It Is Indeed Shameful Chapter 26

The atmosphere amongst the older siblings of the Staten Island, New York household was alot less cheerful than that of the younger members.

Adelaide, the 12 year old, noticed that the adults had walked away from the drawing room and entrance way and she no longer needed to try and play hostess. Looking towards her older sister, Francine, she was even more puzzled.

Francine was usually always faintly smiling whenever guests or family came over. Why was there a perpetual frown on her pretty but freckled face now?

Adelaide, also noticed that Nathaneil and Henry had quietly retreated from the room and made their way upstairs.

Nervously, she inched her way over to her eldest sisters side, and whispered in her ear,

"Whats wrong Francine? Why do you look like someone smashed your chinaware?"

Francines thin ginger blond brows furrowed upon her sisters question.

Truth be told, Francine had no idea what was wrong other than the fact that a little girl claimed to be her little sister in front of her.

If that little girl was her illegitimate little sister, that would indeed look abit bad for her fathers reputation, but it was nothing too big.

Francine could just not understand what it was that was so detrimental about this situation that it could jeopardize her marriage prospects. Her heart felt heavy after her brief exchange with her brother, and it grew ever heavier by the minute. This inexplicable feeling, started as soon as Nathanials words earlier were said to her.

Surely she was trying to read to much into the situation at hand.

Her father had just had an affair, which isn't that unusual since he was normally a cold man to begin with, and even more so considering her mother had been completely bedridden since her youngest siblings birth, Jeremy. Not fulfilling her fathers needs, of course he would turn to other women for an outlet.

She had one or two friends who's fathers had done similar things under similar circumstances.

Looking her sister in the eyes, Francine just said, "Father must have had an affair, and he brought his bastard with him on this visit. I don't understand why he would do this. It is indeed shameful."

Upon hearing these words, Adelaide's eyes bulged widely with surprise.

She thought to herself, No wonder that little girl said she was the little sister of her youngest sisters, it turned out she was also her youngest sister! Or well, half sister.

Adelaide could see Francines once great mood from earlier today had been utterly ruined by the arrival of this new addition to their family.

Miriam continued to talk to the two twins, and even asked if they had a garden they could go play in. And of course, the twins said 'Yes'.

Once Miriam and the twins had left to go into the backyard to play, Bannon and the little boy named Jeremy, sneakily followed the young girls out into backyard.

The pale woman and Mr. Stuart exchanged pleasantries, and Mr. Stuart asked the maid Kitty who had just come back out of the kitchen with the tray of tea and small little cracker snacks, if she could help Ingrid and Fiona take his families luggage to the guestrooms.

"Beatrice, please go keep an eye on Miriam, she tends to attract trouble somehow." Mr. Stuart ordered Beatrice, whilst making brief eye contact with her.

"Yes Sir, I'll go right away." Beatrice said as she excused herself from the two adults who were clearly familiar with each other.

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The palid woman looked at Mr.Stuart rather nervously while kneeding the materials of her skirts tightly in her hands.

Noticing the womans apparant apprehension at his unannounced appearence at the New York house, Mr. Stuart chuckled softly to himself.

Was he really a monster come to gobble them all up? Did he not own this house in his own name?

Mr.Stuart let out a small sigh before speaking.

"Anetta, I discovered upon my visit this time that Mzia did not tell our eldest son what I wanted her to the last time I talked to her a few years ago. Might we go discuss this with her in private?"

Anetta, the palid woman,had a grimace blossom on her pale and tired looking face, before nodding her head in consent and leading Mr.Stuart up the simply but elegantly carved staircase. They ended their walk together outside the room where her mistress stayed most of the time.

A door painted white with lavender flowers accenting it was slightly ajar and the paid of adults could clearly hear a slightly heated argument in loud whispers coming from within the room.

"Then who's the father of them!? Mother you must tell me! How is Francine supposed to get married without knowing who her father is?" Came Nathaniel's voice from within the room, his words had undoubtly contained a bitter tone to it.

Deciding to announce himself outside the room, Mr. Stuart cleared his throat loudly enough so that even the ill could hear him inside.

The conversation had behind the door and walls infront of him had abruptly stopped after that point.

"Mzia, it's me, Stephen Stuart, I would like to come in and catch up with you and chat."

The room stirred for a moment before a lovely but hoarse sounding voice said, "Come in."

Pushing the door open, Mr Stuart saw his son, and the earlier formentioned cousin inside one with a thin lady laying on a costly looking bed.

Nathaniel was at his mothers bedside and firmly gripping her elegantly shaped pale hand, the youth was kneeling on his knees and what looked to be small tears were forming in the corner of his eyes.

Upon Mr. Stuarts entrance, Henry waited for him to come further into the room before politely exiting. Although Henry disapproved of Mr. Stuart's ethics, Henry knew he wasn't a part of his side of the family so he tactically decided to leave the room.

After exiting the lady of the houses room, Henry came across the two older girls of the family, and proceeded to not make eye contact with them before quickly going to a different corner of the house.

Stephen came to the bedside of Mzia slowly and looked at her with sorrow.

Since his last visit two years ago, her health had gotten even worse.

It was not going to be long before she finally succumbed to her illness.

Dressed in a pale blue chiffon made of thicker than normal material, long ash blond curls swirled around her pillowcase.

Mzia had pale green eyes and thin brows and a average size but nicely shaped and straight nose. Pale skin, and thick lashes.

Looking up at his father, Nathanial had a complex set of emotions circling around in his head and chest. Grateful to know the truth, but also disappointed.

Stephen gentley stroked Mzia's long but no longer vibrant with health tresses of hair.

"Have you seen the doctor recently, Mzia?" This question softly came out from Stephens mouth.

If Miriam were to see how her father treated this woman she was surely understand why her mother was always so unhappy during the end of her life.