AN: Thank you so much for all of the love and support this story has gotten. As I'm sure you've guessed with the chapter title this one's pretty angsty so get ready. I can't wait to hear what you all think and happy reading!
It appears, dear reader, that even with the arrival of a Prince, our organization has seemingly been rather quiet as of late. This is rather upsetting that I can't bring you anything more scandalous to read. I must say, though, that it seems dear Frederich has his eyes on a few ladies after the latest ball. Two I'm hardly surprised by and yet the third I'm most shocked when there is a clear choice, especially since one of the two seems to be quite taken by a certain captain. Maybe the arrival of Frederich will make another captain realize what he's missing out on. Hopefully, with the new exhibit opening at Somerset House, there will be something more to write about.
~ LW
Somerset House's latest exhibit opened in the middle of the season, allowing for all including those not involved with the matchmaking event to walk its halls to appreciate various works of art including personal pieces donated, famous art pieces on loan from museums, and pieces done by local artists. One artist being showcased was Henry Granville whom Katherine adored and enjoyed working with when needed.
Since her mother was the only one who accompanied her, Katherine easily broke away once she saw not only Weatherby but Henry as well. "If it isn't some of my favorite people." She said as she approached them.
"Kitty!" They both exclaimed, turning to smile at her.
"Have you seen much?" Henry asked, wondering what she thought of the pieces he had provided.
"Not yet. I've only just arrived but seeing how a dear friend of mine was speaking to one of the artists on display, I couldn't pass the opportunity to come over."
"Oh, Kitty, you are a gem," Weatherby told her with a smile.
"You won't mind if I take her around to show her my pieces, will you?" Henry asked.
Weatherby shook his head. "Not at all. Enjoy the personal tour and we'll talk soon."
Katherine looped her arm with Henry's and as she passed Weatherby she gave his shoulder a squeeze.
Once a little away from the crowd, Henry leaned in close. "I wanted to also thank you for helping Weatherby maintain appearances."
Smiling, she patted his arm. "He's been helping me as well. Is your beautiful wife here as well?"
He smiled, nodding. "Yes. She's helping me keep the business side of things straight today. I'm hoping to either get some commissioned work or to sell some of the pieces on display."
"I'm sure you will be able to do both. Now, where are your paintings?"
He motioned in front of them with his chin. "Right where one of your Bridgerton friends is standing."
Looking over, she noticed Benedict Bridgerton standing there, looking up at the pieces on the wall. With a mischievous smirk, she turned back to Henry. "Do you want to have some fun?"
Chuckling, he nodded. "Always, when you're involved."
"Follow my lead." She winked before leading them over.
Henry laughed but followed Katherine over as she stood next to Benedict.
Benedict looked from the painting to see who had just walked up beside him. Seeing Katherine, he knew his opinion of the piece would be safe, especially since he knew she would let her opinion be known as well no matter what she thought of it. "It's much too cold." He started.
Katherine tilted her head as she took in the piece as Benedict continued, hoping she could keep a straight face.
"Where's any sense of the subject's spirit?" He continued. "And the light! Given the quality, I do wonder why the piece was not skyed with the other daubs."
She wrinkled her nose, tilting her head back and forth as if she was trying to really get a sense for the piece before speaking her mind. "Perhaps we should ask the artist." She finally suggested, looking up at Benedict.
"Well, that would be something, Kitty." Benedict nodded.
She hummed before looking towards Henry. "Henry, why was your piece not skyed?"
The two shared a smirk as Benedict looked between the two horrified. He couldn't believe that Katherine had just set him up like that. Just as Henry was about to answer, Benedict started apologizing. Henry held up his hand and smiled at Benedict before looking down at Katherine.
"Now that we've had our fun, I must go and find my wife, see how business is going. I do want your honest opinion later. This one was more of an experimentation." He excused himself.
"I'll be sure to find you then." Katherine smiled. With a smile and a wink, Henry walked away, leaving the two friends to return to the artwork.
Benedict felt like a fish gasping for water as he watched the two interact before he had her full attention. "You diabolical...how could you let me rattle on like that?"
Katherine chuckled. "How could I not? You make things far too easy, Benedict." She teased him.
"I'm going to get you back; I hope you know this."
"I'm planning on it. It's been far too long since we've entered into our little prank wars." She smirked before moving on to the next section to take in the various art hanging on the walls.
As she made her rounds, she greeted those she knew, chatting briefly if they were in the same Section. She and Frederich chatted briefly about the abstract art they had stopped in front of and how nice an event like this in between all of the balls was a nice break from all of the dancing. When he noticed Daphne by herself, he excused himself and made his way over as Katherine continued her rounds. Out of all the people that she did see, one person that she was surprised to see was Marina Thompson. She moved between the crowd, coming to stand next to her and Penelope. "Lovely to see you two here." She greeted, glancing towards Marina.
Marina sighed, wanting nothing more than to wrap her arms around Katherine and ask her to take her home. "Mrs. Featherington seems to think that I need to still find a husband."
Penelope looked between the two. "Wait, Kitty, do you know about Marina's...condition?"
"Sure do, Pen. But I'm here to help." Katherine looked towards both girls and gave a reassuring smile. "Why does Portia think you need a husband? Just because the father is deployed, doesn't mean anything."
Marina looked down at her feet as Penelope rubbed her back. "He hasn't written back so she's taking it as him abandoning me."
Katherine twirled a strand of her hair as she looked up at the paintings. She wasn't sure how to really say this without potentially giving herself away. "I don't want to lie to you but it is a very real chance. Men can be right assholes when they want to be, but if you believe that this isn't George then ask if any of her potential husbands can be vetted through me. That should save you some time plus with you reentering into society, you should be receiving callers again."
"I'll even ask that too so maybe she won't suspect anything." Penelope offered.
Marina smiled over at the youngest Featherington daughter. "Thanks, Pen."
Wishing the two girls well after reiterating that they could call her for anything they might need, Katherine continued roaming around Somerset House. Oddly enough it was moments like these that she let herself feel that sense of loneliness that comes with being comfortable enough enjoying her own company most of the time. She wished she had someone to make rounds with, chat with friends, and remark on the art together. Instead, it was by herself or with her mother.
She didn't mind the company of her mother. She enjoyed it in fact, enjoyed it the most when they were away from her stepfather. She just wished she had someone.
"What did you do to my brother?" Anthony said, touching her lower back as he sidled up next to her.
Katherine turned to face her newest conversation partner with a grin. "I just let him prattle on his honest opinion of Henry's piece in front of Henry." She said with a grin.
"And you thought that wise?"
"Henry's fine. We chatted again a little later and since the piece was an experimentation with some techniques, he's going to switch things up."
Anthony chuckled, shaking his head. "There will be no living with the two of you for a while, will there?"
"Probably not but Benedict's never been able to truly get me, so we'll see if he's upped his game while I was away."
Before he could respond, a collective gasp was heard around the room causing both of them to spin around just in time to see Frederich catch Cressida Cowper. Katherine tried to hide her laughter behind her hand. "Did she just bloody swoon?"
Anthony snickered, nodding his head. "I believe she did."
Turning, she hid her face in his shoulder, laughing. "Oh, that poor girl really is desperate."
He snorted before nudging her into another room so they both could properly have a laugh. They entered into a fit of giggles, heads bent towards each other as they tried to make sure they weren't too loud that they would get caught.
"Kitty!" Anthony finally exclaimed, in a mock accusatory tone. "She is one of your clients." He then whispered.
"Anthony!" She repeated in the same tone he used. "I'm well aware and it's still true. Even I can't fix that."
They started cracking up again, flopping down onto the bench in the middle of the room, hunching close together.
"There you two are," Violet said, Elizabeth right next to her, both women looking very amused.
"What are you two giggling about?" Elizabeth asked.
The pair sat straight up, with eyes as wide as deer's caught in headlights. "N-nothing." Katherine tried.
"Nothing at all." Anthony finished, hoping they sounded convincing but knew they didn't. He just hoped he wasn't about to get another nudge from his mother to court his best friend.
"Well, it's time to go," Elizabeth said, motioning for Katherine to follow.
Nodding, Katherine stood up and gave Anthony a quick hug, letting him know that she'd talk to him later. Once in their car, Elizabeth looked over to her daughter who was looking out the window. "I may have underestimated your friendship with Anthony."
Katherine scrunched her nose, whipping her head over to focus on her mother. "Mum, no. We're just friends, really."
Elizabeth raised her hands in surrender. "Okay, dear. Whatever you say."
In the Bridgerton car, Violet kept giving Anthony a knowing look as he listened to Eloise recount what Cressida had done. He was sure his second younger sister would be texting his best friend in a moment to share her thoughts. He just subtly shook his head. He wasn't going to get into this again. He had just gotten Katherine back into his life full time. He wasn't about to do anything that would push her away from him.
"I didn't know where else to go," Daphne said, standing in the doorway to Katherine's office, trying her hardest not to cry in front of so many people. She knew going into this it was all faked but if that was the case then why did their friendship, her feelings towards him feel so real.
Simon had hinted that Katherine knew the truth. So after he walked off she started for the office building that held Gibbs Communications. She couldn't very well tell her mother about it. She was fixed on the fact that she and Simon were in love with each other.
Katherine's head popped around her large computer monitor when she heard Daphne's voice at the door. The redhead seemed to be barely keeping it together which made a million and one scenarios race through the older woman's mind. "Daph, what happened? Do I need to call anyone?"
Daphne shook her head. "Do you think we could go somewhere with fewer windows?"
A soft smile tugged on Katherine's lips as she pushed herself away from her desk, grabbing her badge and a box of tissues. "Ever been on the roof?"
Handing Daphne the box of tissues, she ushered the young woman out of her office and to the stairwell. After going up two flights, Katherine placed her badge over the reader and once the light turned green, she opened the door and motioned for Daphne to head on out.
Both women blinked to let their eyes adjust to the sudden brightness of the mid-afternoon. Once Katherine was able to do more than stumble forward, she brought Daphne around to her spot that she created to take a break when work got too tough. Complete with cushioned covered milk crates, Katherine motioned for the younger woman to sit down.
Daphne moved the crate to sit right next to Katherine so she could rest her head on the older woman's shoulder. "Do you know of mine and Simon's arrangement?"
Katherine nodded, wrapping an arm around the other's shoulders, bringing her in close. "I am."
"And yet you never said a word."
"Daph, I cover things up for part of my living." She chuckled. "Besides, it was a good plan in the beginning."
"Well, it's a horrible plan now." She sniffled. "I thought by the end of this I would have maybe made a new friend but it seems that I was merely just a convenience and a distraction."
Katherine gasped. "He did not say those things to you."
"He did." Daphne started crying then, turning more into Katherine's side, seeking out comfort.
Holding Daphne close, she rubbed her back as she let her cry it out. It seemed she would be making a visit to her dear friend Simon today. "While those words are very upsetting to hear no matter what, I'm assuming they hurt a little more because you too have developed feelings for him?" She asked as Daphne's cries quieted down.
Daphne nodded. "I didn't mean for it to happen."
Katherine chuckled. "No one ever does." She placed a kiss on top of her head while giving her shoulder a squeeze. "Listen, Daph, this is a classic Simon move. He hurts the people he cares about in order to push them away. Not to undermine what he said to you, you should certainly demand an apology, but that's what this seems like. He prefers..."
"To be alone, I know. Anthony told me the same thing." Daphne said, cutting Katherine off. "And yet he traveled the world with you and cast me aside as if I meant nothing."
"Well, that's easy, I'm not you. Mine and Simon's friendship doesn't even compare to what you and he could have and that frightens him so he goes back to what he knows is safe." She pulled a tissue from the box sitting in Daphne's lap and nudged her so she'd look up at her.
"Do I think you two are great together? Sure." She continued as she started to dab at the younger woman's tears. "But if I have learned anything in my nearly 30 years of life, it is that no matter how much we may love them, no man is worth our tears. So we cry for a moment, get all of the hurt out, and then readjust our crowns and move on with our lives. After all, you still have a husband to find and well, Frederich is a great catch. No Simon, but still, just as good." Katherine smiled once she was done, even going so far as to adjust Daphne's invisible crown.
Finally, Daphne gave her a smile before hugging Katherine tightly. "I just want to call you my sister, officially."
Katherine laughed. "Does this mean you've been calling me that unofficially?"
Daphne nodded. "You've always been an honorary Bridgerton."
"Good to know."
"And are you sure about Frederich? I don't want to take away one of your matches."
Katherine waved her off. "Have you not been paying attention to LW? I need to stop doing favors for others and focus on myself." She teased. "Frederich is only interested in further developing our business partnership and seeks me out when he's tired of chatting with Cressida. Besides, I'm not the one Charlotte intended for him."
"But he..." Daphne started before Katherine cut her off.
"Caught me off guard because he was laying his flirtation on thick."
"You're holding out for someone, aren't you?" Daphne asked before realization caused her face to light up. "You're waiting on my brother aren't you? Eloise actually called you two cute when she saw the two of you trying to keep your laughter at a minimum when Cressida swooned."
"Sorry to disappoint, Daph, but I'm not waiting on Anthony or anyone for that matter. I just want this thing to end so I can persuade my parents to let me take over without a husband."
"But you two would be perfect. He's been so thrilled that you're home. He missed you so much. I honestly think that's why he started seeing that girl from the West End."
"Daphne, honestly." Katherine rolled her eyes.
"I think the lady doth protest too much," Daphne said with a gleam in her eye. "I bet the next event he either asks for a dance or finds some way to get you alone."
"And what is that to prove exactly?"
"That he likes you, as more than a friend, especially if he dances with you."
Katherine rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, Daph. Ready to head back downstairs? Do I need to call a car for you?"
Daphne nodded. "If you don't mind."
"I'll call Eddie. He'll take good care of ya." Katherine promised as they made their way back inside.
After Daphne had left, Katherine focused on finalizing details for the extravaganza of an event Mrs. Trowbridge was planning. They had split the task between them and lucky for her, she had all of the most important tasks like catering and finding a party company that could produce what exactly Mrs. Trowbridge was imagining the night to look like: Cirque du Soleil Lite.
The sound of her phone ringing was a welcome distraction from looking over the catering invoice and making sure nothing else needed to be changed last minute. She was making herself hungry and she had just finished her lunch. This ball would have the best food yet. She picked up the receiver of her office phone and tucked it between her ear and shoulder. "Gibbs Communications, this is Katherine."
The voice on the other end started going it seemed a mile a minute while there were gut-wrenching sobs in the background. All Katherine could gather was that Marina had just received a letter from George. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, Pen, slow down. Tell me what happened again. Or better yet is Marina able to come to the phone?"
She heard Penelope's muffled voice as if she had outstretched her hand to hold the phone out for Marina. The sounds of her cries were much louder until they faded again towards the background as Penelope brought her cellphone back to her ear. "She can't talk right now. She's too heartbroken. Can you come get her?"
Katherine sighed and went to go check her calendar again. She wouldn't be able to actually take the girl anywhere, but they could go for a drive. She pulled up her text messages while she laid out the plan to Penelope. "Alright, Pen, here's what I need you to do for me. I can't take her home with me cause I've got some meetings later that I can't really miss so I'm coming over and Eddie's gonna take us on a bit of a drive. Can you clean Marina up a bit and meet us outside in about fifteen?"
"Yeah, I'll do my best."
"Brilliant. I'll see you both in a few." She hung up the phone and quickly emailed herself the remaining invoices that she needed to check on. That way she'd be able to meet her self-imposed deadline of getting Mrs. Trowbridge the full itinerary for the day of the ball before her meetings.
It seemed she barely had time to look towards the car door being opened once they arrived at the Featheringtons before Katherine had her arms full of a crying Marina. Katherine placed a hand on top of the young woman's and wrapped an arm around her waist. She mouthed thank you and smiled over Marina's head to Penelope who simply nodded her head with a smile.
"I take it the letter wasn't what you expected?" Katherine asked.
Marina shook her head. "He said that we never had anything and that he didn't acknowledge my situation."
Katherine's heart broke for her, holding her close as Marina once more started to cry. She knew this feeling all too well. She looked out the window, taking a deep breath before focusing back on the girl in her arms. Kissing Marina's head, Katherine just held the girl as she cried. Heartbreak was never a pleasant experience but to be served it this way was the cruelest of all.
"Have you thought about adoption?" Katherine asked once Marina calmed down enough.
"No, I want to keep it," Marina said.
"Then I want you to take it easy for the rest of the day. We'll focus on finding you someone later. Preferably someone who isn't a creep and maybe even already has a foot in the grave. That way you don't have to deal with things for long."
Penelope laughed. "You talk about it as if you've considered that yourself."
"Oh, I have." Katherine laughed.
"I would rather not," Marina said.
"Neither would I," Katherine whispered, smiling softly as Eddie slowed to a stop outside of the Featherington home once more. "We'll figure things out. Let yourself have today, Marina. Cry, grieve, whatever you need to do but come Trowbridge's ball, I want to see your crown back in place and ready to take on the world because a man who is capable of this, is not worth your tears. You are a queen. Don't ever forget that. And same goes for you, Penelope. Call me if you need anything else, alright?"
"Thanks, Kitty!" Penelope said as she got out of the car.
Marina gave Katherine one last hug, thanking the woman before following Penelope out. With the door shut, she let out a heavy sigh. What was it with men today acting like complete idiots?
After work, Katherine made her way to Will Mondrich's gym. She had texted Simon once Daphne had left and asked where she could find him once she finished work. He didn't seem to know that this wasn't a social visit so it was possible that he didn't know that Daphne came to see her. So it made the look on his face even more satisfying when she said, "Hit him again, Will. He needs some sense knocked into him." As she walked into the gym.
Will just laughed, knocking Simon in the shoulder. "Seems like you're in trouble." He teased his friend before turning to Katherine. "Good to see ya, Kitty."
She smiled up at the man. "You too. Send Alice and the kids my love."
He gave her a small salute before climbing out of the boxing ring. She diverted her attention back towards Simon who had walked over to where she stood at the edge of the ring and squatted down to look at her more easily. "What do you know?"
She rolled her eyes. "When are you gonna learn that I know everything?"
"She went to you, didn't she?"
"She sure did. So get your arse down here so we can have a nice little chat. Or would that be too much of a convenient distraction for you?"
Simon sighed, dropping his chin to his chest. "Shit."
"Mmhmm, yup, you're lucky I'm not Anthony. So you wanna talk about it?" She stood up straight, resting her hands on her hips.
"Not particularly but I don't really have a choice." He said as he sat down. Once he was settled, he patted the spot next to him and Katherine climbed up. "She has the next in line interested in her Kitty. How could I not give her up?"
Katherine rolled her eyes. "Who said something to you?"
"Lydia."
"Did it ever cross your mind that maybe she mentioned Frederich to get your ass in gear?"
"You know maybe you should stop playing matchmaker and start worrying about your own issue."
She shook her head. "Nuh, uh. You are not about to try to push me away too, mister. Just because you marry, doesn't mean that your vow to ending the Basset line is ruined."
"She wants a family, Kitty, I can't give her that."
"Have you tried actually talking to her about all of this?"
He shook his head.
Groaning, Katherine fell backwards, covering her face with her hands. "You're killing me. Actually killing me."
"I'm gonna head to the Scotland office in the morning. You could come with me." He slowly turned around to face her.
She slid her hands down her face until she could see him. "Why are you running away from this?"
"So that's a no, then."
She sighed, sitting up. "I'm not going to run away with you this time, Simon. If you have actual business in Scotland, then, by all means, go. I hope you have a safe trip. I'll see you when you get back but if it's because you're running away from your feelings for Daphne, I'm going to call you an idiot and go home so I can make it to this damn ball."
"I guess I'll see you there then."
"You're being a complete idiot about this." She said as she hopped down from the boxing ring.
About halfway towards the door, she turned around to face him again. "That girl will love you for everything that you can give her. You just need to talk to her, be honest with her. You're a great man Simon, worthy of all the love you receive, even from her. I just hate that you can't see it."
"Says the woman who won't tell her best friend how she feels." He hoped to get her angry at him. Dealing with an angry Katherine was far better than a Katherine who was saying all the right things.
She let out a humorless laugh. "And you wonder why you and I get along so well. See you at the ball, wanker."
"What on earth have you done to Miss Gibbs?" Lydia asked Simon after Katherine passed them, giving Simon a pointed look before being swept away in a dance with Weatherby.
"I told her that I'm planning to go to Scotland soon. She doesn't agree and I pointed out some things that she should focus on instead, like," he chuckled in disbelief, seeing Anthony approach her, "like her relationship with our mutual friend."
It then hit him that if Anthony was there then Daphne would be too. Simon scanned the room, finally landing on Daphne and Frederich. She certainly seemed taken by the young man. He thought he could do this but he couldn't watch her fall for someone that could give her the life she deserved. Especially when they started dancing.
Telling Lydia one last goodbye, Simon made his way out of the venue, walking right by Katherine and Anthony.
"Where is he going?" Anthony asked.
"He's planning on going to Scotland," Katherine answered with a roll of her eyes.
"Do I want to know?"
She shook her head. "Nope. Now, tell me again, what's going on?"
He held up a sheet of paper that held a list of names in his mother's handwriting. "Mum gave me a list of prospective women that would make a good wife and is expecting me to choose one soon."
She brought her hand up to try and keep her amused look hidden and she tried to control the laughter that was bubbling up until she saw her name on the list. "Wait a minute, is that my name?"
Eyes widening, he pulled the paper back to him to read over. "Oh my god, what?"
"Did you not read the list?"
"Clearly not or I wouldn't have..." he trailed off as an idea began to form in his head.
Katherine shook her head. "No. Nope. No. I don't like that look, Anthony Bridgerton. Whatever it is, no."
"We could help each other out." He tried to persuade.
"Nope. Fake relationships do not work. I'm either vetting a name on that list or we're gonna start truly dating."
"You would actually say yes if I asked you out on a date?"
"That is a very strong maybe. Depends on if you really meant it or not and how scared I was to ruin our friendship." Her eyes widened when she realized how honestly she answered. Slowly starting to back up, Katherine motioned with her hands, pointing behind her. "I'm just...Don't listen to...I gotta go." She turned around and hurried off before Anthony could stop her.
Anthony chased after her, however. He couldn't let her just leave after that. Her answer gave him hope. Maybe she had been feeling the same way about him as he had her. If she had chosen differently during the incident, he would have supported her. She always had a special place in his heart that he tried to fill basically the day she left for her time abroad.
Just as he got to the front of the venue, Eddie was pulling the car around. "Kitty, wait!" He called out.
She turned around, wide eyes looking up at him as he hurried down the rest of the steps to get to her. Anthony grabbed hold of her hand, keeping her in place so she wouldn't run as the car stopped behind them. "Can we not talk about it?"
Katherine shook her head. "I know you're still not over Sienna and I can't be your rebound."
"But you wouldn't be."
"Anthony, I saw the photos of you leaving the stage door of her latest show. You did it recently. I will be more than happy to be your friend and help you get over this breakup. I just can't be the next girl you get on top of to get over it."
"You would never be that for me, Kit."
She shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. "It would feel that way to me and I don't want that to hang over any kind of relationship I could have with you." She slowly started to back up, letting her hand stay in his until the last possible moment. "I care about you a lot. And if you were to care about me in that same way, I'd need to know that we would be choosing each other because we purely want to, not because you're there for me after my wanker of an ex left or because I'm there for you when you finally end things with someone you've been so enamoured with that you wouldn't leave her for a long time after practically everyone tells you that you should. So until you don't get jealous over the thought of Sienna being with someone else, you and I must remain friends."
Finally letting his hand go, she gave him a small, sad smile, leaving him speechless as she got into the car. Anthony stood there watching as the taillights got out of sight, trying to figure out what he needed to do next. There was too much to even think about. She practically just confirmed she had begun to care more for him during that semester. He never expected it to be reciprocated. She was too good at keeping those things hidden.
It seemed like he'd need to show her that he would never break her heart. And show her that he was in fact over Sienna but that part might be a little more difficult. Yet the thought of Katherine finding someone else before he could do so made his jealousy and anger flare. He just wasn't sure. The only thing he was sure of, was that he was confused now more than ever.