4th Time Lucky

Goodnight, Goodbye, Good Riddance

Fighting the tide of her instincts, Katherine stayed. After a few bad dances and awkward social niceties, Katherine had three names of potential suitors to go home with. Thomas Kielgard, Gregory Remington, and Preston Wells. They had no title, likely wouldn't inherit one (though a title was in the family). They had some business experience, and women didn't run from them.

Just like she was doing with Rigel right now.

She had successfully dodged Rigel Brookheim most of the night, but somehow he noticed her existence. Katherine knew a sign to end the evening when she saw one.

Near the dance floor Lady Dufresne was standing with her husband and a few guests. With any luck, Katherine would be able to get in and give thanks for the invite, then sneak out the door before Rigel learned her name in this life. She tracked a route around the room to avoid the worst of Society and notify a footman to get her carriage ready.

An opportunity arose: a young guest was swept away from the group and onto the floor; Katherine stepped into her place next to the Dufresne couple.

"Lady Dufresne," Katherine said, acknowledging the host with a curtsy. She didn't register the other guests, such was her hurry to slip out.

"Yes, Miss...?"

"Katherine Sachar, granddaughter to Baroness Eloise Tremaine. Thank you for the invite to your party tonight. The practice for my debut was most welcome."

One of the guests quietly huffed into her hand.

"Debut?" Lady Dufresne asked, surprised by the word. She clutched her pearls, literally. "But you're so... ah... I haven't seen you since you were a young girl."

Old, Katherine thought. I'm too old to debut. To wait three years is usually for poor families or the nouveau rich, not established families like the Tremaine bloodline. It was all but shouting to society "we used to be poor!"

"Grandmother Eloise represented the family well in Society. I was taken with the family business."

"How is your grandmother?" one of the guests interjected. Katherine was forced to pay attention to others, which was definitely not the plan. The speaker was Lady Fairfeather, with a near-identical insipid smile to her daughter's. If Emily aged twenty years in a day, and grew an extra large mole on her chin (perhaps to make up for the lack of a chin) she would become her mother.

Lady Fairfeather had one arm wrapped around a well dressed young man who looked just like-

"It's you," Katherine blurted, recognizing Eddie. Lady Fairfeather had him tethered to the conversation.

He grinned. "Yes, it's me."

Lady Fairfeather and Lady Dufresne traded confused looks. Lady Fairfeather spoke first.

"You know the Duke?"

Katherine's mind stuttered. Duke? Duke! Of course he was handsome and kind and completely unattainable.

Eddie spoke on their behalf: "Oh yes, we are old friends." The ladies nearly dropped their jaws, but years of propriety restrained their features. Eddie - the Duke - seemed to be delighted by their reaction. "Business interests, you know."

Katherine managed to mumble, "Yes, business. Sachar wine... its been sold to many of his estates." It was probably true. Her blackberry wine was very popular with the gentry and servants of noble households.

He extracted his arm from Lady Fairfeather's grasp and took a step to his left, toward Katherine. She froze. Sept... Septicemia? She couldn't remember the name of his estate.

Emily couldn't shut up about him - why didn't she pay attention? All she really knew about the Duke was that he was the Emperor's cousin and practically engaged to Emily.

On the balcony, he had even said that he was betrothed at birth - or something like that!

Just as she was reaching peak society panic trying to do the math on how horribly out of line she was flirting with him on the balcony, a woman was escorting Emily toward the group. Katherine didn't recognize her personally, but she knew exactly what a high society mother looked like. She had to go.

"Lady Dufresne, thank you so much for the invitation tonight. I must be going. I look forward to seeing you again. Next week, at the debut with the Empress, right?" Katherine knew she was talking too fast, but Emily was also walking too fast, nearly outpacing her escort.

And Emily had seen her. Standing too close to her betrothed - who had gotten closer? His arm was practically touching hers! Katherine gave her second horrible curtsy of the night in Lady Dufresne's direction. She only wobbled a little bit, but it made the Duke flinch, ready to catch her arm. Again.

She shot him what was hopefully an apologetic look. I'm sorry I acted like such a fool. I'm sorry I didn't know who you were.

Katherine spun and pointed herself to the exit as Lady Dufresne tutted a polite goodbye.

"Have a lovely evening!" she half-shouted over her shoulder.

Unfortunately, she didn't get more than a half down steps away before her elbow was caught in a masculine grip.