Chapter Text
Penelope loves a good bath.
Being enveloped by the warmth, muscles all relaxed. Shoulders lowering and the stress of the day or the week, or the month really, dissolving from her body. If only for an hour or two.
The wonderful scents hitting her nose, whether it be from a nice oil, bubble bath or a bath bomb - Penelope is nothing if not an equal opportunist when it comes to her bath products. She won’t put her nose up at a scented candle either. Preferably paired with a foamy bubble bath to not be overwhelmed by scents. But the soft glow of candles, scented or not, can be counted on to feature when she draws herself a bath.
The temperature she prefers the water at has been described by Benedict as “Blimey Penelope! That was hotter than hell itself,” after that one time he tried to save time by having a shower at her and El’s after helping El paint her bedroom, but having to be at an art exhibit to support a friend in the evening. Forgetting to change the temperature before getting in. Benedict will continue to swear he got a burn on his chest from it.
As she got older, and less afraid of dropping them in the water, Penelope brought her beloved books into her bath routine as well. Reading about love and friendship and loss. Her brain soaking in the stories as her muscles soak in the water, leaving behind troubles of the real world.
The best baths are when she has the time to wash her hair and do her special hair mask that makes her curls all pretty and shiny. When she has the time to scrub and shave her legs and feel so clean and smooth and pretty as she wraps herself in a giant towel. Preferably after getting in a bit of reading first.
She has loved baths for as long as she can remember.
16 years old
It’s Easter Holiday when it happens. She’s sixteen, and after begging and begging, her mother eventually allowed her to stay behind with the Bridgertons instead of going to Ireland to visit a dreadfully boring Great Uncle. Eloise and Penelope are sure it has more to do with a phone call from Violet to Portia than either of the girls’ begging and pleading. But the means to the end doesn’t matter, they got what they wanted.
Penelope has been looking forward to binging movies and reading books. Discussing stupid plots and El teasing Penelope for how she is such a hopeless romantic - she can’t help it. Having sleepovers where they chat long into the night, in the darkness. About how annoying Gregory and Hyacinth are (Penelope secretly loves them), and how Daphne is so obviously crushing on Anthony’s friend Simon. About stupid Cressida and whatever stupid hairdo she had at the last society party they’d been forced to attend, and how it’s obviously pulled so tight her brain is suffering from it. About anything really - but how she’s hopelessly crushing on El’s older brother, Colin.
And they do some of those things, for the first two evenings of the week and a half Penelope is set to stay.
Their plans are derailed when Eloise gets a text from Theo Sharpe one afternoon, and suddenly he’s the only thing on Eloise’s brain.
“He wants to take me out,” she tells Penelope, eyes wide and mouth stretched into a silly grin. El is lying on her back on her bed, Penelope sitting on the floor next to it, an abandoned book in her lap.
Penelope can’t do anything but paint a smile on her lips. “Oh?” She’s silent for a moment. “Of course he does,” she tells her friend supportingly. Doing her best to keep her face from falling. Theo would be stupid if he didn’t want to take El out on a date. El is amazing. Yet, she’s never shown any interest in boys before. Barely ever mentioned anything about boys that doesn’t paint them as a gender in a bad light, even including her own brothers - whom Penelope knows El loves behind the bravado and the big words.
Penelope also hasn't shown much interest in boys. Not outwardly. Because she knows that they have no interest in her. With her too bright hair, too wide hips and freckled face. A soft belly she has yet to learn to love - yet to learn to accept - and won’t for years to come.
And there’s only one boy who catches her attention anyway.
So really, she shouldn’t be surprised that Eloise is showing interest when a boy is finally giving her that attention. She’d probably do the same, if somehow a boy that mattered gave her that attention.
“Tonight,” Eloise tells her, raising her head from the bed to look at the redhead. Voice clearly apologetic, yet Penelope can hear the excitement there. Eloise wants to go so bad, it’s clear.
“So, what are you going to wear?” She asks, still smiling. Hoping it’s giving the permission from her that Eloise is searching for. She’d never stop Eloise from doing something that would make her happy. They are best friends, and Penelope will always support her.
Even if it hurts a little.
“I was thinkinging…” Penelope watches as Eloise gets up from her spot on the bed and starts pulling things out of her closet. She gives her best friend advice as clothing items are debated, but her heart isn’t in it.
Their evening plans to re-watch Pride and Prejudice ruined.
Maybe Francesca will join her instead.
Except, it seems that night the Bridgerton household is strangely empty. The two youngest have been shipped off to an aunt and uncle for a sleepover while Violet has plans with some friends. Francesca and Daphne have disappeared to god knows where, and Anthony and Benedict had gone out to the pub.
In fact, she’s so sure she’s alone, watching her movie in the den, she almost jumps out of her seat when she hears footsteps.
She’s surprised when Colin rounds the corner and sits down on the other end of the sectional, eyes flickering between the movie she had been watching in her lonesome and his phone. He doesn’t say much, but he stays for the rest of the movie, saying good night when the movie is over and Penelope is getting ready to head to bed herself, folding the blanket she had burrowed into on the couch.
Eloise ditches her for Theo again two days later. And then again the evening after that.
Which is when Colin joins her in the living room again, after the youngest two have gone to sleep and Francesca is in the other room, practicing her piano playing. Penelope can hear the piano over her movie if she focuses on it.
When he rounds the corner, ten minutes into her watching Bridget Jones, she has to quickly wipe the tears from her eyes.
She’s more disappointed than sad, when it comes down to it. Eloise leaving her alone yet again. When they’re supposed to have a girls’ vacation - as much as they can while still surrounded by El’s family - and all for a boy, no less.
She would blame the tears on the movie if it was further along and her period being due any day now, which certainly isn’t helping her be less emotional, but she knows it’s mostly because of Eloise.
Disappointment in Eloise. In herself, for not managing to happy for her best friend having a boyfriend now. Disappointment in the fact that she herself never gets any attention from boys. She’d settle for anyone, she thinks secretly. It doesn’t have to be him.
“Alone again?” Colin asks her softly, as if she’s a spooked animal that needs to be approached carefully with no sudden movements.
She nods, pulling the blanket tighter around her body.
He takes a seat on the other side of the sectional, eyes scanning the tv screen. “I’m sorry about Eloise,” he tells her, “it’s not very nice of her to leave you alone every night.” His beautiful blue eyes now on her.
“It’s okay,” Penelope tries to assure him, but her red rimmed eyes say otherwise.
Colin looks like he’s about to argue with her. And Penelope wouldn’t blame him, she knows it’s not right of her to defend Eloise, she does deserve better. But Eloise is her best friend. And they have each other’s back. And maybe one day, she’ll be the one with a boy that she wants to see every night. Not the one crying because she’s doesn’t.
“Let me draw you a bath.”
It takes her by surprise. “A bath?” Penelope asks, hand still wiping away at the corner of her eye.
“Yes, a bath. You do love a bath, don’t you,” Colin sounds sure of himself, and Penelope doesn't even know how he has that information. He is right, of course. Did Eloise tell him? She has never taken a bath at the Bridgerton House before, and the thought of it seemed a bit strange to her. Both the thought of taking a bath at Bridgerton House, and the thought of Eloise and Colin talking about her love for baths. The fact that Colin has heard someone talk about her love for baths and remembering it. Saving the knowledge in between stories of him traveling and the dates for all his siblings’ birthdays.
He’s still the kind boy he was that day when her hat knocked him off his bike. Well, he’s turned into a man, hasn’t he. A very kind man.
“I do love a bath,” she admits, fiddling with the sleeves of her sweater, pulling them over her hands. “But you don’t have to, I’m fine. Really.”
He eyes her, probably taking in her slightly red nose, puffy eyes rimmed by smudgy mascara. A vision to behold, she’s sure.
“I’m going to draw you a bath, don’t argue with me Pen.” His voice is firm, and his big hand lands on her upper arm for a moment after he’s moved in close to her. She can feel the warmth of it through her sweatshirt. Squeezing her arm reassuringly.
It’s only there for a moment.
“Besides, I want the den all to myself. Can’t have you seeing the enormous amount of popcorn I’m about to decimate.” Voice hushed, like he’s letting her in on a secret.
Everyone knows he’s a black hole with no limits when it comes to food and treats of any kind. It makes her smile stupidly anyway. Colin usually has that effect on her.
“Movie first, or do you want me to head up and draw that bath for you right away?” Colin asks her, seemingly pleased with himself. “I think Daph might have some lavender bath salts, if you want some. She won’t mind.”
Of course Daphne won’t mind. She’s always been nice to Penelope. Daphne is nice to everyone.
“Thank you, Colin.” Penelope looks up at him, a soft smile on her face. “I’ll finish the movie first, if you don’t mind.”
He stays with her for the rest of the movie. Not saying much, but he’s there, on the other side of the sectional again. Laughing with her and once or twice making a stupid - but also kind of smart - comment about the movie, which brings a smile to Penelope’s face.
When the movie is done, he gets up and she can hear him taking the staircase, up to the first floor. When he’s back 10 minutes later, he announces that her bath is almost ready, handing her a glass jar of the lavender bath salts he mentioned.
The bath is hot, if maybe not as warm as she would have drawn it herself. There’s a huge soft looking towel laid out for her on the counter, and Penelope lets herself use a couple of scoops of Daphne’s lavender bath salts. It smells amazing as she dips her body into the bath.
The bath Colin drew for her.