Lady Catherine couldn't help smiling. "Why wouldn't I?" she asked softly. "Just because you never brought her home to meet me doesn't mean I knew nothing about her. I simply chose to wait until the time was right."
Kelvin was left completely speechless. "But..."
Before he could finish speaking, Lady Catherine gently reached out and patted his shoulder, her touch carrying the warmth and comfort only a grandmother could offer.
"I don't think she'd want to see you living like this," she said quietly. "She was a wonderful girl."
A faint smile appeared on the old lady's lips before it gradually faded into sadness. "I even found myself thinking... if the Horts couldn't recognize her worth, then perhaps she was meant to become the Thorne family's granddaughter-in-law instead."
Kelvin stared at her in complete disbelief. Every trace of composure disappeared from his face. Of all the revelations he had expected to hear that evening...
