Catherine Elle Armstrong Quotes

Catherine's sentence begins like acceptance and changes direction at the qualification. Havoc resembles the imagined partner only until she specifies the physique she wants. Her apology then becomes more cutting: she says she likes good-looking men. The refusal is hers to make, but the wording gives him an unnecessary verdict on his appearance as well. Havoc's own interest in the proposed match has included appearance and family wealth. That context complicates the temptation to treat Catherine's physical preference as uniquely shallow. He is also evaluating a possible partner through desired attributes; the difference is that his enthusiasm has not been reciprocated. Neither person's attraction creates a claim on the other. The scene can let the rejection hurt without making Catherine responsible for rewarding Havoc's hopes. It can also leave her bluntness open to criticism without pretending that a kinder refusal would have owed him a different answer.