No one can convince me that this wasn't Colin's heart breaking just a bit when Penelope said their kiss "would not have to mean anything,"
Look at his little face!? I mean, in my mind (and many others, I'm sure) our boy was already smitten, head over heels, down bad as the kids say, but not quite ready to admit it. The kiss solidifies these percolating feelings, it makes everything real, and it brings it all to the forefront. In the books the only issue Colin had with kissing Penelope when she asked was that he wanted to so badly, and I'd like to think the same applies in the show, leaving Colin with this "wtf do you mean it wouldn't have to mean anything? It would mean everything! Right? RIGHT?!" look on his face...
Colin had Penelope on his mind well before her glow up, well before their agreement in her garden, well before her showing up in "such a charming dress" and calling him by his formal name. His comment on her not returning his letters was too locked and loaded and right on the tip of his tongue for it not to be something he was ruminating on...
*cue nervous drinking*
Each stage of Colin realizing his feelings for Penelope was writen plainly on his face. How no one else in the ton (aside from Violet and Debling) clocked it is beyond me...
















