Chapter 348 - Be There By Four...

The St. Claire couple shared a glance and then looked at the young boy who was currently sitting next to the siblings on the couch.

They had just completed breakfast together and instead of leaving soon after, Taylor Tanner chose to stick around and spend some time with his friends.

'When will he leave?' The Earl glowered as he spied on the conversation that they were having right now.

Raylene was worried at first about this young boy's close attachment to her daughter but that faded when she saw the genuine care he had for her.

Therefore, now it was only the Earl who was against the boy from the Tanner family and his constant appearance in their Estate.

Yvonne stole a glimpse at her parents who were keeping an eye on them and could not help but compare this with a parent chaperone event where the nosy parents would keep a close watch on their naughty children.

'Howard is my elder brother and Taylor is my pseudo younger brother.' She sighed at their misunderstanding and chose to pay attention to what the two boys were talking about.

Each boy was trying to one-up the other in terms of sharing exciting stories and experiences they had in the Academy.

The little girl alternated her gaze between them and felt her neck ache due to the constant movement.

'Okay, I've had enough!' She declared to bring an end to this constant competition between them.

Though her elder brother had denied accepting that he had called her Vonny, he still fought hard to get her attention.

However, the other boy seemed to be doing this just to spite his friend and get him closer to his inner feelings.

While Yvonne appreciated Taylor's efforts, she did not wish to be stuck between the two quarreling kids.

Therefore, she pondered on what to do and smirked when she got an idea on how to change the conversation.

"Master Taylor, where is Master Topher and that… Damien?" She inquired with an innocent tilt of her head.

Her cute actions shot an arrow straight through his heart but paused when he saw the difference in the way she addressed them.

'Why are Big Brother and I called 'Master' but Big Brother Damien is not?' He pouted at this partiality in their treatment.

Even Howard frowned when he noticed this but unfortunately, the little girl had not done so.

After the first time they met and every other encounter they had, Yvonne could just not give Damien the same common courtesy that she spared for the others.

Therefore, she did not find anything wrong in what she had said but the others had.

However, Taylor chose to ignore this for now and answered her query.

"Big Brothers are still in the Academy. They have training missions which they have to complete this weekend so they could not accompany us." He revealed how Howard and he had traveled without the other two.

'You were also supposed to stay back but you threw a fit when you heard that I was returning to the Capital.' Howard scoffed at his friend who just could not let this opportunity to meet the little girl go to waste.

Taylor felt his glare but shrugged and chose to ignore it.

"So will Duchess not be worried that you did not show up until now?" The little girl's confused mutter caused his eyes to widen.

'Looks like he forgot about that…' She blinked and her expressions were blank after noticing his forgetful behavior.

Howard sneered at his friend and his smile widened when he thought of something else.

"Didn't Big Brother Topher ask you to return home immediately and pass some message to your father?" He rubbed salt into the wounds while grinning widely.

This statement further distorted Taylor's face as Yvonne's invitation for breakfast had wiped his brother's strict commands from his mind.

Now that he had been reminded of this matter, he could no longer sit still and the urgent need to run into his mother's arms to seek shelter from his scary brother and father was all that he could think about.

"I should leave now!" He announced as he rose from his seat.

Shooting a reluctant gaze at the little girl, he then narrowed his eyes at his friend who did not remind him earlier.

"I shall deal with you later." He whispered through gritted teeth which he was sure that the adults in the room could not hear.

Turning around, he reverted to his pleasant smile as he bid goodbye to the Earl and Countess before almost running out of the room.

However, just as he was about to exit, he turned around and gazed at Yvonne only to find that she was waving at him.

"Bye, Vonny!" He yelled and then strode away with conviction to not turn around which might weaken his resolve.

'What was that all about?' Yvonne found his actions to be amusing and funny.

The parents breathed a sigh of relief only when Butler Limo returned to the room after making sure that the Tanner boy began his journey to his home.

"Howie, go rest for a while then you can play with your sister." Raylene suggested and received a nod from them both.

Though Rutherford had a lot of catching up to do, he did not want to burden the boy after his long journey.

'We can talk later as well.' He placated his heart as the boys would return to the Academy tomorrow evening so there was a lot of time for them to bond.

Yvonne too agreed with her mother but for reasons which varied from her father's.

'If he isn't well-rested then how can I challenge him to spar with me?' She wished to know how much they had improved over the month and a half that they had been away from each other.

Thus, while Howard was sent back to his room, Yvonne had volunteered to do the same as it was her lazy weekend time.

'No books, only rest and leisure time!' She announced as the siblings walked together.

Their rooms were on the same floor but in different corridors, so they shared half the journey together.

While they walked together, Yvonne kept glancing at her brother who had noticed this from the very first time.

"What is it?" He inquired when they reached his door which came first.

Yvonne halted her steps as she looked up at him and smiled.

"I'm glad that you are back home." She muttered while looking away and scratched her cheek sheepishly.

The subtle smile that appeared on his face was immediately hidden before she could look up at him.

"Can we spar later?" She got to the point that she had been most enthusiastic about.

Howard let out a loud chuckle when he heard her question which also sounded like a request to him and he nodded in response.

"At four in the evening." He decided a time and smiled at her.

'I heard that she can't bear the heat.' He recalled what his mother had mentioned in her letters and made sure to keep this in mind while deciding the time for their match.

His little sister's cute repeated nod widened the smile he had and before he knew it, he raised his hand.

*Pat pat*

The soft caressing sensation the little girl felt, surprised her and she did not know what to do next.

The two froze in the same spot for a few seconds but no one uttered a word.

Howard resumed his actions after the initial surprise and Yvonne remained silent as she began to enjoy the soft pats she was receiving.

This action which she called humiliating in the past was now soothing to her.

'Why does it feel like my preferences are deviating the longer I spend time with them?' She wondered whether this was a good thing or bad.

Howard did not know what she was thinking about but the exhaustion of the early morning journey had finally caught up to him.

Yawning, he patted her head one last time and entered his room while muttering something.

"Remember, be there by four…" His voice faded as he entered the room.

The little girl remained in the same position for a while longer before she snapped back to her senses.

Shaking her head, she reassured herself that she was the same Yvonne St. Claire and began walking towards her room with her head held high.