Page 45 of Seducing an Earl under the Mistletoe
Catherine sighed heavily. She knew that she could not escape this conversation. Though she listened with a polite and attentive ear, Catherine’s thoughts remained divided. Her heart’s affections lay elsewhere, in the depths of her feelings for Arthur, and the prospect of accepting Lord Thornton as her suitor was a decision not to be taken lightly.
Catherine met her father’s gaze with a determined expression. “Father,” she began, “I cannot make a decision of such magnitude without knowing all the facts. You keep telling us that everything will be sorted out, but how? No. If you want an affirmative answer from me, you have to be honest with me first. You owe me that much.”
Her father, realizing the futility of further persuasion, sighed heavily and nodded. “Very well, my dear. I suppose it’s time you knew the whole truth.” He went on to reveal the painful reality he had concealed for so long, the truth about his compulsive gambling and the overwhelming debts that he had amassed. As he spoke, avoiding clear numbers and definitive answers, she knew that the situation was undeniably bad.
Her eyes widened in shock as she listened to her father’s confession. “How could you have let it come to this, Father?” her voice quivered with a mix of anguish and disappointment, while she tried to keep herself composed, as they were surrounded by people who might overhear their conversation.
The weight of the revelation hung heavily in the air, and Catherine felt her world unravel as she comprehended the dire financial predicament that now encircled her family. It was a conversation that would forever change her perspective on the choices before her and the sacrifices she might be forced to make.
Her voice trembled with emotion as she asked the question that had been plaguing her thoughts. “Does Marcus understand the full extent of the family’s debt?”
Her father nodded solemnly, acknowledging that Marcus was aware of the dire financial situation. “But, my dear, there is little he can do. By agreeing to marry you, Lord Thornton has taken the responsibility of resolving our debts upon himself.”
Catherine’s frustration and anger welled up as she confronted her father with the harsh reality of their situation. “You’ve put me in an impossible position, Father,” she said with a mixture of despair and resentment. “In the end, you’re the same as you’ve always been—forcing me to fix your mistakes, both emotional and financial.”
“Cate, please, you don’t—” her father started, but he wasn’t allowed to continue.
Catherine was caught in the whirlwind of emotions and tumultuous events of the evening, her world unraveling. She turned abruptly, not wanting to listen to a word more. In her haste, she collided with Lord Thornton, catching him off guard.
“Catherine?” he gasped, expecting an apology, but that was the last thing on Catherine’s mind. He stood there, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment, as the eyes of all the onlookers fixated on the unfolding drama.
Catherine herself walked past him as if he were nothing but air. She couldn’t deal with him right now. She couldn’t deal with her father or any of the guests who were watching them with eyes hungry for drama.
Her face was flushed with a mix of emotions, anger, frustration, and a hint of remorse. She needed a moment to collect herself. With her heart racing and tears threatening to spill from her eyes, she sought refuge in the quiet seclusion of the powder room. It was a place where she could regain her composure, both emotionally and mentally, and contemplate the turbulent path that lay ahead.
As Catherine hid herself in the solitude of the powder room, a knock on the door signaled an intrusion into her little safe haven. She purposely remained quiet, hoping that the intruder would go away. However, another knock on the door was heard, and upon this, the door creaked open as Aunt Prudence stepped into the room, her kind eyes filled with concern.
“My dear,” Aunt Prudence began in a soothing tone, “I couldn’t help but notice the commotion in the ballroom. Are you all right?”
Catherine, still recovering from the tumultuous encounter with her father and Lord Thornton, managed a weak smile and nodded. “I’ll be fine, Aunt Prudence. It was just…a lot to handle.”
Only, that wasn’t true. And her aunt knew it.
“Catherine,” Aunt Prudence began, focusing on exactly what needed to be said, “I fear that marrying Lord Thornton will only bring you misery. You cannot doom yourself to a loveless, joyless existence for the sake of your father’s debts.”
Catherine’s eyes welled with tears as she grappled with the weight of her conflicting duties. “But, Aunt Prudence, I don’t know what to do. My family is in ruins, and I’ve always been taught to put duty first.”
Aunt Prudence let out a resigned sigh, her concern palpable. “My dear, I’ve seen the way your heart reacts when you’re near Arthur. You cannot deny your feelings for him. To do so would be to deny a vital part of yourself and risk becoming a mere shadow of who you truly are.”
“I’m afraid that I’ve pushed him away,” Catherine admitted, feeling more guilty than ever.
“If he truly loves you, he will never allow you to push him away,” her aunt spoke wisely. But Catherine still feared that she had hurt him too much, that she didn’t deserve his love any longer, not after what she had done.
Catherine lowered her gaze, torn between her loyalty to her family and the desires of her heart. Her aunt’s words echoed in her mind, planting the seeds of doubt about the path she had felt compelled to follow. In that moment, amid the soft rustle of silk gowns and the faint scent of powder, Catherine grappled with a profound internal struggle, a battle between duty and love that would shape the course of her life.
Chapter 21
Back in Hollygrove, Arthur stood in his room, the air heavy with tension, as he tried to make sense of the surreal scene before him. His heart raced as he watched James, his elder brother, approach him. James, whom he had thought was lost forever, stood there, disfigured and bandaged, but undeniably alive. Arthur felt as if this were just a dream, and he expected to wake up at any moment.
Their eyes met, and Arthur could hardly believe what he was seeing and hearing. “James? Is it truly you?” he whispered, his voice filled with a mixture of disbelief and astonishment.
James attempted a smile through the bandages that covered much of his face. “Yes, Arthur, it’s me,” he said, his voice somewhat muffled by the bandages. “I’ve returned.”
Arthur took a step closer, his emotions a tumultuous whirlwind. “But how? We…buried you…Where have you been all these years?”
James hesitated as if choosing his words carefully. “No one believed it was me,” he explained, his voice tinged with pain. “It’s a long story, and there are things I must tell you.”
“Tell me all,” Arthur pleaded, still believing that this was all a dream, that he would be pulled into the anguish of reality once again where James was dead.
