Robin was livid. Somehow Keith had managed to convince Cora Mills that he was the mystery man Regina had spent the evening with at her party. And it seemed he was about to do the same with Regina herself even though Robin knew it was a lie.
But he held his tongue. To reveal that Keith was a liar would also require him to admit to his own deceptions. He certainly didn't want to do that just yet, even though he had been ready to tell Regina the truth. Robin wanted to do it in private and to try to limit the damage to his company once Cora and his cousin learned he had deceived them.
He hoped he still could do that and keep Regina from marrying the wrong man.
"Well, cousin, what do you say?" Keith asked, wrapping his arm around a clearly uncomfortable Regina. "You ready to plan our wedding?"
"I suppose so," Robin said through gritted teeth. "Do you want me to tell you what we've decided so far?"
Keith waved him off. "I'm sure my bride can fill me in on the details."
"Maybe later," Regina said. "We should probably talk and get to know one another better."
Cora clapped her hands. "That reminds me! I booked you a table at Tony's for tonight. You should probably start to get ready."
"Oh," Regina said, looking a bit confused. Her eyes darted toward Robin. "What about Robin?"
"He can come back tomorrow," Cora said, turning to Robin. "You can go now."
Robin nodded, knowing that ultimately Cora was his client since she was paying the bills. He motioned to the kitchen. "Let me just get my stuff and I'll be on my way," he said.
"I'll come with you," Keith said. "Mrs. Mills drove me straight here after our meeting so I'll need a ride back to my car."
Cora waved her hand. "I'll have someone return it to you. And you can call me Cora. We are going to be family after all."
Keith beamed. "Thank you, Cora."
"You're welcome," Cora said, stepping forward and taking Regina's hand. "Now, we're going to get Regina ready for your date. She'll see you soon."
"Uh, yeah," Regina said, sounding and looking dazed as her mother pulled her away. She stopped for a moment, looking right at Robin as she said: "Goodbye."
He waved and was about to return the sentiment when Keith jumped ahead of him. "This isn't goodbye. We'll see each other in a little bit," he said.
Regina frowned as her mother jerked her forward, practically dragging her up the stairs with her. Once they disappeared, Keith turned to Robin and clapped him on the back. "You ready to go?"
"Let me just get my sketchbook and keys," Robin said, eager to get into the van to unleash his anger on his cousin.
As he entered the kitchen, he found Granny standing there with her arms crossed. She frowned as she gazed at his cousin. Robin grabbed his things and said goodbye to the older woman. Granny turned slowly toward him and said: "You tell your cousin that if he hurts Regina, he will have to answer to me."
"Understood," Robin said, glad someone in the house was looking out for Regina. "I may join you."
"Good," she replied. "I will happily share."
He nodded, grabbing his sketchbook. "I hope to see you again soon."
"Me too," she said. "I think you're going to be a voice of reason in the coming weeks. And Regina is going to need that."
"I know," he replied, walking back into the foyer.
Keith stood there, tapping his foot with a scowl. "About time you stopped talking with that old woman. Let's go!"
Robin followed him out of the house, even more annoyed. "You should be careful about what you say. Granny is very important to Regina. I doubt she'll be happy to hear you insult her like that."
"Whatever," Keith said. "Can you unlock the van?"
"Fine," Robin replied, doing just that. He climbed into the front seat and started the car. He drove away from Mist Haven, feeling as if a storm cloud hovered over his head as he waited to get far enough away to confront his cousin.
Keith looked out the window, letting out a low whistle. "Damn, there's a lot of property here. We can fetch a nice sum for it, I'm sure. Add that to Regina's wealth and inheritance, we could live comfortably for the rest of our lives."
"Regina really loves Mist Haven," Robin said, trying to contain his anger. How dare Keith start trying to sell off Regina's home? "I doubt she'll want to sell."
"Well, we'll see what she has to say once I'm her husband," Keith replied, sounding very smug about it.
Robin felt they were finally far enough away from Mist Haven to say: "We both know you're not the man Regina danced with."
"Oh?" Keith asked. "And how are you so sure?"
"Because you certainly weren't there cleaning up with us," Robin pointed out. "And you called me just as the party was ending. You were clearly at home, in a bathrobe with an allergic reaction."
Keith chuckled. "That is true. You're right. I wasn't there and Cora knows that."
That surprised Robin and he felt his anger increase. "Then why are the two of you lying to her?"
"To get what we want," Keith said. "And Regina will think she's gotten what she wants."
"And what happens when this inevitably blows up in your face?" Robin asked. "Have you thought of that?"
Keith rolled his eyes. "This won't. Cora is in on it and she can help make sure everything goes to plan."
"Does Cora know what happened between Regina and her mystery date at the party? What if Regina starts asking you questions you can't answer? What then?" Robin asked, knowing this plan was going to end painfully for everyone involved.
"Relax, I've got it under control," Keith said. "I'll get the answers."
Robin resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "From whom?"
"The real mystery man," Keith said, smirking. "You."
"What?" Robin asked, his heart skipping a beat as he swerved on the road. He righted himself before stopping the van on the side of the road, turning to face his cousin. "What makes you think I'm the mystery man?"
"The suit," Keith replied smugly. "I recognized it. Someone managed to sneak a camera into the party and filmed it. They posted this shortly after Cora made her announcements the other night."
He pulled out his phone, tapped the screen a couple times and handed him the phone. Robin saw a video on screen and pressed play. It showed several partygoers slow dancing and the camera panned across the patio at Mist Haven until it got to him and Regina dancing in the corner. Their eyes were locked on each other and filled with such adoration it made his heart skip a beat.
Maybe love at first sight did exist.
"The suit is pretty unique, isn't it?" Keith asked. "When you gave it to me this morning, I put it all together and realized you were the mystery man."
Robin handed the phone back to his cousin, frowning as he recalled the strange look in cousin's eyes earlier that day. "Why didn't you say anything?"
Keith grinned. "I figured I could use it to my advantage, especially since it was clear you weren't going to out yourself."
"I needed to find out who Regina truly was," Robin said. "And I was about to tell her when you walked in and ruined it. I could still tell her."
"That's true," Keith said, nodding. "But we both know you won't."
Robin bristled at that. "Why?"
"Because you don't want to lose the two things you care about the most in this world," Keith told him. "Your business and your family."
A chill swept through Robin as he struggled to breathe. "What?"
Keith's smirk return. "Think about it. Cora Mills is very influential. She can kill your business with just a few well-place comments and that high-end clientele list you've been trying to cultivate will evaporate in thin air. You'll be back to planning children's birthday parties and events for small businesses.
"And that is, of course, if Dad lets you keep the business," he continued, eyes still fixed on Robin.
"What?" Robin asked, confused. "If this goes south, don't you think he'll be disappointed in you?"
"And you," Keith replied. "Dad has always expected you to watch out for me. If I fail, then you didn't do that. And then add onto it that you stole my invitation and went to the party in my stead...well, who do you think he'll be more disappointed in?"
Robin leaned back, knowing Keith had a point. But his cousin plowed on. "And if Cora destroys the business, Dad will probably sell it and you'll be a failure. It's going to be tough for a failed business owner to start something else and you'll probably end up working some dead-end job just to make ends meet, especially once Dad kicks you out."
"I still have my inheritance," Robin reminded him, though he knew that would only give him a brief respite.
"But how long would that really last you?" Keith asked. "The way I see it you have two options. You can tell Regina the truth and risk losing everything or you can help me woo her and get everything."
He glared at his cousin. "And the business?"
"It would be yours, free and clear," Keith said, wiping his hands as if washing them. "You get the business and keep your meager inheritance."
"I still don't like lying to Regina," Robin said. "She doesn't deserve this trickery."
Keith nodded. "Perhaps. But if it makes you feel better, lying will help her more than hurt her."
That made no sense to Robin and he told his cousin that. But Keith turned solemn. "If she doesn't go through with this wedding, Cora has to cut her off in accordance with her late father's will."
"What?" Robin asked, feeling as if he had been punched in the gut again.
"Cora explained it to me," Keith said. "According to the will, she will be forced to cut Regina off if she doesn't marry before her thirtieth birthday. She will lose the house, her horse, everything. Granny will likely also lose her job as well. Cora wishes she didn't have to do that but her hands are tied."
Robin leaned back, thinking of how much Regina loved Mist Haven and Granny. "Does she know?" he asked quietly.
"No," Keith said. "Regina was very close with her father and Cora doesn't want to taint her memory if she doesn't have to."
"Oh," Robin replied. He hadn't gotten the feeling that Cora often cared about her daughter's feelings but perhaps he had misjudged her as well.
Keith nodded. "Do you want to marry Regina?"
"I...I don't know," Robin admitted. "I was hoping to maybe have some more time to figure that out."
"Regina doesn't have time," Keith told him. "Her birthday is February first. She has less than two months before she loses everything."
Robin groaned. "That's awful."
Keith nodded. "Exactly. So this marriage is in her best interest. And there's no penalty for divorce so if doesn't work out, then we can go our separate ways."
"You make this sound so simple and relatively painless," Robin replied, trying to find a flaw in his cousin's plan. His gut told him there had to be one but his mind wasn't find it yet.
"Because it will be," Keith said. "So will you help me?"
Robin sighed, feeling caught between a rock and a hard place. "I don't really feel comfortable deceiving Regina."
"I know this might be hard to believe but neither do I," Keith said, which surprised Robin. "But I also believe this is the only way to help her. So please?"
"What would you need me to do?" Robin asked, surprised he was going to agree to go along with the plan. But if it was the best way to help Regina, he supposed the deception would be worth it in the long run.
Keith grinned. "Thanks, cousin. And it wouldn't be for long. I would need you to feed me some information until I either memorize them or Regina and I build enough of our own memories that it wouldn't matter."
"How would I do that?" Robin asked. "Index cards? Memorization? What?"
"You know those earpieces you use at the bigger parties to talk with all the staff?" Keith asked, pointing to his ear. "We can use those and you can just feed me the information."
Robin frowned. "Those only work in a short range. I would need to be with you whenever you're with Regina."
"Well, you will be with us for the most part as we plan the wedding," Keith said. "Otherwise, you're going to have spend a lot of time in the van."
"I can't believe I'm going to agree to this," Robin replied, groaning as he leaned back against the driver's seat.
Keith leaned closer. "It's for Regina."
"Fine," Robin said, sighing. "I just hope this doesn't end up blowing up on us."
"It won't," Keith promised. "Everything will work you. You'll see. But only if you get me to my car so I'm not late for my first official date with Regina."
Robin put the van into drive again. He pulled back onto the road and drove toward the Mills' company. As he navigated his way there, he prayed that he was doing the right thing and that it would all help Regina in the end.
*****
"I wish you would wear something with more color," Mother said, sitting on Regina's bed. "This looks so funereal."
Regina tried not to roll her eyes as she smoothed down the skirt of her favorite little black dress. "This is classic. You can't go wrong with a black dress. You taught me that, remember?"
Mother sighed. "This is a date with your future husband. I think you can do a little better than just a classic black dress. Isn't there a rather sexy red dress you were photographed wearing recently?"
"That was borrowed," Regina said, grateful that Cru hadn't just given it to her. "I had to return it the next day."
"Borrowing clothes?" Mother asked, frowning. "Really?"
Regina paused, closing her eyes as she slowly counted to five. "Cru asked me to wear it so that I would be photographed in it and draw attention to her upcoming spring fashion line. It wasn't so much borrowing as modeling."
Mother hummed. "Well, I guess you found a way to do something productive with all your appearances in the tabloids."
"Yes," Regina replied, trying not to grit her teeth. "I guess I did."
"You know what I think will work? A statement necklace," Mother said, standing and walking toward Regina's jewelry box. "Do you have one?"
Regina reached up to clasp her locket, which she never took off. "I don't need a statement necklace, Mother. My outfit is fine."
"You look beautiful," Granny said, standing at the doorway. "Mr. Nott is here to pick you up."
"Thank you, Granny," Regina replied, her stomach twisting in knots. "Please tell him I'll be right down."
Granny nodded, glancing at Mother before leaving the room. Mother sighed. "I guess that will have to do."
"Thank you for the ringing endorsement," Regina said, tucking a few items into her matching black clutch.
"Well, I suppose you are right, it is a classic look," Mother agreed, looking her over again. "No one can make any comments about your clothes."
Regina tucked the clutch under her arm as she headed for the door. "Well, I'm sure no one really will be paying attention to what I'm wearing."
She headed downstairs, finding Keith standing in the foyer with a smile as he looked around the house. Regina wasn't sure if she would go through with the marriage yet but she still couldn't help but feel pleased that he seemed to like Mist Haven. If they did get married, this would become his home too.
"Hello," she said, reaching the landing.
"Hi," he said, kissing her cheek. "It's good to see you again."
She nodded, noting that his cologne did not smell the same as it did on the night of the masquerade. It was something she filed away for later, still not entirely sure that Keith was truly Shakespeare. But she didn't want to rock the boat just yet. If there was one thing she had learned from her mother, it was how to play the long game. And Regina was good at that.
"Are you ready to go?" she asked, trying to sound as sweet as possible.
"I am," he said. "Just let me say hi to your mother first."
Regina gritted her teeth as he walked past her, greeting Mother. She never expected Shakespeare to be so friendly toward her mother, especially after all their conversations at the Masquerade. It was another note she filed away for later.
"You two have fun," Mother said. She then winked at Regina. "You can come in late tomorrow if you need."
"Oh, I don't think that will be necessary," Regina said, knowing she didn't want to take that step just yet. Especially not when she had some doubts about Keith being Shakespeare.
Keith, though, wrapped his arm around her. "Well, never say never, right?"
"Oh, I can," Regina said, glancing up at him. "I am not that type of woman, no matter what the tabloids say. And I hope you wouldn't base your opinion of me after them."
"Regina," Mother barked, sounding horrified.
Keith seemed to wince and reached up to tug his ear. He then looked contrite before saying: "I'm sorry. I think I let my nerves get the best of me. I know you're nothing like what the tabloids say about you."
She relaxed a bit at that. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," he said, checking his watch. "We should get going. We don't want to be late."
Granny stepped forward, her eyes narrowed. "I'll keep the lights on for you."
"Thank you," Regina said. "Goodnight, Mother."
"Goodnight, Cora," Keith replied, taking Mother's hand and kissing the back of it. "I hope to see you soon."
She smiled. "I'm sure we will. You too have fun!"
He nodded, holding out his arm to Regina. "Shall we?"
"We shall," she said, taking his arm and letting him escort her from the house. Once the door closed behind them, she relaxed a bit.
He led her to a black car parked in front of her house and she was surprised when he opened the backdoor. "After you," he said.
"I'm sitting in the back?" she asked, confused.
"We both are," he replied. "I wanted to have a couple drinks so we can toast our new relationship so I asked my cousin to be our driver for tonight."
She was impressed by how considerate and cautious he was but she hoped they were not imposing on Robin. Regina climbed into the car and saw him in the front seat, looking a bit sour as he watched his cousin walk around the car using his rearview mirror. Guilt hit her stomach as she leaned forward. "I hope we are not inconveniencing you," she told him.
"You aren't," Robin insisted, his expression softening. "I'd rather make sure you both get home safely than hear about something bad happening to you on the news."
"We take our responsibilities as party planners seriously," Keith said, sitting next to her as he closed the car door. "If we need to drive them to make sure they make it to the party alive, then so be it. Right, Robin?"
Robin's smile tightened and didn't reach his eyes. "Right."
"Well, thank you," Regina said, squeezing Robin's shoulder. "I appreciate it."
She leaned back as Keith tapped the back of the driver's seat. "Drive, Jeeves," he said.
"Yes, sir," Robin muttered, rolling his eyes. Regina bit her lip to keep from laughing at his response though she was concerned about Keith's words. She told herself that Keith and Robin were cousin and likely bantered like this with each other all the time. It likely wasn't a red and she probably shouldn't try to create them in an attempt to justify not going through with the wedding.
But she also was going to pay attention to how Keith treated the staff at the restaurant. She believed that how someone treated servers was a good indicator of who they were as a person. This dinner would give her better insight to who Keith Nott truly was and if he was someone she wanted in her life until death did them part.
*****
Robin dropped Regina and Keith off at Tony's for their reservation before driving around the corner and parking in the back alley, which had been approved by the restaurant owner earlier that evening. He then was allowed into a small office as Cora Mills apparently told Tony that Robin was security and needed a place where he could still observe the couple but not be intrusive. Tony had happily agreed, even promising Robin a meal to enjoy while Regina and Keith had their date.
Once he was settled and the door closed, Robin contacted his cousin again as he watched a security monitor. "Okay, Keith, if you can hear me, cough once," he said.
His cousin raised his hand to mouth and coughed once before lowering it. Robin nodded. "Good. Now, I want to make one thing clear. While you may have a different experience of her mother, what I've seen and what Regina has told me indicates that they have a tense relationship. So back off the praise of Cora Mills for now. If you understand me, just nod as if you saw something good on the menu."
"This brisket looks good," Keith said, nodding as he used his menu to hide his scowl. Robin didn't care about that – his cousin could have one conversation without being effusive about Cora Mills. This was about Regina after all.
She nodded. "I've had it before. It is usually very good. I like the scampi myself."
"Scampi is always delicious," Keith said. "Do you like to cook?"
"Yes, I do," Regina replied, smiling. "And I would love to have a partner who loves to cook as well. Something we can do in the kitchen together, you know?"
Keith nodded. "Well, you're in luck. I happen to be an amazing cook."
"What the fuck?" Robin asked, recalling all the times his cousin teased him about his love of cooking and baking. "I'm reluctantly agreeing to feed you answers. I'm not here to condone outright lying."
Regina, though, beamed. "You are?"
He nodded. "I make the most delicious dumplings."
"Oh, I think I tried them," she said. "Robin brought them once to see if I wanted them for the party. I almost chose them but decided to go with the eggrolls instead. I'm sure you can agree that was for the best, right?"
"We had our first meeting at the buffet and I recommended the eggrolls," Robin told his cousin before he could say something stupid.
Keith smiled. "Yes. We may not have met then."
Regina relaxed, nodding. "Exactly."
"We should have those eggrolls at the wedding," he said. "To honor our meeting."
"Yes," she replied. "I enjoyed all the food at my party. Do you think we can get that caterer for the wedding as well?"
Keith smiled. "I guess I'll have Robin check. It's going to be weird not being as hands-on with this party as I usually am. But I'm the groom, not the party planner."
She nodded. "I know. I'm not very good at delegating or letting go. But Robin seems very competent. I'm sure he'll be able to handle it. And we will be working with him, right?"
"Of course," Keith said, though Robin knew his cousin's smile wasn't as genuine as it had been. "Your mother said we are getting married at your house."
"Yes," she replied. "I love my house and couldn't imagine getting married anywhere else. Besides, it would bring our story full circle."
Keith nodded. "It would. And if we're successful, maybe we could rent out the property as a wedding venue."
Robin hit his forehead, hissing at his cousin to shut up as Regina said: "I have no intention of turning my private residence into a wedding venue. I'll happily lend it to family and friends if they want but I don't want the general public traipsing through my sanctuary."
"Oh," Keith said. "You would want to live there after we're married?"
"YES, YOU IDIOT!" Robin yelled. "WHAT PART OF SHE LOVES HER HOUSE DON'T YOU FUCKING GET?"
Keith winced, rubbing his ear as Regina said: "Of course I want to live there after we're married. It's my home."
"And it's a lovely home," he replied. "I just thought we would talk about that. Marriage is about compromise, right?"
Regina looked uncomfortable. "I suppose. It's just that it's my family home and I love living there."
"But it's so out of the way," Keith said. "Wouldn't you rather live here in the city?"
"I'm going to stop you," Robin replied, knowing where his cousin was going. Keith loved the nightlife and so wanted to be in the middle of Storybrooke's nightlife. He wanted to go to parties, clubs and high-end restaurants every night and show off Regina's wealth.
But that wasn't what Regina wanted and Robin – or rather Shakespeare – knew that.
"No," Regina said, eyeing Keith. "I like having some distance from the city and having peace and quiet."
"Of course," Keith said, clearly playing his part. "I just wanted to be sure."
She nodded, turning back to her menu. "Well, glad we got that resolved."
"Try not to speak until I've advised you," Robin said. "Remember, I'm the one who had the conversation with her. And you're supposed to be me."
Keith scowled but quickly hid it with his menu. "Everything looks good here."
Regina relaxed as she nodded. "It does. I don't know how I'm going to choose."
"Well, I'm sure whatever we have will be delicious," he said.
"Just don't order for her," Robin told his cousin. "You have a bad habit of doing that. Regina doesn't like to be controlled like that."
Keith muttered something under his breath and Robin was pretty sure his cousin had just called him an ass. Robin rolled his eyes, deciding to remind Keith that he was his only way to pull this off and marry Regina to save her inheritance. So he needed to be a little bit kinder to Robin in order to achieve that.
Regina lowered her menu, frowning. "Did you say something?"
"Hmm?" Keith looked up before smiling. "Just debating under my breath. Sorry."
"Oh," she replied, relaxing again. "That's okay."
They returned to their menus and Robin rubbed his temples, wishing he could have a drink. But since he was the designated driver, he knew he couldn't do that. All he could do was just sit there and hope Keith didn't say anything – or do anything – stupid for the rest of the meal.
*****
He was saying all the right things.
But it still felt wrong.
Regina sat through the dinner, trying to find absolute proof that he was or was not Shakespeare. But there wasn't anything definitive. For every slip up, he seemed to catch himself and answer correctly with a plausible reason why he had forgotten for a moment. Yet something in her gut told her that he wasn't the man she had spent a magical evening with not even a week ago now.
She just knew her gut would not be strong enough proof for her mother.
After Keith paid the bill, he helped her up as well. She took his arm as she asked: "Do you need to text Robin to come pick us up?"
"Oh," he replied, as if he had forgotten about his cousin. "I suppose so. Unless you want to take a short walk with me?"
"I guess," she replied, though she was eager to get home. "It will take Robin some time to come get us, right?"
Keith nodded, his eyes widening as if he had just realized that too. "Yes! Exactly. I'll text him and we can walk around until he gets here."
"That sounds good," she said, taking his arm. "So, I asked Robin earlier but I'll pose you the same question. Why party planning?"
"What?" Keith asked, sounding confused as he opened the door to the restaurant for her.
They stepped out into the cool evening air, walking down the sidewalk together. She looked up at him. "Why did you go into party planning as a career?"
"Oh," he replied, shrugging. "I like parties and figured that it would be fun to plan them. And it allows me to meet such interesting and good-looking people such as yourself."
"I see," she said, not sure if that last comment was just flattery or not. "Do you want to do it long term?"
He shook his head. "I'm going to turn over complete control to my cousin once we're married. He's going to need the business a lot more than I will."
She had a feeling that the reality was that Robin cared more about the business than Keith and he was glad to be rid of it. But that did leave her with another question. "So what are you going to do when we're married?"
"I'm going to get a job at Mills, Inc," he said. "After all, it is a family business and I will be family, right?"
"Yes," she said slowly, knowing that nepotism was deeply ingrained in their corporation. She hadn't started at the bottom rung of the corporate ladder but she was still qualified for the position given to her. The same would have to apply to Keith as well.
He frowned. "Is something wrong?"
"No," she said, deciding she would talk to her mother about Keith working in the company later. But for now, something Robin said stuck with her. "Wouldn't you take over your father's business? It sounds like it it's a family business as well."
Keith shrugged. "It's not really my scene. Dad's always running around, ping-ponging from business to business. I'd like to stay in one place, in a nice office. Maybe a corner one."
"Well, I'm sure we'll find something that fits our needs and your skills when the time comes," she said, trying to stay as vague as possible. But she had a feeling that Keith would just automatically assume she meant she would put him in an executive position as he seemed to have an overinflated opinion about himself.
It certainly was a change from the humble man she had met the other night.
Now, he just nodded. "I'm sure we will."
They continued down the street as she felt vibrations from the music blasting from a dark building to her right. People lined up to get inside, all dressed for a night of clubbing and drinking. She just wanted to go home and enjoy some quiet as she felt the vibrations in her chest.
"Oh, I know the DJ at this club," Keith said, his eyes lighting up. "We should ask him to DJ our wedding. The music would be sick!"
"I was hoping to have a live band," she told him. "I was hoping to ask the band who performed at my party."
He made a face. "That sounds so amateur. Don't we want our affair to be more lavish than that?"
"The band is hardly amateur," she replied, crossing her arms. "You heard them at the party, remember?"
"I was too busy paying attention to you," he said, grinning.
She was almost impressed but she wasn't going to let him writher away that easily from this. Regina crossed her arms. "You had a lovely quote about music. I believe it was from Shakespeare, remember?"
"Right," he said, looking a bit nervous. "That famous Shakespeare quote about music."
"Yes," she replied, noticing some sweat appearing on his forehead even though the night was growing colder. She kept watching him, waiting for him to say something.
After a long pause, he smiled. "If music be the food of love, play on."
"Right," she said, disappointment flooding her. She realized she had hoped to catch him in a trap but it seemed there wasn't one after all.
He let go of her arm and took her hand instead, looking deep into her eyes. "Marriage is about compromise, right?"
"Yes," she replied, thinking of the more successful marriages she knew. She even thought of her own parents' marriage and how contentious it seemed as her mother never compromised, meaning her father always did. Even as a child she knew it hadn't been fair to her father and vowed she would never make her future spouse suffer the way he did.
And so she sighed, nodding as she realized they would likely have to compromise on a few aspects of the ceremony. "We can talk about the music later. I'm sure we'll find something that suits us both."
He grinned as the black car pulled again. "It will. Now, let's get you home and we can both sleep on this."
Keith opened the backdoor and held out his hand. "After you, my dear."
"Thank you," she said, disappointed that he hadn't yet called her 'milady'. But she hasn't yet called him 'Shakespeare' so she figured there was time still for them to use their pet names for each other.
She climbed into the car and buckled herself in. Robin glanced over his shoulder, smiling. "Enjoy your dinner?"
"I did," she replied. "Did you eat as well?"
He nodded. "I did. Thanks for asking."
Keith got into the car on the other side and closed the door. "Alright, Jeeves, you can take us home."
"Please," Regina added, glancing at Keith. He had been fine with the waiting staff so she figured this was just some friendly ribbing. But it still didn't mean that they couldn't use manners. After all, he had given up his night to drive them.
"Alright," Robin said, looking forward again. "Next stop, Mist Haven."
He put the car into drive and pulled away from the curb, heading down the street and away from Storybrooke's nightlife. She leaned back and let out a soft sigh, relieved to be heading home. Regina felt even more confused after her night with Keith. While her gut kept telling her that he was not the right person, he always seemed to prove that he was indeed Shakespeare.
But if he was Shakespeare, why was he so different that night? Did the mask at the party free him from the other mask he wore – this brash and arrogant one? Or had the mask also given him a chance to play another person while this was who he truly was?
Robin had mentioned that Shakespeare had likely been trying to figure out who Regina Mills truly was. And now it seemed the tables were turned and she needed to figure out who Keith Nott truly was.
At that moment, he was failing her one condition to go through with the wedding on Christmas Eve. Which meant she needed to at least delay the wedding until she could figure out if Keith Nott was really Shakespeare and if so, was he really the sensitive and caring man she had met at her party or this brash and arrogant one.
Her future – and her heart – was on the line.
*****
Robin dropped Regina off at her house. Keith climbed out of the car with her, attempting to kiss her. But she turned her head and let his lips press against her cheek again. His heart dropped, knowing that wasn't a good sign.
Keith waited until Regina was in her house before climbing into the car. He sighed as he closed the door. "Well, that didn't end how I expected," he said.
"Of course it didn't," Robin replied, putting the car back into drive. "You're not convincing her you were Shakespeare."
"I don't know, I thought I was doing a good job," Keith said. "What do you think I did wrong?"
Robin glanced at his cousin before turning his attention to the road, unsurprised but annoyed by his cousin's arrogance. "Everything."
Keith scoffed. "Oh, come on."
"I'm not joking," Robin told him, hoping he could get Keith to understand. "Before you barged in with her mother to put this scheme into action, she told me that the only way she would marry Shakespeare on Christmas Eve was if he was exactly how he was the night of the party. And since you're not me..."
He trailed off, hoping his cousin could fill in the blanks. Keith didn't say anything right away and they had gone several blocks before he asked: "So what do you recommend?"
"You need to be less of yourself right now," Robin said, feeling odd. It was the exact opposite advice he would usually give someone in a new relationship. But this wasn't the usual scenario.
"Who do I need to be then?" Keith asked him.
Robin slowed to a stop at a light and turned to his cousin. "You need to be me."
Keith groaned. "But you're so boring."
"Thanks," Robin said with every ounce of sarcasm he possessed. The light changed and he drove forward. "But if you really want to help Regina and if you really can't tell her what's going on..."
"I can't," Keith said quickly. "It will break her heart."
Robin nodded. "Then you need to be boring. You need to be me until the wedding. Then you can be whoever you want to be and deal with whatever happens next."
"Okay, so what do I have to do to be more like you?" Keith asked. Robin decided to avoid the hint of mocking he heard in Keith's voice.
"You need to give a shit about her," Robin said. "I know this might come as a surprise but it's not all about you."
Keith scoffed. "I know that."
"Do you?" Robin asked seriously. "Because a lot of what I heard tonight doesn't seem to support that."
"Okay, maybe I was a little self-centered," Keith said.
He definitely was more than a little self-centered but Robin knew now wasn't the time to argue semantics. That admission was enough to get his cousin to change his ways long enough to make it down the aisle. "You need to think about her more than yourself, got it?" he asked Keith.
"Got it," Keith replied before tapping his ear. "Besides, you'll be right here the entire time. Right?"
"Right," Robin said, sighing. "But you need to behave when we have dead time, like what happened tonight. Okay?"
Keith sighed now. "Okay."
"Good," Robin said, as they arrived home and got out of the car. "And who knows? Maybe you'll like caring about someone other than yourself and make it a habit."
"Whatever," Keith replied, rolling her eyes. "Goodnight."
He walked away from Robin, heading upstairs to his room. Robin sighed and went to the kitchen, checking on Tuck's bowl. Uncle Richard had left a note to confirm he had fed the cat and so Robin just refilled the water bowl before carrying it to his room. He set it down by Tuck's cat condo before scratching Tuck behind the ear. "Did you have a good night with Uncle Richard?" he asked.
Tuck butted his head against Robin's hand and he chuckled, continuing to scratch his cat behind the ear. "I guess you missed me, huh?"
Robin then picked up Tuck, who curled against him. "Come on, boy. Let's get ready for bed. Hopefully, things will look up in the morning."
But as he climbed into bed, Robin still couldn't shake the feeling that Keith wasn't telling him the whole truth and that this scheme of his would blow up in all their faces, leaving Regina as collateral damage.
A/N: So Keith has not only threatened Robin but also made him think that the deception will help Regina. Will he keep his secret to himself then? Or will he find himself unable to watch Keith and Regina together?
Will Keith manage to assuage Regina's doubts? Or will she follow her gut and figure out who Shakespeare really was? And how will she respond to the deception?
Find out soon!
-Mac