Chapter Text
“It looks like your ‘nightlife’ has been quite active these past few days,” Penelope said with a smirk.
Elizabeth Taylor took a sip of coffee, which tasted even more bitter to her than black coffee. “Don’t even start. I’m completely drained.”
Penelope laughed out loud. “What are you worried about? Only the ox gets tired, the field never complains.”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes and glared at her friend. “What would you know? It’s not like you have any actual experience.”
“Tut-tut, don’t be like that,” Penelope teased. “Those were just theories of mine, but now you’re the one with real, battle-tested experience.”
Without waiting for Elizabeth to object, Penelope’s eyes lit up. She leaned forward and asked with a mischievous grin, “Is Williams Stone really that incredible? Is it really ‘seven times a night’ like in the novels?”
“Do you think he’s a bull?” Elizabeth looked at her dismissively, thinking to herself that if it were truly seven times a night, she wasn’t sure her back would survive for even three days.
“Well, how many times then?” Penelope appeared extremely curious. “Five times?”
Elizabeth, badgered by her friend, gestured vaguely with her hands. Seeing that Penelope still looked puzzled, she instinctively started defending Williams’s prowess. “Don’t listen to those novels. Once a night, three times is a lot. Many men can’t even manage once in three days. Besides, it’s not just about the number of times, the key is the endurance. Every time, he can go for…”
Elizabeth suddenly stopped, realizing something was wrong. She looked at Penelope, who was holding her coffee cup and watching her with a sly look, and realized she had fallen for the bait.
Even though this woman had no practical experience, there was a saying: even if you haven’t eaten pork, you’ve seen a pig run. Furthermore, to help Elizabeth achieve her goals, Penelope had researched quite a bit about these things. Now, pretending to be ignorant was clearly a ruse to lure her into an awkward "sex education" lesson.
Giving her friend a sharp glare, Elizabeth took a sip of her coffee and decided to stop discussing such intimate matters, switching to the main topic. “Have you finished handling everything in Scotland?”
“Jack has taken three months of leave.”
----
Although Williams Stone was a bit jealous of how interested Elizabeth was in Colin Bridgerton, he still agreed to take her to the engagement party on Sunday. Furthermore, Elizabeth had managed to get an extra invitation from him for Penelope.
“Are you sure you want to go the day after tomorrow?” Elizabeth asked, still feeling worried. “What if they recognize you?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll try to stay out of their sight. Besides…” Penelope laughed self-deprecatingly, “perhaps they’ve both long forgotten that someone like me even exists.”
“Forgetting is for the best.” Elizabeth took Penelope’s hand and urged her, “I’ll tell Williams Stone that you’re my college classmate and just wanted to see what the party was like. You’ll be with me. Since he and Colin Bridgerton are close friends, there will definitely be a chance to meet.”
“Thank you.” Penelope said, holding her hand, sincere. “El, thank you for helping me.”
“Are we really going to say things like that between us?” Elizabeth shot her a look. “Besides, who knows who is helping whom? We already said we were going to trample the two most eligible men in Mayfair under our feet.”
As Elizabeth said this, Penelope remembered the excitement they felt when they first made the plan and couldn’t help but laugh. “Right. We have to trample them under our feet.”
But what happens after they are trampled? Could they even withdraw successfully? Holding their coffee cups, the two friends fell into deep, silent contemplation…
“Three months?” Elizabeth arched an eyebrow. “Are you certain you can win over Colin Bridgerton in three months?”
Penelope held her cup, her fingers tracing the rim absentmindedly. A moment later, a cold smile played on her lips. “There’s no need to win him over. I only have one goal: to make her taste what it feels like to lose everything.”
----
On Sunday, dressed to the nines and impeccably made up, Elizabeth accompanied Williams Stone to the hotel for Colin Bridgerton’s engagement party.
Elizabeth glanced at the portrait displayed at the entrance of the ballroom. The girl in the photo wore a pale dusty-pink knee-length dress, her small hands were wrapped around Colin Bridgerton’s neck, their foreheads pressed together, her eyes as gentle as a flowing stream. She looked innocent enough at first glance. It was no wonder Colin had pampered and doted on her for all these years. But one had to wonder, was the heart beneath that angelic facade truly as pure?
Recalling everything Penelope had told her, Elizabeth couldn’t help but let out a cold, cynical smile. Although it was nearly imperceptible, Williams was observant enough to notice. “What is it?” he asked. Before she could answer, his left brow arched, and his voice dropped with a touch of displeasure. “Don't tell me you’re actually interested in Colin?”
“As if.” Elizabeth quickly denied. “I just think this photo is rather mundane. We would look much better than them if we were the ones taking the picture.”
Knowing perfectly well she was just humoring him, Williams was nonetheless pleased with her reply. “Indeed. Our El is far more beautiful than she is.”
“I think so, too,” Elizabeth replied, not batting an eyelid.
He didn't tease her for being narcissistic or shameless; he merely pinched her chin and chuckled, “Silly girl.”
Whether it was out of a desire not to overwhelm his "little princess" or not, Colin had kept the scale of the party quite intimate, inviting only the closest friends and family.
Taking the pretext of finding a drink, Elizabeth slipped out onto the balcony to call Penelope. They had originally planned to arrive together, but that afternoon, just as Elizabeth was heading out, Penelope had called to say something had come up and she would be a little late. Now, it was nearly seven o’clock and there was still no sign of her. Elizabeth began to worry that something might have gone wrong.
The phone rang and rang, but there was no answer. Anxious, Elizabeth hurriedly dialed Jay. “Has Penelope left yet?”
“She isn't there yet?” Jay sounded surprised. “Aaron took her quite a while ago.”
“Are you sure?” Elizabeth frowned. “She hasn’t arrived, and she’s not picking up her phone. I’m worried something might have happened.”
“Unlikely. Aaron is with her, if anything were wrong, he would have called me,” Jay reassured her. “Don’t panic. I’ll call Aaron right now.”
Elizabeth knew that with Aaron’s protection, it was unlikely anything had happened, but she still urged Jay, “Then hurry, call him, and let me know the moment you hear something.”
Elizabeth hung up, leaning against the balcony railing, her mind wandering through worst-case scenarios. At one moment she feared a car accident; the next, she worried that Penelope might have backed out at the eleventh hour, though she quickly dismissed that as impossible. Then, she wondered if the Thompsons had discovered their plan and locked her away.
Elizabeth was just about to lose her patience when her phone buzzed in her hand. She glanced at the screen and immediately answered. “Penelope, where are you?”
“I’m at the buffet area. Where are you? I don’t see you.”
“I’m outside, I’m coming right now,” Elizabeth said. “Stay exactly where you are, don't move.”
Watching her hang up, Williams asked, “Your friend?”
Elizabeth nodded, naturally slipping her hand into his. “She’s arrived. Let’s go inside.”
---
From a distance, Elizabeth spotted Penelope standing by the edge of the buffet table. Her outfit for the evening was truly mesmerizing. Her curly red hair was swept up, revealing her slender neck, and a gold mermaid-cut dress clung to her incredibly hot physique. The V-neckline dipped low, showing a deep cleavage that made even a woman like Elizabeth feel a twinge of envy.
After introducing the two to each other, Elizabeth shot a side-long glance at Williams to see if he showed any reaction. His expression, however, remained calm and detached, he didn’t have that glint in his eyes that men usually get when they see such a stunning display of beauty.
Williams was quite the conversationalist. Since he had spent a long time in Scotland, the three of them became engrossed in a lively discussion about Scottish snacks.
Mid-conversation, Penelope suddenly fell silent, staring in astonishment at something behind them.
Elizabeth reacted instantly. She followed Penelope’s gaze and, sure enough, saw Colin Bridgerton and Marina Thompson slowly approaching.
Colin had spotted Williams earlier but had been tied up greeting other guests. Now that he was free, he approached them and apologized to Elizabeth. “Miss Taylor, my apologies for the lack of hospitality. I hope everything is to your liking?”
Elizabeth gave a polite smile. “Everything is wonderful, especially the pastries.”
“Miss Taylor certainly has an appreciation for the finer things; tonight’s pastries were made by Marina herself.” Colin turned slightly, bringing Marina into the light. “By the way, allow me to introduce everyone. This is Marina Thompson, my fiancée.”
He paused for a moment and gestured toward Elizabeth. “And this is Elizabeth Taylor, Williams Stone’s girlfriend.” His eyes shifted to the side, landing on Penelope, and he faltered. “And this is…”
“This is my college friend, Penelope Featherington.” Elizabeth interjected. “She just arrived from Scotland yesterday. Since she didn’t know what to do with herself this evening, I asked Williams if she could join us for the party. You don’t mind, do you?”
“Of course not.” Colin extended his hand naturally. “Miss Featherington, is it? It’s a pleasure.”
Penelope beamed, taking his slender hand with an effortless, graceful air. “Mr. Bridgerton, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you in the flesh.”
Colin was taken aback for a moment, laughing, “What do you mean by that? Have you met an imposter of mine before?”
“I’ve seen plenty of news about you in the papers and magazines.” Penelope replied, withdrawing her hand and tilting her head toward Marina. “I also frequently see reports on Miss Thompson’s charity work.”
Marina, standing behind Colin, looked up and smiled faintly. “The press is far too generous. Compared to other genuine philanthropists, what I do is really nothing.”
“You silly girl, you’ve done so much.” Colin said, patting her arm. Suddenly, he added, “If you enjoy charity work, why don’t we establish a public welfare fund in our names after the engagement? That way, you won’t have to worry about the finances.”
“Really?” Marina’s eyes lit up, her cheeks flushing with excitement. “You’re willing to help me with charity?” She hesitated, then lowered her head, asking worriedly, “But this isn’t for profit, what if we operate at a loss? Would that affect your business?”
“Of course not.” Colin lifted her chin, his voice incredibly tender, as if afraid to startle her. “I’m your fiancé, I can certainly afford that much.”
“But, I’m afraid…”
Colin cut off her hesitation. “If you’re worried about the management, I’ll help you find a manager. You only need to outline the key objectives of the projects, and you can leave the specific preparations to them.”
Marina looked at him skeptically. “Is there really someone like that?”
Before Colin could answer, Elizabeth jumped in. “Of course there is. That’s what Penelope and I studied.”
“You both studied public management?” Williams asked.
Elizabeth nodded, pulling Penelope forward. “We both have double master’s degrees in Public Management and Economic Management from Oxford.”
Afraid that wasn't impressive enough, Elizabeth added a few more details. “We are both certified in budget management and have worked as budget managers in the transportation sector.”
Seeing her so enthusiastic, Williams couldn't help but chuckle. “Why does it sound like you’re trying to nominate yourself for a job?”
Elizabeth gave a shy, coy smile. “You know, I’ve been looking for a change of pace.”
Williams furrowed his brows, laughing helplessly. “Miss Elizabeth, aren’t you making me look bad? Your boyfriend has such a large company, isn’t that enough for you?”
“I don’t want to go to Stone Groups.” Elizabeth pouted. “I don’t like you being my boss.”
Colin gave Williams a playful punch. “Don’t worry, I won’t mistreat my employees.”
With that single sentence, Elizabeth had secured a new role. Just as she was about to strike while the iron was hot and get Penelope on board as well, she noticed the troubled look on Williams’s face. “If you leave, who will take care of me?”
“It’s not like you’re missing a hand or a foot; you can take care of yourself.” Elizabeth retorted dismissively.
“I’ve grown accustomed to the meals you cook.” Williams replied.
Seeing that Williams had no intention of letting her go, Colin felt a strange mix of joy and loss. He was happy that his friend had finally found a new relationship to cherish, but he felt a hollow, uncomfortable void after his own engagement. He found himself wondering if his persistence with Marina was truly the right choice.
Sighing inwardly, Colin glanced over at Penelope’s smile and hit upon a perfect idea for his friend. “I wonder, Miss Featherington, would you be willing to come and assist me instead?”