BXBX NOVEL Chapter 430 - Meeting The Valentes
Chapter 430 - Meeting The Valentes
"I did not know that Earl St. Claire was now handling the duties of a stable hand?"
Rutherford and Yvonne were the only ones with their back towards the mansion as they were looking at the horse.
Only when the sarcastic voice was heard did they turn around.
'Who is this now?' Yvonne wondered as she stopped petting her etcher and turned around.
However, her father's legs had covered her view and she had to peek through the side to take a good look at who had just made an appearance.
At the front was a man with bright copper hair and a thick beard of the same color.
His magenta eyes were focused on the woman standing with the same hair color on whose side a young boy was standing.
Yvonne alternated her gaze between this man and her mother who were looking at each other without blinking their eyes.
'Uncle?' She could guess his identity just by looking at the similar colored hair and eyes.
While the long-estranged siblings were staring at each other in silence, the little girl turned to glance at the others present there.
A pretty lady who appeared to be in her late twenties and two young boys standing on either side of her was the sight she found.
The boys shared similar features as the lady which made it easy to assume that they were parent and children.
The last person whom her eyes fell on was an old man with greying hair who had just walked out of the mansion with the help of a servant who wore the uniform of a butler.
As she watched, the old man's eyes scanned the newcomers and finally landed on the little girl whose head was peeking from behind her father's leg.
A wide smile appeared on his lips as he raised his hand, beckoning her to come closer.
Based on the way his face lit up when he saw Raylene and then once again when he saw her, Yvonne had already inferred who the old man was.
"Grandpa?" She muttered the name in a timid tone which attracted everyone's attention towards her.
Rutherford patted her head and encouraged her to come out from her hiding place which she did while holding his outstretched hand.
The family of five who was standing opposite them had their eyes on the little girl who was gazing at them with her wide amethyst eyes, blinking innocently as she familiarized herself with their faces.
'Uncle, Aunt, Grandpa and… Twin cousins.' She noted her relationship with these new people.
Once the little girl came into their view, the man with bright copper hair was the first to break the silence surrounding them.
"Just like Mother." He muttered as a smile took over his earlier stern face.
Hearing her elder brother's words, Raylene nodded as well while turning towards her daughter.
After all, her Vonny was more similar in appearance to her late mother than she was to herself.
Howard and Rutherford were confused after observing this interaction between the Valente siblings but Yvonne was not.
'My idea truly did work out.' She cheered inwardly as a childish smile made its way towards her face.
"How long do you plan on standing outside?" The old man who was now being supported by his two grandsons scoffed when no one made a move.
Old man Valente wished to get to know his other two grandchildren better but his stupid son had not even invited them inside.
Therefore, he glared at the present Viscount Valente, his son after which he smiled at his daughter, Raylene, gesturing her to come forward.
Raylene smiled at her father and held onto Howard with one hand and with the other looped around her husband's, she walked towards her father.
Viscount Valente sulked when his father glared at him but his mood lightened when his wife shot him a soothing smile.
Holding onto his wife's arm, he glanced at his sister's family walking towards them.
"Greetings, Father." Raylene first wished her old father after which she did the same to her brother and sister-in-law, Trisha Valente.
Though with a sour face, Viscount Valente nodded at his sister after feeling his wife pinching his waist when he did not respond.
Rutherford too paid his respect to his father-in-law after which he greeted the Viscount who grunted in unhappy acceptance, not wishing to get pinched once again.
Once the adults completed greeting each other, it was time for the children to do so.
Being the youngest there, it was Yvonne's duty to go first.
"Greetings, Grandpa, Uncle, and Aunt. My name is Yvonne St. Claire." She curtsied elegantly which made the old man gleam, the Viscount nod while blushing, and the Viscountess desire to fawn over her.
The little girl then turned towards her brother, Howard, and pouted adorably.
"Big Brother, I have two more brothers now. What should I do?" She inquired while blinking those wide watery eyes.
Howard was confused at first but thinking of something he had said in the past he chuckled sheepishly.
'I made her promise not to call anyone else as her brother.' He remembered and it appeared that so did the rest of his family.
'You made me promise that so bear the consequences now.' She harrumphed in her mind but for the sake of outward appearances and to create a good first impression on her maternal side of the family, she controlled her urge to roll those amethyst eyes.
"Vonny, these are our blood-related cousins so I do not mind." He replied in a righteous tone which made Yvonne wish to scoff but she held it in.
Turning her eyes towards her confused cousins, she curtsied once again and smiled.
"Hello, big brothers! Pleased to meet you and I hope you take care of me and my elder brother." She bowed like an obedient child, once again making the elders nod in approval of her etiquettes.
The two elder cousins who she was sure were twins smiled and accepted her greetings.
Howard went next and Uncle Valente was pleased to see the young boy's stern back and his confident appearance.
The Aunt and cousins too smiled while looking at this young boy who was just as smart and adorable as the earlier girl.
Finally, it was time for the two boys from the Valente family to greet the others and this was when Yvonne heard their introductions.
'Elder twin, Roman and younger twin, Knox.' She memorized the names of her new brothers who were sixteen this year.
Once the introductions had been completed, Yvonne noticed the cold shoulder that her Uncle, Marcus Valente was giving to her father, Rutherford.
She could sense the two men to be in silent confrontation with each other because her Aunt, Trisha Valente who had been the peacemaker earlier was busy conversing with Raylene about their journey here.
The old man once again urged them to enter the mansion which everyone agreed without any complaints this time.
First to enter was Old man Valente with the butler followed by the Viscount and his wife.
Raylene walked while holding her husband's hand and finally the four children entered together.
As they walked, Trisha and Raylene continued to speak while the men remained silent.
The same was with Howard who was silently gritting his teeth when he saw how his elder cousins were now hovering around his baby sister.
'I should not have agreed to let Vonny call them brothers.' He scowled as now they were taking up her time which she could have spent with him.
Yvonne felt her head spin when two similar faces kept shooting out questions to her in quick succession about her likes and dislikes.
The elder Roman was more stern and rigid while speaking as he tended to take longer to mingle with people unlike his younger twin, Knox who could converse with just about anyone.
However, this time, Roman and Knox were competing with each other to win the favor of this cute little sister whom they had met for the very first time.
This only made Howard feel a sense of danger that this vacation, he would not get any rest at all.
'In the Capital, I have to fight with that fool and here, with these two cousins.' He grimaced while thinking about how everyone wanted to snatch his sister away from him.
With this thought in mind, Howard prepared himself to be wary of his cousins and make sure that he remained closer to Yvonne at all times.