Paws and Prejudice

Nine

Six months after the ball

Mr. Wilde quickly forced himself to stop thinking about Miss Judith Hoops after he left her county, fooling himself into believing he'd forgotten all about balls and dancing behind the curtains. He busied himself with managing his assets, pacifying his aunt, Lady Catherine, and continuing into bachelorhood. She was far beneath his station, so such thoughts were fruitless, both in wealth and social standing, lower than he, he who had familial  connections among the ranks of the gentry, including those of his cousin, Lord Nicholas Xofton. It was worth mentioning that their mothers had seemingly christened them with the same name as to confuse nearly everybody in the country. The two women, while both excellently bred, had had a penchant for mischief that made their husbands adore them and their sons feel that their mothers were more playmate than parent. He and Nicky had grown up nearly as brothers, and they still were familiar with each other, keeping up a steady correspondence via letters despite Nick Wilde's hatred of writing them. In fact, the only people he regularly wrote to was his sister, Elise, when he was away from his estate, his aunt, which was really a duty, not a pleasure, and Lord Xoften.

And so he avoided thoughts of purple eyes and a soft voice. And it must have been an accident that the stained shirt remained in his wardrobe, six months later. Must have. For Nicholas Wilde was no sentimental, starry eyed, philandering fool.

Judith Hopps, on the other paw, didn't forget about Mr. Wilde. Or try to forget him, wherever the difference may lie. She didn't love him, for love at first sight or after one night's dancing is something that is only perpetuated by fairy tales, not actual reports of real events. At any rate, if such love did exist, it would be a feeble, weak sort of love, apt to wither and die once assaulted by any sort of martial strain or strife.

So, no. Judy did not love a male she couldn't have. She simply thought of him as a kind, intelligent upper class mammal who had danced with her at one ball. She considered him a friend, an intellectual equal, and carried a certain warmth of emotion for him. She didn't mention his name to her mother, nor where shed been for the later half of that night.

Because it would never come to anything, would it?