"Selina!" Professor Shun stood there almost just in time before Selina could spill it all to the child. He couldn't believe what his wife did.
He and Dr. Miles were very good friends and he respected the doctor so much that he dared not privy onto his personal matters. Especially that the doctor was very careful about making his life private.
"Oh, dear I'm sorry!" Madame Selina who was also shock of her words and her inquisitiveness apologized in an instant. How could she allow her curiosity diminished her manners?
"It's okay Madame. Please. I'm fine with it, I'm not in any way affected at all" Xhemin who thought that Selina's apology was for her, comforted the old woman.
"Selina, my dear, don't bother asking the child for things of the past she don't even remember" Professor said as he went back to sit with them in a tone that was rather telling his wife to stop prying. Somehow, he understood his wife's reaction, but there were some things that were rather left untold.
"Professor it's okay, I'm sure the Madam meant no harm" Xhemin assured the ptofessor and held on Madam Selina's hand. The old woman's hands were shaking but it calmed down at Xhemin's warmth.
The Madam looked at the child's pretty face that was smiling wide in front of her. The view calmed her more and relieved her tensing nerves.
"I'm sorry dear. I tend to forget a couple of things lately, even so my manners. Please forgive this old woman"
"Please Madam, don't apologize. There's no harm taken"
Unknown to the women at the table, Professor Shun was already there at the end of their conversation and he heard Xhemin's words—about her being doctor Melvin's child.
He himself was shocked to learn about the doctor's grandchild before but he didn't even dare to question how this grandchild came into being knowing the doctor had only one son who died few years before this child even become a fetus.
But he also knew that the Dr. Miles loved his wife so much. So, over those years, even how much Selina expressed her frustration about the doctor's betrayal, he did not believe it. He knew Dr. Miles better than Selina as he was his childhood friend and he knew the latter could not do such. So, all these years he believed the child was an adopted.
But he was wrong, few years back he learned that the child wasn't adopted. She's a biological one and to add up to the controversy —she was legitimate, which means she was Dr. Miles and Sarah's descend. For how she was born out from the odd circumstances was a mystery, but Professor Shun thought that it was one of the reasons why Dr. Miles quitted being the country's great doctor and settled in a small province in Hampshire.
However, these things he didn't tell her wife. Because these things were one the few things the doctor entrusted him to keep.
Professor Shun sat back on his chair and the meal continued smoothly. After just few minutes, what happened earlier was forgotten in an instant.
"Dear, it was rather odd how you came across the mansion in the hills, they said the security there was pretty tight" Madam Selina who see Xhemin as a gentle fragile girl noted. She wondered all night long how did Xhemin go unnoticed on that area.
"Not tight enough for a Rivendell student" Professor Shun who knew the curriculum of every Rivendell student was very profound of his words. "I think the securities were misled by the laborers who was scattered in the area and they didn't notice her" he added and gave Xhemin a winked.
Xhemin smiled secretly at the professor. She knew that they could not share with Madame Selina how Rivendell's students were trained because that information was bound by a confidentiality agreement.
"I heard the security was fired in an instant" The Madam added, looking indignant over the information.
"Really? That's mean" Xhemin commented in between bites.
"I know. That place is a terrible place child. I wonder how my son survives that place on a daily basis"
"Your son?"
"Yes, my dear, our only son works in that place. It was him who called me about you" Professor Shun explained.
Xhemin halted her bites and blinked at once "Is he one of those securities?"
Madam Selina laughed a little at Xhemin's conclusion, "No no my dear, I'm afraid he is not."
"What is he doing in there then? I thought that Mansion was just a simple household with a tight security"
"It is child" Professor Shun explained further "However as you might have observed by now. Most of the households here in Woodbrife have farms, same with that mansion. It is said to have the largest farm in Woodbridge"
"Oh, I see. So, your son is a—"
"A doctor, I mean a vet. A veterinarian. He works in that place as one of their veterinarians" Madam Selina rushed to say gently.
"One of their vets? You mean they have many vets?"
"Oh yes, that place is a horse breeding place and they housed hundreds of horses."
Something went knocking in Xhemin's head before she answered "Well I guess that explains why I thought I heard Summer in there. It was probably not Summer I heard but one of their breed horses"
"Probably. Also, child, the town folks who once visited the area said that such place has the biggest collection of planted herbs. I guess the owner make most of the Woodbridge's soil to grow herbs" Madam Selina revealed to her, knowing she came specifically to this town for such purpose.
"That's good. But it could have been nicer if the owner was a little friendlier with neighbors, so I can send Xhemin there to study their herbs" the professor answered glancing at her wife.
"Well the owner has a very bad temperament they say"
"Kinda beastly of him" Xhemin who was used to such word spoke unconsciously. As if such word didn't ring a bell.
"Except that she was a girl"
"A girl beast then" Xhemin corrected lamely.
"Oh, child that was funny" Madam Selina couldn't hide her amusement with the child. She laughed in a way that an adult woman in her stature should—contained and with grace.
"Have you met her?" The child asked.