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his expression lighted up. “And Xavier. What a pleasant surprise.” They embraced and kissed each other on the cheek and Catherine felt, for a moment, that the love between all of them eased the pain she still carried for her mother, despite the longstanding tension between her and Michel. She loved him, but hoped he had not arrived on yet another mission to attempt to control her.
    “Are you in Paris because of the revolts?” Xavier asked.
    “No, I came on other business. But I see that the rioting persists in our fair city,” Michel said, clapping his brother on the shoulder and motioning for them all to sit down. Catherine waited for them to sit, then stood before them to ensure that her brother knew he could not command her to sit like a dog.
    “Well, they’re starving,” Catherine intoned. “What do you expect them to do? And how they talk about the king. Even worse, they absolutely despise Mademoiselle Antoinette. I’ve no idea if what they say is true, but they claim she spends extravagantly while the people can’t feed their own children.”
    “I think you had best watch yourself,” Michel said in a tone reminiscent of their father. “Louis won’t sit idly as the masses ruin his country.” He sounded every bit like a lieutenant in the royal army.
    “Well, Louis had best not wait too long, or there’ll be more blood on his hands,” she retorted.
    “That’s treason, Catherine. Stay away from thinking such nonsense.”
    “Oh, Michel, I swear. If you watched things as we do, you’d see that something is going to change. Things won’t last long in their current state.”
    “Do you mean to tell me that you watch this rebellion?” He scowled. “Do you participate?”
    “How can I not watch? It happens right outside my door. What do you expect? I won’t crawl into some hole while the world destroys itself. What if I can do something to help?”
    “Help?” He scoffed. “Help the riffraff that threatens your country? Help the peasants who vow to overthrow their king? Listen to yourself. You sound insane.”
    “That’s enough on this matter,” Xavier finally said. “The two of you will never agree, so can we stop it?”
    Catherine turned her attention from Michel and saw the pained expression on Xavier’s face. He so hated it when Michel and she bickered, which they did more and more since their father died. For Xavier’s sake, she stopped herself before she launched into another tirade against Michel’s reverence for the monarchy.
    “I apologize,” Michel said, though grudgingly.
    “As do I,” Catherine stated, hoping she at least sounded sincere. “So. Michel,” Catherine continued, “what has brought you here?”
    “You did.” He waggled his finger at Catherine. “I have wonderful news.”
    Something in his tone unnerved her and she sat down, twitching her leg nervously as Xavier placed his hand on her knee to calm her. “Well, what is it?” she asked through clenched teeth.
    “I’ve betrothed you,” Michel announced, a hint of triumph in his tone.
    Catherine’s face burned red. “You did what? You have no power over me. You can’t order me to marry.” She stood then, rage swelling in her throat. Xavier and Michel both jumped up in response to her. “You wander around Europe with that damn army while I maintain everything important to this family. Then you come parading back with an announcement about my future? How dare you.”
    “Catherine, listen to me,” he said, trying to placate her, but she stormed out of the room, cursing as she left.
    “No man—brother or husband—will command me.”
Xavier: Defiance

     
     
    24 May 1789 Afternoon
     
    XAVIER STOOD DUMBFOUNDED. Had Michel not learned anything after all these years with Catherine? Betrothed? Without her knowledge? And where did she go? Catherine was too headstrong, and Michel too lost in his role as family patriarch.
    “Did you see that?” Michel asked, staring at the doorway.
    “What did you