Laughter filled Katherine's apartment. The two friends turned lovers lounged on her bed, wrapped around each other. Katherine wore only one of Anthony's shirts, legs draped on either side of him. He wore only his boxers, head resting on the inside of her thigh, hair mused from her fingers having been in his hair minutes ago.

"We really should be getting ready for your sister's ball, you know." She said as he turned his head to kiss her thigh.

He groaned, nipping her skin softly before soothing it with a kiss. "I can think of far more entertaining ways to spend our evening."

"It's the last one of the season." She leaned forward, tipping his jaw up so he would look at her. "And it's your sister. We can do whatever you've come up with some other time." She finally closed the rest of the gap that was in between them, kissing him deeply.

"All the more reason for us to not go. She will forgive us." He said in between kisses as he tried to lay her back down.

She smiled into the kiss before nudging him back so she could get out of bed. "But I have a deal to uphold and a new position to fulfill."

"The official announcement hasn't even come out yet and you've already been given Gibbs Communications, what more could you possibly uphold?"

"I am finally besting my father. I will not willingly give him something to complain about. Besides, maybe I just want to go dancing tonight." She said as she swayed, holding the garment bag up to her.

Anthony stood, taking the bag from her hands and draping it across the foot of the bed. "Then dancing you shall have." He pulled her into his arms and began to sway a little. "I'm proud of you, you know." He brushed his nose along hers before kissing her sweetly.

She smiled, bringing the hand that rested on his shoulder up to cup his jaw, her thumb moving to caress his cheek. "Thank you. For everything. I don't know what I would do if I did not have you in my life. But for now," she kissed him before pulling away, "you need to go so you can get ready."

"Kicking me out, huh?"

Katherine nodded, a playful smile on her lips matching his smirk as she backed up from where he was stalking towards her. "I'll never get ready in time with you here. You're too distracting."

"That would be you, dear." He said as her back finally hit the wall.

"Anthony…" She weakly warned as he gripped her waist to pull her close.

The moment their lips touched her fingers were in his hair as they kissed passionately. His hands moved down to her hips, caressing circles before his hands slid around to her ass, pulling her closer by gripping the muscle there. He knew this was going to be torture for the both of them but it would make for a more interesting evening. As he kissed along her jaw, he pulled the hem of the shirt of his she was wearing up to reveal her skin and gave her a small slap. The noise she made nearly undid him. He gripped her hips and kissed her fiercely before finally pulling her shirt off and backing away.

Anthony smirked at her as he watched as she caught her breath.

"You wanker."

"There you go, being distracting again. We have a ball to get ready for Kitty. I'll see you there." He smiled, pulling on his shirt and going around to pick up his trousers to put them on as he made his way out of her apartment.

Katherine let out a frustrated huff as she pushed herself away from the wall. It looked like she was going to need a cold shower instead.

It was the fullest skirt she had worn this season, yet when Genevieve showed her the dress, she had fallen in love with it. The color was such a rich purple and the way the satin flowed, matched just how easily she could move about in it. The flower details accented that she was a lady but the sharp edges of the neckline and the off-shoulder silhouette warned not to underestimate her.

When she arrived at Simon and Daphne's, she took note of all who stared. Eyes remained on her as she stepped off to the side to meet with Charlotte King, who had grabbed her attention before Anthony could reach her.

"You look exquisite, dear," Charlotte said to the younger woman.

"Thank you. Gen had plenty of great choices for this evening but I thought I'd finally choose a proper ball gown. Is everything alright?"

"Oh, yes. Before we make the official announcement I thought it best to be seen together. There are still some who are loyal to your father. I suggest when you are not on the arm of Anthony Bridgerton, you speak with all the heads of the accounts."

Katherine nodded. She couldn't exactly tell Charlotte King no. "I'll start with the ones I've already called about them switching from underneath my expertise so I can check in on how the other managers are doing."

"Smart thinking. Perhaps you could even bring Bridgerton around with you. Yes, they're used to seeing you two together but they will need to start getting used to the idea that my advisor and best captain are an item."

"I'll see if I can get him to mingle with me then. Frederich seems to be pleased about the new development."

"He's been impressed with you since before you left Germany. I almost wish I could have talked you into marrying him but I'll take you as my advisor sooner than expected over that."

Katherine laughed. "I can assure you, he and I will be far better business partners than romantic ones."

"So he told me. I'll see you later. Be sure to stop by every so often to give me an update on how the mingling is going. I'll need to know who I need to set straight if you sense anyone who is upset about the transition."

She gave a small salute before picking up her skirts so she could go find Anthony. "You got it, boss."

Just as she left, Charlotte called for her head of security. Katherine was honestly grateful that it caused her to look up because, at that moment, Eloise came practically barrelling at her. She caught the teenager in her arms, their skirts billowing out around them as they stumbled back into the window. Once they were both back on their feet, Katherine held Eloise by her arms. "What in the bloody hell is going on?"

"They're going to capture LW." Eloise panted out.

"Wait, what? How did they even find her?"

"Something about IP addresses and an internet cafe staying open late."

Katherine reached into her dress pocket, yes the ball gown had pockets and when Genevieve showed her that feature she squealed with excitement and pulled out her phone. "I'm calling Eddie. He'll take you where you need to go and he'll bring you back or drop you back off at home if that's what you wish."

"Eddie, hi." She greeted him when he answered before motioning for Eloise to follow her. "Are you still outside?"

"Yes, ma'am. Is there something you need?"

"I was wondering if you could take Eloise on an errand and then once she's back if you could do another errand for me?" She had noticed the Featherington's come in sans Archie. She had one guess on where he could be and she couldn't go looking for herself. She just hoped that Eddie would get to him before the loan sharks.

"Of course, Kitty. What is it that you need?"

"I'll text you the details of my errand." She didn't want to frighten Eloise anymore than she was about the fate of LW. "We'll meet you out front shortly. We're coming through the main part of the house now."

With that, she hung up and pocketed her phone.

"Do you ever get a break from working?" Eloise asked.

Katherine laughed. "Sometimes. One of the negative things about my job is that I look out for a lot of different people so I am always checking in no matter what."

"And who are you checking in on?"

She smiled and opened the car door for her. "That I can't tell you. Good luck with LW though. Let me know how it goes." She closed the door and waved them off before reaching back into her pocket for her phone. She quickly sent Eddie the address of the brothel she knew Archie frequented and who he should be looking out for. She really hoped that everything turned out alright.

Daphne stood at her mother's side watching as Katherine walked back down the stairs to hopefully finally enjoy the party. She watched as her eldest brother greeted his love with an arm around her waist and a kiss on her temple before the couple entered a quick, serious seeming conversation before they began to mingle about together, their fingers interlocked as they did so. The oldest Bridgerton daughter let out a wistful sigh. "Is that not how it is supposed to be?"

Violet turned her attention to where her eldest daughter motioned, watching Anthony and Katherine as they spoke with Trowbridge. Their fingers were interlocked and when she was speaking he didn't take his eyes off her. A small smile lifted the corners of her mouth. "It is, but darling, you also have that."

"It does not feel like it." She glanced towards Simon, who was speaking with another man from the organization. "Is it different for them, men, to know whether they are in love? Everything else seems different to them." When all she got was a soft chuckle from her mother she continued. "We agreed to one dance tonight, a waltz."

Looking out, eyes glancing over each of her children mingling about, she allowed herself to miss Edmund. He'd be so proud of all of them. "I miss dancing with your father. The very last time I danced was with him, at a ball. There were peacocks present, I believe. Real ones." They both laughed as she let herself get lost in the memory before she passed on some of her motherly wisdom. She did feel as though she had failed Daphne in preparation for her to become a wife in the world that they lived in, so she hoped that she could still help her daughter. Even after learning that it all started out as a ruse, she firmly believed that Daphne and Simon loved each other very much. "I suppose I miss everything about him, really."

"The two of you loved each other very much," Daphne said with a smile. She had always wanted a love like her parents. "It is a rarity, I've come to realize."

"That is not to say it was without its trials," Violet said. "Your father and I faced many difficulties indeed but we overcame them. We made a decision early on to do so."

"Mum, I do not think-" Daphne tried to interject but Violet continued.

"We chose to love each other every single day. It is a choice, dearest, one that is never too late to make. I may never be able to see your father again. I may wake every morning and touch the pillow where he used to lay his head. But knowing that the two of us made the choice to love and to do all we could, well, I can't tell you how much peace and comfort that brings to me."

"I wish there was something, mum," she gasped as she tried to get her emotions back in order, feeling the tears beginning to pool in her eyes. "I wish I could do this-"

Once more Violet cut her off. "You are a Bridgerton. There is nothing you cannot do."

Daphne let out a deep breath, nodding softly before looking over to Simon, signaling that it was time for them to begin their one dance for the evening.

Just as Anthony was about to ask Katherine to dance her phone began to ring. Giving him an apologetic look, she pulled her phone out and answered it immediately when she saw that it was Eddie calling. Her knees buckled as Eddie told her about the scene he saw. He had been too late. They were already carrying Archie out in a body bag and as soon as the police left the two loan sharks left, wiping their hands.

Anthony caught her, keeping her steady so that she wouldn't fall. "What's going on, Kit?" He asked as she repocketed her phone.

"I'm sorry, babe. I need to go. I need to get ahead of this so I can answer any questions that will be coming my way." She kissed his cheek and hurried out to where Eddie would be waiting for her. She'd need to stop by the casino, shut that down for the night and then speak with the police. She really hoped at least one of them that showed was in their pocket.

As Eddie sped towards the casino, it began to rain. Katherine laughed as she thought it only fitting. She took the umbrella that he offered with ease, doing her best to keep her skirts clean. It didn't take long in the casino. The manager running it that night was more than happy to shut it down with how slow it was.

The police, however, seemed to have beaten her to the Featheringtons. As soon as she entered the house, her arms were filled with Marina Thompson. "Have they been harassing you?" She asked, wondering why Marina would act in such a manner by her appearance.

Marina shook her head. With the news of Archie's death, she didn't know what would happen to her. He seemed to be the reason, besides Katherine, that Portia didn't throw her out on the streets. Perhaps she really should consider George's brother's offer.

"No, we've been patiently waiting for the Featheringtons to show back up, and well, you're not them either." The officer said.

Katherine laughed and motioned for Marina to go back up to bed. She'd check on her later. Luckily both of the officers standing in the foyer were in King's pocket. "No, but I'm their representative. What's going on boys?"

"Archie Featherington has died tonight. We'd just like to ask some routine questions because he wasn't found in the most friendly of places."

Before she could ask any more questions, the Featheringtons arrived home. Portia stopped short seeing Katherine and two police officers standing in her house. "Where's Marina? Miss Gibbs, what is going on?"

Marina showed herself at the top of the stairs, surprised that she even cared about her whereabouts before Katherine took Portia to the side. "I have some news and the police will want to ask you some questions. Although they are with us, I still advise being careful with what you tell them."

"What is it, Kitty?"

"Archie is dead, Portia."

She looked at the younger woman in shock before racing into his office. She checked where they had stashed his winnings only to find the bag completely empty. Katherine had followed her inside, heart plummeting as she watched Portia break down.

"Would you like me to tell the girls?" She asked as she handed the older woman a tissue box.

Portia shook her head. "I'll do it. They should hear it from me. You knew before, didn't you? That's why you left the ball early?"

Katherine nodded. "I had a suspicion after he didn't show up with you and after I learned that he had made a deal with loan sharks."

"You're going to have to tell King now, aren't you?"

"I am. I promise I will do everything I can to keep you and the girls in. None of you did anything wrong and you helped me."

"Do you think I could be named the head of the account now?"

"I can't promise that. You're probably still going to have to go on some kind of probation period."

Portia nodded. "Very well. Just keep me updated and I may call on you to help make the arrangements."

"Of course. Take your time in here. I'm going to go answer any questions I can and then I'll leave but if you need me just call, alright?"

True to her word after she answered the questions the police had for her, she made her way back to the SUV waiting outside for her. When she noticed Anthony already inside, she couldn't help but laugh.

"Eddie looked like he could use the company." He said with a small smirk as she climbed in.

"Oh yeah?" She responded with a chuckle before leaning forward. "You can take us home, good sir. I will, however, need you back probably early in the morning because I've got a meeting with King at 9."

Eddie smiled and nodded before pulling off. As he did so, Katherine leaned back in her seat and moved so she could rest her head in Anthony's lap. He smiled down at her, starting to run his fingers through her hair. "Big day tomorrow then, hm?"

"Yup. And she's about to find out about all the mess I've been having to deal with. So here's to hoping she won't be upset with me and ask why I didn't bring it to her attention sooner."

"I'm sure you will be just fine. She seems to like you well enough."

"Yeah, after tomorrow, I just hope it stays that way."