#i would deliver you polin with my bare hands if i could

[blossoms-and-possums]

idk how the fuck to make a mood board, i just scrolled through some of my pins and chose the ones that resonated with me. muchas gracias a @pretentiouswreckingball for tagging me !!

i tag @lavenderhaze and @mandycantdecide and anyone else who sees this and wants to join in <3

[invisibleinorange]

Chapters: 10/? Fandom: Bridgerton Rating: T Warnings: Presumed Character Death Relationships: Colin Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington,  Eloise Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington(besties),  Bridgerton Family Dynamics, Simon Hastings/Daphne Bridgerton Characters: Colin Bridgerton,  Penelope Featherington, Eloise Bridgerton, Anthony Featherington,  Benedict Bridgerton,  Portia Featherington, Violet Bridgerton, Genevieve Delacroix Additional Tags:  Bridgerton, Polin Summary:  Unexpected bad news arrives for the Bridgerton Family (and friends) regarding Colin's travels. This will be a series that is set after "The Duke and I" or season one of the show. It is a companion piece to "Goodbyes".

--

Penelope didn’t have the slightest clue who might send her a package much less what it might contain.   Her family was barely speaking with her at this point since she’d abandoned them for the Bridgerton home.  To be perfectly honest her initial thought that it was a mistake and the package wasn’t for her at all but Eloise had been so insistent that it was for her and they needed to investigate its contents immediately.

The package had been delivered to the guest room that she was staying in.  It looked enormous as she made her way through the door and caught sight of it from the doorway. No wonder Eloise was so curious about it!

The package was massive, a neat box with ribbon around it in a neat bow to seal it off.  In simple lettering there was her name and the address for her old home. Someone had saw fit to send it from there to here but there was no denying that it was meant for her and yet, she was almost scared of the contents.

When she opened, there was a simple piece of parchment folded over.  She reached for it first hoping for some answers to the who or what.

Inscribed in a handwriting that felt familiar but not something she could put with a person was a simple sentence ‘For when you decide to put away the mourning black’ and it was unsigned. She turned the parchment over as if hoping for there to be more, her face twisting in confusion.

“Do you recognize this handwriting?” she asked handing the letter over the Eloise.

Eloise for her part took it up and rose an eyebrow at the words.  There was a moment of silence before she saw the other girl shake her head no.

“It’s familiar but no,” she said honestly before she egged things on. “Perhaps the contents will give us more of a clue who sent it.”

Penelope nodded forging ahead.  Wrapped curiously in the box was the most beautiful fabric that she’d ever seen and her eyes widened as she pulled it free realizing it was a dress.

Eloise’s jaw nearly hit the floor in surprise as the dress revealed itself.

“You have an admirer,” Eloise declared moving to touch the dress, examine it alongside her friend. “It’s going to look incredible on you – but in order to decide where you should wear it, we clearly need to investigate.”

There was no question that it would fit.  It was perfect. Penelope couldn’t remember ever owning something that looked as if it was truly meant for her.

She laid the dress on her bed before focusing back on the box, looking for any indicators of where it might have come from. It was Eloise who spotted their first clue.

“It came from France,” she said excitedly. “Who do you know in France?

That didn’t particularly answer any questions though.

There was no one that she knew. Her mind searched the last year, conversations that she’d had with people and it was only when she remember a conversation that she’d had with Eloise that a lightbulb went off in her head.

“Benedict,” she said after a long moment.  Surprised at the answer.

“He’s not been in France. We were literally just speaking with him.”

“No,” she said with a hand gesture.  “You said he was friends with the Modiste, right?”

“Well yes,” Eloise said clearly not putting two and two together.

“And you said that she was traveling to France, yes?”

“Yes but – why would Madame Delacroix send you this dress with that note?”

“Benedict,” Penelope repeated, confusion flooding her features.

“Okay but why would he –“ Eloise asked, clearly missing out on something big.

“Because he proposed,”  Penelope finally told her friend.  Sure, it probably should have come up in conversation in the many weeks of her staying there but it seemed easier to not say anything at all since she’d rejected it.

“He what?” Eloise almost yelled.

Penelope covered her friend’s mouth with her hand in an attempt to not disturb the whole of the household.

“Weeks ago,” Penelope told her, removing her hand only when she was certain there wouldn’t be more yelling.  “I rejected it.”

“All things considered should I be worried for Anthony or Gregory,”  Eloise couldn’t help but ask before she realized it might be insensitive. “I’m sorry - I just didn’t expect that but it makes sense.  Maybe he thinks he can change your mind.”

The truth of the matter was that Penelope had all but made up her mind that she wouldn’t but then there was that dress; the perfect dress and the note made sense to her.  He was willing to wait until she was ready to forge ahead.  She closed her eyes for a long moment, willing to conflicting thoughts at bay.  

Maybe she did need to consider the offer.

“What if I did?” Penelope asked after a long moment.

--

Dinner was certainly quieter than usual.  Violet Bridgerton was used to her children being quite talkative but the majority of conversation seemed to be led by Anthony.

There seemed to be something quite curious going on: Eloise kept looking toward Benedict, Penelope seemed overly preoccupied with her dinner, Benedict kept looking between Eloise and Penelope.  She desperately wanted to get to the bottom of this but she knew eventually the truth would come out.

“Did anyone do anything interesting today?” she asked as she cut her quail, taking a bite as she waited for a response.

“I don’t know. Benedict, have you done anything interesting recently?” Eloise asked pointedly.

“I …can’t say that I did,” he responded looking to Anthony for support because he definitely didn’t know what his little sister was on about.

“Don’t look to me,” Anthony responded. “I don’t know what you’ve done.”

“He didn’t do anything but if he did it was most kind,” Penelope finally offered.

“So he did something kind,” Hyacinth said jumping into the adult conversation at hand.

“That doesn’t sound much like our brother,” Gregory added, not one to be left out.

Violet now knew that Benedict had done something but she didn’t know what it was.  Whatever it was Eloise was clear on it, though she wasn’t based on her powers of motherly observation if that thing was actually considered good or bad.

“I didn’t do anything,” he said, sounding more and more confused by the moment. “If someone would like to tell me what I did, I’d be much appreciative.”

“So, you didn’t propose to my best friend?” Eloise said from across the table.

“BENEDICT BRIDGERTON,” Violet raising her voice. Her jaw dropped silently. Clearly she had missed that part. “When did you intend to tell your mother?

“Weeks ago and she said no,” he said with a shrug.  He came fairly close to throwing Anthony under the bus for having been the one to lead him down that path but he took mercy.

Penelope was pretty sure if she could have melted into the table and disappeared at the moment she would have because all eyes were immediately on her.

Dinner was growing cold as the entertainment was clearly of greater value to all.

“But he hasn’t given up,” Eloise felt a need to point out. “I caught him speaking with her alone outside. At the time I didn’t know what he was up to but –“

“It was an innocent conversation and she approached me,”  he said, in defense of the situation.

“Eloise-“ Penelope said trying to get this whole thing to stop.

Eloise was too far gone though and there would be no stopping any conversation she felt she needed to have at this moment.

“Well you better invite me along on the honeymoon,”  Eloise said, making an indignant sound. “I still think it’s crazy but – you won.”

“I won?” Benedict asked incredulously.

“Your little gift did the trick,” Eloise said rolling her eyes.

“What gift?” Anthony asked.

“The dress,”  Penelope said after a long moment.

“You bought her a dress?!” Violet asked sounding absolutely delighted.

Anthony and Benedict exchanged glances and Benedict shook his head.  They’d all lost their mind because he certainly hadn’t sent anything.  Would it be wise to argue it at this point?  Benedict was starting to wonder if someone had done something on his behalf or maybe he had been drunk and done something.

“Uh… did I?” he asked.

“Yes and it was beautiful,” Penelope said finally.

Benedict clearly looked unsure what to say and he was almost grateful for the fact that Anthony was the one to excuse himself from the table, look at his brother.

“Well, we’re glad to hear that you like it,” Anthony said.  “We have some other… things to work on but um, yeah- It pleases me to hear you’re reconsidering the proposal.”

Benedict mouthed a ‘thank you’ at his brother and followed him out, moving than he would had the room actually been in fire. He needed to know what in the unholy Hell was going on, especially since their mother was now involved.

The only thing more dangerous than their mother when there was a match to be made was their mother when there was a wedding to be planned.

He wasn’t quite sure if that was the case here but he wasn’t going to stick around to find out when there were more pressing things to figure out first.