Chapter Text
The Bridgerton offices in Mayfair did not look like the Command centre of an old mafia family. That was, perhaps, the point.
It looked like a regency era mansion, white marbled floor that was polished so well, you could almost see your reflection in it, the walls were lined with understated art and framed property portfolios rather than anything overtly incriminating. It always smelled of fresh flowers and old money, and was always bustling with men and women in proper white collared clothes. Anyone walking in might have thought it belonged to a legacy investment firm, not to a man whose name travelled in hushed tones through the city’s more dangerous circles.
Alfred Debling had worked for the Bridgertons long enough to know better.
He adjusted his tie uncomfortably as he stood outside Colin Bridgerton’s office, trying to ease the tightness in his chest. It annoyed him, that feeling. He prided himself on numbers, on control, on knowing exactly how the stock market would turn out, or how he had managed to multiply money wherever he put it. And for a while, it had.
Colin’s Bridgerton money had been easy to move. Too easy.
Black market deals, quiet property flips, offshore channels that turned modest investments into something far more impressive in a fraction of the time. Alfred had taken the Bridgerton capital and multiplied it, again and again, each success creating the seed investment for the next decision. Each risk felt smaller than the last, until it barely registered as risk at all.
That had been the problem. Alfred Debling, accountant extraordinaire, had failed to assess risks.
At home, Penelope had never shared his enthusiasm in dealing with shady business.
Their marriage, now two years old, had never been a warm one, more obligation than affection. She was not a difficult wife, not demanding or dramatic, but she had a way of looking at him that made him feel… seen, in a way he did not always appreciate. Because the bitch he married always made it a point to show him that she knew better than him.
“You’re getting cocky, Alfred,” she had told him more than once, her voice calm but firm as she stood by the window of their sitting room. “This isn’t clever investing anymore. It’s gambling with people who don’t play fair. And I know what gambling does to a family. My father got killed because he was one.”
He had laughed it off then, shrugging as he poured himself a drink.
“I know what I’m doing, Penelope. I’ve handled Bridgerton money for years.”
“That’s exactly the point,” she had replied, turning to face him fully. “You’re protected because it’s his money. Because no one dares cross the Bridgertons. That protection doesn’t extend to you.”
He had waved her off, irritated more by her tone than her words. She was too cautious, too… dull in her thinking. There was no reward without risk, and he was tired of thinking small.
So he had ignored her, again and again.
Until the deals began to turn.
The men he had partnered with in his latest real estate ventures did not fear the Bridgerton name in the same way. They respected it, yes, but Alfred was not Colin Bridgerton. He did not carry that quiet, dangerous authority that made others think twice before crossing a line.
So they crossed it. Funds disappeared. Contracts dissolved into nothing. Properties he had invested heavily in turned out to be worthless shells tangled in legal disputes. By the time Alfred realised he had been played, it was already too late to recover anything substantial.
What remained was a huge mountain of debt.
Now, standing outside Colin Bridgerton’s door, Alfred finally felt the full weight of Penelope’s warnings pressing down on him. Reluctantly he knocked on the gleaming oak door.
“Come in.” Colin’s smooth voice came from behind the door, granting him entry.
Alfred stepped inside. Colin Bridgerton sat behind a wide desk, sleeves rolled neatly to his forearms, a glass of whiskey resting near his hand. He looked, at first glance, like any other successful businessman. Well-dressed, composed, effortlessly at ease. But there was something in his gaze, something sharp and quietly assessing, that made Alfred feel as though he were being measured the moment he entered.
“Alfred, come, sit,” Colin said, offering a faint, polite smile. “You look like you haven’t slept for a few weeks.”
Alfred swallowed, forcing a strained chuckle as he took a seat opposite him. “Its just a minor complication, sir.” he began, attempting confidence. “A temporary liquidity issue tied to a few real estate ventures of mine.”
Colin leaned back slightly, fingers steepled, his eyes never leaving Alfred’s face. “Go on.”
Alfred cleared his throat. “I invested some of the capital into a series of high-yield properties. The returns were projected to be significant, but there have been… delays. External parties failing to uphold their end of the agreements.”
“And how much,” Colin asked calmly, “have these external parties cost me?”
“…It’s not a loss to you,” Alfred said quickly. “I have lost my money. Not permanently, though. The assets are still—”
“Alfred.”
Alfred’s mouth went dry. “It’s… tied up,” he admitted. “A substantial portion. But I can recover it. I just need time. And a short-term loan to stabilise things while I—”
“A loan.” Colin let out a soft, almost amused breath, reaching for his glass but not drinking. “Looks like you’ve been gambling.”
Alfred felt a bead of sweat slide down his spine. “It’s a temporary situation,” he defended himself, leaning forward slightly. “I’ve done this before. I’ve turned your capital into far more than it was. This is just—”
“Wait a minute…You’ve been moving my money in places you shouldn’t,” he said, not accusing, simply stating. “Places that rely on reputation more than contracts.”
Alfred said nothing.
“That works,” Colin continued, his voice still even, “when the reputation belongs to me. You assumed,” he went on, “that my name would protect you, even when I wasn’t there to enforce it. “
“No one dares to dupe the Bridgertons,” Alfred said, almost defensively.
Colin’s gaze sharpened just enough to make the distinction clear. “They don’t, but you’re not a Bridgerton, Debling.”
The words hit Alfred exactly where they were meant to.
“Penelope warned you, didn’t she?”
That startled Alfred more than anything else.
Colin’s gaze sharpened, noting the reaction.
“She’s observant,” he added. “More than you give her credit for, I imagine.”
Alfred looked away.
"So, let me get this straight. I trust you with millions of dollars of my money and you can't even keep your little side business solvent? And when your good wife has the sense of telling you not to fuck it up, you just ignore it? Why should I even trust you anymore?" Colin asked sternly.
"Sir, I'd never risk your money like that. You can have anyone you trust check the accounts any time you'd like and they'll confirm that. We even moved cash out of certain banks that seemed to be putting themselves in danger with risky loan practices before this banking crisis even began," Alfred said quickly.
"I plan to do just that. I'm not accusing you of anything, but I'd like one of Anthony's money guys to do a little audit on all accounts. Just to ease my mind, okay?"
"I'll be happy to help them, Sir."
"So assuming you haven't been fucking around with my money too, let's talk about this little loan you need.” Colin said calmly. “What kind of collateral can you offer me, besides your continued good health, if you know what I mean?" Colin asked while including an obvious threat to his life.
"Well, that's the thing, sir. Most everything I had was in cash and those devalued properties. I own my home, but with the real estate market taking a shit, I don't have any equity in it either. I was really just hoping you could just withhold a big portion of my pay every month until it's paid back."
Colin silently contemplated the deal for a minute and replied, "So, as you know, I'm not a banker, so my terms may be a little unconventional, you might say. The way I see it, the only things you have of value are this job, which you could lose at any time if you fuck up, and your beautiful wife who, by the way, doesn't deserve to be put through any of your bullshit."
"So here's what I'll offer you: I'll loan you the money you need at a ten percent interest rate. If you do anything to get yourself fired or try to skip out on this loan, I don't think I need to tell you how 'unhealthy' a decision that would be. But since I'm not in the personal loan business, let's make this deal interesting enough for me to even bother with it."
Alfred had no idea what he was hinting at, but assumed it wasn't going to be good.
Colin continued, "The way I see it, your only collateral of any value to me is Penelope. So until I'm repaid in full, she'll be my date, if you will, to my client events whenever I need her. Probably not more than a couple of times a month, as you know. It's very difficult for someone in my position to trust any woman enough to date, must less hang out with the people I associate with. I already trust your wife’s wits and my clients seem to love her."
Alfred was shocked, countering, "But boss, how could I ask her to help repay my debt like that? She'll think I'm prostituting her out!"
"Easy there, Alfred! Who said anything about sex? I would never require her to do anything she wouldn't want to do."
Alfred was quite aware of how his boss chose his words. He didn't say nothing would happen, just that he didn't require it.
"Sir, since this concerns Penelope, can I talk to her before I give you an answer?"
"Of course, Alfred."
Alfred nodded, because he had no choice.
And for the first time, he realised something with absolute clarity. He had been greedy and Penelope had always been right.
That evening when Penelope was told about their financial situation and Colin's offer, she was justifiably angry. She had no idea he was exposing them to that much risk, much less needing a bailout to avoid bankruptcy.
"So, on top of your stupid investing mistakes, you want me to whore myself out to your boss to save your greedy arse? You’re out of your mind if you think i’ll be okay with it, Alfie!" she chastised him.
"This was not my idea! I would never have voluntarily involved you in any kind of deal. He specifically said he didn't expect anything like that from you. He just wants you to help him impress his clients as he trusts your wits," he tried to explain.
Feeling extremely guilty over treating her like an infant when it came to finances, he continued, "You didn't get us into this, Baby, so I don't expect you to get us out of it. It's just the only way Colin would agree to loan me the money."
"Don't 'Baby' me, you dimwit!" she yelled. "I should agree to this and give him a piece of my arse just to teach you a lesson. As a matter of fact, fuck it. Tell him you'll take his offer!"
Alfred didn't take her threat seriously and assumed she'd cool down in a couple of days.
Their next party was a week away, so they'd have a little time to work out what Colin really expected from her.
The next day, Alfred and Colin shook hands on the deal. He handed Alfred a credit card he'd taken the liberty of ordering for Penelope so she could shop for more clothing and jewelry appropriate for the parties she would be attending as Colin’s arm candy.
Penelope's mood improved noticeably when she received the card. Maybe this could be fun after all, she thought, especially if it taught her husband a much-needed lesson.
The evening of the party, Alfred was quite anxious about the situation. All the staff and a few of the guests already knew he was Penelope's husband, so he had no idea how Colin planned to explain it or introduce her to those who didn't know.
When they walked on deck, Colin walked over and greeted Penelope with a hug and a kiss on the cheek while ignoring Alfred.
“Penelope, dear. You're looking absolutely gorgeous as always. Come with me and I'll give you a run-down on who's coming tonight," Colin said as he took her hand and led her away.
Alfred went over to the bar and sat down where he'd spend the better part of the evening. He tried to remain as inconspicuous as possible, feeling like all the party-goers who knew him were probably laughing at his predicament. He hated the feeling, but suspected it was part of his penance from Colin.
Throughout the evening, Penelope acted in every way as if she was indeed Colin's date. Their embraces, the smiles and the whispers in each other's ear looked completely authentic.
When a couple of his coworkers took the opportunity to tell Alfred what a good-looking couple they made, he snapped out of his trip down memory lane. They obviously said it to poke fun at him, but they weren't wrong. She certainly looked more in Colin's league than his.
As the party wound down around 1 AM, Penelope and Colin said their goodbyes with a hug and a quick kiss on the lips they knew Alfred could see. Colin whispered something into her ear that caused her to smile and blush a little, but Alfred had no idea what he said.
As the rode home, they couldn't really talk freely in front of the driver, but it was apparent their individual takes on the evening's events were quite different. Alfred had been ready to leave for hours, but Penelope was still bubbly, telling him how much fun she'd had. He considered taking out his frustration on her with a few jealousy-fueled comments, but he bit his tongue. He knew everything he was upset about was due to his own stupidity and he didn't need the bitch to remind him of that.
When they got inside their home, Penelope was unusually frisky and tried to get him hard for her, but between his sour mood and a mild case of whiskey dick, it just wasn't going to happen. After giving up and rolling away from him to her side of the bed in frustration, she couldn't help fantasize about what would be happening at that moment if she'd gone home with Colin instead.
Besides being wealthy, Colin was quite an attractive man; tall, muscular, and confident, and if she were to discount a few seemingly accidental brushes of his palm to her derriere, he was a perfect gentleman to her. He made her body tingle more than once that evening without even trying. She couldn't help rubbing her swollen clit to a silent orgasm while fantasizing about him.
Two weeks later, Colin hosted his next party at a high-end hotel in Mayfair.
Alfred noticed Penelope seemed to go to even greater lengths to prepare herself this time. Nails, pedicure and even something she called a Brazilian were all taken care of the day prior. Alfred couldn't help notice how beautiful and sexy she looked as they left home. He would've been more openly complimentary of her appearance if he hadn't already known it wasn't for his benefit.
Alfred reminded himself to take it easy on the alcohol this time. If hanging out with Colin all evening made her frisky afterwards, that was fine by him as long as he got to reap the benefits.
Since Alfred already knew what to expect from Penelope and his boss, he had a better time than before. He spent more time socializing, only occasionally checking on Penelope to see what she was up to. Around midnight, he noticed he hadn't seen her or Colin for about twenty minutes, but didn't think much of it. They were probably just mingling with clients in different party rooms.
After another twenty minutes went by, Alfred asked one of his coworkers if he'd seen Penelope. He said he saw them heading out to the observation deck earlier, but hadn't seen them in a while. As he headed out to check on her, he ran into them coming back inside.
"Oh, hi Babe," she said, a little startled. "Are you having fun?"
"I'm good. Just talking to Diego and Charlie for a while," he answered.
"Excuse me, Babe. I need to go fix my hair. It's pretty windy out there. I'll catch up with you later."
Her hair was indeed tussled, but he didn't really understand how the wind messed up her lipstick. Alfred continued out onto the deck himself, wondering what the view would be like and who they'd been socializing with. It was a pretty amazing view of the city under a full moon, but he thought it odd that he was the only person out there. Who would they have been socializing with?
That thought stayed with him, plaguing his body and mind.
Penelope, what are you up to?
He growled into the wind, thinking how all of this was actually his fault.