Penelope returns from a shopping trip to find Colin rereading his journals. He is wary about sharing them, and Penelope is touched by this evidence of insecurity in the man she thought of as “an invincible tower of happiness and good cheer” (303). She tries to encourage him, but Colin still feels held back by his own jealousy and fear; he wants to publish his journals but is uncertain if they are good.

He brings excerpts about his travels in Scotland for Penelope to read. He is encouraged by her reaction and trusts her judgment. When she asks Colin what is troubling him, he compares their achievements: Penelope has been a success with a body of work, while he longs for purpose. Penelope wishes that she could convince him that his kindness toward others and his bond with his siblings are also accomplishments.

She tells him how she got started writing Lady Whistledown’s column. When she was 17, some people had said horrid things about her, so she wrote down her thoughts in response. Her father’s solicitor discovered the paper and encouraged Penelope to publish a gossip column. He arranged for a printer and suggested offering the first two weeks of columns for free before charging for future issues.