"What are you talking about?"
"Dennis told me, the professor told me. Why would you ever decide to court that misbegotten of a girl back in the university? Of all the daughters of the professor it had to be her. The one begotten by a mistress! No wonder she charmed you just like her mother did to the professor's brother." She sighed. "I don't know where I went wrong. Why are all my children falling victim to bad choices of a partner? Look at Dennis, and now you. Why do you both keep falling for the wrong ones? Are you both this gullible? It's all death's fault. If only your father was here, if only we had joined hands together to raise you both by ourselves it wouldn't be this hard, you both wouldn't be this way….."
I sauntered out of the room as fast as my legs could carry me.
"I won't let any of you fall into the hands of the wrong women Ever again!"
"Dennis! Dennis!"
I sauntered into the study.
"What is it, little brother?…."
"What did you discuss with Mother!" My hands were lodged on the desk.
"Woah, be calm. What are…,"
"The professor! Mr Gilbert! Did you see him?"
He drew back. "Yes….. a week before I returned. We met at the pub and….had a few drinks. What's the trouble?"
"You know what I'm talking about!"
"The Goddaughter, yes, Mandelyn."
He returned to his books to close them back.
"He told me…a few."
"God Dennis!" I ruffled My hair pacing about the room. "And you had to tell her!"
"No, I didn't, even before I said anything the professor had already done that so…"
"Oh my, oh my. Now she thinks we're both failures!"
"In finding the right women, yes, I quite agree." He laughed. He still had the effrontery to laugh.
"You find it funny?"
"Not that it is, but what do you want me to do? Sulk? I have had my fair share of it. Now I am concentrated on living my life to the very best of my ability."
"This is so frustrating!" I slumped on the chair. "I never wanted anyone to know."
"But do tell me, what exactly happened between you and the girl?"
"She messed with other men at the university, many of them. I found out later, that she was not as pure as she seemed."
I hissed. "That is not even my problem! The problem is that…"
"Mother knows! Yes." He completed.
"And now she's going to use it against me! And would now push me to Lily, now very convinced that I have no good eye for the right things. God! I'm just trying to redeem myself and now this!"
He chuckled in his quiet manner. "There's still time."
"The trust has been broken."
"You can make it up to her by marrying Lily."
"Are you trying to comfort me or making it worse?!"
He burst into laughter. "The sons of the Houston family. We are quite spectacular, aren't we?"
God!