Thursday—November 26th, 2020

Night of Lady Danbury's Thanksgiving Bash, 6h30pm

It was not even seven o'clock and Kate had already declared this the worst night of her life. It wasn't enough that she had had to dress up (she was wearing five inch heels, for Christ's sake!), but not only had she not been able to have a moment alone with Anthony Bridgerton, oh no, he had gone and introduced himself to her sister.

Even worse, he'd asked her to dance.

Even worse, she'd said yes.

Even worse, Mary looked pleased!

"Will you stop that?" Kate hissed, poking her stepmother in the ribs.

"Stop what?"

"Looking at them like that!"

Mary blinked. "Like what?"

"Like you're happy for them."

"Oh." Mary's cheeks turned pink. A guilty sort of pink.

"Mary!"

"Well, he is very handsome, isn't he," Mary said. "Even you can't deny that. And so charming. He'd be a superb catch for Edwina."

"Three days ago you were saying he wasn't good for her!"

"That was before I saw them together," Mary said shamelessly. "Now I'm saying he might be exactly what I'd like to have for a son-in-law."

"Mary! Him?" Kate pointed. "You'd have to dine with him and listen politely to his plans to tear down our Community Center. You'd have to agree with him and play nice even though he's going to destroy everything my dad worked so hard for!"

Mary glanced at her. "You never know, Kate. Maybe if he were to fall in love with Eddie—"

"I know you think that love is the answer to everything, Mary, but sometimes people have to make choices based on their character, not their feelings. And he has neither."

"Oh, Kate," Mary said sadly. "You can't keep thinking every man is like Mason."

"I don't!" Kate shrieked. "W-what? Mary, I— This has nothing to do with Mason! I judge people based on how they treat those they believe to be inferior to them. BCorp is a heartless profit machine. It goes against everything you and Dad taught us to believe in. Eddie should never get involved with someone like him. And neither should you. Especially as mayor, you should—"

"Don't you presume to tell me what I can and cannot do, Katharine Sheffield," Mary snapped sharply, stiffening her spine until she'd straightened to her full height. "I am still your mother even if you don't have my blood."

Kate immediately felt like a worm. Mary was all she'd ever known as a mother, and she'd never, not even once, made Kate feel any less her daughter than Edwina was. She'd tucked Kate into bed at night, told her stories, kissed her, hugged her, helped her through the awkward years between childhood and adulthood.

"Sorry," Kate said in a quiet voice, letting her gaze fall shamefully down to her feet. "I didn't mean it like that. I'm just... overly excited."

Mary stared at her for a long moment. "Kate, you've been fighting for what you want since you were seven years old and your father told you you couldn't wear pants in church. If you really care about the Community Center, and I know you do, you'll find a way to stop BCorp. 'Not the easy way; the right way.'"

Kate looked at her. That was what Dad used to say. "Thank you, Mary."

"You're welcome. Now, would it kill you to have a good time?"

Kate tried. But every now and then she would look out across the room to where Edwina was dancing with Anthony Bridgerton. As usual, Edwina was a vision. Anthony Bridgerton, Kate noted with irritation, didn't fall far behind. He dressed well, he stood straight and proud, and had really good hair.

"He's not the right fit for her," Kate kept muttering every now and then, practically biting each word.

Mary cocked her head slightly to the side and raised her brows. "I believe that's for Eddie to decide, darling. And besides," Mary mused, "I had a lovely chat with his mother earlier this evening and she—"

"His mother?" Kate fought to follow the conversation. "What has that to do with anything?"

"Why, I find it difficult to believe that such a gracious and intelligent woman could have raised anything but the finest of men, regardless of his job."

"But Mary—"

"Have I told you," Mary said, the purposeful tone of her voice indicating that she'd meant to interrupt, "how lovely you look in yellow? it goes with your hair."

Kate looked dumbly down at her dress, wondering why on earth Mary had changed the subject so suddenly. Then she felt Mary's finger jabbing her directly below her left shoulder blade, and she knew something else was afoot entirely.

"Mr. Bridgerton!" Mary suddenly exclaimed, sounding as gleeful as a young girl.

Horrified, Kate jerked her head up to see a startlingly handsome man approach them. A startlingly handsome man who looked startlingly like the man currently dancing with her sister. She swallowed. It was either that or let her jaw hang open.

"Mr. Bridgerton!" Mary said again. "How nice to see you again. This is my daughter Katharine."

"Oh, lovely to meet you," he said, gleefully.

"Kate," Mary continued, "this is Colin Bridgerton. I met him earlier this evening while I was talking with his mother." She turned to Colin and beamed.

"The pleasure, again, is all mine, Madam Mayor," he said with a smile. "I've always said that what the tons needed most was a woman's touch. I'm sure we can all rely on you to take great care of our, uh, beloved town."

Mary tittered. Tittered! 

Kate thought she might gag.

"Kate," Mary said again, "Colin and Anthony are brothers."

"I figured," Kate replied curtly.

Colin Bridgerton shot her a sideways glance, and she knew instantly that he had not missed the vague sarcasm in her tone. "Miss Sheffield," he said politely. "I do hope we can dance later? When they're playing something more exciting? Slow dances are not my thing."

"Nor mine."

"Kate," Mary said, nudging her softly, "say you'll dance with him later."

"I don't dance," Kate reminded her through gritted teeth.

Colin smiled, then asked if she might like to go get something to drink instead. There was no way to refuse. 

"Go, go," Mary said, before Kate could reply. "Don't worry about me. I'll be just fine without you."

"I can bring you back a glass," Kate offered, trying to figure out if it was possible to glare at her stepmother without Colin Bridgerton noticing.

"Not necessary. I have some people who require my attention. A mayor never has any time off, I'm afraid." Mary whipped her head around frantically until she spied a familiar face. "Oh, look, there is Mrs. Featherington. I must be off. Portia! Portia!"

Kate watched her stepmother's rapidly retreating form for a moment before turning back to Mr. Bridgerton. "I think," she said dryly, "that she isn't thirsty." A sparkle of humor glinted in his chocolate eyes. "Are you thirsty or are you just being polite?"

"I'm always polite," he said with a wicked grin, "but I'm thirsty too."

Despite herself, Kate laughed. She didn't want to like Colin Bridgerton. She didn't much want to like any Bridgerton after what their company was doing to her community center. But one look at that grin, lethally combined with those devastating eyes, and she knew there was no way she could dislike him. "How come you all look so good?" she asked.

Colin choked. "What did you just say?"

Kate's face flushed as she realized with horror that she'd spoken aloud. "I'm sorry. That was... horribly... weird."

"No, no," he said quickly, looking terribly interested, "do continue."

Kate swallowed. There was really no way to get out of it now. "I just—" She cleared her throat. "If I might be honest..."

He nodded, his sly grin telling her that he could not imagine her being anything but honest.

Kate cleared her throat yet again. Really, this was getting ridiculous. "Well, it's unnatural," she said quickly, before she lost her nerve. "No one should look this good. And there are like eight of you running amok."

"Running amok." Colin blinked. "Oof. Can I just say, no one has called me unnatural since I ate twelve salmon sandwiches in twenty minutes."

"You did what?"

"Yeah, Gregory bet I couldn't, so obviously I had to prove him wrong—"

"I'm going to stop you right there," Kate said pointedly. "This conversation makes no sense to me. Neither does that," she pointed across the room.

Colin remained silent for a moment, slowly turning his head to watch his brother and Edwina, who were just then finishing up their dance. They arrived at the bar and ordered two margaritas. "Whatever do you mean? My brother is a great man."

Two could play at this game, Kate thought. She took a sip of her drink before speaking. "Is that so?"

"I would certainly be in a position to know."

"Well my sister is a beautiful woman."

Colin looked at her assessingly. "That is true."

"A beautiful independent woman who doesn't need BCorp to validate herself."

"So you don't like him?" Before she could answer, he added, "Have you met him?

Kate leveled a frank stare directly at his face. "Not really," she admitted. "But your brother isn't the first man of questionable character to show interest in my sister. Especially since Mary's been elected. And I got rid of them, didn't I?"

Colin narrowed his eyes. "Are you threatening to 'get rid' of my brother? That doesn't sound murdery at all."

"Please, I don't need murder to make men run."

"Clearly."

Kate decided to let that go. "The point is, I don't think your brother is good enough to lick my sister's heels."

"Oh, you are being far too generous, Miss Sheffield," he said.

"I am rarely accused of that."

He laughed. Right out loud in the middle of the ballroom. Kate realized with discomfort that they were suddenly the object of numerous curious stares. "You," he said, still sounding most heartily amused, "have to meet him now."

"Oh no," Kate took a step back. "No way."

"If you're going to judge him so harshly, you need to have all the facts," he said with a shrug. "Besides, Tony's always in his best behavior when a redhead's involved."

How Kate managed not to laugh she would never know. Keeping her lips completely straight and serious, she replied, "He has a great deal to recommend him, then."

Colin grinned. "You have my word. He's a great laugh."

"Your word is all I need. I'll tell Mary to begin planning our wedding breakfast immediately."

Colin's mouth fell open. "I didn't mean... You shouldn't... That is to say, I—"

It was Kate's turn to laugh. "Oh my God. You should've seen your face! Pathetic!"

He blushed. "You were joking."

"Now, that you've worked that out, I'll leave you to ponder the error of your ways. Toodaloo."

And with that, she walked away.