"Gen, what Bessie rejection pieces do you have?" Katherine asked as soon as her friend answered the phone.

"I have a few. I'm available for a couple more hours if you want to stop by for a fitting."

"You're brilliant. I'll see you in a few." Hanging up, she grabbed her things and called Eddie to pick her up.

They landed on a black sequin mini dress that stopped mid-thigh and had a deep v-neck with squared-off shoulder pads and long sleeves. It was perfect for what she was wanting to do.

Do you want to raise some commotion with me at the concert tonight?
She texted Anthony on the way back home, her new dress hanging beside her.

It should worry me that my PR person is wanting to create chaos but what did you have in mind and will it cause my mum to have a meltdown?

My father wants me to find a husband, right? Let's show him that I've been holding my end of the bargain up.

Kit you already turned down my proposal for wanting to wait.

I'm not talking about you proposing. We should maybe just think about going public with our relationship.

I take it the talk with your mum didn't go well.

She tried to talk me into going back to Luca and meeting his daughter and then when I said no tried to reassure me that I was being a good mom while staying away.

I'm sorry. I owe you.

Then go along with my plan tonight that allows you to stick it in everyone's faces that you got me without announcing it at calling hours since I don't see that happening in the foreseeable future.

Whatever you're planning, just try not to give my mother a heart attack. This season has stressed her enough as is.

I promise that my dramatics will be tasteful as always.

Benedict had thought to invite Ronan to join them for the concert but he couldn't bring himself to actually do it. He secretly hoped that with the concert being opened to the public, maybe he would come himself or that maybe even Katherine would invite him along. Neither of those options happened which meant he wasn't particularly looking forward to the evening. He wondered why it pained his heart so that Ronan wouldn't be there. He had never missed the other's presence before. If he was honest he had barely even noticed the man before.

Now it seemed his entire thoughts were consumed by the writer. He knew that their fling was more of an experimentation. Something that Benedict could try to see if the stirrings that happened at Granville's party meant anything. He didn't expect that as he spent more time with Ronan the more the stirrings would become permanent.

"Mr. Granville, nice to see you." Benedict greeted as he moved to stand beside Henry.

"Mr. Bridgerton, a pleasure to see you as well." He smirked a bit, leaning in close and whispered. "Why are we being so formal?"

Benedict cleared his throat, nerves fully taking over. He adjusted his tie and ran his hand through his hair. "Sorry, I just, I have a question for you and I haven't exactly told a lot of people."

Henry placed a reassuring hand on the second oldest Bridgerton son. "You are safe with me. Come, let's step to the side."

Once they were away from the majority of the crowd, the artist smiled at Benedict. "Now, tell me what's on your mind."

"How did you know?"

"How did I know what?"

"That you were in love with Weatherby?"

Henry chuckled. "That, my dear friend, is a loaded question. I had to work through them while also knowing how much I loved my dear Lucy. It wasn't some grand realization. The more we spent time together the more I missed him when he wasn't near me. I couldn't wait until the next time we could meet again. I thought about him throughout the day, finding myself wanting to tell him instantly of things I came across that reminded me of him. I found that I simply could not live without him. Does that help you in what you're searching for?"

Benedict nodded. "I believe so. It's just I never imagined it this way."

"Love never happens as we plan it to. But remember Benedict, you are loved no matter who you love. If you need a safe space my studio is always open to you and your lover."

He pulled Henry in for a hug. He knew what he needed to do now and he really wasn't sure he could wait until the end of the concert. "Thank you, my friend. Thank you so much."

Her heels clicked on the tile floor as she entered the theatre, eyes sweeping the crowd to find the one person she was looking for. She was on a mission and the people around her knew it, moving out of her way until she reached her destination. She stopped right in front of Anthony, not caring about the stares she felt on them, and pulled him down for a searing kiss.

A collective gasp was heard but it didn't stop the two friends turned lovers. Anthony pulled her in close, keeping a possessive hand on her waist while his other tangled in her hair. They went on for maybe a moment too long but it didn't keep the smug grins off their faces.

"Hello to you too." He said, keeping his arms wrapped around her.

"That tame enough for you?" She asked as wiped away the smudge of lipstick off his lower lip.

"I'd say so."

"Would someone care to explain what is going on?" Violet asked, looking at the couple with wide eyes.

"We're dating, mum," Anthony answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Is this a recent development?" She asked, sending a small glare her son's way.

"Fairly. We got together at Daphne's wedding. It wasn't done through the usual channels of the season so we thought that maybe it was finally time to say something to perhaps add to the cheer of having Daphne and Simon back home." Katherine said as if they had discussed this thoroughly.

"Well, that is certainly one way to announce it. Will you two be able to behave if Katherine were to join us in our booth?" Violet asked, more pointedly towards Anthony.

"Yes, mum. You know we like to have a little fun now and then before being the utmost example of how to behave." He smirked, teasing a little.

She rolled her eyes and nudged them towards the stairs. "Go on you two. You better get going before you're circled by the vultures. Kitty, do your parents know yet?"

Katherine shook her head but noticed them hurrying down the stairs. They had a grand view of the spectacle she and Anthony had just made from the balcony above the main floor. "Not yet but something tells me they'll know very soon."

"Young lady, what is the meaning of this?" Howard grit out, trying to keep his voice low despite his anger.

Katherine kept her face as innocent looking as she possibly could. "I'm trying to find a husband as you asked."

"I'm sorry if I find it hard to believe that you two are actually courting."

"She has been spending an awful amount of time with him, dear. It's not exactly the most surprising thing." Elizabeth spoke up, hoping to show her daughter that she still indeed fought for her.

"That's only because this boy doesn't know how to keep his family in line during one of the biggest events for the organization." He gave Anthony a disappointed stare.

"As if you have done any better," Anthony spoke up, not only defending himself but Katherine as well, "expecting so much out of Kitty and then being disappointed when she chooses to work hard at running her part of the business instead of wasting time in the presence of men who are undeserving of her and her dedication to this organization."

"I would watch your mouth if I were you, son."

"So as you can see," Katherine interjected to keep from making too much of a scene, "you don't like my choice and I don't like yours so we are at an impasse. Let's leave it for tonight, enjoy the concert, and continue this fight tomorrow. You can yell at me for being so disrespectful then."

Elizabeth pulled Howard to the side and Katherine tugged Anthony along as they made their way upstairs. "I cannot believe you just said that," Katherine said as they got to the landing.

"I will always be grateful for your dad teaching me about the organization after my father died but I have never liked the way he treated you. You have worked your ass off this season and even before you came back home. I know it wasn't all fun and games while you were traveling."

Sighing, she leaned into him and kissed his cheek. "I just hope there aren't any repercussions."

"We'll get to the bottom of this Luca debacle before then." He promised, kissing her hair.

Benedict really needed to figure out how to repay Eloise. Not only for giving him an excuse to leave the concert but for being so accepting when they picked up Ronan. Maybe he could ask Ronan later for recommendations on notebooks or pens. Eloise was an aspiring author, although lately, it seemed like she wanted to follow in Katherine's footsteps which he could easily see his younger sister doing. But now was not the time to think about his sister or Katherine.

He was with Ronan, walking along the Thames River, hand in hand, trying to get up the courage to ask him to be his boyfriend officially and to tell him that he was pretty sure that he was in love with him.

"What's on your mind?" Ronan asked, swinging his and Benedict's hands slightly as they walked.

"A lot," Benedict answered with a slight chuckle before he stopped and moved them out of the middle of the sidewalk. "Ronan, I have something to tell you."

Those were words he didn't care to hear. He had tried to keep his full feelings out of his fling with Benedict but after crushing on him for as long as Ronan had, it was rather difficult. And now, Benedict had figured things out and was going to end things on a romantic stroll through the city. "You're ending things aren't you?"

"Sort of," he started before quickly following it up with, "but not in the way you think," after he saw how Ronan's face fell. "Ronan, you have provided me with so much clarity. I honestly cannot thank you enough for helping me figure things out. I want to end this phase of our relationship. I find myself missing you when you're not around. I want to spend as much time with you as I possibly can. I love you, Ronan, and if you'll have me I would really like to make us official. I would like to officially date you and call you my boyfriend because I love you and I really hope you feel the same way too."

Ronan honestly couldn't get any words to come out of his mouth. He was utterly speechless. All he could do was nod which led to them kissing and kissing and kissing until words finally came to him. Pulling back, he rested his forehead against Benedict's. "I'm supposed to be the writer. I'm supposed to have the words and yet because of how happy you have just made me, I can think of none to properly express myself. But I love you too, Benedict, and I will happily be your boyfriend."

With a grin, they both kissed once more before heading back to the car. It was time to celebrate.

While the orchestra played beautifully, there was only so much watching the musicians that Katherine could do. Her eyes wandered along the crowd. Daphne and Simon sat across the theatre from them in perfect posture. They clearly hadn't reconciled from what had happened during their honeymoon before they showed back up in London. She made the mental note to make a visit to the Basset home. She wondered if Simon felt like she currently did. Maybe they should have stayed away. Movement beside her made her second guess that thought.

Anthony readjusted his position in his seat, leaving his palm open as he rested his hand against his leg. A soft smile tugged at the corners of Katherine's lips but just as her fingers were about to intertwine with his she noticed someone in the crowd that she hadn't been expecting. So instead she slapped his stomach to get his attention.

"What?" He softly groaned, rubbing where she smacked him.

"He's in the audience." She said not taking her eyes off of the man who had caused her so many issues.

"No." Anthony moved to the edge of his seat and sure enough, there was Luca with his arm wrapped around another woman. Another woman who was very pregnant. "Did you notice who he's with?"

Katherine moved her gaze from Luca to realize who Anthony was talking about. "Oh my God. She's..." she trailed off, not able to get the word to come out of her mouth.

"I know. I'm going to get Ronan to follow them and see if we can't get pictures and figure out how this girl is connected."

Katherine shook her head. "He knows what Ronan looks like."

"I will do whatever you two are scheming if you two would keep it down," Colin said, leaning over to the pair. Violet had asked him to get them to quiet down since he sat between them.

With a small nod and a shrug, Katherine agreed when Anthony silently asked if she would agree. Anthony nodded in response, accepting her answer. "Very well," he said to his brother, "we'll discuss things at intermission."

At intermission, Violet held Katherine back as Anthony and Colin discussed Luca. Already on edge, Katherine nervously glanced towards the eldest Bridgerton. He started to come back over to the two women but Violet must have given him a motherly look for he stopped in his steps and gave Katherine a reassuring gaze as Violet turned towards her.

"You have nothing to worry about, dear. I just want a small chat." She smiled.

"That's still not very reassuring." Katherine joked. "I'm sure you have plenty of questions. I know I caused a scene earlier and I'm usually the one cleaning them up, so…" She trailed off, not entirely sure where she was going as she anticipated getting berated by yet another parental figure.

"With all that my family has been through and with all of the surprises that have been thrown our way this season, tonight has made me quite happy. I don't need to know when or how and I can't make any promises that I won't be pushy about a wedding date but I'm so happy that you both have seen that you're both so much more than just friends. I have not seen him this happy in a long time and I'm fairly confident I can say the same about you. So I just wanted to officially welcome you into the family."

Katherine was speechless. After dealing with her father, for someone to express genuine happiness over this particular development in her life, she couldn't fathom it. So, she just hugged Violet and whispered a thank you as she tried to hold back tears.

As they pulled back, Daphne stormed by. With a sigh, Violet chased after her daughter and Katherine went in search of Simon. She didn't have to look far for he was a few moments behind Daphne. "What happened?" She asked as she pulled him over to the side.

"We shouldn't have come back."

Katherine let out a deep breath. "We had to stop running away at some point. Now, what happened?"

"She kept talking about family plans, how great it would be to bring our future child here, commenting on how cute the few kids we saw were. I told her to stop and that maybe we needed to discuss other arrangements after the season is over. She'd have the added freedoms within the organization that being married to me would offer so I'd be keeping my promises. Or we could discuss a divorce."

"Simon –"

"I told her that I couldn't give her children." He cut her off. "She's the one who took it the way she did. There's nothing more to discuss, Kitty. Stop trying to fix what wasn't going to work out anyway even if I was able to fool myself for a little bit. You have too much to worry about already. Enjoy the rest of the show." He gave her a smile that was more of a grimace as he squeezed her shoulder.

Before she could get too far, Anthony slid his hand into hers and tugged her to his side. "Do you want to get out of here?" He whispered into her hair.

"What about Colin?" She asked, looking up at him.

"He's on the job. We should get something by the end of the night. So, do you want to get out of here or not?"

"More than anything." They grinned at each other before taking off.

To his surprise, Violet joined Colin for the rest of the concert. Daphne had wanted to be left alone and so her mother granted that wish. Violet hoped that her eldest daughter and her husband could figure things out. There was a reason why no one knew that their relationship was a ruse. They loved each other, she just knew it. They just needed to come to a compromise.

"Where are Anthony and Kitty?" Violet asked as she joined her third oldest son.

Colin chuckled as he shrugged his shoulders. "There's no telling. They probably left though so they could get started on that portfolio they were talking about earlier."

Violet scoffed. "You don't have to lie to me. We all saw that kiss in the lobby."

"Right," he chuckled, hoping that his mother didn't notice his unease, "can't get anything past you, mum." That was definitely not the reason why he lied to his mother. He had been sworn to secrecy by Anthony to keep his request on the down low. While he knew there was more to the story he had been told, he wouldn't say or do anything that could wind up hurting Katherine. She was like an older sister to him, which meant despite him being younger he had a slight protective streak towards her as he did with all of his siblings.

After the concert finished, Colin made sure that his mother got back to the car alright. As they waited for it to pull around he noticed Luca and his mystery woman leaving. Snapping a few photos, he told Violet that he needed to follow a couple for some information and he would see her at home.

He followed them all the way to the flats they were staying in. He snapped even more photos, making sure that he got them acting lovey towards each other and showing that she was indeed pregnant. When they went inside, he walked over to the front door to see if his name was listed anywhere. At first glance, he didn't see it but after going through the list more carefully he realized that the mystery woman's name was listed first and then Luca's. He took a picture of that as well before pressing the button that would buzz up to their flat.

Colin had switched over to the video camera on his phone, keeping it focused on the panel. He wanted to have a recording of his voice just in case.

"Hello?" Luca answered, thankfully.

"Hi, I have a pizza for Luca," Colin said, making his accent a little thicker to disguise his voice just in case.

"I didn't order a pizza, mate."

"This isn't Luca Martin?"

"I just told you I didn't order the pizza. Now fuck off. I've got a woman here who's in need of my lovin'."

That made Colin gag. "Sorry, mate. Enjoy your evening." Colin ended the recording and headed back to the car. Time to get the evidence to Anthony and Katherine. He just hoped it would be enough for Katherine to no longer be threatened.