There was a silence, taut and pointed, prior to Kitty lifting her head and focusing steadily on Cynthia.
“Oh, what a usefully good fortune,” she mused, curling her lips into a little, understanding smile. “I believe I shall keep it.”
There were some nervous laughs from the visitors, and for a moment Cynthia’s face slipped, her amusement trembling ever so slightly.
But then Norman, who up until now had been impassive, pushed his chair back with slow, deliberate ease. The sound was enough to draw every eye to him as he stood up, his face unreadable.
I believe that will suffice for a single evening,” he shouted across the room. “We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, and I would prefer that everyone be well-rested.”
No one seemed in the mood to protest. The room transformed, the tension breaking as everyone began to rise from their seats.
Kitty finally exhaled. She didn’t think—her head was blank—as she trailed behind Norman.
The moment she stepped into the dark passage, she strode rapidly, her feet propelling her towards Norman’s rooms before she might try to make some sense of the action.
She stood behind his door and pushed it open without knocking.
The sight of him, reclining by the fire, a glass of brandy carelessly cradled in his hand, only seemed to fuel her rage. He moved his head slowly, his golden eyes glinting with interest.
“I do think you said,” she replied, her voice low but unable to mask her anger, “that you would not allow anyone to disrespect me.”
Norman blew out a breath, setting his glass down on the table with patient slowness. He did not stand up, nor did he even appear remotely penitent. Instead, he tilted his head, as if considering her words before responding.
“I don’t recall saying that I would keep you safe from everything nasty people say to you,” he finally said. “If you’re going to come dashing in here every time someone says or does something rude, you’ll exhaust yourself before the fortnight is out.”
Kitty clenched her fists, striding further into the room. “You could have stopped them.”
“I did stop them,” Norman said. “I stopped the game before matters got too far.”
“Too far?” she repeated, appalled. “And how far, pray tell? A public whipping? A duel? Did you enjoy it, I presume, going along with me like some—some dutiful spaniel, while Cynthia and Lady Mulberry made a mockery of me?”
He rose slowly, purposefully, as if he understood just the right way to make her nervous. He walked towards her, and she took a step back, reflexively. His face was still not giving away any emotion, but whatever was happening between them was getting thick and tense, something she refused to acknowledge.
“You think I liked it?” he asked, his voice softer now. “You think I liked seeing them tear you apart?”
Kitty swallowed hard, but her anger never wavered. “You did nothing to stop them.”
“This celebration, “ Norman continued as if she had not spoken, “is about something more than your feelings. It is about the foundation of our future. The way that we look today will determine how society will view us from this point forward. I will take care of these things as I see fit. Your task is to play your part.”
Kitty laughed. “To play the part of your submissive, obedient bride-to-be?”
“To play the part of a woman who understands what is to be lost,” he snapped. “Or would you prefer to have your temper destroy everything?”
She took a harsh breath, her temper flaring higher. “If my future means so much to you, then release me from this engagement.”
A muscle in his jaw twitched, and for a moment, tension hung between them, heavy and tight. Then he breathed and shook his head.
“For the last time, Miss McGowan,” he said, his voice low, and firm. “That is impossible.”
Kitty snorted in bitter laughter. “How convenient for you.”
His eyes darkened. “You think this is convenient for me? Think that I desired this circumstance more than you did?” He moved, and she moved back another pace, her hips bumping against the solid wood of the door. “This has nothing to do with desire. This is about duty.”
“For you,” she snarled back. “For your reputation. For the prestige of your name.”
His jaw worked. “For my sister.”
Kitty blinked. He did not look away as he spoke, his voice slow, measured. “Eleanor’s come-out is already destroyed. But if I can put this scandal to bed, she will have another chance next Season. She will marry, have a future. Would you have me take that away from her?”
