Page 36 of Seducing an Earl under the Mistletoe
But Catherine knew her brother well. Marcus was consumed by his emotions, unable to hear reason, in that moment. He was a storm of conflicting feelings, torn between his love for Isabel and the betrayal he felt.
“I will fight you until there isn’t a single breath left in my body!” Marcus shouted back. Catherine knew that the prospect of a duel now seemed to him as the only way to reclaim a sense of control and honor amidst this chaos. The events of the night had shifted the course of their lives, and there was no easy resolution in sight.
They returned home, but nothing could diminish the looming threat of a duel that cast a pall over Catherine, leaving her anxious and fearful for what the future might hold. She barely slept a wink the entire night, and upon entering the drawing room the next morning, she could see that other members of her family suffered the same fate.
The weight of the pending duel hung heavily on her mind, disrupting her concentration as she tried to focus on her writing. She had managed to retreat from the chaos of the previous night to this space of solitude, yet peace seemed elusive.
Inside the room, her father and Lord Thornton engaged in a serious discussion about the looming confrontation. The air was thick with anxiety and uncertainty, the gravity of the situation palpable. She tried to concentrate on her work, hunched over her writing desk, but her thoughts kept drifting back to Marcus, to Isabel, to the potential tragedy that loomed before them.
Catherine could hear the hushed tones of her father and Lord Thornton. Their voices, tinged with concern, underscored the severity of the situation. They debated the likelihood of a duel, the potential consequences, and the possible ways to avert such a disastrous event. It was a somber discussion, one that echoed the grim atmosphere that now surrounded their family.
“It is a serious matter,” Lord Thornton agreed with Catherine’s father. “Unfortunately, I see no way out of it.”
Catherine’s father inhaled deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. Catherine was listening to their conversation, which kept drawing her away from her novel.
“It is quite a predicament my son has gotten us into,” Catherine’s father had to agree. “As if we weren’t in enough trouble as it is.”
Catherine frowned upon hearing this. What trouble?
“What will happen to the Saltdean title if…” he continued, raking his fingers nervously through his uncombed hair.
At that moment, Lord Thornton pressed his hand on the man’s shoulder. “I want you to know that I will support you however I can, Lord Saltdean,” he spoke confidently.
Catherine’s eyes widened with disbelief and horror at Lord Thornton’s startling comment. What was he exactly referring to? Her father had obviously spoken about the frightening potentiality of Marcus’ death, and this man immediately offered himself as what…a substitute? Anger surged within her, and she found herself standing up, unable to remain quiet any longer.
“You cannot possibly mean to say that you support this madness!?” she exclaimed, her voice tinted with shock and indignation. “We should be doing everything in our power to prevent such a senseless act, not encourage it and even consider what to do afterward!”
Lord Thornton seemed taken aback by Catherine’s vehement response, but she cared little for his reaction at that moment. She held firm to her convictions, her concern for her brother outweighing any semblance of social decorum.
Before he could respond, the room was further stirred by the unexpected entrance of Marcus, looking disheveled and broken-hearted. He had overheard the distressing conversation, and the devastation was evident in his disarrayed appearance.
Catherine hurried to his side, her worry etched across her features. “Marcus,” she said softly, a mix of sympathy and worry in her voice. “You can’t be seriously considering this. It’s a duel, a matter of life and death. Please, think of the consequences.”
Marcus looked at her, his eyes filled with pain and uncertainty. “I can’t stand idle, Cate,” he muttered, his voice heavy with emotion. “Not when I feel like I’ve already lost so much.” He paused for a moment, his gaze inspecting the two men in the room. “It seems that I’ve also lost the trust of my own family, to hear them gossip about me like this, as if I were dead already.”
“We were not gossiping, Marcus. We were merely weighing our options,” their father spoke with authority, which only seemed to anger Marcus even more.
The room crackled with tension. Marcus was obviously consumed by a potent mix of anger, sorrow, and frustration, and Catherine knew that something terrible was about to happen. Yet, all she could do was stand there and be a silent witness to the storm that was taking place right before her very eyes.
“Your options!?” Marcus exclaimed angrily, waving his hands as if they were made of paper. “And what, pray tell, are your options with your other children, Father?”
All eyes were focused on him, mouths agape, waiting for the truth to finally unravel itself. This was the moment, and they all feared it.
“This entire family consists of failures!” Marcus continued. “Did you know, Father, that your precious Virginie has compromised herself with Amaury?” A gasp followed this revelation, but Marcus didn’t stop there. “Or that your other daughter is a published writer…a writer of smut!” Another collective gasp, after which Marcus turned to Catherine.
“And our Father, who looks upon us with such displeasure, is destitute, Catherine. There…now everything is out, the whole truth. And we can all weigh our options…” His voice had come to the point of breaking upon finishing his explosive monologue.
The whole room was silent. No one dared to say anything. After all, what was there to say? Catherine’s face flushed with embarrassment, feeling horribly vulnerable as her carefully guarded secret was thrust out in the open like that.
“That is not true!” Lord Saltdean exclaimed furiously. “How dare you say that!” His denial pierced the silence most profoundly.
Marcus shook his head. “You still deny it, Father?”
“Lies, all lies!” Lord Saltdean was adamant.
His refusal to acknowledge his own dire circumstances felt like a dagger to the heart. Catherine realized that finally, all the pieces of the puzzle were falling into their rightful places. She should have suspected his financial struggles for some time, and she was now torn between anger at his denial and sympathy for the humiliation he must be experiencing.
She wasn’t able to listen to this any longer. Catherine stood up, gripping her small notebook in her hand, her most prized possession, and rushed out of the house. Alone in the tranquil embrace of the garden, Catherine let the weight of her family’s secrets sink in.
