Work Text:
BRIDGERTON: SWEET SWEET REVENGE
CHAPTER ONE
Fife could not believe it; she had said no. The wallflower had refused him. How could Penelope Featherington refuse him? He was a lord. Women did not refuse him. He would get back at her. But, how? He wanted to make her pay for turning him down. She loved Colin; would it not be poetic justice for her to wake up just down the hall from him in his brother’s bed? Yes, and Anthony was always used to getting his own way. What better way than to pay him back for going against him on that land deal? Make him marry the woman his brother loved, and that he cared for, and Fife knew Anthony was interested in Penelope and never did anything about it because of Colin.
It would take just the right partner, and he figured Portia Featherington would do just about anything to have her marry the Viscount to elevate herself in society, and he was right. She was easy to convince to help him with his plan. She sent her daughter to the billiard room to wait for her to talk to her, or so she said. Fife told Anthony that he needed to speak with him privately and urgently, and once both parties were in the room, Fife did something to the door handle to Anthony and Penelope’s horror and locked them in the room together. They tried to get out of the room, and to their dismay, the handle would not turn or open. They were stuck in this room together at the ball, waiting for someone to discover them.
Portia got a group of ladies together: Lady Danbury, Lady Bridgerton, Lady Cho, Lady Cowper, and Lady Brumer, and led them to the billiard room to see Lady Danbury’s new painting. Portia got Lady Danbury to offer to show the ladies by mentioning her latest painting. So, Fife fixed the door so the knob would not open, Fife as the ladies left the room gave her what she needed to put the knob back together to be able to open so when they said that the door was broke it would not be and they would be forced to marry.
While in the room, “Who set us up?”
“My Mama wanted me to talk to her in here.”
“Well, Fife wanted to talk to me in here.”
“I wonder what is going on. They really don’t know each other. What do they have planned?”
“Whatever it is, I think that what they have planned will result in us getting married.”
“Mama sure would do something like this, but why would Fife do this to you? After Mama’s ball last season and what Colin said, Fife asked to court me, and I told him no, I was not interested in him courting me. That might be why he is doing this to me, but why to you?”
“I refused to back a land deal of Fife’s recently, and no one else would go against me once I told them why I would not back it, and it fell through, and Fife lost a lot of money because of it. I thought he was angry with me, but that was just business. It was a bad investment. I could not in good conscience back the deal or allow anyone else to back the deal.”
“I guess that is why Fife and Mama did it: to make it look like you compromised me.”
“So, we will announce our engagement when whoever gets here. I am sure your mother is bringing some of the women of the ton in here and acting shocked that she sees us together. I am sorry you are being forced into a marriage with me.”
“My lord, I should be apologizing to you; this is my mama arranging this. This is not your fault, my lord. If it is anybody’s, it is mine.”
“I do not blame you for what your mother is doing. You are nothing like her. You are kind, compassionate, and beautiful, and nothing like the rest of your family.”
“Thank you, my lord.”
“Please, call me Anthony. We are going to have to get married, and I would like for you to call me by my Christian name.”
“My name is Penelope or Pen.”
“How about Penny or Nell? Since you will be my wife, I would like a name only I call you.”
“Nell. That would be okay.”
“Okay, Nell. You know a lot about my family, so it should be an easy fit for you to become Viscountess. You already know them. You do things for them already that a Viscountess would do. Like my mother with her embroidery thread, I have noticed you always bring her more whenever she starts to get low on it, so she never has to worry about it; you take care of it for her. You help Greg and Hy with their studies, I know they go to you and not their tutor whenever they have a problem. You help Eloise and listen to her, Francesca, with the piano forte. I’ve seen her go to you if she has a problem. Ben can talk about art with you, and you understand. You let him sketch you whenever he wants. To Colin, you are his dearest friend. He can talk to you, Daphne, and you find a quiet corner to talk whenever she visits, and I know you have visited her and Simon at Clyvedon, and you listen to me and would listen to any of us and be there for any of us.”
“Since we have to marry, I want to help you with your duties as Viscount.”
“Whatever for?” He was puzzled; no one had ever offered to help him before.
“To lighten your load. Lady Danbury has trained me in estate matters, which no one knows, but I know how to deal with tenant matters, estate matters, parliament matters, and investment and agricultural matters. How to investigate something and find out the needed information that people want to keep silent and unknown before signing a contract. I know how to help with ledgers and paperwork and am a math whiz, I speak seven languages and write the same seven, beside English. French, Latin, Irish, Italian, Greek, German, and Spanish. I am learning Dutch at the moment. I am capable of helping running your viscountcy and adding to it. I can help you and be a real partner to you Anthony, if you will let me.”
“I would be a fool to not let you help. Especially since you are Lady Whistledown on top of that.”
“How did you find out?”
“I have known since you oust your cousin Marina’s pregnancy. I went to Bloomsbury to the printers and found out about the maid with red hair and irish accent. I knew it was you and have kept your secret and will continue to keep it. Maybe you can help me with my business.”
“Yes, I would be willing to help my husband.”
“I think this will be a start of a beautiful relationship, I just have one question, will you please go see the modiste and order some clothes that are not yellow?”
“I would love to do that, Anthony, I hate yellow passionately.”
“Speaking of passion, I would like to know what it is like to kiss you. Do you object?”
“NO.”
Anthony’s hands come up and cup her cheeks, and he lowers his head and gently takes her lips and the spark that ignites surprises both of them, and they are kissing like there is no tomorrow. He pulls her closer to him so she is flat against him, and he is holding her in his arms and kissing her with a passion that surprises both of them. Her hands go around his neck and his goes around her waist, and there is not a breath between them when the ladies open the door and find them kissing passionately.
“Anthony, what are you doing?” Lady Bridgerton said. Inside, she was giddy. She was now going to have Penelope as a daughter, not with the son she thought, but with the way they were kissing, that would be alright. They were passionately kissing and still were. For that matter.
Portia was shocked that her daughter was kissing the Viscount like this. She had intended to get her married to the Viscount, but with the way they were kissing, it would be okay.
The other women were shocked at the kissing couple, and Violet realized they needed to stop them. Violet walked up to Anthony and hit him on the back of the head. This shocked Anthony, and he tore his lips away from Penelope’s. He lifted his head, and they opened their eyes and saw the women staring at them.
Anthony decided what to do, “Please congratulate us, Penelope has agreed to be my wife. We are engaged.”
A whole lot of “What?” was heard.
“I proposed to my Nell and she said yes. We are getting married. Lady Featherington, you have no objections to me marrying your daughter, do you?”
“No, of course not, my lord.” A shocked Portia said.
“Good, Mother tomorrow you and Penny need to go to the modiste for a wedding dress and a new wardrobe.”
“Of course, Anthony.”
“That's Good. You and Nell need to start planning the wedding. I want to get married in two weeks.”
They did it in two weeks. Colin did not take the news well, but to Pen’s shock, she did not care; it was too late, and there had been too many hurtful remarks.
To the shock of everyone, Anthony and Penelope fell in love and could not be happier. They had seven children whom they taught to love, and sometimes love comes in the most unexpected places. They were true partners in everything from the Viscountcy to home life; they did it together. They thanked Portia and Fife for their scheming; otherwise, they would have overlooked each other. So, they were thankful to them for their scheming. Because their life was worth living and loving, thank God for forced proximity, passion, and compromising positions.