Chapter 378: Soren’s thoughts.
That evening, the seaside cottage was very lively. Everyone was already in the mood for the winter holidays; three weeks of no work, for most. Just fun and rest. Chase Twindell, still fresh to the family, only his second time around them, had managed to survive an entire day with them.
He was moving around the kitchen as if he always belonged there. The noble man, who didn’t look like he had ever boiled water in his life, was chopping vegetables and stirring soup with care. Grace-lyn was teasing him, but he was taking it in a stride.
After cooking, he helped Mrs. Miller set the dinner table. When dinner came to a satisfactory end, he crouched on the floor in the living room, letting the children climb onto his back like he was some noble steed.
Their laughter echoed through the house, and Sienna, watching from the corner, felt a strange mix of suspicion and reluctant amusement.
"He is loving this." Grace-lyn said, squeezing close to her in the corner, as if there was no space. "Papa’s idea of a fun time is being surrounded by his happy family. It doesn’t matter what you are doing, as long as the family is doing it together. Even something as boring as watching the news is great if you are all crowded in the same living room."
Sienna raised her brows. Another point was scored for Chase Twindell. She was keeping count of his good traits and bad ones. So far, there was no bad one. "What is your mother’s idea of a good time?"
Grace-lyn’s smile quivered, but she maintained it anyway. "I won’t lie because you could find out for yourself anyway, my mother is wild. She wants to go clubbing, dancing, drinking, crazy vacations in St.Vitts. As much as it pains me to say, she also has a thing for younger beast men. Twenty one to twenty five. Her marriage to papa was an arrangement between their families. In mama’s words, she sacrificed herself for her family. Now that all her children are adults, she wants to live the life she has always longed for."
Sienna snorted. "A life where she sleeps with men the same age as her daughter!"
Grace-lyn sighed. "Every family has its issues behind closed doors. I am only telling you this because my papa is serious about your mother. Grandfather is already picking wedding venues and rings and redecorating the old house. He has an intense dislike for my mother now. Grandpa said nothing of hers should be left behind to taint the eyes of his new daughter-in-law."
"Aunt Grace." Ali cried out.
Grace took off running. "Coming, coming. I will bring your strawberry shortcake."
The way Grace-lyn raced off to the kitchen made her laugh. If the woman was not careful, she would find herself becoming Ali’s food source permanently. Sometimes, Sienna wondered if her old physique had somehow transferred to Ali when she transmigrated. No matter how much the little one ate, she didn’t gain excess weight!
As the happy noise in the house grew warm, Sienna found Soren and tugged him out by the sleeve. "Come with me," she whispered, leading him out through the kitchen, across the backyard, beyond the stables, and into the largest green house.
The air inside was thick with the scent of freshly ripened strawberries. Her bees, who seemed to think the greenhouse was their personal garden, slept on vines and flowers, wings folded like tiny blankets. The hum of the two hives was faint, but pleasant.
She pulled him down to sit on a vine covered bench. "So," she began, voice low, "what do you think of him? Chase Twindell. Mama’s...boyfriend." She almost choked on the word.
Soren scratched his head, "He’s...nice. I already had a talk with him on the first day mama brought him over. He told me he wasn’t going to force me to call him papa or Lord Chase. Said that if I didn’t want to treat him like my father, he would respect it. That alone makes him better than most men I’ve met. Others would be in a rush to assert their dominance or force a relationship."
Sienna blinked. "He said that? Already?"
Her brother nodded. "And he brought me shoes. Not ordinary ones--crocodile leather runners with reinforced soles. Only ten pairs are sold through the empire every year! He said I should look sharp when school starts. Oh, and he gave me a wristband that tracks steps and heart rate. It’s a new invention from a company he invested in. Told me it would help keep me fit. And---" he grinned sheepishly, "--he slipped me a set of drums and drumsticks today. Said teenagers need to hit things sometimes."
Sienna gasped. "Drums! You better not bang those things around me."
"Mama said the same thing." He muttered. "But, he got me something I have been wanting for ages. I appreciate it. We even had the dating talk."
Sienna gasped again. "He has only been here twice! And already you’ve had the ’dating talk’? I was supposed to give you that talk!"
Her brother laughed nervously. "Sis, no offense, but there are some things a boy cannot discuss with his sister or mother. I just asked him some questions. He sat me down, asked me what kind of girls I like, told me not to rush, not to let anyone pressure me. I mentioned aunt Numia pressuring Corven Junior. Chase said it was not good. He told me to take my time and be careful when I started dating. That mistakes are fine, but respect is everything."
Sienna rolled her eyes. "I am sure Elias would have told you this too."
Soren grimaced. "No. Even if he did, I don’t think I would have retained anything. Chase is more approachable than your husband. When I talk to my brother-in-law, I tremble. I always feel guilty or not good enough. It’s not because he has done or said something, he is just cold by nature. Chase is warm."
Sienna narrowed her eyes, studying her brother’s face. He was falling for Chase as quickly as their mother. No wonder Grace-lyn had called her father charming. "Soren, if mama marries Chase and moves to his estate. If she chooses him even if we have decided that we don’t like him. Would you follow her?"
He didn’t hesitate. "No. I would stay with you. If she marries him, she will be marrying into a noble house. With our background, if they look down on us, she will be torn between him and us. If she has other children, it becomes worse because we would be like unwanted extras in the Twindell family.
I think she has supported us as much as she could over the years. I don’t want mama to be torn apart emotionally, or forced to make drastic decisions that could end in resentment. I would rather live with you if the Twindell’s don’t like us. If Chase doesn’t accept us. If mama decides to pick him over us no matter what."
Sienna’s chest tightened. She pulled him into a hug, "It’s an ’if’ scenario. Chase is easy to get along with, and so are his children. Still, if they ever get married and move in together, far away from here, and take you with them, I hope you will not forget your dear old sister completely.
I am a married woman and an adult, there is no reason for me to live with them. You are my brother, I must protect you. I have been so worried about how you are handling this situation. It seems like you have thought this through more than I expected."
She pulled back, eyes sharp. "Tell me, how do you picture the future of our family? How do you picture your future?"
Her brother’s gaze was unsteady. "I don’t know what the future of our family will be like, but I just hope that it will be stable. Mine too. I don’t care if Chase will be there or not, as long as we are stable. Like now. I hope mama will be happy and she will still smile like she does now. I don’t want her to be a pawn in anyone’s game, and the same goes for us."
Sienna tilted her head, testing him further. "Nothing makes someone feel more stable than earning their own money. What if I gave you capital and a shop tomorrow? Would you be able to start something of your own?"
His eyes lit up. "Really? I would start a fried foods and pastry business. All those foods in your note book that are rarely cooked here. Fried dough twists, crispy turkey rolls, glutinous rice balls, honey fritters, pan fried buns, spiced buns, three spice fried chicken.....I was planning to do it during my long vacation after finals next year. I have already thought about it. I was planning to use my savings and also get a loan from you. You would have to help me choose employees and a manager, though. I don’t want to fail. As long as I have source of income, no matter what happens in future, I will be able to support the family."