The Captain I Married by Chance novel Chapter 407

"He's with Arthur," the maid replied politely. "Arthur heard you were getting married and flew back specifically to congratulate you. Your grandfather was thrilled. He originally wanted to keep Arthur here for dinner, but Arthur mentioned he was meeting an old friend and insisted your grandfather tag along. He said it wasn't good for Mr. Peyton to be cooped up in the house all day."

The maid smiled affectionately. "Your grandfather couldn't bring himself to say no, so he went with him. Right before they left, he told us to let you know not to wait up for him for dinner."

Nathan's lips pressed into a thin line. He dismissed the maid with a wave of his hand, pulled out his phone, and dialed his grandfather's number.

"Nathan? You're home already?" Harold's voice boomed through the speaker, sounding genuinely shocked that his workaholic grandson had clocked out at a reasonable hour.

"Just walked in. You're with Arthur?"

"Sure am!"

"Arthur flew back with a few buddies for a vacation, and since you're tying the knot, he came straight to us to celebrate," Harold explained. Judging by the lively tone of his voice, the old man was having a fantastic time.

Nathan pinched the bridge of his nose. "Send me the address. I'll come pick you up in a bit."

"Nonsense!" Harold laughed heartily. "There's absolutely no need for you to play chauffeur. I'll get myself home just fine."

Before Nathan could argue, a slightly unfamiliar, robust voice echoed through the receiver. "Uncle Harold, is that Nathan on the line?"

Though he had only spoken a single sentence, the man's identity was obvious. It was the man the family referred to as Granduncle Arthur—Arthur Peyton.

The Peyton family had a strict, old-fashioned tradition of passing down specific middle names based on their generation. Grandpa Harold's generation all shared one middle name, while Arthur's generation shared another. Nathan's late father, Henry, had adhered to the tradition perfectly. By rights, Arthur should have kept his traditional family middle name, too. But Nathan recalled hearing that when Arthur moved abroad, he legally dropped it, causing endless drama among the older relatives. Despite their relentless nagging, Arthur never budged and strictly went by his first and last name.

"Sure is. He just got off work," Harold chuckled proudly. "It's a rare day when this kid comes home while the sun's still out."

Arthur's attention instantly snapped to him. "Hey!"

"It's been ages, Nathan! I hear you're the Captain of the Major Crimes Unit now? Look at you go, making the whole family proud! Out of everyone, you're definitely the one who made the biggest name for himself."

Nathan's expression remained perfectly neutral. "Thank you," he replied politely. "What exactly are you up to abroad these days?"

"Oh, nothing glamorous. Just running a massive farm with some buddies out in the countryside."

"Do you and your grandfather like fresh milk? Goat's milk? I'm telling you, it's 100% organic, zero additives. If you want it, I'll have it air-freighted directly to the estate. My guys handle the logistics, so you're guaranteed the freshest milk on the planet every single morning!"

Nathan smoothly declined the offer.