Chapter 82: Chapter 82

Chapter 80: The blame

Mrs Cunningham was putting some extra towels for his son when he came out of the en-suite bathroom. Fully refreshed, looking and feeling much better.

"Mother?"

"Yes, Henry?"

"Is Lionel around?" He asked with a solemn look on his face. Taking steps towards the bed, he sat down drying his hair. His mother turned to sit beside him. In an aim to comfort him. He seemed distraught, if there was any place in the house where they could have a conversation without being judged or interrupted by Walter, it would be right here.

"I do not know where he is but he has a fair share of his own problems to attend to."

"I can only imagine, did he ruin another marriage? Did he sail off to the west for an adventure yet again leaving yourself and father in a difficult position of paying up all his debts? Did he get into a horrid fight at a shabby pub and now he is badly battered up and he desperately needs taking care of? What has Lionel done this time mother?" Henry attempted to lighten the mood. His mother smiled then shook her head. Ofcourse her younger son had done far worse in the past but as of now, it was nothing as burdensome.

"Well... Austin or rather Lionel as you prefer to call him will soon be a father!"

"...oh...ah that's wonderful news, I suppose..." Henry let out a heavy sigh, a feeling of jealousy was threatening to leap out but he refused to be jealous. If his brother was having children the least he could do is be joyful for him. Well, he already is a father to Mandy... Henry thought. "I only call him Lionel because I'd like to believe that's his good side. The name Austin has been tarnished through the mud. I doubt anybody who knows Austin would want to use that name on their child."

Mrs Cunningham nodded in agreement. "Myself, I prefer Lionel. I named him accordingly with the hopes that he always be a conqueror. Lion, Lionel... of-course your father hated the name and went on to name him Austin. Nevertheless it made a decent second name." Henry nodded listening to his mother. As the silence drew them in, Mrs Cunningham spoke again. "Your father tells me they're twins."

"I would have never in my wildest dreams pictured Lionel in this scenario. A father... Lionel a father to twins. Not one but two...!" With a heavy sigh, the forty-three year old man smiled genuinely. "He deserves it. My little brother deserves all the happiness there is. The start of life was never easy on him. He has been merely been gallivanting through life with havoc all these years. Gallivanting with hatred, anger, hopelessness and cynicism." Coming to a halt, Henry looked at his mother. "Oh goodness, I was so quick to assume... does he take claim? Knowing Lionel, he must be furious. I will never understand his hatred for children."

"He is purely overjoyed by the news. He has had a change of heart. I suppose everyone does when they find that one person."

"So there is a woman?" Henry laughed. "Matters of the heart, I had assumed Lionel was as cold as a stone and the only love he felt was for Avalon."

"He was sure devastated when his horse passed...! Seemingly it passed at the right time. That was when he met her Merrigold..."

"The name sounds familiar!" Henry voiced his thoughts. "Mother! Did he impregnate the poor orphan you had taken in when he headed off to boarding school?"

Mrs Cunningham nodded with a wide smile. "You remembered?"

"Of course mother, in all your letters you spoke so fondly of the girl. I can not wait to meet her..."

"Mhm, your father and I left for a few months only to return to a very destructive affair that resulted in this pregnancy. I never assumed this would happen, Austin had always been very strong headed like his father about ethnicity and preferences. I've always tried to teach you to be open minded to other people even those considered to be below us. It seemed to have passed Austin or so I thought. On the other hand, Merrigold had a childhood sweetheart. I'd assumed nothing of them residing in the same house."

"Mother, you made a mistake the very same time you assumed Lionel would live with a skirt and it would remain untouched." Henry chortled shaking his head. He knew the problem had to be pertaining Merrigold's race, no wonder his father had been fuming even before his arrival. Henry did not mention it, knowing they very well must have been tired of discussing how wrong it is, or was.

"Fair enough, I would not change a thing. That wonderful girl has turned Austin into the softest he has ever been. He has changed Henry. Changed for the greater good."

"I can only believe it when I've witnessed it myself. I still believe Austin is capable of tying me to a chair and burning the house down out of anger. Lionel is definitely capable of change. Odd isn't it? I've always felt as he my brother has two personalities and for so long Austin has been overtaking Lionel. There were many times he tried so hard to be nice to me but something always got into him. Then he abruptly changes and becomes disruptive!"

"I've noticed as well, my biggest fear was he'd end up in a mental asylum. I never wanted to disclose to anyone that he seems to have multiple personalities. Walter would have had him baptized..." Mrs Cunningham looked at the door making sure there was no one listening. "He is getting better, enough about Lionel."

Henry only exhaled in a complaining murmur. "Suppose there is no running away from this..."

"You mentioned being infertile?"

Henry nodded grievously, looking anywhere but his mother's face that was full of concern. She laid a hand on his shoulder, in an attempt to comfort him. To have him know that she is here here for him.

"Stella was having a feud with her sister, as a good husband I ought to defend my wife. Only to be thrown with the harsh truths." Henry spat, rage clear in his voice. Clearing his throat. "All I've known is Stella's older sister has a child who was born unwell. She is handicapped, does close to nothing except blink. I was always supportive of Stella visiting and helping out with the poor child. Had I known that Mandy was a result of Austin and Stella's mischief and betrayal, I'd have never bothered. She is innocent, Mandy is innocent. Evelyn loves that little girl like her own. Stella always had horrid things to say pertaining the child. Anyways that is the least of my concerns at this moment."

"Austin mentioned to your father and I that he had a child but we never followed through. I never asked, it seemed he did not want to discuss it either." Mrs Cunningham explained. "What are your concerns then?"

"The boys aren't mine either. Stella has been committing adultery with destitute men desperate for a penny and anything to put in their stomachs."

"Despicable! How could she?!"

"She claimed she wanted to make me happy! Make me happy by lying to me, Mother I'm broken. She packed up and left with the kids."

"I'm sorry..."

"Bertha warmed me. Even worse when I found some old letters an exchange between a fourteen year old and a twenty-three year old spewing of the love they feel for each other. It took me a while to understand, she groomed Austin into pervert he is today. In the letters he was begging for her love, it's all he has ever known. No wonder he acted a fool, the person who groomed him had abruptly left him and sold him false hopes of running away together and starting a family."

Mrs Cunningham immediately broke into somber tears. "Mother, do no cry..." he said softly trying to hold in his own tears. "As much as I'd like to be upset, I'm only worried for Lionel. He is somewhere out there by himself. He has been by himself for a long time."

"I failed, I failed... Henry. It was my duty to always be alert. I should have known him wanting to visit Stella so often without you being home must have been—"

"Mother it isn't your fault! It is mine for turning my back on him."

As if he had been eavesdropping, Walter marched in clearly upset. "NO, THIS IS YOUR FAULT HENRY RICHMOND CUNNINGHAM! How could you have been so blind in your very own home? Your wife is a disgusting excuse of a woman! Hell is where she is going."

"Walter!" His wife pleaded.

"Since I'm not included in conversations, I had to include myself. I'm teed off by the devil you called wife. This is your fault Henry! I have been searching, asking myself where have I went wrong with Austin? I've prayed, fasted and questioned God. I shouldn't have. You brought that woman into ours lives, she ruined my son and caused so much harm through Austin... now he has impregnated a nigger! Yourself and your wife are the root of Austin's self destruction."

Feeling guilty, Henry took blame. "I apologize father."

"No one is at fault, It is only unfortunate that Stella has deceived us. We can only move forward."

Walter shook his head, glaring at his son. He walked out of the room, making sure he made a ruckus with his footsteps on the titled floor.

"He will come around." Mrs Cunningham muttered hugging her son. In that moment, he felt he was to blame. Henry remembered the day he met Stella. How he was head over for her. He should have turned away. None of this would have occurred. Austin would have turned out okay, he would have turned out to be a normal young man. The women he hurt in his life time would have never experienced what they went through at the hands of Austin's ruthless calamitous wrath. Henry felt responsible. He brought Stella Ward in their lives.