Chapter 4: Objections

Seeing the stunned look on Maeve's face, Kieran felt a flicker of amusement.

In the five years since she had come to the Archer residence, this was the first time he had seen her so thoroughly at a loss.

He wasn't fond of repeating himself, but given the circumstances, he was willing to make an exception.

"You'll be marrying me," he said calmly. "Do you have any objections?"

This time, everyone heard him correctly. Yet somehow, his words still made no sense.

The pleased smiles on Lauren's and Curtis's faces vanished.

Lauren was the first to find her voice, her gentle mask beginning to crack.

"Kieran, surely you haven't thought this through. Maeve is Curtis's fiancée..."

She faltered, realizing she could no longer call Maeve that.

"...Was, until a few minutes ago," she corrected. "But no matter what, the fact remains that she held that position for years. How can she suddenly go from being his fiancée to becoming his aunt?"

Her voice grew more urgent.

"People will talk. What about the family's reputation?"

The thought of Maeve becoming her sister-in-law was almost unbearable.

The woman Lauren had always looked down upon would become the patriarch's wife, a position that demanded the very respect Lauren had never been willing to give her.

But that was only part of it.

Her gaze flicked toward Kieran before she quickly looked away. The real reason for her objection was one she dared not voice at this table.

Curtis, who had barely settled back into his seat, shot to his feet again, his face flushing red.

"Uncle, this is a joke, right? You can't be serious. She's my..."

He stopped, apparently realizing that the word he had been about to use no longer applied.

"Everyone knows who she used to be to me. How would it look if she suddenly became your..."

He couldn't bring himself to finish, as though speaking the word aloud would make it real. He pressed his lips together and stared at Kieran, waiting for him to admit it was all some elaborate joke.

"Sit down."

Kieran didn't raise his voice. He didn't need to.

One look was enough to make Curtis sink back into his seat, though the outrage on his face remained undiminished.

"When the engagement agreement between the Archers and the Quinns was made, no specific groom was named. You two were chosen because you were the most suitable pair, given your ages."

Kieran's gaze shifted from his nephew to his sister-in-law.

"As long as Maeve marries into the Archer family, the agreement is fulfilled. It makes no difference which Archer she marries."

He paused briefly before continuing.

"You asked me to cancel the engagement, and I granted your request. Who Maeve marries afterward is no longer your concern."

Lauren opened her mouth, but whatever she had intended to say died beneath Kieran's unhurried stare.

Across the table, Lily watched the exchange with the rapt attention of someone who had just been handed the best show of the year.

Kieran turned back to Maeve as though the entire exchange had been nothing more than a minor delay.

"I'll ask you again. Do you have any objections?"

Maeve's mind went completely blank.

Marry Kieran?

Kieran, who had taken her in five years ago, given her a home, and whom she had always admired and respected.

Of all the possible outcomes she had braced herself for over the past few minutes, this was the last she would have imagined.

And yet, beneath her shock, another realization began to take shape.

The engagement with Curtis was gone, and with it, the future she had been counting on. Her place in the Archer household was suddenly uncertain.

Now Kieran was offering her a new one.

She swept her gaze around the table.

Every eye was fixed on her.

Curtis and his mother in particular were practically burning holes through her, their expressions making it clear that they wanted her to reject this absurd proposal.

But why should she?

Whatever had prompted him, Kieran had made the offer in front of the entire family, and he appeared certain of his decision. Maeve trusted him more than anyone else in the household. If he was willing to give her a place beside him, she had little reason to refuse.

Taking a deep breath, she met his gaze.

There was nothing in his expression but calm certainty.

"No," she replied, her voice steadier than she had expected. "I have no objections."

"Maeve!" Curtis hissed.

She didn't spare him a glance.

"Good."

Kieran stood and buttoned his jacket, as though he had just concluded a routine meeting.

"Come with me. We'll discuss the details in my study."

He walked out without waiting for a reply. A moment later, Maeve got to her feet and followed him.

Behind them, the dining room fell silent.

Lauren's face had hardened with fury, while Curtis stared at the empty doorway as though it had personally betrayed him.

Only Lily, resting her chin on one hand, allowed a small smile to curl her lips, as though the house had just become a lot more interesting.

***

The Archer Estate was vast, with the main house and two detached wings connected by covered walkways.

Lauren, her two children, and Maeve occupied the main house. By rights, Kieran, as the family patriarch, should have lived there too, but he preferred quiet and solitude. He had therefore made his home in the east wing.

Maeve followed him along the covered walkway, stealing occasional glances at his back.

The situation still felt surreal. For five years, she had regarded Kieran as a respected elder and the patriarch of the family that had given her a home.

Now she was going to marry him.

By the time they reached his study, she was no closer to understanding how her life had taken such an unexpected turn.

Kieran opened the door and gestured her inside, then indicated the chair opposite his desk before settling into his own, his movements as composed as they had been at the dinner table.

Maeve sat down and clasped her hands in her lap, trying to keep her nervousness from showing.

For a moment, Kieran simply studied her. Then he broke the silence.

"You must have a lot of questions."