Steven's face relaxed slightly, and he said, "Fine. Since Old Mr. Fleming said that, we'll stop worrying about it.
"I've already done so much for Everly, but she doesn't appreciate any of it. Instead, she thinks her uncle is trying to scheme against her. What a thankless job. Who else would bother going this far for her?
"Since Mr. Brown has come to Clearfield, have Everly invite him over for a meal. We'd also like to see just how outstanding he really is."
Maddie said, "I'll invite you to meet him if an opportunity arises, but I haven't met him in person either. I've only seen his photo. From the picture alone, he really is very handsome.
"You should've heard of the York and Lewis families in Wiltspoon. If you haven't, then just ask around or search online. Everyone knows what their family values are.
"The children they raise can't possibly turn out too badly. Sonny was raised by his aunt, and she had a huge influence on him, so his character should definitely be good."
Steven had heard countless times about the most prominent families in Wiltspoon.
The York family in particular was the subject of envy and jealousy among countless people.
They had wealth, good family values, a large family, and raised their younger generation well. Not a single one had grown up arrogant. Any family with a daughter dreamed of marrying into the York family.
Steven grunted and said nothing more.
Maddie stayed for a little over an hour before leaving. Tessa asked her to stay for dinner, but she declined, saying she needed to go home to look after Kaden, who was unwell.
Tessa accompanied Maddie to the door, saying, "Maddie, your brother doesn't have any bad intentions. He genuinely cares about you and Everly.
"Old Mr. Fleming is still around, so you two have someone to shield you from the storms but he's getting old How many more years does he have? Once he's gone, it'll just be you and Everly. It'll be easy for people to take advantage of us women.
"We're just worried about you and want to help you. If Everly marries a man who's too capable and powerful, our family won't be able to stand up to him. How would we protect Everly then?
"Steven thought about all of this very carefully. He's not deliberately introducing average men to Everly Two strong people joining forces** might look like a perfect match but if both are too strong-willed, they can easily and constantly clash.
"Once they start fighting, neither one will back down or admit they're wrong. Eventually, it'll affect their marriage. Sooner or later, they'll divorce.
"If Everly is strong, her partner should be a little weaker. If she's the weaker one, then her partner can be stronger. Of course, we'd much rather Everly be the one in charge."
A family without a male heir should support their daughter as much as possible, but they should not go out of their way to support their son-in-law. If they helped him too much, he might turn around and leave their daughter.
The lady's family would end up getting the short end of the stick then.
Maddie said, "I never said Steven had bad intentions, but you know what I'm like at home. I don't have much say in the family, and I can't interfere in matters outside the household. You know what Everly is like too.
"If not for the fact that I'm her mother, she probably wouldn't even give me the time of day."
After Everly was born, Kaden took her in and raised her. He was the one who brought her up and educated her. As for Maddie, she merely played with her daughter whenever she had some free time.
She never truly fulfilled her responsibilities as a mother. It was also because Kaden was afraid that she would raise the girl poorly.