[ There we go, there's the illusion that she isn't affected by anything that Catherine had been putting up like a bulwark against her feelings. ]

How am I supposed to do that? Simon, it doesn't work that way-- I told you-- [ Catherine breaks off in frustration. ] There's limitations to what I can do. There's always been limitations. I thought that was pretty clear by now.

[ Nope, not bitter at all. Augh. She hadn't meant to let that slip through. She's so frazzled from everything going on right now, and Simon's in the unique position to know exactly the right buttons to push, to know her just too well to put up with the polite fiction that she's above and beyond all this. ]