PART ONE
CHAPTER FIVE
FABRICS AND FANTASIES

Paige never thought that she would be the one who Penelope begged to accompany her to the modiste. Not in the ambition to get herself a whole new wardrobe. Part of Paige felt the desire to ask her older sister where the money she was intending to spend was coming from. But she considered perhaps her sister was just spending the family money, the one their mother kept going on and on about. And Paige liked going to the modiste, she like feeling the fabrics which were hung up for the clients to chose from. She liked the feel of the expensive silks, the soft satins, the cosy cashmeres. She liked to pick through the lace, planning out the most beautiful and expensive dresses possible, ones she could never afford as long as she remained in the Featherington household. That was not something their family could ever afford. 

Therefore, when her sister moved onwards to be consulted by their modiste Paige allowed herself to brush through the fabrics on display, paying little attention to the conversation happening a little further away. She was sure her older sister would at some point clue her in to the reason as to why a new wardrobe was a desperate necessity. Of course Paige could understand that the colour system their mother had put into place was not flattering to any of them, Penelope the most with the outlandish yellow dresses their mother made her wear. 

"Miss Paige please come and help your sister pick colours." The voice of the modiste called Paige over and she begrudgingly moved from the expensive laces and towards where her sister was getting measured. And as Paige flicked through the different colours on display as option, she paid half attention to the conversation going on near her. She wished to not eavesdrop, she felt as though she was above doing so, she believed her sister to trust her and therefore, Penelope would tell her. 

"I cannot live at home anymore. It's been hard enough living under my mother's rules. But my sisters..." Penelope paused and Paige turned quickly to make direct eye contact with her older sister. She hoped that Penelope was not going to say something mean about her, but it wasn't hard enough to make sense of what her sister was saying. After all, Paige knew what her mother had promised their older two sisters, that whoever gave birth to the first son would gain the title of Lady Featherington. And therefore, would be in charge of the household. Something, Paige wasn't sure about. But she also knew it was unlikely her mother intended for either of that to relate to either of her two youngest children.

"To live at the whim of either the most cruel or the most simple person I know. I must take a husband before that happens. It is time." Paige didn't exactly like the words Penelope shared with her sisters, sure Philippa was not the smartest sister out of the four of them and yes Prudence was not the most welcoming, but Paige did not think either of them would be terrible as Lady of the household. But she imagined her sister had much different opinions on how the household should be run and other meaningless matters. 

"I see, and does my lady have a certain suitor in mind?" Paige fought to answer the question on Penelope's behalf, she for sure knew that there was a person Penelope did wish to marry. But after some sort of altercation it was not possible. Or at least that was what Penelope had told her over the summer. Plus Paige was not sure she could marry someone who was so well travelled, she was not silly or young anymore she knew what these men got up to when they travelled the world. She was sure Colin Bridgerton was no different. 

"I would like to be sensible. Someone kind, who allows me my privacy, for obvious reasons." Penelope described and Paige allowed some of it to fly over her head, she assumed the privacy matter was due to there being a little more than just friendship going on between Penelope and Eloise Bridgerton, but she did not want to dwell upon it. Rather she allowed her sister her privacy knowing that most likely that things would come out in their own time. After all, she was convinced the disagreement between the two girls last summer was most likely a lovers spit, considering just how emotional her sister was about the loss of that friendship more than she had ever been after stating that Colin Bridgerton never would want to marry her.

"Then a new look is just the right thing." 

"Perhaps something like what they are wearing in Paris?" Paige interrupted the conversation looking to her older sister and the Modiste for their approval. Though getting no arguments in return Paige deemed it successful.

"Would there be anything requested for Miss Paige today?" The Modiste turned her attention over to Paige from where she had been taking Penelope's measurements. The younger sister paused for a moment, she had no real hatred for much of what her mother had done for her wardrobe in terms of the colour, and considering she had been both the youngest and the one her mother never imagined being able to marry off, Paige had lucked out with being able to help design her wardrobe for the last year or two. She would often wear her hair more down, decorated with hair ribbons and bands of cloth rather than up using it often as a decoy for the reason her vision was so blurry as the lights dimmed. 

"Oh, I'm not sure I particularly need anything."

"Let her measure you and treat yourself to one, on my behalf." Penelope tried to encourage Paige watching as the younger girl looked at her in confusion. 

"But sister, I do not want to be wasting what money we do have, it needs to be there for your dowary this year. Because this year we will find you a husband. After all you have what you did not have the last three years."

"Pray do tell me Paige what do I have this year that I did not beforehand."

"You have me. After all, I'm sure no real suitors will show interest in me now especially after the Lady Whistledown feature." Paige mumbled the last part but it was enough to get the attention of Miss Delacroix who looked sharply down at the older sister who still stood on her pedestal. She pondered for a moment if Penelope Featherington really was desperate enough to find herself a husband, an escape that she really would ruin her younger sister's prospects. 

"Well then more of a reason for you to look good." Penelope tried to encourage her younger sister, a small trickle of guilt playing upon her subconscious, knowing that things did not have to go the way they were inevitably going to. She had the power to stop thing from occurring if she so desired. But a greater feeling overcame her, for Penelope had been almost washed to believe that her younger sister would remain unmarried due to her condition, something that their mother had been making sure all four girls knew ever since Paige had been diagnosed. And a small part of Penelope believed that perhaps she was preventing her younger sister from the heartache what would only come her way when a prospective husband found out about the medical condition. Even if there was perhaps nicer ways to go about things. 

But before, much more could be said, and Paige could weigh in any further in regards to her dress the front door to the shop would chime, signalling the next customers arrival. Therefore, measurements were quickly taken, and Paige was ushered down from the stool of which she had been stood upon. The new comers were three very recognisable individuals, especially considering they lived across the street to one another. For the Bridgerton family had arrived, or at least the dowager and the two eligible daughters. 

The tension which quickly arose from Penelope and Eloise making eye contact was deep. Paige was unsure she had ever felt such tension when two ex-friends were in the same room as one another. So in order to try to distract herself Paige turned her attention to Francesca. Francesca was 10 or so months younger than she was, and much more of a recluse than even Paige was. Therefore, they had spent some time together, well plenty considering how close their older sisters used to be. But most of that time the pair would spend doing their own things. 

"Francesca, I must compliment you on how lovely you looked at the presentation the other day." Paige greeted and was happy to see that this drew in the attention of the Dowager Bridgerton, allowing the two older girls to talk out whatever they wanted to say to one another in their hushed tones. 

"Why thank you Paige. It was not as daunting as I thought it would be." Francesca replied her voice was soft, gentle in the way she spoke. Something Paige liked to think she was too, but she knew that by just being a Featherington she wasn't as gentle as she could possibly be. 

"I admit I too was very nervous to meet the queen I wished to not stand out at all." Paige admitted waiting to see any kind of response, normally her words were met with just a shrug from her mother. 

"But my dear, surely you desire to find a husband this season?" Dowager Bridgerton asked a little confused as to why the girl would want to be so well normal.

"Yes Dowager Bridgerton, but I would rather only stick out to my husband than the room of people. For he should be the only one who truly matters." Paige hoped she sounded wise and not whiney with her words. 

"That sounds lovely my dear." Was the response she got, Paige never knew whether the Dowager seemed to take particular liking to her or not, it was clear she liked Penelope. But with Paige it was some sort of strange feeling as though the matriarch of one of the most desirable families in London never knew what to think of her. 

"I heard my son called upon you the other day." The Dowager pressed and Paige felt her cheeks redden to a shade not too dissimilar to her hair. She did not think so early on she would be talking to any of the mothers about their sons who had called upon her, but she should have known that the Bridgerton's were a different kind of family and Dowager Bridgerton worked hard to find matches for her children. 

"Indeed he did, Charles is a lovely gentleman." Paige didn't know how to answer the woman's statement. She had after all only had one real true conversation with the suitor well that was since she had really become an adult. Sure she had spoken to him before when she was just his younger sister's friend. But things had changed since then and she had to get to know him as a different person. Just as he did her. But before she could awkwardly tumble her way through the Dowagers oncoming questions about her son, Paige heard her name being called by Penelope. 

"Paige let us head back home, before Mother wonders what took us both so long." Penelope called and Paige bid a tiny goodbye to the other Bridgerton women, wondering what just had gone down between the two ex-best friends. Considering the haste of which her older sister seemed to be wanting to leave, Paige knew better than to make a scene or question Penelope. It wasn't like the older sister would tell her anything regardless, considering just how well Penelope liked her secrets nowadays.