Quick to laugh and easy to like, Kathleen Tate was the exact opposite of Clarke’s own mother. Growing up, it had often been Kathleen that Clarke had turned to when he’d had a problem at school, with a girl, or with his parents. Something, Clarke was sure, Linda had taken notice of. In fact, he was willing to bet it was one of the many reasons why Linda seemed to dislike the Tates.

The other, of course, being that they were “party people who’d inherited their wealth and thus hadn’t known a hard day’s work in their life.”

“Doesn’t Audrey have a sister?” Linda mused.

“Adele,” Clarke said, even though he knew full well that his mother knew everything there was to know about the Tates. “She just had twins a month ago and couldn’t fly out.”

“Kathleen and Richard must be thrilled to have grandchildren. I understand that since neither of them work, they’re able to care for the babies so that Audrey’s sister could return to her law firm. I admire a woman who prioritizes a stable career and rearing children.”

Clarke rolled his eyes. No way was he going to touch that conversational dynamite. It was almost impressive, the way his mother managed to load multiple land mines into a couple sentences. Where are my grandchildren? Not that I’d be able to play nanny, since your father and I have real work, unlike the Tates. Oh, and wouldn’t it be nice if Audrey had a real job instead of taking pictures all day?

“Interesting,” Clarke said, taking a drink of his cocktail.

“What?”

“You weren’t entirely sure that Audrey had a sister, and yet you know said sister’s career choice?”

“Lucky guess,” she said, refusing to rise to the bait.

His mind now on the topic of attorneys, Clarke looked around for a different lawyer. The one who was half-responsible for his agreeing to this party in the first place. He hadn’t seen Elizabeth all night and wondered if his ex had had the good sense not to play into his mom’s manipulations by coming to his engagement party.

Without realizing it, his gaze specifically scanned for navy, which had been Elizabeth’s go-to for everything from suits to casual wear to ball gowns.

Sure enough, there she was, dressed in a knee-length navy dress and matching heels. Basic short heels, he noted, not a hint of lace or frills or bows like Audrey tended to prefer. He was strangely disappointed in Elizabeth for attending the party, until he realized the hypocrisy of that thought.

He was the one who’d been so childishly annoyed by his mother’s attempts to push him toward Elizabeth that he’d called Linda’s bluff on this stupid party.