Catherine finished touching up her makeup and stepped out of the ladies' room.
Jonathan was already waiting in the quiet corridor, his hands tucked into his pockets. The moment he saw her, his expression softened.
"Billy was about to make a scene," he said. "I sent him home before he did something we'd all regret."
Catherine lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry."
"You have nothing to apologize for." Jonathan's voice was calm, but there was a heaviness behind it.
"You know..." He exhaled quietly. "It's hard for us to stand there and watch someone treat our little sister like that."
Catherine pressed her lips together. She understood. More than anyone, she understood.
Every one of her brothers wanted to drag her out of that ballroom and take her home. Every instinct they had told them to protect her. Yet instead, they endured this humiliation alongside her because they believed in her.
That faith...
It was what gave her the strength to continue.
