Follow Your Passion: A Seamless Tumblr Journey
In this AU Penelope wasn't as close to the Bridgerton as she is in the original. Because they're not neightborgs, El and Pen never got really close. I still think that she fell for Colin because both in the TV series and in the show they met by accident while they were children, the only difference is that since she didn't get to know him they didn't became friend until way later.
So back to the Marina situation, I think that since they weren't as close she wouldn't have reveal Marina's secret on Lady Whistledown BUT she would have tried to convince her not to do it because it wasn't right and she still liked Colin and he didn't deserve to be deceived like that. So we still had the speach were Marina told Penelope to give up because Colin didn't see her like a woman.
I like to think that by then Cressida and Penelope had grown closer so this time she went to Cressida and told her what happen. Cressida started the rumor of Marina being pregnant. Penelope didn't tell her anything but Cressida wasn't stupid she noticed more things especialy now that she spend more time at the Featherington's house. Then Penelope had to report it in the whistledown afterward.
Cressida never liked Marina. She saw her friendship with Penelope as tresspassing on her relationship with Penelope. She wouldn't admit it at this point but she vallued Pen as a friend, since she struggle to make friend and since she had a bad attitude she was scarred Pen might prefer Marina. So it was some kind of revenge against her.
I want to expand on this AU where the featherington are the Cowper's AU.
Like I said before, at first Cressida and Penelope weren't friend. Cressida was just another bully, just like her sisters. But being far from the bridgerton she had to confront them more often than not. I think in their childhood Cressida would value Prudence and Philipa's friendship more because they seem that they would be more popular once on the marriage market. I headcanon that in her childhood years her parents, mainly her mother, were nicer to her. But unlike Portia, lady cowper didn't want to shield her daughter from the harsh reality. She told her that her main goal before entering the marriage market was to surround herself with people that would elevate status.
Cressida would look down on Prudence and Philipa but with Penelope it was worst. She wasn't that unpleasing to the eye but her eloquence was lacking.
At some point Cressida's grand mother dies, she was the only member of her family who was affectionnate to her, it affected Cressida greatly and the only one who noticed was Penelope. She offered her a silent support that she needed most at that time. She acted less vile against her after that. They truly became friend close to their first season. I think during the first or second ball of the season. It had been really hard on both of them and Cressida was acting particularly vile that night wich had become rare. Penelope actually snaped and told her what she had on her heart.
They had a back and forth that made them realise they had more in common that they thought. They started to become friend after that. When Cressida's parent ask why she would surround herself with the likes of Penelope Featherington, she simply said that it would paint her in a better light and enhance her beauty. Her mother had doubt about that but her father couldn,t care less. The only thing he wanted was for his daughter to find a husband as quick as possible so he can get rid of her.
Their friendship is really diffrent from Pen and Eloïse's friendship. For Pen and El, their friendship was always comfortable, kind of like a refuge especially for Pen. But with Cressida it's more of an understanding, they are both in very grounded in their reality but with very diferent views of their futur.
I like to think that in their first season they were less worried about their futur. Penelope was still hopefull and dreaming that Colin would one day reciprocate her feelings, and Cressida was certain she would find a husband easily in her first season. Cressida wanted a high prize, she wanted the prince, she aim and she missed, witch was even more upseting concidering that Daphne didn't even marry the prince afterward.
The end of their first season was hard on both of them, but since Pennelope had shown support for her when her grand mother died Cressida decided to do the same. During that time, in-between season, they became really close.