Invisible, Till Now

Chapter 4

All Colin could do was toss and turn all night. It seemed that sleep was not going to be an option for him. His own tantalizing words repeated in his head. Penelope's face full of hurt flashed in front of his closed eyes. He had to do something. Colin turned to his side and reached for his watch that was resting on his night stand. It read 4:25 in the morning. Damn! He'd have to wait much longer till he could call on Penelope. He needed another chance to voice his apologies. But what would he say? He didn't think there could be any such words that could express how sorry he felt. Colin placed his watch back down on his nightstand and turned to lay on his back. He knew he wasn't going to get much sleep still, but it was worth a try. Colin shut his eyes while words flooded through his mind on what he was going to say to his dear Pen. 

~~~~~

It was now around eight in the morning and Colin was only granted with just two hours of sleep. As he was making his way into the breakfast room, he could hear all of his family discussing who knows what, as they always do. 

"Oh poor dear," Colin heard his mother say while clutching at her chest. Colin sat down next to her and grabbed a piece of toast and jam for his plate. 

"What is the matter?" Colin asks with a yawn.

"Good morning brother, you look lively this morning," Benedict joked while popping a piece of a scone into his mouth. Colin gave him a sarcastic smile and tried to tame his hair down. 

"You must see what that wicked Whistledown wrote of our dear friend," their mother said while passing the article over to him. "Poor Penelope!"

"Penelope?" Colin grabbed the paper abruptly form his mothers hands and began to the read the column. 

"Lady Danbury's ball was a smash indeed! Everyone seemed to be enjoying their time. Except for the youngest Featherington of course. Miss Penelope Featherington arrived in new fashions, that finally did not make her look like a citrus fruit! However, this poor Featherington had an embarrassing end to her night. Miss Penelope Featherington seemed to have had two left feet, that left her falling to the ground with a sharp ending tune of the waltz. How embarrassing indeed. Though the crowd seemed to enjoy the sight. It seems this wallflower may never be anything but just a wallflower to the tons eyes." 

Colin slammed the article onto the table and got up from his seat in a raging manner. What thoughtless and inhumane person could write such nasty things of a kind person? Colin had to go see Penelope right away. Before he could make it out of the room, his mother called after him. 

"My dear, where are you going? You look a mess!" Colin turned around and faced his mother while trying to tame his hair once again. 

"I must see Penelope!" Colin said fuming. 

"What is the big deal," Eloise rolled her eyes, "Whistledown has wrote worse things about us."

"Eloise?" Their mother said, "she is still your friend." Eloise gave her a cut laugh. I guess there really was something going on between his sister and Penelope, Colin thought. 

But he had to leave at once, he will figure that out later he told himself. Colin then ran out of his house towards the Featherington's manor. Colin thought he must of looked quite silly, sprinting across the road to the Featherington's home. But he did not care, more things were important than a few people seeing him run like a mad man.