distance me from him.
"If what you want is for him to just marry you, just tell Anthony what happened between you, he can force him," Penelope said heavily.
Kate nodded.
Eloise looked at them.
-Would you force Colin, or would you force Anthony?
They both remained silent.
-What I see here is horrible communication, you should tell what you feel, yes you said those ugly things, but you didn't really feel them. That you don't care that is a widower or have children. That you do want him.
-Penelope is right Eloise, you must be clear and to the point.
-When I have him in front of me I forget to speak; I can't put two words together without something terrible coming out.
"Then don't use words," Kate said quietly.
The two ladies in the room looked at her blankly.
"But she already tried to kiss him and he pushed her away," Penelope responded.
-But we were all at home, Penelope finds out where he is staying, Eloise clean your face because your makeup is smudged, and you go to that house, he has to listen to you, at least he owes you that much.
(...)
Penelope couldn't concentrate, Anthony and Colin were showing her the plans of the available houses, but she just looked at the drawings without looking.
-Pen, we can leave the tour of the houses for tomorrow, I see you are pretty disconnected.
-no -eyelash slower- this one looks pretty, let's see that one.
-Penelope, those are the plans of the house you sold, I told you it was so you could compare the measurements, remember? -said the surprised viscount.
-Excuse me, Anthony, can you repeat everything to me.
The first Bridgerton 🙄
-these are the plans of your previous house, these are the measurements of the areas -pointing to the papers - these are the houses available in the area -he points to other papers- here are the addresses.
Penelope started to look, she didn't understand why they couldn't just go look at them in person, those papers didn't mean anything to her, but suddenly she saw an address that caught her attention.
-Anthony, this is not Countess Penwood's house?
"Was, now is count house," Anthony said, surprised. "How do you know?"
A clue to the silver woman that led us nowhere. But is the count selling it?
-Yes, it seems that the man does not know how to manage finances so he requested the main house from the countess so he could sell it.
Penelope frowned.
-what else do you know about the countess?
-not much, the late count left everything in order, 2000 per year also including the dowry of his two stepdaughters and a protected.
-Benedict and I didn't see any third miss.
-I don't know much about it Penelope.
-But Anthony, maybe that third miss is the silver woman!
The two brothers looked at each other.
"We should write to Benedict," Colin pointed out, "he's going to be excited."
-I repeat, that's all I know. I have no name or whereabouts.
-but must that miss be with them? -Colin reflected.
-If she is a protected, decorum dictated that the countess had to introduce her, when Benedict and I were at her house. If didn't do it, it was because the young woman wasn't there, maybe she already got married.
-impossible, the dowries are still in the bank, I don't know where she was that day, but today, that "protected" is not married.
"I can feel that we are close to the truth, but at the same time I don't know what we are not seeing," Colin added.
-For now, it is best not to say anything to Benedict, we don't want to excite him at all, it's been more than a year and he's been quite sad. -Anthony concluded.
The three of them stay in silence.
-I don't understand why we can't see all the houses, if we like one we buy it, right? - Change of subject Penelope
-Penelope just seeing a house could take all day, the best thing is that you look at the size of the rooms, and when you see one that fits what you are both looking for, let's go see it.
"Okay," Penelope agreed.
They continued looking at the plans, until they had three favorites, the viscount sent some letters to schedule the visits they would make in the following days.
Penelope was starting to get tired of holding her son, and the boy had a good appetite just like his father, so in those weeks between Audrey Hall and house number 5 Thomas had gained sizes.
They had received correspondence from Marcela, Thomas's nanny, who informed them that their daughter was still in poor health, then another in which the doctor did not give them good news about the girl, and the bill for the care. Colin made the necessary arrangements.
"If we could do something else," Penelope complained.
-I know -Colin saw his son sleeping peacefully in the crib- we are very lucky Pen, we have gone through difficulties, but we are here, the three of us, healthy -he kissed Thomas's forehead- I just hope that we continue like this, together in what we do. the future holds for us.
Penelope was sitting on the end of the bed, she raised her arms as if to ask for a hug, the third Bridgerton gave her a wolfish smile, went towards her and made her lie down on the bed.
"Colin, it's tea time," Pen laughed.
-they can start without us.
He kissed her, and her desire was from another world, she suddenly felt the need to tear her husband's clothes, to leave him naked and she loved seeing him in that state.
"You must be quiet so as not to wake Thomas," he said in her ear.
Now it was she who gave him a wolfish smile, took off his tie, vest and shirt, and kissed him again, the heat in her body grew, and began to take off her dress but he couldn't because of her husband's weight, he noticed. , getting up immediately, helped her out of bed, Colin felt desperate with the laces of her dress, took a letter opener and carefully tore the braids of her clothes, which fell to the floor. The hunger they felt for each other was not expected, the couple lay down on the bed, this time naked, but the bed started to make noises; Pen got up, put the blankets on top of the rug in the room, and ordered Colin with her body language to lie down on the floor, which he obeyed in seconds.
Pen got on it, positioned the member at her entrance and began to ride it. The sensations of pleasure filled them both, she felt very excited, got goosebumps, and her nipples became hard, which Colin took advantage of to play with. She asked her husband to sit down, and he obeyed, she quickened the pace, and with her hands she grabbed Colin's biceps, squeezing them, she already felt close to her explosion, the need to bite him invaded her, but a small part of her still sane prevented her from doing so.
But she was listening to Colin moan her spirits; She was only seconds away from arriving, tightened her grip on his hands, Colin growled, she approached his neck to bite him on the shoulder and reached the delicious pleasure of her.
The third Bridgerton did not like being beaten or abused very much, But seeing his wife so engrossed in passion turned him on extremely, with so much pleasure that he barely felt the nails digging into his arms, but when he was bitten an animal instinct in him took hold.
Changing positions while she recovered from her orgasm, he entered her unceremoniously, a small part of him didn't want to be rough, but the animal controlling him didn't understand any intention. He kissed her, biting his lips softly, or so he thought. He licked one of her breasts because he had already learned he couldn't suck. He felt that his wife began to squeeze him from the inside. The orgasm began to appear, so the thrusts began to decrease, he felt how Pen moved her hips, he could tell that he was also close, until finally they both reached the heavenly point.
Colin got off his wife and lay down on his side, trying to catch his breath.
-Do you think Thomas woke up?
Colin tried to look into the crib, but his muscles didn't respond immediately.
-give me a minute.
He was able to get up after a few seconds, but his son was still sleeping.
-He's sleeping soundly, come to bed.
Colin picked up Penelope
-Oh Colin, I'm so sorry, does it hurt?
The third Bridgerton followed his wife's gaze, he had a red crescent-shaped spot on his shoulder, and his arms also looked battered. Penelope touched her wound with her finger.
-I'm fine.
Penelope felt embarrassed.
-Pen, how many days does your period last?
She thought about it a bit.
-from five to six, why?
-Since we went to Audrey Hall and came back, almost two months have passed.
-I don't understand.
-that we have been together almost every day. Is it me who hasn't noticed, or has it reached you?
-Colin! The last time was a week before the trip