The Death of a Bachelor

Chapter Twenty Four

Dedicated to @OctoberAsters.

"I mean, it's just a name, Aaron! You'd think I asked her to split open her belly and spill her guts with how she reacted!"

"Mm-hm."

"It's not like it is even hard to pronounce, really. It's just two syllables; Kie-ran. Tell me, is that hard, Aaron?"

"Nay."

"Exactly! Do you know how much effort and time it takes to say General? It's three syllables. One syllable longer than Kieran. By the time she finishes saying Ge-ne-ral, she would have already said, Kie-ran."

"You probably shouldn't try to get her to say Ham-me-da-tha, then."

Kieran paused his incessant pacing around the sitting room floor and looked at his brother, who was sitting cross-legged in the sofa, styling his hair while a maid held a mirror for him.

"Whose side are you on?"

"Yours. Always," Aaron replied. His fingers were in his hair, trying to fix a half-bun.

He turned his head to the left, then to the right, checking if the bun was even on either side. But there wasn't enough light, and it didn't help that his hair was black as the night outside. "I just don't understand why you're bleating now. It didn't bother you before."

"Because I just realised it," Kieran said, then ran a hand down his face. "And now that I have, I won't stop thinking about it."

Aaron frowned at his reflection and let his hair fall. He looked up at the maid and smiled, and instantly, she saw his ivory skin glow.

"Could you help me with my hair, Eliza?"

The young woman was flustered for a moment. Crimson painted her cheeks, and it wasn't because of the light from the candle chandelier.

"Of course, sir," she said softly and placed the mirror on the table, before gliding behind his sofa.

She smiled to herself when she felt his soft and smooth tresses between her fingers. She felt honoured.

"I think you should not pressure her too much," Aaron said, laying an arm over the armrest of the chair, and watching his brother.

"Well, she's not making it any easier," said Kieran. "Kieran is the simplest name I've ever heard. Who can't say it? Kieran."

"Kieran." Aaron nodded, tasting the name.

Just then, the rest of his siblings walked into the room in a file.

"Tsup, Kieran!" Ray greeted, bumping forearms with him as he passed.

"Good evening, Kieran." Joshua also bumped forearms with him as he passed.

"Hey, Kieran!" Aira opted to tap the tip of his nose with her finger before she went to try and squeeze herself between Ray and Joshua on the settee.

This resulted in an exchange of high paced hand and arm slaps between her and Ray. Joshua grabbed her by the waist, pulling her over his laps and settling her at the end of the setee, so he was in between.

"See?" Kieran said to Aaron, proving his point. "It's easy!"

Aaron glanced at the settee, where Ray and Aira were constantly making faces at each other while Joshua sat with his arms crossed, his legs spread to keep them away from each other.

"Because we've known you all our lives," said Aaron. "We've got a stronger bond than you and Elena currently have."

Kieran sighed.
"So it's true," he said, somewhat dejectedly. "She just doesn't feel like...we're close."