Wednesday—November 25th, 2020

"Someday," Mary announced out of the blue, giving her phone a shake, "someone is going to discover this girl's true identity, and then she's going to be in real trouble."

It was nighttime and few of them were gathered in the Thomas Jefferson Community Center to discuss the campaigning Kate had started to prevent the center's destruction. The group was small for now: Mayor Sheffield, Eddie, Kate, a few of their friends, and then Penelope Featheirngton had shown up with her mother and sisters.

That wasn't exactly surprising. Penelope had, Kate recalled, spent probably even more time in TJCC than Kate had. When she was sick and her mother couldn't afford her hospital bills, the women of the TJCC had stepped in with fundraising ideas to help the Featheringtons.The TJCC had served as a second home to Penelope and her family, and she had spent there almost as much time as in a hospital room.

Kate liked Penelope very much but they weren't exactly friends. God, Kate couldn't recall the last time she had referred to another person as a friend—someone who wasn't related to her. She had trouble connecting to people. She was too driven about her job; nobody else, other than Mary and Eddie, understood her passion.

"Do you really think so, Mom?" Eddie asked. "I think she's been very careful. I don't have a clue who she could be."

"Nothing that big can stay a secret forever," Mary replied. "Mark my words. It's all going to come out sooner or later, and when it does, she's going to have a lot to answer for."

"Well, if I knew who she was," Kate announced, "I'd probably make her my best friend. She's fiendishly entertaining, is she not? And no matter what anyone says, she's always right. Point being issue Nº376."

That post had come as such a shock to Kate. She had never imagined she would be featured so lengthy in one of HG's rants—and in such favorable light! The post couldn't have come at a better time either. People were finally starting to take notice of the TJCC's situation.

Edwina looked at her sister with interest. "Kate," she said, leaning forward, a conspiratory look on her face, "are you Hamptons Girl?"

Kate smiled at her sister's sarcasm. Edwina knew Kate too much to actually suspect her. Kate didn't have the self control necessary to keep herself anonymous. When she called people out, and she did that quite frequently, she liked to make sure there was no mistake who had done it. She didn't enjoy secrets or deceit. Things were black and white with her.

"I'd like to know who she is," Portia Featherington started, "I have a few bones to pick with her."

And so you would, Kate thought. One of Hamptons Girl's favorite subjects was the Featheringtons. And she wasn't exactly kind when she wrote about them. She often pointed out everything that was true about the Featheringtons, all that everyone knew and hated, but nobody had the courage to comment on. For example, just at the beginning of the week she told everyone about a very embarrassing tattoo Philippa Featherington had gotten. And last week she had made a mean jab at Penelope for wearing a yellow dress that washed away her complexion and made her look sicklish. It was rare someone would say something mean about Penelope—she had been the dying girl for so long nobody liked to pick on her. 

"Oh yeah," Phoebe Featherington chuckled. "What was it she called you, Penny?"

"An overripe citrus fruit," Penelope supplied helpfully. Her sisters laughed.

Kate waved her arm and sighed with great drama, "Yes, well, she called me a singed daffodil once." And she winked at Penelope who smiled at her thankfully.

"Speaking of fashion," Mary said, "I just had an idea." She looked at Kate. "You should go to Lady Danbury's Thanksgiving bash tomorrow. You should go—" she said more firmly as Kate started to protest, "—because the Bridgertons will be there. And if you look just right, and if you make your case flawlessly, Anthony Bridgerton might agree to meet with you to discuss the Community Center." 

What a horrible idea, Kate thought. It would never work. But before she could share her sentiments, the other women decided they were in agreement.

"That's a great idea!" Edwina exclaimed. "If anyone can change his mind, it's you Kate. You're the most persuasive person I know."

"And so eloquent, too," Mrs. Featherington said. "Penelope is always telling me you have a great way with words. Are you not, Penny?"

Penelope only nodded shyly.

"Let me guess," Kate said, "I have to show up in a beautiful dress, bat my eyelashes and hope that he can spare a second to stare at my boobs while I run my month and he doesn't listen to a word a say?"

As she spoke those words, a niggling sense of shame rose within her because she knew them to be true. She knew that's what would happen. Edwina was the one with charm, the one who could convince men of anything. Edwina was a beauty, while Kate was...

Kate was Kate.

And Kate didn't mind. Edwina's beauty was simply a fact of life. There were certain truths Kate had long since come to accept. Kate would never learn to waltz without trying to take the lead; she'd always be afraid of storms, no matter how often she told herself it was silly; and no matter what she wore, no matter how she dressed her hair or pinched her cheeks, she'd never be as pretty as her sister.

And that was okay. Kate had other things. She had her job at the Community Center, helping hundreds of lives everyday. People knew her name there and they appreciated her for what she had to offer, not for what she looked like. Kate was certain she wouldn't like the type of attention Edwina received. She wouldn't like being called pretty; she'd much rather be called smart. Nor, she was coming to realize, would she relish the responsibility of the Community Center for a man. 

"Don't be so hard on him," Penelope said, to everyone's astonishment. She was such a quiet girl, she didn't often rush to anyone's defense. "The Bridgertons are a good family. I'm sure Anthony will listen to you. He'll give you a fair shot to convince him of the TJCC's importance."

"You know what?" Edwina added. "I completely agree. You truly cannot tell a book by its cover. Maybe Anthony Bridgerton will surprise you, Kate."

"I don't want to be surprised, Eddie, I want to be taken seriously. Say what you want, everyone knows what type of man he is. Playboy. He is above all of our problems. He won't care, not for a second."

"Try it," Mary said, and when Kate caught her eye she thought she'd seen a dare in there. "We need all the help we can get."

Eddie patted her sister on the arm and just like that it was decided. Kate was to go to Lady Danbury's party where she would try to impress the pants off Anthony Bridgerton.

What could possibly go wrong? 

*

Penelope felt horrible for Kate Sheffield. The woman looked like she wanted nothing more than to jump off a precipice. Penelope understood. Relying on one's appearance wasn't as reliable as people seemed to imply. Thankfully for her, Kate had two things Penelope never would—courage and a voice. Kate could make herself be heard if she was standing in a crown of Victoria's Secrets models wearing nothing but a potato sack. She was smart and she cared about TJCC more than anyone else in town. She was the perfect person for the job—she was the only one who could truly showcase what TJCC meant to the tons. 

As the women started heading home at the end of the day, Penelope noticed that her mother was more thoughtful than normal. She wondered what this could be about, but her sister Philippa asked the question before she could.

"What's wrong with you, Mom? You're being very quiet. It's scaring me a bit."

Portia Featherington looked at her daughters with a level look. "I was just thinking," she said, "that although Mary Sheffield's plan had some merit, her daughter isn't, in fact, the only one who could save the Community Center." And she set her eyes pointedly at Penelope.

"What do you mean?" Phoebe asked.

Portia kept her eyes on her youngest daughter. "You sure do spend a lot of time at Bridgerton Manor, Penny."

Penelope felt a sudden chill, guessing where this was leading.

Portia tapped her finger against the side of her chin, as she always did when she was plotting or scheming. "You spend so much time with Eloise, Penny, surely you could spare a minute to tell her about the TJCC. And now that Colin Bridgerton is back in town, I was thinking if you wouldn't be so kind, Penny, to start taking your sister with you whenever you visit them."

Penelope managed to blink just before her eyes bugged right out of her head. "You want Colin Bridgerton to date Phoebe?"

Portia gave a little shrug. "Stranger things have happened."

"Not that I've ever seen," Penelope muttered.

But, that night, as she lied in bed, Penelope had a bad feeling in her stomach. Not that she thought Colin would actually want to date her sister, but it suddenly dawned on her that eventually Colin would have to start dating again. And Penelope wasn't sure she could handle it.

She reached for her phone and opened the gossip app to read again the issue about him when she noticed there was a notification for a NEWSFLASH blinking on her screen. She felt elated, almost giddy, as she clicked on it and started reading. 

What Everyone Sees But Nobody Talks About Nº377

Great Hamptons is buzzing with excitement for the annual Lady Danbury's Thanksgiving Bash. We haven't had a party in such a long time that I can only wonder the sort of shenanigans you lot are going to get into. And I'm going to be there, watching from afar, ready to uncover every single one of your secrets.

I have already got a taste of what is to be expected. I foresee no fewer than eleven "Determined Bachelor" to be cowering in corners and eventually fleeing the premises with single ladies hot on their heels.

It is difficult to determine, however, who will be the worst of the lot, but I am sure to have a final opinion by the end of the night.

I can only imagine all the gossip that will reveal at tomorrow's party.

Should there be a scandal? Oh yes.

There's always a scandal at a house party.

Look out, GH, for here I come.

Hamptons Girl

*

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