The Wallflower

Fears

A/N: Ok y'all this is a long one but I needed to cover a lot of things before the next chapter and I'm lazy so I chose to just do it all in this chapter 😂 enjoy!

Penelope Featherington couldn't breathe. No matter how hard she tried to force air in and out of her lungs, her body wouldn't listen. It was as if time had slowed down. In a matter of seconds her whole world crumbled at her feet. Every secret she had hidden, every lie she told, every scandal she exposed, everything she had worked so hard to cover up, had collapsed in an instant.

She felt Colin beside her, talking in a hushed tone, his panic seeping through but she couldn't hear what he was saying. She started feeling dizzy and her head was spinning. Her vision faded in and out and she felt herself slipping. Colin caught her just as she collapsed. He sank to the ground with her and held her until she came to, a mere 10 seconds later, but it felt like an eternity to him.

Colin's heart stopped until she opened her beautiful blue eyes and stared into his. People passing by slowed just slightly to watch but no one stopped. His blood began to boil and he was about to yell at them, when he heard someone call his name. His brother Anthony appeared at his side and Colin looked up and saw Kate standing a few feet away, her hand covering her mouth in shock.

"Miss Featherington? Are you alright?" Anthony asked Penelope, as he checked her over for any signs of injury. Penelope couldn't speak. She just continued to stare up at Colin's face. She shook her head the slightest bit. No. She was not alright. Colin pulled her even tighter to his chest and looked up at Anthony.

"We need to get her out of here, Anthony." Colin pleaded looking around as more and more people stopped to ogle at them. He needed to get himself out of there before he started swinging at people. How dare they stand there and watch as if Penelope was a part of some show to entertain them. Anthony nodded his head and looked up at Kate.

"Kate, can you go inside and ask a maid to get a bowl of warm water and some clean cloths. Have them taken to Miss Penelope's bedchambers." Kate nodded her head and hurried inside to notify a servant.

Colin slid his arms under Penelope's shoulder and her knees and lifted her up with ease. Penelope was shocked even more. She wasn't the lightest of people and her dress made her even bulkier but he simply lifted her as if she weighed nothing. Penelope clung to him and buried her face into his neck. Colin whispered to her "I've got you Pen. I won't let anything happen to you."

And then she was out again.

~

Colin laid Penelope down on her bed and brushed her red curls out of her face. He got one long look at her before she was surrounded by servants, tending to her. The maids did quick work pulling pins out of her hair and applying damp wash cloths to her forehead and arms. He felt someone tap his shoulder and he turned to Anthony and Kate standing behind him.

"Colin, what happened?" Anthony asked seriously. He had never seen Colin so tense, so serious, so...worried. He knew Colin had a kind heart and was always looking for ways to rescue someone in need but this, Anthony thought, was different. Colin's eyes stung with tears as he looked back at Penelope. "What have I done?" He mumbled.

Anthony looked at Kate silently asking 'What do I do?' This was all knew to Anthony really. Kate smiled a sad smile and stepped towards Colin. She gently took his arm and led him to the chair that sat in front of Penelope's writing desk. He sat down and looked at her as she knelt beside him. "Colin, what happened to Penelope?"

Colin swallowed hard and looked between his brother and Kate. Panic had set into his blue eyes and he was on the verge of tears. Kate nor Anthony had seen Colin like this. It made Anthony sick to his stomach with dread. "I..She...I can't tell you." He stammered out.