#'no she's just my friend'? - Fife doesn't believe for a MOMENT that a man can value a woman as a friend

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thinking about the 'I would never court Penelope Featherington' scene again and how angry our fandom has been at Colin for it for the last two years and wondering. . .what exactly was he meant to say?

Lord Fife and his friends are *slimy*. They are gross. They have 0 respect for women. Fife isn't *Colin's* friend. Fife is *Anthony's* friend. Fife runs in Anthony's circles. Misogynistic circles with misogynistic language. Fife and Co. are out here saying the debutantes are only good for being 'wed, bed, and bred'. Fife is the one out here, well into his 30s and with an established title, fucking an 18 year woman raw on her first year out in the marriage mart with 0 intention to marry her. That is 10000% an act of violence in this society. And you *know* he's bragging about it. Hell, he was probably bragging about it right before he asked Colin about Penelope.

Colin's not in those circles. Colin has female friends. Colin respects his mother. Colin cares for his sisters. The worst thing Colin has EVER said about a woman was to call her 'cruel'.

So. . .what is Colin meant to say? "No, we're just friends" isn't going to fly for people like Fife. As IF he wouldn't reply with 'Yeah, suuuuuure, wink wink nudge nudge'. Thus ruining Penelope and fucking over her future completely. A lesser man than Colin would have let them think what they wanted, and that would have still ruined Penelope in their eyes. Silence? Incriminating.

And he doesn't want FIFE of all people to know about his close friendship with Penelope. Fife who has never once been seen respecting a woman. Fife who has never once viewed a woman as a person and not a sexual conquest. Penelope is a safe place for Colin. Is precious to him. He KNOWS that conversation could have destroyed her reputation.

People talk about how he 'ruined her prospects', but in actuality, Colin responding the way he did. . .likely SAVED her prospects. There was NOTHING he could have said except for a vehement refusal, completely shutting down the conversation, that would have spared her from their judgement and cruelty. Sure, they laughed, and maybe it was at Pen. Maybe it was at Colin. (frankly, how good of a twist would it be if they WERE laughing at Colin? Colin the 'green' boy back from his travels after being oh so gullible and getting lied to by his ex fiance? Anthony made fun of Colin for being a virgin, we think these men, all 10+ years older than him, wouldn't do the same?) But at least they didn't go 'yeah, I guess she's a ruined woman' about it, because that *would* have destroyed her reputation

We talk about how Colin could have worded it differently, but honestly?

I think he said the exact right thing in those circumstances

#polin #penelope featherington #colin bridgerton #bridgerton #lord fife #lord cho #fife and company are so gross to me i do NOT understand the narrative of fife just wanting pen for himself #she's a little too old for him at this point considering he's looking for his girlfriend on a playground don't you think? #sorry not sorry i will forever be a colin apologist #no but really what should he have said???? #'oh yeah we're fucking six ways to sunday?' #'no she's just my friend'? - Fife doesn't believe for a MOMENT that a man can value a woman as a friend #colin is the best man in that entire bunch but somehow he's the one we've demonized? #make it make sense #and sure he should apologize for talking about her behind her back- but Penelope should also then apologize for the same #we talk a lot about him being 'knocked off the pedestal' but in reality we've put him on the highest pedestal possible #colin is a GOOD man #he is arguably the best man in the entire series #at least he's the man with the best intentions and the least harm #and so when he fucks up we feel it ten fold because he was already so good #but when gross dudes fuck up we just expect it of them and give them a pass #we expect colin to not only be better- but to be perfect #and he isn't he can't be #he didn't say it perfectly #but OBVIOUSLY his intentions in that scene aren't malicious #and it's not locker room talk either? #look at the optics: Colin is 22 being asked by these 30+ year old dudes 'sooooo are you boinking the girl'? #one season after his engagement blew up publicly #in the season where no one listens to his travel stories #the season after he was virgin shamed