Sean stared at his family, holding Catherine's warm body close to his side, daring them to say something. His brother and Amanda looked embarrassed, his grandmother smiled warmly, but his mother and sister glared back at him.

"I told you I'd bring her to dinner, mother," he said. "So please tell me what she's doing in your living room drinking tea without me."

​​

"We just wanted to get to know her," his mother said.

"I see," he said. "Well, now you know her, and we're leaving."

His mother's face fell, "Please don't be angry, Sean. I know how much you work, and I figured she was bored all alone in that drafty house you keep. I thought she would enjoy the company."

"How thoughtful," he snapped.

"How was work, by the way?" his mother asked.

"Fine," he said, though he'd barely gotten any work done at all. During the afternoon, he'd received a panicked call from Sarah telling him that Catherine had been taken to his mother's house. He'd left his office immediately, driving twice the speed limit to get to the family house.

"Please stay and have tea," his mother said. "We barely see you anymore."

"I won't stay in a house where people are rude to my wife," he said.

"Oh, don't be like that," Iris said. "We weren't being rude to her—just frank and honest. Your wedding was very sudden after all."

"We're protective of you, dear," his mother said. "Any woman who loves you would appreciate that."

"Do stay for tea," his grandmother said.

He looked down at Catherine. She nestled closer into his side but nodded slightly.

"Okay," he said. "But I'm warning you if anyone insults my wife, we're leaving immediately."

His mother looked abashed and embarrassed, but Iris just rolled her eyes.

***

Catherine settled onto the sofa and poured Sean a cup of tea. A thick, tense silence filled the room. Sean sipped the tea and smiled at her.

"It's excellent," he said.

His cool hand reached for hers, and he kissed the back of her hand very gently, careful to avoid the chafed skin. He lowered her hand but kept his fingers entwined with hers. Iris made a gagging motion, but Pearl paled, and betrayal flashed across her face. She hid it quickly, composing her face into a calm pout, but Catherine could see the pain and jealousy in her eyes. Was it possible Pearl really had feelings for Sean?

"It's good to have you home, Sean," Vivian said. "You know, we see so little of you."

"You saw me at the wedding," Sean said.

"Well, yes," Vivian said. "But then you rushed away to deal with that elopement business. We didn't get the chance to talk, really."

"You want to talk? Okay, let's talk." Sean said. He stared pointedly at Pearl, "But it's not a conversation for outsiders. It's a family discussion."

Pearl looked stricken—her eyes widened, and her lower lip trembled slightly. Catherine almost felt bad for the girl. It was painful enough to watch the man you love marry another woman, but to have him call you an outsider—that was just cruel.

"What are you talking about, brother?" Iris asked. "Pearl is practically a member of the family."

"I think it's time for Bentley to have dinner," Amanda said loudly, standing up. "Please excuse us."

She picked Bentley up and carried him toward the doors. As she left, she shot Catherine with a sympathetic glance. Bentley opened and closed his hand in a childish wave goodbye, and Catherine smiled at him.

"Pearl's not a Blair, is she?" Sean asked.

Iris frowned, "Unfortunately, not yet."

"What?" Sean asked.

"How could you be so blind, brother?" Iris asked, waving her hands. "We grew up together. Our families are so close. It seemed inevitable that you'd—"

"That we'd what?" Sean asked, his voice low and dangerous.

"You know," Iris said.

"Iris, please drop it," Pearl whispered, a single tear escaping from the corner of her eye.

"I haven't said anything wrong," Iris insisted, stamping her foot. "I just said what we were all thinking. We all thought you and Sean would get married one day."

"Please stop it," Pearl begged.

"You were best friends throughout childhood," Iris said. "And the way you guys were always whispering with your inside jokes and—"

"Do you want me to stop paying your tuition, Iris?" Sean asked.

"Shh, Iris, don't provoke your brother," Catherine said.

Pearl smiled tightly, "I'll let you talk as a family—I have some errands to take care of anyway." She gave Iris a one-armed hug and rushed toward the door.

As soon as the door swung shut, Iris exploded, "What's wrong with you, Sean? Can't you see the poor girl was on the brink of tears the whole time? All the while, you're flaunting your child bride in front of her. Don't you have any compassion for her after all your history together?"

Catherine felt her stomach lurch with jealousy. She'd thought Iris was using Pearl to taunt her, but it seemed she and Sean really did have a history together. What had happened between them? Did Sean love Pearl? She shook her head to clear the thoughts. It shouldn't matter to her who Sean loved.

"Okay, that's it," Sean snapped. "You can pay for the next semester on your own."

"What's your problem? Iris asked. "Your wife has another man in her heart! She tried to run away from you. How can you pretend to care for her and treat poor Pearl like a nobody."

"You're wrong," Catherine said quietly. "There's no one in my heart but your brother."

Sean squeezed her hand tighter. The pressure hurt the chafed skin, but she didn't dare to pull away.

"Maybe my brother has forgotten what happened on your wedding day, but I haven't," Iris said. "You can explain events however you like, but I know what happened. You didn't want to marry my brother."

Catherine took a deep breath, "You can hold whatever opinions you want, but the fact is, I did marry him. He's my husband."

"Is he, though?" Iris asked.

"What do you mean?" Catherine asked.

Vivian shook her head warningly at her daughter, but Iris ignored it. She tossed her hair and narrowed her eyes, "Oh, you mean you don't know?"

"Know what?" Catherine asked, feeling her stomach twist.

"Shh," Vivian said.

"You're not really married to him," Iris said. "Not legally, anyway. You didn't register all the paperwork."

Catherine's breath caught in her chest, and her head spun. She turned to stare at Sean, but he wasn't looking at her. His face was twisted into a horrible expression of rage as he glared at his sister. Though it wasn't directed at her, Catherine shivered.

"Sean, is that true?" she asked, suddenly unsure of what answer she wanted to hear.

"Iris, stay out of your brother's affairs," Catherine said. "That's between him and Catherine."

"Are you defending her, Grandmother?" Catherine asked. "You can't pretend you think this marriage is a good idea. She's totally unsuited to him. To this whole family!"

"If your brother loves her, that's enough for me," Catherine said.

"That's it," Sean said. "We're leaving. It was good to see you, grandmother."

"Don't go," Vivian said, looking panicked. "I barely see you anymore."

"And until you learn to accept my wife, you won't see me at all," Sean said.

He stood, pulling Catherine up with him. He tugged her arm hard, and she staggered forward a few steps.