Quinn was dying of laughter. She knew men could be oblivious, but this was ridiculous. She looked at Lord Anderson. “Do you really not know what you’ve done?”
Lord Anderson did not share in her laughter. “Obviously, I did not. I would not have come to you otherwise.”
Quinn turned to Lila, “You may leave. Lord Anderson will not ruin my virtue. If it were Kurt, it would be another story.”
Lila blushed scarlet and quickly fled the room. Lord Anderson looked scandalized. “I would have thought that you would want this matter to remain secret.”
Quinn shot him a deprecating look. “Lord Anderson, if you think that anyone in this household does not know your intentions, you are severely mistaken. I believe even my father, the hermit that he is, is aware of your intentions. You have called often this past month and Thad tells Lila everything.”
Lord Anderson looked into his cup of tea and muttered darkly. Quinn shook her head. “It is no use punishing him. If anything he’s helping your situation.”
Lord Anderson looked wary. “How so?”
Quinn refilled her cup. “Kurt would have a much better chance of happiness with you than Mercedes, and Mercedes would undoubtedly be happier with Sam.”
Lord Anderson furrowed his brow. “Yes, I realize this. What are you getting at?”
“My brother’s happiness is very important to me, Lord Anderson. I believe you are key to that happiness only because this is a society which prioritizes marriage.” Lord Anderson leaned forward as if he didn’t hear her properly. Quinn continued on. “Kurt, of course, the self-sacrificing bastard that he is, is blatantly ignoring this fact. He’s acknowledged that he likes you in a more than platonic way. Also I have a guess that you’ve done something because you wish for results, but in doing so, you’ve made a grievous error. Am I correct?”
Lord Anderson sat straight up and took a sip of his tea to give himself time to think. Quinn waited patiently. She grabbed a finger sandwich and took a dainty bite. Mrs. Hudson had outdone herself. Quinn just wished that she could take more than dainty bites. This sandwich was heavenly.
“I do not think that anything that I have done has been considered inappropriate.”
Quinn didn’t even bother responding. She just raised an eyebrow and shot Lord Anderson a piercing look. Lord Anderson didn’t even last a minute before he broke eye contact.
“I felt that I was making no progress with him, and I grew impatient. I just want him to see how good we are together, and like you said, we like each other.”
Lord Anderson looked so puppy-dog sad that Quinn put him out of his misery. “In your impatience to get Kurt to be yours, you’ve completely disregarded Kurt’s own feelings in the matter. You’ve made it about yourself. I admit that a few of Kurt’s doubts, can be fixed with your money and reputation, but you don’t understand the significance of those doubts. You don’t understand Kurt well enough.”
“What do you mean?” Lord Anderson had the highest consideration for Kurt. How dare Quinn tell him that he didn’t!
Quinn read the expression on his face and withheld a sigh. Men. “Why do you think he’s refused you?”
Lord Anderson thought deeply about the matter. He knew that Kurt wanted to keep Hummel House, so he would need an heir. Lord Anderson could easily fix it so that either Rachel or Quinn’s future son got it, so that wasn’t a problem. Also he’d have an heir for his own house, which was a personal concern that he hadn’t quite figured out. But right now it was about Kurt’s doubts. Kurt had expressed a concern about being equal to Lord Anderson. Lord Anderson would never consider treating Kurt as less than a prince. There had been a third implicit doubt. Kurt had said something about not being the only one dependent on his marriage to a woman. Lord Anderson had figured out early on that Kurt didn’t know about Miss Jones and Sam. Kurt thought he would leave Miss Jones to fend for herself. He told Quinn as much.
Quinn nodded. Lord Anderson’s analysis sounded very much like Kurt. “That sounds like my brother. What do you make of it?”
Lord Anderson shrugged. He had no idea. “Exactly what I said.”
Quinn groaned. Lord Anderson didn’t understand. “I will give you a hint by helping you with the first thing you said. Kurt does not wish to give up Hummel House. It means he has familial pride. This house is our mother’s and our father moved in. Our mother is dead, so this is our last connection. If we lose this house, we lose our mother again. Do you understand, Lord Anderson?”
Lord Anderson nodded, but he didn’t quite understand how this was important. “But of what significance is this?”
Quinn rolled her head. This was going to be a bit of a bear to explain. “Kurt holds onto his family. He doesn’t wish to lose anyone. He’s comfortable with Mercedes because she is practically family. There is no uncertainty in their relationship. It is as if they’re brother and sister. You, on the other hand, are new and not family. You’ve done nothing to attain that familiarity. You wanted a result, and you were correct in thinking that making Kurt uncomfortable would you get a reaction. You have your reaction but you’ve sacrificed the comfortableness that’s key for Kurt in a relationship.”
Lord Anderson had started nodding slowly, but it grew increasingly frantic as he realized what Quinn was saying.
“And what of the second doubt?” Lord Anderson was practically falling out of his chair in his eagerness to hear more.
Quinn shrugged and gave a pleasant smile (Kurt and Rachel would have called it pleasant smile #7 a.k.a the “enjoys your suffering” smile), “You’ll just have to figure it out, won’t you, My Lord?”
Lord Anderson fell back into his chair with a groan. “Why can’t you tell me? It’s so much work.”
“Do you want to marry Kurt or not? Love and marriage are work. You cannot just expect it to happen.” Quinn snapped. Kurt deserved every effort that Lord Anderson could give.
Lord Anderson waved a hand. “No, I do. I want to marry Kurt. I just did not imagine that it would be so hard. I did not think he would have so many reasons to say no. It’s just… more than I thought.”
Quinn shrugged. “It always is. But I will help you because I think that you and Kurt are well suited for each other. Kurt is currently visiting the tailor in town. I imagine if you run, you can meet him as he comes out. Think about what I said.”
Lord Anderson bolted up from the table and started out the door, manners forgotten. “Thank you Miss Hummel, I will. Thank you again.”
Quinn watched in amusement as he tripped over the threshold. She switched her attention to the window and watched as Lord Anderson stumbled out the front door and leapt onto Pavarotti. He was out of sight within thirty seconds.
Quinn allowed herself a small chuckle. Lord Anderson was adorable sometimes. She grabbed another sandwich. These were fantastic.

…………..

Quinn had eaten nine finger sandwiches by the time Lila came to present another visitor. Quinn hadn’t actually expected Mr. Smythe to call on her. She had thought he was trying to save face as he made a quick exit. But here he was, sitting before her sipping from tea from a cup and taking the last finger sandwich.
Quinn turned to Lila. “You may go Lila. Like Lord Anderson, Mr. Smythe is as gay as a maypole.”
Once again, Lila flushed and ran from the room. Quinn turned back to Mr. Smythe with a pleasant smile (#4).
“It’s not very nice to call me as gay as a maypole.”
“It’s also not nice to ruin potential happy marriages.” Quinn snorted derisively. Fuck decorum.
Mr. Smythe gave an acquiescing nod. “I suppose, but you cannot honestly think that I am a danger to your brother’s marriage. I’ve never seen Blaine so determined to get someone into his bed before. Though I can’t blame him because your brother’s got a tight ass. I’d also want to fuck that.”
“I take it that you are not often in the company of women.” Quinn remarked drily.
Mr. Smythe shrugged and took another swallow of tea. “Propriety is not something I’m concerned with when I’m with you. I feel that I could say much worse things and it would hardly make your ears burn.”
Quinn gave an acquiescing nod. “You are right in you suppositions, so I ask that we drop formalities. Sebastian, may I ask why you are here?”
“Well, Quinn, there is an assembly next week that you no doubt know about.”
Ugh, Sebastian said Quinn’s name so greasily. Quinn felt like she should bathe, but she had given him permission.
“I do. What of it?”
Sebastian looked longingly at the empty plate. “Do you think that we could get more finger sandwiches?”
Quinn glared at him. “What of the assembly, Bas?”
Quinn hated nicknames with a passion and it was a personal insult if she shortened your name. Unfortunately, Sebastian was friends with very lazy people who liked to get by with as few syllables as possible. And he had to admit, he considered Quinn a friend already, so he liked to think she thought that at well.
“Well, Q, my friend, David, has entertained a crush on me for about 2 years now. It’s never bothered me. He’s never acted on it before, so I didn’t think anything of it. Recently, as in today, he has stepped up his game, we’ll say. He flirted with me heavily this morning and glared at the man who left my room.”
Quinn looked bemused. “How very odd that a man who fancies you is jealous when he sees your bedwarmers.”
Sebastian scrunched his face to show that he didn’t like her sarcasm. “Regardless of how he feels, I was very curious as to why he would start acting on his feelings. The only new person he has talked to that is not his usual group of friends is your brother. Now I would like to know if Kurt would tell someone to act on his feelings.”
Quinn thought about it. Kurt had a small streak of romance in his rigid personality. And if Sebastian and David were to be married, it would be well within the range of social decorum. Kurt would have no reason to advise against it. It was a good match socially and had elements of love and romance. Kurt would most definitely advise David to act on his feelings.
“He would have no reason not to.”
Sebastian frowned. “That’s troublesome for me because I do not wish to marry and David feels like he has a chance.”
“Does he?” Quinn asked.
“Does he what?” Sebastian looked suspicious. He had learned his lesson with Quinn in their previous encounters. She was planning something.
“Have a chance. Does David have a chance to win your heart?”
Sebastian shook his head. “A match between us would not work out. He requires a monogamous relationship and I like my bedmates. I never tire of them because they never stay long enough.”
Quinn nodded. “So you have feelings for him as well, but you do not wish for them to end. So you maintain your distance because you wish to maintain a relationship even if it’s friendship.”
Sebastian frowned. “I did not say that.”
“You are right you did not, but you also never denied that you had feelings for David. If you did not have said feelings, you would have listed it as a reason. The fact is, Bas, you are afraid that your feelings for David will die, and you care for him too much to break his heart. Do you deny that?”
Sebastian’s frown deepened. “I do indeed deny it, Q.”
Quinn shrugged as she took a sip of her tea. “It is of no matter because you are lying.”
“Why did you ask then?”
“To make out your character. Like myself, you do not like to be so easily read and you keep your emotions well within your control. The person who control their emotions, after all, holds all the cards in any given situation.”
Sebastian huffed out a laugh. “I must be more careful around you, Q.”
Quinn found that she didn’t hate the nickname exactly. Sebastian had started saying it with a type of fond admiration that she didn’t mind. It was very brotherly in a way.
Quinn grinned. “It is a lesson well learned, Bas. Now back to your so-called problem. Why will you not try with David?”
“Because I know myself. I am not good at monogamy.”
“Have you tried monogamy?”
Sebastian shook his head. “Like I said, I know myself. I would fail.”
Quinn wanted to strangle Sebastian. What was it with men thinking that they knew people, including themselves?!? “I suggest you try before you rule it out.”
Sebastian shot her a glance. “I do not wish to hurt David. Feelings aside, he is one of my best friends.”
Quinn shook her head and rolled her eyes. “I’m not asking you, Bas. I’m telling you. Try with David. But take baby steps. Dance with him at the assembly next week.”
“If this fails, I will blame you.” Sebastian said, giving into the idea. Honestly, he wanted to try, but never got up the nerve. Now that Quinn was supporting him, he felt better about the whole idea.
“No, you should blame yourself. Regardless of the fact that I’m advising you, this is between you and David. Anything that happens is your fault. So I suggest that you try very hard, Bas. It is your romantic career at stake.”
Sebastian grimaced. “I believe you are enjoying this too much, Q.”
Quinn laughed loudly for the second time that afternoon. “I am surrounded by men who all are having the same type of problem with little variance and none of you are handling it well. I swear you all share the same brain.”
“You are very unforgiving of the opposite sex.”
Quinn snorted. “I’m very unforgiving for a sex that sees itself as superior, and yet fails constantly.”
Sebastian drew his mouth into a thin line. He couldn’t exactly argue that, so he just took a sip of his tea.
Quinn gave him pleasant smile #1, the victory smile.

……………..

Kurt had taken too long in the tailor. He always did. He had gotten talking to the tailor about new styles and time had flown. It was late afternoon when he finally made it out, his arms bulging with packages. He had underestimated how much space Rachel’s petticoat would take up. He could barely touch his fingertips together and he couldn’t see well. Getting home would be a challenge.
“Kurt, do you need some help?” A voice asked.
Kurt withheld a groan. Of course it was Lord Anderson. Of course it was. The universe hated him. Every god in existence hated him.
“No, I am fine, Lord Anderson. Thank you for your offer.” Kurt very much doubted that Lord Anderson would be dissuaded by his words. He was correct.
Lord Anderson was already reaching for the packages on top. When Kurt was able to see, Lord Anderson grinned at him. Kurt was taken aback. Lord Anderson looked very boyish. It was very different from the Lord Anderson he had been seeing lately. If Kurt was honest, he rather preferred this.
Lord Anderson reached for a small package dangling precariously between his elbow and Rachel’s petticoat. That left Kurt with just the petticoat. Kurt gripped the petticoat tighter between his arms and smiled politely at Lord Anderson.
“Thank you, My Lord. I should have perhaps thought through my strategy to carry all of this home without some sort of basket.”
Lord Anderson maintained his grin. “We’ve all had problems like this before. May I walk you home?”
Kurt would have loved to deny Lord Anderson, but he would not be able to walk home with all his packages. He ignored the way his stomach fluttered as he decided to let Lord Anderson walk him home. Kurt had learned to ignore his traitorous body in the presence of Lord Anderson.
“I would very much appreciate it, My Lord.”
Lord Anderson’s grin bloomed into a wide, toothy smile. “Fantastic, Pavarotti is tied up at the pub. I will need to get him first.”
“Of course,” Kurt responded instantly. His packages were being held hostage by Lord Anderson. He didn’t really have a choice.
Kurt followed slowly after Lord Anderson as they made their way over to Pavarotti. Lord Anderson didn’t try to make conversation for which Kurt was grateful. He wasn’t quite confident that he could keep his emotions in check around Lord Anderson. He had failed quite often lately. It was a fact that made him angrier than he liked.
Lord Anderson made it to Pavarotti and blushed as he turned back to Kurt. “I’m sorry, but can you hold these while I untie him?
Kurt scrambled up to get his packages back from Lord Anderson. If anyone should be embarrassed, it should be him. He was the one who hadn’t planned well enough for carrying packages. Lord Anderson precariously stacked the packages back in Kurt’s arms and turned quickly to untie Pavarotti. Kurt waited patiently, like he could do anything else, as he stared blankly at the brown packages. He couldn’t see anything else.
Lord Anderson finished quickly and before Kurt knew it, the packages were being taken from him. Lord Anderson smiled brilliantly at Kurt after he had all the packages, reins gripped loosely in his right hand. Lord Anderson tilted his head in the direction of the road. Kurt nodded and they both started down the road. Kurt stayed to the right of Lord Anderson so that Pavarotti’s head hung between them, effectively cutting Lord Anderson out of his peripheral.
“You seem to have a lot of packages. Is there a special occasion?” Lord Anderson asked suddenly. His voice was low and soft, almost hesitant.
Still on guard, regardless of how Lord Anderson was acting right now, Kurt replied, “The assembly next week. Rachel and my clothes were not well-fitted, so I asked the tailor to take them in.”
Lord Anderson hummed. “Are you often so meticulous in your clothing choices for social events?”
Kurt nodded before he remembered Lord Anderson couldn’t see. “Yes. Clothes can create whatever image you want people to see. They’re a very important part of a person’s aspect.”
“That sounds very much like you. You present such a clean image, I can’t help but think that I could go to you for anything.”
Kurt couldn’t help but preen at the compliment. He liked to be seen as reliable. It made him feel like more of the gentleman he was striving to be.
“Thank you, I try very hard.”
They walked quietly for a few minutes before Lord Anderson spoke again. “Tell me about your mother.” It was a request and Kurt understood that Lord Anderson would not blame him if he didn’t want to talk. But Kurt did. Hardly anyone asked about his mother anymore.
“My mother was wonderful. I mean every child thinks that about their mother, but she truly was wonderful. She was never cross with us as children even if we deserved it. She taught us to how to find the humor in our misfortunes, but also how to correct them. She taught us to be kind, but not to let people step over us. And she always made sure to know we were loved which is not always easy to remember. She emphasized that people come and go, but our family is always there. It’s because of her that Rachel, Quinn and I are as close as we are. Everyone loved her. She was so kind. No one could dislike her, and when father looked at her? You could tell that she was the light of his life. Her death was very hard on him.” Kurt had started out very bright as her remembered every good thing about his mother, but he dimmed when he thought of his father who had never quite recovered from his wife’s death.
“She sounds like she was the best mother in the world. I met her briefly when I was fourteen. My father was taking me around the county introducing me to all the houses. She treated me like an adult; something my father had trouble with. She also made me tea with an abundance of milk and sugar. It was a quick visit, but I think my most pleasurable one.”
Kurt laughed. “I remember that day. Mother and Father wouldn’t let us come downstairs to the parlor, but we were stubborn. All three of us were on the stairs to see you when you came in. We had never met anyone else besides our parents’ friends. So to see you, an actual young person, was quite the adventure for us. I don’t think we stopped talking for weeks about you. We badly wanted you to play with us.”
Kurt was relaxed and his tongue was loose. He didn’t mind too much. He didn’t think Lord Anderson would provoke him. It was an instinctual feeling and also, if Kurt’s instinct proved wrong, Pavarotti was in-between them.
“I don’t even think I knew you existed at the time. Your parents were so young that I didn’t think one child was possible, much less three.”
Kurt chuckled. “My father was six and twenty, and my mother twenty. They had Quinn within a year, and Rachel and I followed quickly. We were not allowed to go to town until Quinn was twelve and even then, Mrs. Hudson had to come with us.”
Kurt couldn’t see Lord Anderson, but he wanted to see what Lord Anderson’s expression was. Was he smiling or blank-faced? Kurt hated this faceless interaction, but it was for his own safety.
“It must have been nice to grow up with your sisters.” Lord Anderson commented.
Kurt didn’t know if Lord Anderson expected an answer, but he couldn’t escape the barking laughter that escaped him. “I do not think you know how lucky you are, My Lord. Now, I enjoy their company. When we were younger, it was horrible. Quinn always thought she was better than Rachel and me. She wouldn’t talk to us for days because she believed she was above us. Rachel always wanted attention. I felt like she would never stop talking and at ten when I’m trying to prove I’m a grown-up, having a screaming eight-year-old follow me doesn’t help the image. Of course when they were together, they bullied me into playing house with them or dressing me up. It was miserable.”
Lord Anderson had started laughing about halfway towards the end and through wheezing gasps, said, “Surely there were good moments.”
Kurt smiled softly. Of course there were good moments. There were games of playing thieves in the alleys, hide-and-seek in the woods, and pirates and knights in blanket forts in the parlor. Of course they were good memories, but they were very important to him and felt too personal to share with Lord Anderson. So he settled for a simple, “Of course there were.”
Lord Anderson’s laughter died off as he heard the soft adoration in Kurt’s voice. His heart ached painfully. Kurt had never taken on that tone before and the fact that Lord Anderson had gone without it so long, felt wrong. Kurt hadn’t ever sounded comfortable with him and now, it was the difference between night and day. Lord Anderson silently vowed to never make Kurt uncomfortable again.
They walked in companionable silence until they reached Kurt’s house. Lila came out to meet them and took the packages from both men into the house. They were left alone and suddenly Kurt was nervous. His stomach was fluttering and his palms were sweating. Pavarotti couldn’t be his shield anymore.
But Lord Anderson smiled and held out a hand, “Have a nice afternoon, Kurt.”
Kurt couldn’t bring himself to be angry at the informality since Lord Anderson had been so cordial and relaxing. So Kurt grasped Lord Anderson’s hand and pumped it once. When Kurt tried to let go, Lord Anderson gripped harder and lifted their hands to place a light, dry kiss on the back of Kurt’s hand. Kurt’s breath froze in his throat and the butterflies increased in his stomach. A blush rushed over his features.
Lord Anderson smiled softly and bowed before letting go of Kurt’s hand. He whispered another goodbye and left, walking slowly down the lane with Pavarotti.
Kurt just watched with butterflies in stomach and a blush-heated face. He had no idea how to react, but his heart did. It was thumping so loudly in his chest, he was surprised that it was still in his chest.
Quinn watched from the window and cackled. She hadn’t seen Kurt blush like that in ages. Lord Anderson was picking up on the game.