Cecilia's gamble was right - Kate would have gone to the party if it had been held in any other part of the house, but the basement was not a place she was willing to venture. She skipped elevators a lot in her life back home, preferring stair climbing to the trapped feeling she got in elevators. Even regular elevators that she knew would open on the floor she wanted them to open on and not whatever weird places They might have put there. She could probably manage the ride down if she was drunk or distracted enough, but she just didn't want to risk it if it wasn't an emergency or very, very urgent. So she'd gotten a glass of wine and a book from the study instead, and had settled in on her couch when someone knocked on her door.
Setting her book aside, she got up and answered it, giving Cecilia a friendly smile. "Hi," she said cheerfully. "I'm so glad you stopped by, I have something for you." She stepped back, opening the door wider in invitation. "Come on in, won't you?" She was glad Cecilia had brought Neptune; she'd designed the utility vest to be adjustable to accommodate any size changes he might go through, but if she could get him to try it on now, she could see if there were any immediate problems that needed adjusting. She wanted to be sure it didn't chafe or cut in anywhere. "Hi buddy," she said to Neptune, voice pitched a little higher as she spoke to the dog. She didn't pet him, though; not without permission. She knew you weren't supposed to touch service dogs while they were working, and while she wasn't sure if that applied to emotional service dogs as well, she figured better to err on the side of caution.