Finishing off his glass, he moved to top off hers before absently noting there was not much room in her glass to do so.

“You want me to, what,” he mused, carefully filling his glass and setting the open bottle back down, “fan your fantasies that I am this … how did you put it? ah, yes, ‘ass,’ within minutes of meeting me. A greedy, greedy man who cares only for his reputation, and who clearly does not know his own brother as well as some strumpet whose interest in him will blossom and wither with the season.

“I have seen how this ends, Katherine. Some redhead,” he smiled sneeringly, and that word seemed strangely more degrading than ‘strumpet’, “with an apple of your eye and a thousand other beloved men with their trousers down before you.”

He took a longer sip of wine, propping his polished shoe on his ankle with a distant look.

“Not even graduated, Uriel. He is a boy. A boy, not even established in his career yet. A boy with a man’s body. You know that,” he scoffed with a bitter laugh. “Just know, too, that I will always stand behind Uriel … and when you leave him, we will find you.”

Kitty rose her brow as he finally was honest with her. She wanted to toss her drink at him or maybe see if he'd at least blink if she aimed a pistol in his face, not that she'd be so careless. It was important to not let men like him get to her, and he certainly had nothing new to say.

"You are an ass. But at least yer finally letting it out. Ya seem to ignore that since I've had so many men, that I know a good one when I find it. Why trade thousands of men, as ya put it, unless I'm gettin something better?" She tapped her finger agitated. "I didn't demand he marry me yet. I made it clear it could wait, but it's what he wanted and would make him happy. It's almost as if..' she feigned shock. "He was lonely and wanted someone ta be himself with and ta give him happiness. And he found me, not some gal who wanted him for his money or ta use him to get her way. I just wanted his company, and this grew out of that. I ain't leavin unless it's six feet under. I ain't hurtin him as I trust he ain't gonna hurt me." She laughed putting a hand to her face as she looked at him.

"And I hope yer not tryin ta threaten me. That is hilarious. I'll pierce yer ears before ya got in twenty feet of me!"

Zechariah let out an unimpressed ‘tss,’ and whittled down another centimeter of wine.

“Let us hope what walks out of your womb is not old enough to call our brother. Will there be anything else, madam?”

Kitty finally sighed and frowned. "What a shame. I'd hoped ya'd at least try ta pretend you could support him. There's nothing ta say since you don't care or listen. I'd do as well ta talk to a barn door with as much good as it does."

She watched the door hoping Uriel would come back soon.

Uriel did come back after attempting to calm down, but when he did, he glowered at his brother. He offered his arm to his wife to be like a gentleman would and said almost between his teeth, "I had hoped that we could be civil to one another. It's clear that won't happen. Even still, brother, you may attend the wedding if you pleased or if you don't."

“You hoped my mind would confirm your heart,” he corrected humorlessly.

He knew that feeling, but alas – had had the presence of mind to keep his impending humiliation to himself.

“You and Menachem are my flesh and blood no matter what you do.” Or how tremendously you fuck up, he did not say aloud.

Zechariah never invoked Menachem in a nice way.

Kitty did not hold any look of displeasure when she saw his face. Her smile returned as she took his arm and she gave him a brief kiss on the cheek.

"I tried. But ya can't argue with a brick, and he's being as supportive to ya as a gnat with knobby knees. 'Sides, it don't matter what he thinks since I ain't marryin him. Let him mope cause you're happy and he don't agree. OOOnly way ta prove him wrong is if'n ten years fly by and we still smilin and he's still simmerin ."

She smiled more and it did seem to make her feel all the more right in her feelings since the two brothers were as different as night and day and how much more special Uriel was.

"Oh, that is rich coming from a man who doesn't even know his own heart." He muttered this to his brother with a scowl. "I know my heart, unlike you. I love this woman and don't need you or anyone else to tell me so, else I'd be a blockhead. I only came to you hoping that, goodness, you'd find one iota of happiness for me. And lastly, I am nothing like him." Then he turned to his fiance and nodded, "It IS like arguing with a brick sometimes. But that is lawyers for you." He shot his brother another look. "We'll be taking our leave then. I wouldn't wish to darken your doorstep anymore and give you more to bitch about."