Holding Back {Anthony Bridgerton}

The Last Straw

The night that Penelope sought out Eloise after Marina told her that Colin would never see her more than a sister, broke Eloise's heart. Penelope didn't say a thing as to what had caused her such turmoil. So all Eloise could do was just hold onto her and comfort her best she could without talking. They snuck into the kitchen and Eloise moved about making them some hot chocolate while Penelope sat silently eating from the candy dish Eloise had set in front of her. Every time Eloise passed, Penelope would hand her a chocolate and give her a sad smile. Eloise would take the candy gratefully and press a kiss to her friend's hair before going back to making their drinks.

It wasn't until both of them climbed into Eloise's bed that Penelope started talking other than apologizing and thanking her friend for taking care of her. "I know finding love right now isn't very high on your list but do you think we will ever find it?" Penelope asked.

It isn't very high on my list right now because I think I've already found it but am too afraid to say it. Eloise thought as she looked at her best friend in the whole world. "I think so. No, I know so. We still have so much of our life ahead of us, Pen. So we will find love eventually."

"You may have time, El, but the way my mum puts things I'm running out of it." She let out a sigh. "Besides there's not a lot to choose from."

Eloise tried her best to not let the disappointment show. "You are also not running out of time. We haven't even finished our A-Levels yet. And I mean look at Kitty. She's just now entered into the Organization's social season and she wound up with my brother without him following the rules of this whole charade. And Kitty's an only child so why can't we who have plenty of older siblings do the same?"

"You really think that Kitty and Anthony are finally together?" Her eyes lit up at the potential new gossip.

"That was not the point of my little speech and you know it." Eloise laughed and playfully nudged her friend's shoulder. "But really, Pen, if you need me to remind you that you have so much time every single day, I will."

Penelope pulled Eloise in for a hug as best she could as they shared Eloise's bed. "Thank you, Eloise. You really are my dearest friend. I'm so sorry about our fight. I have missed you very much."

"I've missed you too." Eloise squeezed her best friend before pulling back. "Let's try to get some sleep. I'm sure things will only pick up from here."

And oh, how they did. LW revealed that Marina had been with child the entire time. The girls had been woken up by Anthony's shouts reverberating throughout the entire house. They couldn't exactly make out what he was saying but they still thought it best if Penelope snuck out and back to her house. Then with the secret out in the open came the Featheringtons being shunned by the organization.

Eloise felt horrible for her friend. It wasn't her fault that her mother tried to get Marina married off without revealing her state. She also felt a little bad for Marina, being pregnant at such a young age with her whole life still ahead of her. She couldn't imagine. The world still frowned upon having children out of wedlock but to try and come into an organization that still held so strongly to old-fashioned ideals, well that was surely a disaster waiting to happen. Despite Marina trying to trap her older brother, she wished the woman the best because life just became increasingly harder for her.

King's picnic didn't exactly help matters either. Everyone was on edge and she hated it. Not only did King get testy with her in regards to finding LW's identity, but she got to see the whole organization turn their noses at her best friend and her family. Eloise pulled Penelope aside, hiding in one of the tents set up. She hadn't been able to talk to her since Colin's engagement blew up.

"How are you holding up?" Eloise asked.

"Okay, I suppose. How is Colin?" Penelope asked.

"Colin will be just fine. Men always are in situations like these. You are the one I'm worried about. You're being villainized for something out of your control and it's all thanks to that LW."