Chapter 45: Chapter 45

The drive down to the house was a very noisy one, with Belinda bawling her lungs out far louder than was necessary and cursing her ill-luck in having birthed such a wicked and disrespectful child. The others, including Carol, tried to placate her all to no avail as she continued to wail.

“Just say you’re embarrassed by your family. Just say that and stop beating around the bush. After all, that was how you refused to allow your sister to come to visit you. Your own blood sister! I know that is exactly what you would have done to us if we told you we were coming. Can you see that I was right about us taking her unawares with our visit? Can you see?” Belinda asked Aunt Alice tearfully, getting a hold of herself as they approached the house and saw Sebastian waiting for them in front of it. She sniffed, wiped her eyes, and applied some powder to her face before getting out of the car after the others.

Sebastian smiled warmly at them in greeting, shaking her father’s hand and dropping a kiss on Aunt Alice’s proffered cheek. He was about to do the same for her mother when she launched herself into his arms and gave him a long bear hug as though they had known each other for a very long time. Carol watched the scene and tried not to cringe.

“Sebastian my beloved son-in-law! I must say you’re looking very well and in health.” Belinda said, barely giving him a chance to talk to anyone else.

“Thank you, ma’am. You look stunning yourself.” Sebastian replied politely.

“Oh, please. Call me Belinda. Calling me ma’am makes me feel so old, like someone’s granny, when I’m not yet a granny. Speaking of grannies, I hope you two are working towards making me one as soon as possible.” Belinda finished, peering at Sebastian and then glancing at Carol’s stomach. Every trace that she had been crying minutes ago was gone, except for the faint redness of her eyes.

“Mom!” Carol exclaimed in shock and embarrassment, wishing the ground could open up and swallow her. A glance at Sebastian told her that he was not enjoying the turn the conversation was taking either, but he also looked a little amused.

“You look good, Sebastian.” Her father said, coming to the rescue. “We’re sorry for barging on you guys like this, but Belinda insisted.”

“You’re darn right I insisted. After all wh…”

“Let’s all go inside.” Carol cut her off, not giving her the chance to say more. The baleful glance that her mother cast at her showed that she knew just what she did, but Carol did not care. She led them into the living room, her cheeks flaming and embarrassment eating her alive. Sebastian was only just getting to like her and now her weird family had brought themselves here to give him more reasons to dislike her.

“How was the journey down here?” Sebastian asked, making an effort to be polite and playing the perfect host. He could see how embarrassed Carol was and he could not say that he blamed her. Even though her mother had seemed well behaved when they had pulled up earlier, he had heard her crying and yelling while they were driving up, plus Tom had filled him in on what was going on at the gate. Sebastian shook his head. Carol’s family was something else.

“Oh, it was just fine. I let everyone I met know that my beloved niece is married to a billionaire and I was on my way to visit them. Can you imagine the prestige? You could see the envy and jealousy in their eyes. Ha! Anyway, I need a tour of the house. Sebastian dear, come give me a tour of the house. It’s so huge, I feel like I could get lost in it.” Aunt Alice said, going over to link her arm with Sebastian’s own. Sebastian smiled at her in amusement. It seemed that this woman and Carol’s mum were cut from the same coat.

“Actually Aunt Alice, I need to speak with Sebastian for a minute. We will join you guys shortly.” Carol said and came over to take Sebastian’s arm, practically dragging him away from the woman and ignoring her fierce protests. She took him outside the house, where she whispered fiercely.

“What on earth should we do?”

“Do? About what?”

“Common, you know what I mean. I’m so sorry that they came all the way here unannounced. I had no idea that they were going to come here.”

“It’s okay. It’s not your fault, after all, they did not inform you either.”

“So what do we do? You don’t mind that they are here do you?”

“No, I don’t. Anyway, I don’t see what else we can do apart from entertaining them for the duration of their visit.” Sebastian said, shrugging. He did not seem to care one way or the other, and Carol wished that she could feel the same way, but she knew her parents and what they were capable of, especially her mother.

“You seem to have forgotten that we are going on vacation in four days’ time. What do you propose that we do? Leave them here in the house, or take them with us on vacation? Oh God, this is such a mess. If only they had informed me before getting it in their heads to visit.” Carol said, pacing up and down as she thought of the best way to handle the situation. Somehow, she knew that it would not sit down well with her mother if she told them that they had to leave soon because Carol and Sebastian had to travel, but that was her goddamn business. Next time, she would lean to inform people before she flew hours to their houses unannounced, even if they were her daughters.

“Hey, calm down. They’re your relatives and so, you’ll have to deal with them. Here’s what we’ll do. We’ll tell them at dinner this evening that we’re going on vacation and that they’ll have to leave on or before the day we’re leaving. I’ll give them some money to make them happy when they’re leaving. I know that will please them, especially your mother, and she seems to be the troublesome one. How does that sound?”

“It sounds good. Thanks.”

“Alright. Let’s go back before they come out here to see for themselves if we are making grandbabies as they wish.” Sebastian said, winking at Carol whose jaw nearly dropped to the ground, and then she blushed before looking away in embarrassment.

Sebastian went back to the living room to stay with her parents and aunt while Carol went to the kitchen to give the cook instructions on what to prepare for dinner and to inform her that they had guests.