#lord Debling fic

[madhatterbri]

Wedding Night | Lord Debling

Summary: The Lord proves to be quite the gentleman on their wedding night.

Author's Note: Bri, he was going to leave her for three years. And? Let me have my me time. I'm an Aquarius.

Taglist: @theworldofotps @plentyoffandoms

Looking for fluff with Lord Debling? Check out @theworldofotps fic found here.

Looking for answers about his travels for 3 years? Check out @plentyoffandoms work here.

Y/N's wedding day proved to be one of the happiest days of her young life. Lord Debling held nothing back in giving her the wedding she always dreamed of. While they were still learning each other, she was rather pleased with him. The man had his quirks, but he cared for her deeply.

The bride loved what would come to be her new home. A stable, library, and garden to occupy her free time. It was like a dream come true. A fantasy that became her reality.

After dinner, they went to the library. Books in hand, they read to their hearts content. The pair would pause a couple of times to remark on a particular subject in their book that they enjoyed. At the appropriate time, he announced that he would show her new bedroom.

The stomach tied in knots as they climbed up the stairs. She half hoped they would share a bed together. Despite liking her new surroundings, she didn't feel quite comfortable yet. The Lord was the only person she knew, and it was all still very new.

The wedding night also caused her some distress. Her mother and dearest servant told her what to expect. She was to lay with him and expected to produce an heir. Let him have his pleasures and then leave. It may be unfair, her mother told her, but she wouldn't have to work a day in her life.

"I will come back shortly," he assured her and kissed her forehead. With candlelight in hand, he disappeared towards his chambers across the hall.

Y/N changed into her white nightgown. Her fingers shakily buttoned the buttons that were from her neck to below her breasts. She sat in the middle of the bed. Her head propped up on a pillow and waited.

"Y/N? May I come in?" Lord Debling asked and knocked on the door. Her heart pounded in her chest. This was really going to happen. She called for him to enter. The blonde lord came into her room. His wedding attire long gone and now he wore a night shirt. He stood at the foot of her bed.

"A beautiful day for my beautiful bride," he commented. His eyes gazed at her lovingly.

"My Lord, you always have such sweet words to say to me," she blushed and looked away.

"Alfred," he told her. "Please call me Alfred when we are together,"

"My apologies, Lo- Alfred," she quickly caught her simple mistake. He seemingly smiled at the way he voice spoke his name. So sweet, like honey. Her innocent face looked at him.

"Do you know what comes now?" He asked. Her heart picked up its pace again. She shifted uncomfortably.

"My mama told me," she admitted. Alfred noticed her change immediately. The once bright angel was now nervous.

"I did not mean for my question to cause you such discomfort. What has your mama told you?" He asked. Worry written all over his face.

"That you will have your pleasures, and it will hurt and just lay here," she answered. The Lord shifted and rested his hands on the canopy of the bed.

"Nonsense, my dear," he whispered. Alfred climbed on the bed. His knees carried him over to his dainty wife. Once he saw her try to sink to the bed, he stopped. "Are you frightened of me?"

"I'm sorry, Alfred. I know not of what to expect," she answered.

"You will instruct me of where to kiss and touch you. When you are ready, we will continue," he promised. Y/N took a moment before nodding her head. She visibly relaxed. Alfred rubbed his hands up her leg no higher than the knee.

"I wish to be closer to you. I will sit between your legs but do nothing more until you wish to have me. Is that understood?" He asked. His question was answered when her legs slowly parted to allow him his request.

Once the Lord of the manor was comfortable, he leaned down and kissed her softly. Her eyes closed as she melted in the kiss. He always knew to quiet the storm in her mind. Alfred deepened the kiss.

The worry of her enjoying him washed away when she heard her pant. He swore to himself that he would work to hear more of her noises of pleasure. To his amazement, she wrapped her arms around him.

Alfred pulled away to catch his breath. His thumb ran across her bottom lip. He rubbed her bottom lip down softly. "May I taste you?"

Another nod as they went back to kissing. He licked her bottom lip. She parted her lips to accept him in. His tongue slid inside of her mouth. Their tongues twined around the other. She moaned in the kiss. He pulled away and pulled on her bottom lip with his teeth softly.

"What happens next?" She asked breathlessly. The man truly took her breath away. His charm and kindness made up for all the cruelty in the ton. Y/N couldn't explain it, but something was happening in her body. A pressure was building in her stomach.

"This," he answered and kissed her neck. Alfred kissed and nibbled on the flesh. As with bird watching, he listened carefully for changes in her breathing. He wanted to be able to make her sing for him. One particular kiss, gave him his praise.

"Alfred," she whined and moved her head to the opposite side. The lord understood and didn't leave her spot. He sucked the spot, leaving a mark in its wake. The pressure in her stomach built a little more.

"Angels couldn't sing my name as beautifully as you," he complimented. His forehead rested against hers. Something was eating away at her. A little thing her sister told her. Maybe it would help.

"My cousin told me about her marital bed. I thought it was silly, but she wanted to ease my mind. Her husband, he, well," she stammered and blushed. The girls went into a laughing fit once they talked about this. When she couldn't find the words to speak, she grabbed his hand.

Lord Debling couldn't hide the shocked expression on his face. His wife ran his fingers over her clothed breasts. The tips of his fingers barely touched her hard nipples. Once she relinquished his hand, he found his hands back on her breasts.

"Tell me, my little dove. What did she tell you?" He asked. His hands kneaded her breasts.

"That a woman is sensitive there, and men love to touch them," she answered with a pleasured gasp. His thumbs rubbed over her nipples.

"May I unbutton your dress, my dear?"

Y/N nodded urgently. His fingers worked each button. Lord Debling's face appeared pleased. Like a child opening a big box on Christmas. She touched his forearms and rubbed them. Once her chest was exposed, he pressed them together.

"Beautiful," he whispered and leaned down. His mouth latched on to her nipple. His teeth pulled the pebble softly before engulfing it in his mouth once more.

"My Lord," she moaned. Her arms wrapped around his back. She ran her fingers through his hair. Her mind felt like mush. Lost in the pleasures her husband was providing to her. He paid attention to both breasts, moving from side to side when he felt one was neglected of his touch.

The pressure in her lower belly felt heavier. She feared the feeling wouldn't go away. What if something was wrong? This wasn't the only difference she could feel. Between her legs ached for his touch. A throbbing that wouldn't leave her any peace. She blushed and squirmed at the new sensations.

"Something troubles you," he pointed out. He cupped her cheeks. "Tell me,"

"I fear there is something wrong. My body feels as if it is on fire. Have I done something wrong?" She asked, worried. This marriage was important to her. All she ever wanted was for Alfred to favor her.

"My little wife," he smiled and chuckled playfully. "Your body is reacting so well to me. May we go lower?"

Her face heated knowing the time was getting closer. "Yes,"

Alfred moved her legs to bend at the knee. He lowered his hands to the hem of her nightgown. Painfully slow, he raised the dress higher up her body. Kisses were left in the trail of where the dress was once covering. The nightgown bunched around her waist.

Her breath hitched in her throat. No man had ever seen her like this before. So completely exposed. He was modest about her embarrassment. Alfred kissed between her inner thighs. His beard scratched against her soft skin.

"This may feel weird at first, but you will enjoy it. You have my word," he promised. He kissed higher on her legs before stopping between her legs. She felt his breath on her pussy.

Lord Debling ran his thumb between her sex. He was pleased to see her body was wet for him. Unashamed, he sucked the slick from his finger. Y/N was so perfect for him. His little dove.

With his fingers, he exposed her clit. She tensed yet quickly relaxed when his tongue made contact with her bundle of nerves. His virginal wife made a breathy moan. His tongue swirled in a circular motion as if licking an ice cream cone.

"My Lord," she moaned and gripped the sheets. Her head drifted off to the side. Alfred didn't afford her an opportunity to get used to his actions. His tongue licked side to side before moving up and down a short time later.

He tongued her entrance briefly before finding her clit once more. She melted at his actions. Nibbles and sucks on her sensitive body, caused her to squirm.

"Look at me," he ordered. She stared down between her legs. His blue eyes stared at her intently. While she was distracted by his skilled tongue, Alfred inserted a finger inside of her. He only pushed into the middle of his finger to get her used to it.

He never let up on her as he watched her enjoy herself. The Lord was patient with her. After her walls comfortably accepted his fingers, he added one more. They scissored inside of her to get her ready for him.

Alfred pulled himself away from her. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Do not be afraid, my dove," he comforted her. Y/N nodded and watched as he removed his nightgown. Her eyes took in his body. She enjoyed the hair on his chest along with his muscular body. "I will go slow,"

Alfred positioned himself between her legs. He rubbed the tip of his length between her folds. Once settled at her entrance, he slowly slipped the head inside of her. He took deep breaths to steady himself.

Once her walls accepted him in, he shoved more of himself inside of her. He leaned down and kissed her lips. Any distraction for her in case he caused her any discomfort. Alfred made short thrusts to get her used to his actions. They moaned into each other.

Each thrust allowed him to slide in a little more. He continued his crusade of peppering her lips and face with kisses. With one final thrust, he knew the deed was done. A pained moan escaped her lips.

"You are doing so well," he praised. His forehead rested against hers. Alfred waited for her body to adapt to him. He pulled out halfway before thrusting once again. Y/N remained silent while he praised her. What felt like an eternity to the Lord, she moaned his name. A voice of the angels.

"I'm here, darling. You look beautiful," he complimented. His thrusts picked up. The bed squeaked under them. Their sounds of pleasure fueling the other on more. Her arms found their way around him. Her nails connected to his skin. He hissed yet didn't complain.

"Alfred, something is happening," she warned. The pressure in her belly felt like it would snap.

"I know, darling. I feel it. Give me everything," he assured her.

Her mother nor her cousin could tell her the full experience of her first orgasm. She felt like she was floating in the air. Her eyes were half closed as her body tightened around him. In her distraction, he gripped her hips and buried his head in her neck. With one last thrust, he spilled his seed inside of her.

They remained still for a while to catch their breath. He removed himself from inside of her. Her nightgown was placed properly while his was placed back on. He moved to leave her bed, yet the look in her eyes stopped him.

"Are you in pain?" He asked with great worry. Despite all his measures, he feared he caused her pain that she wouldn't admit.

"I do not wish to be away from my husband. Please stay with me just for tonight,"

Her heart sank when she stood from her bed. Tears pricked her eyes, yet he slid under the covers next to her. He raised the covers to envelope them around her.

"But just for tonight," he reminded. His arms wrapped around her. She nodded and cuddled into her. They talked about their hopes and dreams for the marriage. His soft snore lured her into a peaceful sleep.

[storiesaplenty]

Take a Flyer

Lord Debling x f/Reader (18+)

Bridgerton Masterlist

“Flyers” were shoes, so this phrase describes having sex while still dressed or “without going to bed.”

Just like all my other stories, has not been proofread, but please enjoy.

Warnings. Smut below the cut. Unprotected sex. P in v. Creampie

WC 583

From my previous account plentyoffandoms.

©️ storiesaplenty 2024: do not repost or translate my work. This is the only place I post my work.

Summary: Lord Debling did not care that a dinner party was happening in the next room. He has been gone from his wife far too long, & he is going to make up for lost time.

"Alfred, please." She whined as I bent her over the arm of the settee, bunching up her skirts.

"Please, what my darling?" I questioned as I undid my own breeches

"The guests are waiting."

"What did I say in my letters I sent home?" I fisted my cock, slapping it against her leaking pussy.

I pushed just the tip in, savouring the feeling of her warmth. Oh, how I have missed this.

She pushed her hips back or tried to take me deeper. I pulled back, making her cry out in frustration.

"What did I say, my dear?"

"That I will be dripping with your seed every day that you are home."

"And I intend to keep that promise, my love." I slammed into her, reaching around to cover her mouth as she let out a scream of my name.

"Was too long without you wrapped around my cock. Lord, I have missed you."

"And I intend to keep that promise, my love." I slammed into her, reaching around to cover her mouth as she let out a scream of my name.

I have been gone for 5 months, and I regretted not bringing her along with me this time, but she insisted on coming with me the next trip.

I have been home only three days, and I have spent every single moment buried deep within her walls.

Our meals were brought to us in our bedroom. The moment we were done, I was on her.

But not today, no.

This dinner party had been in the works for months now, and there was no way she was going to cancel it, so she was up before I was this morning, and she has been on the go since.

My cock ached for her all day, even finishing myself off would not do the trick. Not when I have my wife so close to me, whose body and soul I have missed more than anything.

So when I found her in our drawing room, waiting to make her entrance and suprise everyone that I was home, I had to make quick use of our time together, knowing how our dinner parties can go well into the night, sometimes the next day.

My pace was slow, savouring this moment of being in her once more, but then the thought of someone walking in on us, awake something in me.

I pulled her hips back with every single thrust. Groans and moans falling from my own lips as soft pants left hers.

I couldn't hold back anymore, with one final thrust, I stilled as I came deep within her. My face scrunching up at the intense pleasure.

A soft gasp fell from her lips. I pulled out of her and watched as my spent slowly started to leak onto her thighs. I put the skirts of her dress back down and myself away.

"I am sorry, my love. Once they are gone, I will make it up to you." I have always made sure she finishes, doesn't matter if it is by my cock, fingers or mouth.

She cupped my face in her hand, and I leaned into it, kissing her palm.

"I know you will, Alfred. Come. Our guests are waiting and I am very hungry."

I sat there, talking with an acquaintance, watching her out of the corner of my eye, knowing that her and I share a dirty little secret between the two of us.

The thought of her sitting there with my cum leaking out of her, made my cock twitch in my breeches.

Oh yes, I will be making it up to her once everyone is gone.

Tag list: @madhatterbri

[quotergirl19]

Lord Debling is looking for a love match and he takes an immediate liking to Penelope Featherington but he can see there is something between Miss Featherington & her friend Mr. Bridgerton who keeps a suspiciously close eye on her. Penelope assures him that they are childhood friends so Debling makes a point of telling Colin that he will do everything in his power to make Penelope happy because she’s is exactly the sort of woman he’s hoping to secure for his wife. Debling goes on to express his surprise that Colin did not marry her himself since he clearly cares for her and must know that it would be a terrible waste for such a remarkable woman to become a spinster when she’s such a rare jewel and Colin appears quite taken with her.

Colin immediately tells Debling that Penelope is his oldest and dearest friend and with no father or brother to look after her, he has promised to look out for. He insists he only wants what is best for his friend but Debling’s not fooled and proceeds to watch their interactions very closely.

Forgetting that they shared the first dance of the evening together, Colin takes Penelope’s hand for a dance and he is clearly unsettled by his conversation with Debling. He tries to ask Penelope if she thinks she might come to love Lord Debling but she doesn’t want to talk about it and it’s clear Colin believes Penelope is forming an attachment to the gentleman. He is visibly bothered by this.

When the dance ends, Violet, Anthony and Portia Featherington all notice that Colin fails to bow and release Penelope, instead he keeps her in his arms, starting a third dance which is immediately noticed by another several members of the ton because more than two dances is improper and widely considered to be an engagement announcement. When Penelope tries to tell Colin that people are watching them, he doesn’t care.

Again, Colin asks Penelope if she believes she might come to love Lord Debling and she tells him she is fond of him but does not know if that will ever become love, adding that she has had to abandon any hope of love in order to focus on securing a match at all. It dawns on Colin that Penelope is guarding her affections which seemed unlike her. He asks if she is scared to risk her heart because of what he said last season. He tells her not to let anyone or anything ever make her feel unworthy of great love, that she’s more deserving of happiness and devotion than she realizes and Penelope nearly bursts into tears hearing that from Colin of all people and she flees the ballroom.

Colin immediately follows Penelope out into the garden insisting that she’s the best person he knows and she will make some gentleman a very lucky and happy man no matter who she chooses to marry. He insists she should not rush or settle, that she should wait for love. Penelope pleads with him to stop but Colin continues, insisting that she doesn’t see herself the way he sees her. That she thinks she’s invisible but he sees her and he thinks she’s perfect. Intelligent, loyal, kind and beautiful… everything a good man could ever hope for and right there in a moonlit garden, Colin Bridgerton kisses Penelope Featherington and it is glorious. But they’re witnessed by Cressida Cowper who intentionally brings Colin & Penelope’s disappearance to the attention of Lord Debling who leaves the party but later wishes Penelope every happiness with her Mr. Bridgerton when their paths cross again after the engagement between Miss Penelope Featherington & Mr. Colin Bridgerton is announced.

[grace-williams-xo]

Comment from @pluto-pepsi on this post of mine, re point 11.

I lowkey want Anthony to be mad in “Penelope has no male relatives so I guess the duty of beating the shit out of my brother for ruining her engagement falls to me” kind of way

“Why do I have it on good authority that Penelope Featherington was about to accept a proposal from Lord Debling, until you ruined it?” Anthony yelled, marching into Colin’s study angrily. Kate followed him, resigned.

“Anthony! Kate! When did you get back?” Colin asks, not put off by his brother’s attitude.

“That is hardly relevant,” Anthony snaps.

“The ship arrived yesterday, but we stayed at an inn. We have only returned to Mayfair today,” Kate explains, moving to sit on an armchair. She has mostly given up trying to calm down her husband.

“Lord Debling is not important anymore brother, Penelope and I are betrothed,” Colin sighs, a small smile between smug and fond settling on his features.

“You are what?! Since when?!”

“In fact, I am surprised that whatever informed you of her ill fate with Lord Debling did not also tell you of our engagement,” Colin shrugs.

“You cannot propose marriage without my approval, Colin. I know the Featherington estate has been unfortunate lately. Does she even have a dowry?” Anthony seethes, nostrils flaring.

“A dowry should not matter—“

“But—“

“Anthony,” Kate interrupts their squabble, her voice gentle but exhausted. His neck immediately snaps to look at her. “Colin has been fond of Miss Penelope for some time now. You should consider this while we rest from our journey.”

“You are right.” Anthony huffs, always obedient of his wife, and walks out of the room with a sigh. Colin sends Kate a grateful look as they exit. “BENEDICT!”

“Anthony,” Kate all but groans. This is not what she meant when she said they should rest.

“Brother! You have returned!” Benedict grins, bounding up the stairs.

“How could you let our brother propose marriage to a woman who was for all intents and purposes engaged to someone else?” Anthony asks sharply.

“I do not think she was,” Benedict says confusedly.

“I have heard otherwise. It is my duty to rectify this.”

“Rectify it how? They are already engaged to be married, and you are not the guardian of either of them,” Benedict points out in disbelief.

“Miss Penelope is without a male guardian, so I must do what I can and must to control the Colin of it all,” Anthony replies matter-of-factly

“Anthony,” Kate says, voice sterner than before, “I said we should rest.”

“This is not over,” Anthony scowls.

[myfairstarlight]

I know there was already enough tension in part 2 but can you imagine if Debling had stayed a bit longer.

Because he would understand immediately that something was wrong between Polin and he liked Penelope, I know they would have been friends after all. Just imagine a scene where he's maybe a bit petty and gets back at Colin for publicly humiliating him by constantly threatening to resume his engagement with Penelope like

Debling: Well, if you have changed your mind, Mr Bridgerton, be sure that Miss Penelope will not be ruined, for I would gladly propose—

Colin, eye twitching: I will end you.

[midnightfandoms]

What I like about Lord Debling is that he’s completely honest about what he wants. He wants a wife to run his estate while he continuously goes on years long expeditions. He’d also like his wife to be honest with him and to be someone he enjoys hanging out with. But, beyond this straightforward admission, what sets him apart is that he specifically wants someone who will genuinely be happy with this arrangement. He could easily take advantage of some naive girl who doesn't fully grasp the weight of her decision. Instead, he wants an intelligent person who is going into it with her eyes wide open. He wants a wife who is equally passionate about her own interests so that she will enjoy the freedom of being alone rather than finding it sad and isolating.

It makes him a terrible match for Panelope (who he dropped as soon as he realized she'd be deeply unhappy in their marriage) and the whole sexist system still sucks, but imagine how happy he could make the Charlotte Lucases of that world.

[easybrainrot34]

✈️ Colin Bridgerton Headcanons ✈️

This was requested by this lovely anon!! This is my first request so thank you for writing in! It would’ve come out sooner, but i currently have a mean tooth infection, nevertheless, the show must go on! Heads up, third one is a hint of spice. Hope u enjoy☺️

Characters mentioned : Gregory, Anthony, Benedict, Daphne, Edmund, Violet, Penelope, Debling, and Eloise

🎻= regency era

🧳= modern au

🧳🎻= either

Ps my request r open :)

🧳🎻 I think he has a very realistic view on his brothers. I think he use to blindly look up to them just bc they were his older brothers, but as time has passed he definitely sees and recognizes that they both have some decent flaws. However, he really wants Gregory to look up to him the most. I don’t think he would ever admit it to anyone, but i feel like he could think a little higher of himself (not in a bad way at all) therefor he thinks he’s led the best example for how a man should be to Gregory.

🧳🎻 He gives off shy kid vibes. Like between the ages of 4-10 he was pretty shy only having like two friends. I feel like Ben specifically found this a little concerning bc he didn’t want him to have issues in school and life in general, so together they worked really hard on getting him to not only have more confidence in himself but actually practiced having convos. I also feel like once he got to the “interested in dating people” age Daphne and Ben tried their best to tech him to talk aka flirt with people.

🧳 (Lil spicy) Had a hoe phase in college. People are always shocked about how high his body count is (20+) but he was never a douche bag to anyone he’s hooked up with. I feel like when Anthony and Benedict found out on one of the weekly boys nights they have, Ben was proud and Anthony was a little shook. Anthony made him swear up and down he always wore a condom and then congratulated him lol.

🧳 Staying on the college root, he definitely gives off world history major vibes. He def was a foreign exchange student in high school (secondary school for the brit’s out there lol) and studied a couple semesters abroad in college. Specifically went to France in high school, then America, Italy, Spain, and India in college. He also makes it a point to travel every summer. I feel like he would definitely end up as a teacher of some sort tho. Like he’s definitely the cool history teacher everyone loves. Also hes definitely that teacher that gets side tracked easily if u ask him about his time abroad.

🧳 Definitely has more girl friends than guy friends, but not super imbalanced. He just gives was invited to the girls night out vibes. (I have a headcanon that i already wrote that i would definitely add Colin too). He definitely has his Boyz™️ that he hangs with all the time, but he knows they can be a little much, so i feel like when he wants to be social but have a relaxed time he hangs with the girlies. Idk colin just gives friends with everyone vibes.

🧳 I think Colin has diagnosed anxiety, and once he learned that he became more educated and aware of mental health. I feel like he started getting panic attacks shortly after Edmund died (he was 12 yrs old if i did my math right lol) but didn’t want anyone to worry about him so he just kinda dealt with it and kinda got to a point where he thought it was normal. It came up randomly in a convo with Daphne, Ben, and Violet that he gets them but at this point he didn’t get what the big deal was. I feel like these 3 took it seriously and once he got diagnosed he put work into researching how to understand mental health issues more.

🧳🎻 He LOVES to plan dates. His go to is always dinner at a nice restaurant then a show of some kind. Play, musical, movie out, doesn’t really matter to him. He enjoys a night in, sure, but what he really loves is showing you off. He’s proud to have you as his (not in a possessive creepy way, in a sweet way) and wants to show you off.

🧳 Colin is a little bit of a jealous type. We see it in the show when Pen is being courted by Debling. However, i feel like when he’s in a relationship, he completely trust his partner. If he sees someone flirting with you he will let them flirt but he will definitely swoop in with a little hey babe and a forehead kiss lol. If someone try’s to flirt with him tho, he will just start gushing about his amazing partner. I’m talking putting out the Lock Screen and going “ya look how cute WE are”. Once y’all are married tho he NEVER takes off the wedding ring.

🧳 I feel like he has a decent following on Insta and TikTok 😂😂😂. Not like influencer numbers but like 6k on instagram and 9k on TikTok. He definitely post all his travel stuff on Insta and does like little OOTDs on TikTok. Colin gives very much “gives a fuck about how he looks” vibes so i feel like he knows the fashion trends on TikTok. His “aesthetic” is like hipster mixed with old money (bc he is in fact, old money lol). Also yes, he recognizes he gets thirst comments and will play into just a little, but once hes taken he would comment “ my partner thinks so too :)”

🧳 Colin has secret tattoos. Like his friends know but he didn’t tell his family for a minute bc he knows it would become a thing lol. They r all small and in places he can cover up (shoulder, thigh, and one on his wrist he covers up with his watch) but one day he got a little careless at the beach and let them show. I feel like Violet had a “what did u do to your beautiful body??!!” mom moment, Anthony was pissed bc he didn’t tell him, Ben laughed his ass off, and Eloise congratulated him on doing something “actually risky” for once. I feel like after the initial shock everyone really likes them and he goes out and gets more in public places.

! Bonus One !

He still sleeps with his childhood stuffed animal lmfao like it’s a cute little elephant his mom and dad got him. He has had to do many repairs on it over the years lol

[aylasrants]

it is decided bridgerton season 3 will heal my depression

can we talk about the trailer for one second, like yes it took forever to be out but it’s here finally and gosh am i hooked

first of all the trailer opening with colin in carriage??? like netflix and shonda rhimes know their shit, they know damn well what they are doing

and then penelope OMGGG IS SHE GORGEOUS, the ton is so blind to not have acknowledged her beauty before cause my girl have been sparkling since the day she was born

then kanthony being happily married 🥹 i feel like i’ve watched my children growing up and starting their own family

eloise and cressida???? why??? don’t get me wrong i love eloise but she’s acting so petty and i hate it

and then polin saying they are friends bahaha like we believe it, they don’t even believe it themselves

the candle scene where colin seems to be deep in thoughts (of penelope i am sure) and the candle slowly lighting brighter 🫠

lord debling seems so sweet too, he gives me mr darcy vibes and i truly hope he’ll find the one for him

the scene with colin and his mother talking about friendship being the foundation for love and then it cutting straight to colin and penelope being their adorable self and laughing, i’m gonna die of excitement!!!

i also cannot wait to see the relationship between lady danbury and penelope cause i love them both so much

colin waking up from what seems to be a steamy dream (the mirror scene perhaps 🫣)

francesca looks so sad all the time i just wanna hug her :(

and violet finding love again?? hook me up

anyways all that to say that i cannot wait, i am literally counting the days (1 months and 5 days hehe), but i have my finals first so i have to study and then i’ll have the greatest reward of all

[faneliansficaloh]

A Lifetime of Happiness

(Ch 1) (Ch 2) (Ch 3) (Ch 4) (Ch 5) (Ch 6) (Ch 7) (Ch 8) (Ch 9) (Ch 10) (Ch 11) (Ch 12) (Ch 13) (Ch 14) (Ch 15)

This is Chapter 16

Read in AO3

Notes

----------

30 January 1818

Dear Penelope,

You better than anyone on this earth knows that it has not been determination exactly that has brought me where I am today. It was self preservation, mostly, but I thank you for the sentiment any way. I will concede that I was determined to stop harming others with my tomfoolery, though.

You are wise beyond your years Pen, and there are very few people in this world whose opinion I value as much as I do yours, in all matters. So you must tell me if you think I should be worried about Amanda. I’ve noticed lately that she has been trying to care for us in her own way, treating us like her little pets, some times. She admonishes us for not eating our vegetables, and the other night she came in to my little study well after her bed time to tell me to go to sleep.

I promise I will follow whatever you recommend. I learned my lesson that one time I did not listen to you and for that transgression I have paid dearly, so I hope you have already forgiven me. Besides, I believe it was Prudence’s singing that made me temporarily deaf at the time.

Please give Prudence my regards, as well as her husband. Unlike Mr. Finch, Mr. Dankworth has not written to me frequently, so I shall rely on you for this short greeting.

You should be receiving spring and its early flowers by the time you get this letter. I hope you’ve also received the news you wish so much for.

Yours, Colin.

1815 – Flown away

It had been a smaller affair than Portia Featherington would have liked it to celebrate her daughter marrying a baron, but everybody agreed that the ceremony was lovely and the wedding breakfast was perfect. Well, almost everybody.

She had changed into a travel dress as they were to depart for Surrey immediately after the celebration. Mrs Varley had to help her as Rae had already been sent on her way to prepare things for her in what would be her new home.

It was an odd feeling, as she looked around at her mostly-empty room. All her things had already been packed and sent away, and Mrs. Varley looked like she might cry.

“We are all very happy for you, my Lady, the staff send their congratulations”

“That is very kind, thank you.” It felt odd to accept that she would miss this house and the people that inhabited.

“We will miss you”

“I will miss you, too. Thank you for looking after us all these years, Mrs. Varley.” She held and pressed the woman’s hand in hers to show her affection.

The old woman smiled with pride. “I will let them know that you’re ready”

“Yes, thank you.”

Penelope took a last look at her bedroom and taking a deep breath marched resolutely out the door. She was climbing down the stairs when she heard the well known sound of domestic gossip and could not help herself. There were a couple of young maids cleaning up after the celebration.

“Well, I’ll say that for man not in love, Lord Debling is awfully sweet to her” said one of them

“Isn’t he?” The other one seemed to feel vindicated “And the way he smiles when he looks at her.” The emphasis implied there was something special about such a smile.

“In any case, I hope the miss will be very happy” The first maid replied, trying to sound very sensible.

“She is a Lady now, Anna” Penelope could not help a little giggle to escape her at this.

“Oh, I keep forgetting!”

Penelope was touched to hear the maids’ well wishes were genuine, and the validation that it wasn’t only her imagination and that there had indeed been a sweetness present in their courtship, gave her renewed hope that this had been the right decision. There was just one thing that worried her at present.

She said goodbye to her sisters and her mother, who had unexpectedly embraced her, almost making her cry. It was a quick but tight hug, her mother’s hand pressing her almost painfully, and when she let go she put her hands on her shoulders and with a tight smile she nodded encouragingly, as if sending out her best soldier into battle. You can do this was written in her face. Penelope nodded reassuringly in return.

Lord Debling helped her get into the carriage, looking through the window she waved her family goodbye one last time. Her husband sat across her and as soon as the carriage started moving, he proceeded to remove his coat and his cravat. As he did so, he noticed she had averted her eyes to the floor, her skin flushed and a very worried expression across her face “Are you very nervous?” his voice was warm and hesitant.

“I am” He moved to sit beside her, took her hand and kissed it, not letting go afterwards. Then it dawned on him.

“Forgive me, I should have – it is going to be a long ride under the sun. I am not used to travel with female company, I should have asked you before removing my coat. Did... your mother tell you about the-” he cleared his throat “wedding night?” If she weren’t so worried herself, she might have noticed that he seemed nervous as well.

She could feel her heart in her throat. “She did.” She couldn’t bring herself to look at him in the eye, it was so very, uttterly mortifying.

He then wondered exactly what her mother had told her because he could see her panic.

“You do not have to worry. I will not ask you to repeat whatever she’s told you, but just know, we do not have to do anything you do not feel ready for.”

She turned to look at him fully, her sight finally unglued from the floor, full of surprise. Her mother had said it would be demanded of her. He lowered his head near to hers, and spoke softly “I will wait”, then took her chin in his hand and kissed her. And she could feel his smile when she kissed him back and after some hesitation, her hand gently reached his cheek, as if testing something. He then kissed her palm and said “It might be more difficult than I thought, but I will” with what she could swear was a mischievous smile.

It was not the first time they kissed, nor was the one at the end of the wedding ceremony. He had kissed her when she accepted his proposal, but that had been a very chaste kiss, not what she had experienced with her own very first kiss. If she had been expecting it, she would probably have been disappointed, but it surprised her and in the moment it felt incredibly tender and right.

Their second kiss had been very different, her heart had skipped a beat and she had felt it somewhere deep inside of her, it had been the night of their engagement party, and she could still remember the feel of his hand on her neck and her back.

The kisses were perfectly good, she enjoyed them in fact, and therein lied the real heart of the matter that had been in her mind since. It was hard for her to reconcile the fact that she was apparently capable of liking the touch of a man who wasn’t the one her heart loved. She never thought it possible to enjoy kissing someone other than Colin. This was, of course, a good discovery as it meant she wouldn’t have to make her life with someone whose touch she couldn’t bear, but it still clashed with all her notions of what true love meant.

In any case, the fact that she had enjoyed his kissing and wasn’t uncomfortable with her hand in his right this moment, didn’t mean that she was ready for the nakedness and climbing atop of each other her mother had described the night before, as if she had needed to have nightmares immediately before her wedding day. Portia had explained the wedding night to her in such stark detail that she felt she might have been better off not knowing anything at all.

Apparently Portia had felt the need to over-correct whatever instruction she had provided to her elder sisters as it seemed to not have helped them, and she was even more eager to make sure Penelope would secure an heir for the Debling estate than she had been for the Featherington title, so although it was clearly mortifying to her, she powered through and told Penelope all she thought was necessary to increase the chances of a pregnancy.

“So, have you given any thought to who will be your first guest at your new home?” He said, trying to distract her, as she had hardly said a word for a good while.

“I haven’t even set foot there myself yet!” She couldn’t even imagine what this new home would be like. There must be trees, and a garden, that much she had imagined.

“So you haven’t thought about it at all?” She had mentioned she wanted to run her own home, so he expected her to be excited about the prospect of entertaining visitors.

“I suppose it would have to be my mother”

“Will she be joined by your sisters and your cousin?”

“Not my cousin, I don’t think” She noticed his intrigued face “Her husband is so busy nowadays. I don’t think they will be travelling as much” Never her cousin. It was after all, the whole point.

“I thought you would be more eager to have Miss Bridgerton, you seem more closely attached to her”

“That is entirely true. But I wouldn’t want to hurt mama. She does care a great deal for social standing, she would take it as an affront. I have already disappointed her with a perfectly sensible wedding, I cannot add another insult. Do you entertain many visitors?”

“Not many that are not strictly on business, but as the time draws near for the expedition, there will probably be an increase in visits. You will have to practice with your new name, we would not want any blunders, Lady Debling”

She smiled. She was! She truly was Lady Debling now! Penelope Featherington had been forever left behind in Mayfair, doomed to live as only a memory for the few that would care to remember.

***

They arrived in the afternoon, there was still a good hour of sunlight outside. It was comforting that it wasn’t that far from town, although it was twice as far from the Featherington country seat by her calculations.

It was not a very large, imposing building. To Penelope it looked exactly as a home should look. Despite it’s plain and cool white colour, the large windows and the details of the facade seemed to invite one to the warmth of it’s interior.

As they descended the carriage, they were greeted by the servants, all lined up to welcome them. Her husband introduced the butler, Mr. Wilcox and the Housekeeper, Mrs. Donaghy. Penelope was glad to see Rae smiling at her from the ranks as she had accepted to join her as her lady’s maid.

Mrs. Donaghy, the housekeeper, quickly explained that the house had 14 bedrooms and dressing rooms, 2 bathrooms, 3 reception rooms a comfortable lounge hall and ample domestic offices, she went on to note that the stable counted with men’s rooms and there was additional housing for the groundskeeper. The boastful tone Mrs. Donaghy used made it all sound as if she was trying to convince Penelope to buy the property, but it was to serve as a mere introduction of sorts. It was arranged that Mrs. Donaghy would give her a proper tour and introduce her to the staff the next day.

Nevertheless, she now was facing the reality that she would be responsible for all of that, for the people who actually did the work to maintain it and the many tenants and related properties. Lord Debling had assured her that she would not be entirely on her own, there were a solicitor, a business manager and clerks that would make sure things ran smoothly, but she knew that at the end of the day, decisions would be required from her. It was a sobering thought, none the less. Suddenly the anxiety of the wedding night was entirely forgotten, and replaced by an overwhelming sense of responsibility.

“Would you like to see the grounds, or do you prefer to retire to rest?” He was rolling up his sleeves as he said this

“I would love to walk outside for a bit” She was aching from the many hours spent on the carriage. It was a hot day but a nice breeze rustled the canopy of the large trees surrounding the house, inviting her in to their shade.

She was rewarded with a very lovely sight – The ton’s country homes she had visited all had very similar, meticulously manicured gardens, with neatly trimmed hedges and distinct groups of flowers carefully arranged. She didn’t know how to describe it exactly, but this garden made one feel like one was actually out in nature. It looked wild, and seemed overgrown, with different types of trees on all sides, vines and flowers of many kinds but the pathways were clear and neat, and there were benches in different spots. It was charming, and felt full of life.

“We try not to interfere with the plants too much, only where it is necessary for them to thrive or to avoid or repair damage.” She could see he was profoundly proud of this. “It also allows for all kind of small creatures to have a home”

“Doesn’t that become dangerous?”

“Only if we are aggressive in our invasion of their home. From time to time we might have to chase one out of the house, but they mostly keep to themselves if we do not disturb them”

“Like we are doing now?” her tone was alarmed at the thought.

“They are used to quiet visits. I usually sit over here, come” He motioned to the edge of the garden that bordered with the woods at the North, which was on slightly higher ground. “From here one can appreciate the full view of the garden, the house and if one turns around, we can look into the woods. It is a good spot to catch a sight of nuthatches and the occasional sparrowhawk, hopefully not at the same time.” Her face was questioning so he clarified “The sparrowhawk might hunt the nuthatch”

“Oh” Was her only reply and they fell into a comfortable silence while they drank up the scenery, bathed in the warm light of the late afternoon.

He looked very pleased and completely at ease, with his legs extended, one crossed over the other, his hands interlocked behind his head as he reclined on the bench’s backrest. She thought back at how different he seemed now from the first impression she got of him when they met at Lady Danbury’s ball. He had seemed like a very serious, rather stiff man. They had little by little grown comfortable with each other while courting, but here he was completely relaxed, absolutely himself, and she felt there was still a world contained within him she did not know about. She wanted to know.

“Did you spend your days in this spot, as a boy?”

“Not at all! We used to live in Derbyshire. This house in fact is fairly new, I only came into residence after I came back from Shrewsbury and then I went away to Cambridge soon after.”

“Sounds like you’ve lived all across England at one point or another” It also sounded like he wasn’t used to staying in one place for long.

He shook his head in disagreement “I have yet to visit Cornwall”

“Is that intentional or an oversight?” She teased.

“An oversight, I can assure you I do not hold any ill will towards the Cornish people or their land”

“I haven’t been either, maybe we should go together – Once you return?”

He turned to her and nodded “It is settled, then”

“That was very easily agreed!” she chuckled.

“You could have gotten away with anything, you just went really low” he shrugged.

She twisted her mouth “Alas! I’ve squandered my powers on Cornwall” she threw her arms up in fake disappointment.

“Indeed. Next time you will have to actually say Please” She laughed and he was clearly delighted. He stood up and offered her his hand “Should we go inside?” She nodded and followed him.

They went into the house the opposite way from which they had come into the garden, through the door on a bow window.

“I wanted to show you this, before I let you go rest”

It was the library. Most of the walls were covered with books from floor to ceiling, with some smaller bookshelves standing behind a couple of big sofas that faced the very large bow window on the south wall, which meant one would have plenty of light all day long. There was also a great desk that had some maps displayed on top and on the mantle of the fireplace there was a large painting of a nautical scene. She could picture him spending hours in that room, studying his maps and preparing for his travels, writing about his findings.

“It is so lovely!” Her face was alight with joy and his with pride at having pleased her.

“It’s all yours. You can, perhaps, start writing your novel on this desk” The look on his face as he said this was so tender, it seemed to her that he had already pictured her writing there. She felt an overwhelming wave of affection for him. “These are the latest additions, curated by your closest friend” He pointed at a bundle of books tied with a ribbon that sat on the very same desk.

She went to inspect the bundle, untying the ribbon. It was a selection of novels and the Wollstonecraft book Eloise had been so insistent she read. “When did she – why didn’t she give these to me herself?”

“I asked what she would recommend to add to our library so that you would enjoy it from the first day”

“This is perfect, I don’t know what to say! That you got Eloise to do this for you, really – You should be very flattered” It felt like Eloise had finally given her full approval.

“I am exceptionally glad to hear that. I will show you to your room and let you retire to rest, yes?”

“Alright” She nodded

They went out of the library towards the stairs, they made a right on the second landing and they entered a small lounge with a large window opposite the entrance, and with two doors, each in one side of the room. He pointed to the door to the left and said “That is your bedroom, mine is through that door. I believe Miss Rae is waiting for you already. I will let you rest and meet you for dinner” She nodded and smiled as he kissed her hand before making his way through the door they had entered, not into his room.

She watched him as he walked away, his shirt sleeves rolled up, his collar open and his hair all out of place now. She could fully appreciate just how tall and strong he really was, and how his hair now a little messy made him look more handsome than when he had it perfectly in place.

“Miss! -- Ma’am!” Rae greeted her

“Don’t worry, I am not yet used to being a Ma’am. I’m so very glad you decided to join me, Rae.” She mused that she was used to the Lady title in a way, but of course no one had ever addressed her as such.

“Should I draw you a bath? I’ve already set out some choices for you to wear to dinner later”

“Yes, please, I would like to take a bath”

“Yes, ma’am. I will have tea sent as well, as you wait for the bath to be ready”

“That’s very thoughtful, thank you, Rae”

She was left alone with a soft click on the door. She took a look around the large room. It had two windows, the largest one a bow window similar to the one in the library, but not as tall. It was in the same orientation, so during the day it would be a very bright room when the curtains were apart. There was a small desk in front of it, already fully stocked with ink and paper, surely Rae’s doing. A large wardrobe stood near the door she had come in, and then she noticed that opposite the bow window there was another door. She went to inspect it and found that was the bath room, which had another door which would open to the hallway, so it must be a shared bath. She couldn’t help blushing at the thought of her husband bathing, she immediately closed the door and kept inspecting her bedroom.

The four post bed was much bigger than the one she had had in her maiden room, it was dressed in simple soft lilac linens. At the foot of the bed there stood her locked chest. She went to check it remained unopened and sighed in relief. It carried the contents that had inhabited under the floor board at her mother’s house.

A moment later there was a soft knock on the door and a young maid set the tea on the table near the smaller window, which looked out to the road in front of the house. She had her tea and after that took her bath. For dinner, she chose a shot silk burgundy dress with golden details over the deep blue muslin one. It might be too adorned for a simple dinner without guests, but it seemed to her it was more befitting for ending a day of celebration. To balance out she had Rae make up her hair in a simple, low chignon with just a ribbon used as a head band.

His smile told her she had chosen well, he seemed enormously pleased. Clearly he had thought of ending the day in a celebratory note as he was back in his coat and cravat.

“Are you feeling refreshed?”

“Yes, tea and a bath was just what I needed”

As they entered the dining room, Penelope was struck by a portrait adorning the wall at the far end of the table. It was a beautiful young lady of very pale skin and golden hair, enveloped in a marvellous pink ball gown. She was smiling as if she could see something wonderful across the room, and there, at the other end, was the pair portrait of a man. His hair was a darker blonde, sported a thick moustache but no beard and seemed stately as he was portrayed wearing full regalia. He was also smiling, but a little more dignified, even though his head seemed to be slightly tilted as if something were in the way of what he was looking at.

“My mother and my father” He looked quickly at both paintings, but his stare landed on Penelope’s face as she surveyed them herself.

“I see he was a handsome man, but she was truly breathtaking” She said full of admiration. “And the portrait is so well done, I can tell the texture of the silk, and I can almost smell the jasmines” There were no jasmines depicted, but she had remembered that their fragrance reminded him of his mother. He was surprised and touched that she remembered.

Above the fireplace there was a rustic landscape, which barely showed a red brick manor peeking among the trees near a lake, more prominently shown where various animals grazing on the grass. It was a fine work, but it seemed out of place. She would have expected a family portrait instead.

“The red building is the Derbyshire house. It is currently let by Stanhope”

“Is it a very beloved view?”

“Not particularly. In truth, I have not made any changes of my own to the décor. You have full authority on that regard now” He said, as they took their seats. Instead of being separated by the full length of the table, he sat at the head of the table, and Penelope on his right.

“Are you sure?”

“Is there much you wish to change already?”

“Not at all! But I do not want to cause a quarrel later for having moved something dear out of place”

“I daresay, there is nothing in this house, outside of my own room, that I would quarrel about”

She was reminded of Philippa saying that as soon as she took over their mother’s house her first order of business would be to get rid of the ghastly curtains and couldn’t help but laugh.

“My apologies. I was just reminded of a silly thing one of my sisters said once about my mother’s curtains” He seemed curious so she told him “Philippa called her curtains ‘ghastly’ right in front of her. She is not very concerned with the feelings of others or their perception of her.”

“But that could be a very good or a very bad thing, couldn’t it? One should have a modicum of consideration for the feelings of others”

“Oh, she can be mean but I no longer think it is out of any ill intention, and for her it seems at least to be freeing, I think.”

“But should that kind of freedom be at the expense of others? I still think consideration of others’ feelings is necessary”

“Lady Danbury once told me that one could speak their mind freely at any time if one could accept the consequences. I think Philippa has been doing exactly that, perhaps unknowingly”

“But what if the consequences do not only involve oneself? What if what is said only hurts others?”

“Have you ever been in such a position?”

“I do not believe I have ever found myself in a position where I didn’t have the choice to stay silent instead of being hurtful.” He declared and drank from his glass.

Penelope had of course given the matter some consideration already, a thousand times over. “I’d wager that a guilty conscience is a terrible consequence to endure, my Lord. If we were discussing an individual incapable of remorse or without a conscience entirely, then every point is moot. Such a person does not have any reason not to do exactly as they please in any case. But I have not yet met any such person. Thankfully, I might add.”

“And yet, there might be unexplored ramifications, and remorse is not very useful when damage has already been done. Once they’re said, words stay spoken.”

“If we could always take the time to consider every possibility then we should, but life often presses us and action should not be delayed”

He pondered out loud “I wonder what can possibly weigh on your conscience so.”

“That I let my mother choose those ghastly curtains without saying anything to stop her.” She smiled, cheekily and he shook his head, with an amused smile on his lips as she shrugged. “I am no philosopher, sometimes I just follow my thoughts until they unravel haphazardly.”

“I do so enjoy the unravelling of your thoughts and trying to keep up with them.”

She truly wished she could share the full truth with him, but nothing good would come from confessing that her biggest regret had been delaying action because she had considered everyone else’s feelings and the consequences that revealing the truth would bring upon them, and that this delay had probably caused more pain and irreversible damages than having outright hurt everyone much earlier.

That night they said goodnight in the shared space between their rooms. She decided to take him up on his word to wait. Her heart was still fighting a losing battle and the rest of her wanted to give it a respite. She told herself she needed to rest.

Alone in that strange bed, in that strange room her thoughts drifted to Colin, and she allowed it because she needed to exhaust the thoughts that led her to him time and time again. It was absurd that every time her husband touched her, kissed her, and whenever she felt a spark light up for him, she felt guilty. Every time she felt closer to him, she felt as if she were betraying Colin. How could the mere shadow of something that was never a reality, not even a possibility, be wedging itself into her marriage?

Maybe in another life they would find each other again, make all the right decisions and be able to avoid all of the heartbreak they had brought upon each other. But meanwhile, she needed to make the best of this life. So far it had started well, she could see herself being content, maybe even happy in that house, with her kind husband.

She would be alone for long periods of time, but she was used to being on her own, and London was not that far away if she felt the overwhelming need to see anyone. She would be there for the social season at least, as a respectable lady. She had been repeating all of these facts to herself for over a month now.

But try as she might, she couldn’t stop thinking back to the night when she almost let her heart overrule her mind completely. She almost said yes to his desperate plea; he would divorce, they could get married and live somewhere else, far from the ton, far from everything they held dear but themselves, where it wouldn’t matter. She had been stunned. Even after they had kissed, so many months ago, she had never expected Colin to actually believe himself in love with her. It was a scene taken out of her most outrageous fantasies and she was caught completely by surprise.

It had been merely a week before. He had figured out which one was her window and thrown pebbles at it until she noticed him and came down. She had gone to meet him at the back entrance, through the kitchen in the middle of the night. It was madness, anyone could have seen them, in fact she wasn’t sure no-one had, but if they had, they chose to keep silent. She wondered if Eloise had told him that was how she used to get her to come out, but she doubted Eloise would have given that up to Colin.

“Are you out of your mind? What on earth are you doing here at this hour?” She had spatted in a low voice as she lead him to the garden, where the trees might offer better protection against anyone taking a peek through a window.

“Yes! Yes, I am out of my mind, Pen. I have been for a long time now. But in this moment, I’m sure I’ve never been more sane. I’ve come to beg of you, please do not marry him” His thumbs rubbed anxiously against his loosely clenched fingers, his face looked sick with dread.

“Oh, of course! Anything for you, Colin. Will that be all?” She said throwing her head back, furiously sarcastic.

“Do not mock me, please.” He instinctually moved his right hand to his chest, as if to protect his aching heart “I am serious. Marry me!”

“What? Have you been drinking?” She looked at him searchingly for signs of intoxication, while he shook his head. Her expression of disbelief clearly crushing him, she continued “You are already married! To my cousin!”

“I’ll divorce her! I love you, Pen” He took a large step towards her and took her hands in his, his next words soft but urgent, his face pleading “I do, I love you completely, with every fibre of my being, every part of my soul. Every thought, every dream and step I take, it’s all for you. I have been trying in vain to fill this void inside myself, but I understand now, that I will never be complete without you” He reached out to touch her face, his big palm cradling her face, feeling her warmth and trying to assuage the fear showing so clearly in her eyes. “I’ll divorce her and then we can… you and me can marry and go live somewhere very far away, where it won’t matter”

And as mad as it was she hesitated for the longest second, she had allowed herself to get lost in his eyes. He took full advantage of that hesitation to kiss her ardently, desperately and not only did she let him, she gave in completely, even as her good sense started to come in, she just told herself this would be the last time, their final farewell and then she would close his chapter in her story completely, but first she would commit to memory his taste, and the silkiness of his hair as she ran her fingers through it, the warmth and scent of him. They were in each other arms, him pressing her against the trunk of a tree. It seemed as if he knew her mind, for he did allow very little space to breathe, as if he feared that as soon as she were able to speak again, this feverish dream of his would be over for good, all hope gone forever.

When he finally parted his lips from hers and pressed their forehead against each other’s, his hands cupping her face, looking deeply into her eyes searchingly, she still found herself faltering. She had a lump in her throat and she found she was already crying, his thumb tenderly wiping away a tear streak. She just shook her head slowly, a sharp pain filling her heart as she saw his eyes were overflowing with tears as well, as he took a step back.

“I’m sorry. I know--” He tilted his head and closed his eyes, trying to regain his voice “I cannot ask you, I wouldn’t want you to disgrace yourself for me. But I had to.” His voice was broken, as he shrugged “I didn’t expect a different answer, but I had to. Forgive me.”

She nodded. “Colin, I will always--” He prevented her from admitting something that he already knew to be true in his heart, but he felt it would only destroy him hearing the confirmation from her lips.

“Please, don’t” he went back for one last soft kiss “good night, Pen” in a couple of quick steps he was out of her sight.

She never thought having Colin confess his love for her could hurt so much.

Chapter 17 -- Tumblr "clean" version

Chapter 17 -- in AO3 includes an explicit sex scene.

If you read it in AO3, please let me know if you think the sex scene is unnecesary. It is the first time I write one, I was feeling bold but I am unsure of it now. I took it down from Tumblr because it gave me the impression it either bombed or it was not showing up on people's feeds.

[recluse-moth]

Can you see the vision 🤭🤭🤭

Also can we appreciate the fits for these gentlemen, I’ve never found clothing so challenging than this 💪🏼

[madhatterbri]

Special Interests | Lord Debling

Summary: Lord Debling takes a special interest in Y/N's hobby.

Author's Note: We are going to pretend that paint back then was non-toxic. 🤣

My masterlist for Lord Debling can be found here.

Taglist: @theworldofotps @plentyoffandoms

Lord Debling was hard at work to get his affairs in order for his next trip. Servants rushed the house all day to take care of his every whim. Only his most trusted servants were allowed in his study. Only those that he knew wouldn't go blabbing to the rest of the house.

"My Lord," his servant bowed his head. "I have arranged the study to your liking. Would you like to see it?"

Lord Debling smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Yes, dear James. I'd like to make sure everything is perfect for my wife. Her hobby is a newfound interest of mine,"

"Yes, sir. Right this way," James smiled and led him to the study. The moment Lord Debling walked into the study, he knew he had made the right decision.

A large drop cloth covered the carpet in the study. In the middle of the cloth laid a canvas. One of her favorite artists drew the perfect nature scene on there. All her favorite animals were drawn wonderfully. He could see why that artist was her favorite. On the table next to the couch, her favorite drinks and treats were ready.

"James," Lord Debling called and checked his pocketwatch. "I do believe my wife will be back shortly from her parents. Please see to it she changes into her nightgown and joins me in the study,"

"Yes, sir," James bowed and strode out of the room. Lord Debling took a deep breath and closed his eyes. This was going to be the best going away gift ever.

Y/N wasn't sure if James heard her husband correctly when she came home that night. Change to her nightgown and attend to her husband in the study. She obeyed the commands her husband left for her.

"Come in," Lord Debling called when he heard the soft, familiar knock at the door. He was just lighting the last candle in the study. Y/N walked in and smiled at the romantic atmosphere.

"To what do i owe this pleasure?" She asked and closed the door behind her. Lord Debling smiled and removed his jacket and vest. Now, he was only left in a long sleeve white shirt and black slacks.

"I can not show a special interest in my wife's love for the arts?" He asked innocently. He walked to her and grabbed her hand to lead her more inside. Y/N followed him happily.

"Of course, my lord. I meant no harm," she answered. Y/N's huge smile brightened the room when she saw the canvas on the floor. Several bottles of paint and a paint palette were left on the floor. There was one thing she noticed immediately that was missing.

"I had your favorite artist draw this for you. I can see why he is a favorite of yours, darling. Magnificent," Lord Debling praised. She felt her heart fill with pride when he sang praises about her best friend.

"It is lovely. Thank you. I will have to run to my chambers. The brush seems to have disappeared," she pointed out. Lord Debling sat on the couch. He patted his lap for her to sit.

"Ah, yes, we will have James fetch them for us. Tell me about your day. I don't want to miss a single detail,"

Y/N told him about her day. The room filled with their playful banter and laugh. They sipped the drinks that were left on the table. She enjoyed the treats. All the sadness from them being apart was left at the door. They were in their own little sanctuary.

Lord Debling rested his back against the arm of the couch. Her back rested against his chest. His chin rested on her head. Y/N wished they could stay like this forever. Her eyes drifted to the canvas on the floor.

"I should tell James to fetch my brushes," she sighed and moved to stand up. Lord Debling wrapped his arms around her waist.

"That won't be necessary, my dove. There are other ways to get paint on a canvas," he assured her.

"My Lord?" She questioned yet gasped when his lips made contact with her neck. Heat could be felt between her legs the moment he found her sensitive spot. Her clit throbbed to be played with.

"I do believe you have piqued my interest in the arts, my love. We will be painting the canvas together in a non-conventional way,"

His hand reached underneath her dress. The warmth that came from her inviting him in. He grabbed her face to look at him. Her eyes filled with lust like his. She called out when his fingers rubbed between her folds, paying special attention to her bundle of nerves.

As her juices slicked his fingers, he started to toy with her entrance. He rubbed up and down before slipping the tips of his fingers in her. Lord Debling worked her up. Slowly inching his fingers inside of her before fully sheathing them inside.

He continued to toy with her before he felt the strains in his pants to be too great. The slick from her was cleaned up once he placed his fingers in his mouth.

"Put your favorite colors on the canvas. Do not be shy," he instructed her. She stood up with wobbly legs and squirted some paint on the canvas. Her husband stood up and removed his clothes. Her dress left her body and thrown to on the floor.

His kisses trailed from her neck to her breasts to between her legs. He placed a leg on his shoulder. She called his name the moment his tongue toyed with her. Y/N ran her fingers through his hair. He ate her out like a man starved.

"Come," he told her. "We have much work to do,"

That night was the most fun Lord Debling ever had with the arts. The nature man saw a different side to creativity. He wished he had taken an interest in painting years ago. Y/N was shy about it at first yet quickly warmed up to it.

They were simple at first. Missionary to warm her to the idea that turned him on all day. She wasn't used to the cold paint yet quickly forgot about it as the night went on. He turned her over and allowed her breasts to help paint the canvas. Lastly, he sat on the canvas, and she rode him before they both made it to their grand finale. By the end, they were satisfied with the art and each other.

With all the different positions, they were a thorough mess yet satisfied. They dressed before taking a much needed shower. Afterward, they went back to her chambers to continue where they started in the study.

Lord Debling sighed as he looked at a picture of his wife. He had only been gone for one month into his travels, but it felt like an eternity. Life was certainly lonely without his Y/N.

A series of colors over a variety of animals caught his eye. Unnoticeable by others, he could see where Y/N's breasts and butt laid when he took her. Maybe his wife could have picked another hobby he could show a special interest in. He smiled.

[storiesaplenty]

Bridgerton: Christmas 2024

This has not been proofread. Please enjoy though.

Warnings: none. Fluff

WC: 329

©️ storiesaplenty 2024: do not repost or translate my work. This is the only place I post my work.

"Alfred, where are you taking me?" I giggled as I looked back to see if anyone was watching us leave by ourselves.

They most likely are but at this very moment, I do not care. Not when we have done our courtship and are due to be married in two weeks time.

"I found something wonderful. I must show you." With how excited he is, it has to do something with a plant or maybe an animal.

We finally stopped, just under the door frame of the library of my cousins home.

"What is it? I do not see anything." I asked him as I looked around.

"Look up my dear." He softly said to me, and I did as he asked.

"Mistletoe?" I inquired.

"Yes my dear. Mistletoe is a semiparasitic plant that grows on trees and shrubs, extracting water and nutrients from them." I placed a single, gloved finger against his lips.

Alfred's eyes crossed when he looked down, making me giggle once more, before looking me in my eyes.

"Hmm, and why did you bring me here?" I asked playfully.

"To kiss you." He said against my finger, wrapping his hand gently around my wrist and pulling my hand away from his face.

"Well, by all means my Lord Debling, please kiss me." I whispered as he leaned in to kiss me.

We have only kissed a few times and he still makes me feel like my heart is going to beat out of my chest each and every time.

He kissed me gently before deepening it. My arms wrapping around his neck, trying to pull him closer.

Until we heard people walking down the hall, our way.

I stepped back, breaking the kiss.

"We should be heading back." I said to him.

"How about I take you home? I know your mother must be tired." Alfred held our his arm for me to take, and I did, thinking back our kiss we just shared.

Taglist: @madhatterbri

Benedict Bridgerton ♥︎ Colin & Penelope

[ktanissevrdeen]

Bridgerton Fanfiction: Poor Puzzled Moon

A story of fear, loss, friendship, family, and love during the second World War.

Chapter 17: He Wore a Frown

[quotergirl19]

Colin: You should be careful encouraging the affections of Lord Debling. I realize you enjoy his company but he is not well known by the ton and may not be right for you.

Penelope: Lord Debling is an outsider among the ton and I respect him all the more for that! He is kind and intelligent and interesting. And I do not need to marry a member popular society the way you do.

Colin: What is that supposed to mean?

Penelope: It means you are a Bridgerton. You are expected to choose someone popular and beautiful. No one would ever dare make you or your future wife feel unwanted or unwelcome. But people like he and I are not treated the way you are. He sees me, he makes me feel special, as though he would be proud to call me his. He would choose me. He understands me.

Colin: I understand you Penelope.

Penelope: Not the way he does. You would be ashamed to choose someone like me. You felt the need to make it known that you would never settle for someone like me. You do not even consider me a woman, because you believe I am beneath you.

Colin: I do not like it when you talk about yourself that way——

Penelope: The way you talk about me with your friends?

Colin: I told you I was sorry. You are my dearest friend in the world, I am trying to look out for you.

Penelope: Your friendship is important to me Colin… but I am not the girl you once knew. I am alone in the world but with Debling I do not have to be. With him I could be more than the insipid wallflower people spill drinks on and ridicule. I am a woman to him. If he wants me, I am his.

[sweetbuckybarnes]

mirrorball

Pairings: Colin Bridgerton + Penelope Featherington

Summary: Penelope has always tried to please other people, especially her mother. She has never felt seen by the other people of the ton. Apart from the Bridgertons, she always felt seen by them.

Masterlist | Albums | folklore Album

Hush, when no one is around, my dear, you’ll find me on my tallest tiptoes. Spinnin' in my highest heels, love, Shinin' just for you.

Penelope knew she was a people pleaser; she had been since childhood. She would try to show her parents what she was doing, in the hope of their approval – but she never got it. She was always overlooked, her sisters Philippa and Prudence always ‘outshone her’ even with their awful singing, or how they could never play the pianoforte.

So, Penelope found herself being pushed to the side, she found comfort in the books her father brought back for her. She would lounge on the long chair by the window, warming herself up like a cat and most likely rereading a book.

She didn’t want to make her debut into society, she had hoped that if she persuaded her mother enough, she could push it to the next season. But in her mother’s words, what if an eligible bachelor wanted to marry Penelope, he may not be interested in her next season. Something fluttered in Penelope, but was quickly crushed when her mother utter, “But why would anyone do that?”

Penelope had never thought of herself as ‘beautiful’, especially when she has her mother, her older sisters and for the time Marina telling her she wasn’t. If you tell someone they aren’t beautiful enough; they’ll soon believe it.

Especially with all the men who came calling to just catch a glimpse of Marina. Penelope just resigned herself to sitting on the floor playing with the dog one of the men brought for Marina as a gift – with Marina being allergic, her mother had allowed her to keep the dog.

Whilst Marina was staying with them, she hammered those thoughts in that she didn’t think any man would ever look her way.

Not even Colin Bridgerton.

What would her best friend’s brother see in her?

That had caused her to silently cry into her pillow for about a week.

She had always loved the Bridgertons, they had considered her as another member of the family. Violet always made sure that Penelope wasn’t hidden away on the sidelines. The only person who danced with her without being prompted was the Duke of Hastings. Daphne’s now husband.

In a way, she liked that the Duke had done that. He had sought her out by himself, without being asked, and offered her his hand for a dance.

Her mother had always wanted one of her girls to marry into the Bridgerton clan. The Bridgertons were more powerful than the Featheringtons, she would be able to tell anyone who would listen to her (not that they had much of a choice… she always made herself known in a room), that one of her daughters married into the most powerful family of the ton.

Benedict always flirted with her; she would often just brush him off. But as her first two seasons flew past her with not a marriage proposal in sight. As she began her third season, she began to flirt back with the second Bridgerton son – but they both knew it wouldn’t progress further than that.

Eloise had been glued to Penelope’s side since that day in April after Penelope accidentally knocked Colin off his horse.

Colin Bridgerton.

The bachelor who encouraged her in the marriage mart, and as she was courted by Lord Debling – Colin came to realise that she had been standing in front of him waiting for him to notice her.

And it was nearly too late.

Colin pulled Penelope out into the garden, once he caught wind that Lord Debling would be proposing, he knew his window would be closing. Rapidly.

“Colin? What on earth are you doing?”

“You can’t marry him.”

Penelope blinked repeatedly, looking up at the third Bridgerton. “I’m sorry?”

“Lord Debling. He’s planning on proposing-”

She nodded her head. “Well, that is what’s expected. Considering we are courting, that would be the next expected step.”

Colin stared down at her. “No. You can’t marry him, Pen.”

“And whyever not?”

Colin sighs, Penelope raises an eyebrow at him as she waited for him to continue.

“Because I love you.”

“No, you don’t.”

“I do. Pen, I do love you.”

Penelope scoffed and spun around on her heel. “No, you don’t. You don’t suddenly realise that you love me as another man plans to make me his wife. This was the whole plan, that you would help me in the marriage mart.”

“Not if it meant losing you,” Colin said, taking a few steps forward so he could rest a hand on her cheek.

Penelope stared up at Colin. “We both knew this. But, I’m Eloise’s friend, I’ll always be there; but we wouldn’t be friends anymore…”

Because I'm a mirrorball, I'm a mirrorball. And I'll show you every version of yourself tonight.

[oneammuses]

First five chapters of "Mr. Bridgerton and Lady Dealing" are now live on AO3! Writing this fic has been so much fun and I cannot wait to share more of this story!

Many thanks to everyone who gives it a read! Current posting schedule is Sunday and Thursday (with double chapter drops!).