A/N: And the games begin.

CHAPTER - 20 - MISTAKE

Amidst the sea of vibrant atmosphere and sophistication of the nobility, Kate Sharma stood horrorstruck. Her heart froze in her chest.

'He used to when he was younger' seven words from Mr. Dorset that bewildered her beyond comprehension as her thoughts ran amok and she connected everything going on around her.

It should have been an impossible comment for a man who had just been introduced to Anthony today. Mr. Dorset and Viscount Bridgerton with their polite nods and restrained smiles, a flawless performance of the first meet.

Only Mr. Thomas Dorset slipped up. The implications of his statement were too glaring to ignore. And it could only mean one thing. Thomas Dorset knew Anthony Bridgerton.

Since they were young.

And they kept it hidden. Did not once point out that they knew each other.

And that meant they were in on the ruse together.

Kate set her jaw and clenched her hands into fists as the delicate lace of her gloves crinkled under pressure. Thomas Dorset was never truly interested in her. How had she not seen through the lies? That his intrigue was all too good to be true? That he been simply playing a role assigned to him by Anthony?

All the other pieces fell into place. Sentences she could not comprehend earlier, such as the one about the Duke and Duchess of Hastings' love match. Her initial delight at his attentions had momentarily turned into something else when he had mentioned them. Now she realized that that was suspicion. The Duchess of Hastings, who was previously the eldest Miss Bridgerton! And Mr. Dorset would only know of the details of this infamous love match by being their close acquaintance.

But that was nothing compared to the outright disbelief upon overhearing the casual remark he made about knowing Anthony Bridgerton back in University.

"In Oxford he –"

"Oxford?" Kate said sharply as Dorset's face swiftly phased through the confusion and reached the unfortunate conclusion that he had given away something he shouldn't have.

"Oohhhh…" Dorset's voice shook out of shame or perhaps fear; she did not want to know. "Miss Sharma, I -" he tried to continue, only for Kate to put an end to it swiftly.

"You know the viscount from Oxford?" she asked as she stepped back. "I thought you met today", she asked scathingly.

Mr. Dorset gulped. Fear it was. Fear of being caught red-handed. "I …"

Kate scoffed out loud. No need to be polite anymore it seemed. "You were never interested in me, were you, Mr. Dorset?" she shook her head in disbelief, withdrawing even further.

The man tried to seem taken aback, not that any of his acts would affect her now. "I assure you, Miss- my interest in you today was genuine, Miss Sharma. He said that you -"

But Kate was in no mood to listen further. "Genuine," she mocked, "in the sense you were sent here to distract me, all so Lord Bridgerton could get closer to my sister." she scoffed and turned around to leave, spotting her sister making her way back with the mastermind who put this all together.

Although Mr. Dorset called behind her, she paid no heed further and approached Edwina without delay and began sharply. "Edwi-"

"Kate, it is dreadful," Edwina's voice cut in. "They say Nectar is to be sent to the knacker's yard.

Kate softened a little at that. However, her determination did not waver.

"Edwina, we are leaving now", Kate said, glaring daggers at the Viscount.

Edwina was surprised at the sudden change in her stance and stood vigilant. However, it was the Viscount who scoffed out a response. "I've heard of a sore loser, Miss Sharma, but never a sore winner", he said, rolling his eyes at her.

"Do not speak to me or my sister ever again", Kate gritted her teeth.

"What has happened, Didi?" Edwina asked, alert. Oh, how Kate wished she could have protected Edwina from the heartbreak that she would soon inflict. Better from a suitor rather than a husband, Kate recalled her own words.

Kate dragged her eyes to meet the Viscounts' once more as the four of them stood alongside the seating arrangement. There was a turmoil of emotions raging through her. But at the top, for the first time in twenty-five years, stood shame. Shame at what she had allowed to occur as she was swept away by something that merely glittered, shame that she was not at her best to lead her family, shame that she could not see through such an obvious plan to misdirect her.

"It seems a second game was afoot today, Edwina", she began as she glared at the Viscount. "And Lord Bridgerton made certain I play the fool."

As Kate's eyes turned to Dorset, who hung his head in shame, hopefully. "Someone was sent to ensure my being distracted."

Edwina's eyes widened in disbelief. "Didi… what are you saying?", Edwina gulped as she distanced herself from the Viscount and approached her sister, something Kate was sure was Edwina's way of asking if she had misunderstood her elder sister.

Kate stood tall and sent a question directly towards Lord Bridgerton. "Is today the first time you have met Mr. Dorset?" she raised an eyebrow.

That seemed to have done the trick. The Viscount's eyes withdrew and fell silent for a few moments before he responded. "No, Miss Sharma. … I..-"

Kate's heart sank as she steeled herself against tearing up, something she did not know why. Somehow, it seemed she had expected better from the mighty Viscount. But just as she thought her eyes might betray her, Edwina intervened. "Lord Bridgerton!" she reprimanded in disbelief and looked away.

"Miss Edwina, it was not hidden to-"

"I cannot believe this", Edwina responded as she stepped further away from him into Kate, asking her to lead on. "Let us leave, Didi."

And Kate did. Gently tugging on Edwina's hand, the sisters walked out, leaving behind the prodigious Viscount and his faithful friend, wanting nothing but to forget the entire ordeal.

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But as the clock ticked by, Kate found it difficult to do the very same. Forget him and his lying ways.

Lady Danbury was aghast when Edwina informed her about what had occurred. Disbelief painted itself as a ghastly pale hue on her face, and Kate felt even more foolish then than ever. Her tale of being outwitted by an ignorant idiot who set out only to hurt her, out in the open, in front of a woman whom she idolized, was too big of a wound to heal in a single day. Then when her mama started to show excessive care towards her, she knew Lady Danbury had privately informed Lady Mary as well. Try forgetting something that made you look weak in front of your mother as well when a furrow still adorned their faces even the next afternoon.

The only reprieve Kate thought she would find was the invitation for Tea the next day by Her Majesty Queen Charlotte herself. And hopefully, something like this would surely be too insignificant to discuss at the palace. Not that Her Majesty would incarcerate anyone over playing a prank on someone else, however hurtful it might have been, but Kate did not want a reminder day in and day out.

However, that was mere hope, it seemed since Edwina did not seem to have forgotten it yet.

"For a moment, I admit, I thought it was ingenious how he found a way," Edwina began, and Kate did not even have to guess who she was talking about. "Sending Lord Lumley away to spend time with me. I never thought he was the kind of person that would set Mr. Dorset up to hurt you so."

Kate turned to look at Edwina who hung her head low, picking at her gloves. What could she say to her sister, whose expectations were broken too?

"Perhaps he thought he did not have many choices", Lady Danbury added her opinion. "After all, you are the diamond. The quicker you come to like him, the better."

Lady Danbury's words staked through Kate as if they were the icy waters of a winter night. Neither did they placate Edwina, who seemed to have been taken aback by the reply the Countess gave.

"So you condone his actions then, Lady Danbury?" she questioned through a smile, only for her voice to give away at the last word.

"I never said that," the older woman countered.

Kate only huffed at that. "Sending someone to paint him in a better light, he is a coward", she murmured to herself.

"I simply wonder if there is more than what meets the eye," Lady Danbury added, "However, this is no place to gloom. We shall always carry ourselves with grace and poise. Now, up, the Queen is coming to greet us."

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Setting up a soiree was an excellent idea, as suggested by Lady Danbury. An invitation on short notice at the Danbury house, the subject of which was poetry, one of Edwina's vested interests. Men would filter themselves with their poor performances with little to no time to prepare or enact, and only the ones who truly share Edwina's interests would highlight themselves in their own way.

While Kate and Lady Danbury divested to prepare the invitations, Edwina was occupied with telling all about their afternoon adventures to Mary.

"I believe they were called Zebra mama. Peculiar, do you not agree?" Kate could overhear as she finally wrapped up her bundle.

"It certainly seems so, dearest," Mary agreed. "I wish I would have been able to attend".

"It will not be the last time, mama", Kate interjected. "Her majesty seemed quite taken by Edwina, was she not Lady Danbury?"

The older woman just smiled in response. "Well, invitations are ready to be sent out. It would be a wonderful chance for Miss Edwina to get to know her many suitors rather better. It is about time we have the upper hand."

Kate's attention was, however, caught on a specific sound outside the windowsill. Hoofbeats. As Kate went to observe, her eyes immediately caught on to a figure climbing off the back of a horse. A silhouette she knew with quite a familiarity was stepping off to anger her once more.

"Thankfully, this time, we have been judicious with our guest list," Kate added to the conversation. "Excuse me for a moment."

"What is it, Didi?" Edwina called after her.

"Nothing, bon," Kate replied with a stiff smile. I shall take care of this," she finished and began walking down the stairs. This, as in, someone—someone who had a death wish.

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A/N: So, what did you think about the change, Dear Readers? How do you like this version of Edwina that is closer to the books?
Please let me know. I do love positive reinforcement.