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“Braemore must have kept you very busy.”

Yvette smiled, adding a touch of sugar to her tea. “It did, but I enjoyed every moment of it.”

“Every moment?” Fiona raised a brow, her tone teasing.

“Well, perhaps not every moment,” Yvette admitted with a laugh. “But there’s something about Braemore that feels… grounding. It’s peaceful.”

Maisie, sitting beside Yvette, perked up.

“Duchess is the best at horse riding!”

Fiona froze mid-sip. “Duchess?” She set her teacup down and looked at her niece.

“Maisie, dear, why are you calling Yvette, ‘duchess’? She is your stepmother. You should address her properly.”

Maisie pouted, her brows furrowing. “But I like calling her duchess. It suits her.”

Yvette placed a gentle hand on Maisie’s shoulder, her smile warm. “It’s perfectly fine, Fiona. I rather like it.”

Fiona blinked, her surprise evident.

“You do?”

“I do,” Yvette confirmed, a small smile settling on her face as she remembered having a similar conversation with Killian.

“Titles can be so formal, but when Maisie says it, it feels… affectionate. Personal. I don’t mind at all.”

Fiona leaned back in her chair, her expression softening.

“Well, if you’re alright with it, I supposeIhave no objections.”

Maisie beamed, clearly pleased with the outcome.

As they sipped their tea and nibbled on sandwiches, the conversation turned back to Braemore. Yvette recounted some of the highlights of her time there, including the annual fair.

“You attended Braemore’s fair?” Fiona exclaimed, nearly dropping her teacup.

Yvette nodded, amused by her reaction. “I did. Killian and Maisie joined me.”

Fiona looked utterly baffled. “Killian? My brother attended Braemore’s fair?”

“Yes,” Yvette said with a soft laugh. “He even stayed the entire time.”

“That is shocking,” Fiona said, shaking her head. “He usually avoided the fair like the plague. What changed?”

Yvette hesitated, her mind briefly flashing to the moments they’d shared during the fair.

“Perhaps he wanted Maisie to experience it,” she said simply.

Fiona eyed Yvette curiously but chose not to press further. Instead, she raised her teacup in a mock toast.

“Well, I’m impressed. You’re clearly working miracles with him, Duchess.”

Yvette chuckled, feeling a warmth in her chest at Fiona’s words.

CHAPTER 24

The soft knock at the study door interrupted Killian mid-sentence as he scanned a stack of letters on his desk. He exhaled sharply, leaning back in his leather chair as the middle-aged butler stepped inside.