Chapter 614 - Unexpected Visitor Ⅱ (2/2)
Eileen flinches and clasps her hands tightly under the table. ”I-, I have something to tell you, Roderic,” Eileen stammered. ”I know that you are going to be so dreadfully ashamed and disappointed with me, but we can't keep going on like this.”
”What's wrong, Eileen?” Roderic worriedly asked as he reached over to tilt the chin of his wife towards him, but she moved her head away ducking his hand.
Closing her eyes, Eileen says, ”I lied to you, Roderic.”
”About what?” Roderic asked in confusion. ”You told me that you were divorced, hon. Did you just not want to tell me that the bastard was still alive? If so, I figured that out ages ago. There is nothing to be ashamed of, hon. It happens to the best of us.”
”I-,” Eileen paused to lick her dry lips as she tried to formulate her thoughts, before taking a deep breath. ”I have a son and a daughter. Twins, actually.”
There is a long silence in the kitchen as Roderic seems genuinely stunned by the news, before gulping down some of his warm tea to recompose his thoughts. ”Why is there something wrong with them, hon? Is that why you didn't tell me about them?”
Eileen looks guilt-stricken as she says, ”My marriage surname was Snape, and my two children were born Rowan and Severus Snape. However, after I returned home to my father and mother, they became Rowan and Severus Prince.”
Roderic is stumped as he takes another gulp of tea, and another until he finds that his teacup is empty. Unsure of what to do, he dumbly stares at the teacup as he recalls his brother, Argus calling him a fool. Of course, he was a fool. And of course, the old Prince had been furious after his wife's funeral. His daughter had in fact not been in attendance.
Roderic recall's the tall, slender girl with pale skin and pitch black, indigo-colored hair and matching eyes. The girl had sharp features and thin lips and in retrospect, she looked all too much like his wife, Eileen. He for certain had thought the girl a bastard of the Old Prince, but no, she was the legitimate granddaughter of Reginald Prince and daughter of his wife, Eileen.
”Why didn't you ever say anything?” Roderic finally asked in a hoarse voice. ”Were you ashamed of me because I did not come from old money? Or did you think I would turn you away because of your children?”
Eileen flinches again, before quietly replying, ”I was foolishly afraid that I would be turned away. I-, I know that does not make sense, but it did at the time.”
”So, why now?” Roderic croaked. ”Why are you telling me all of this now?”
Eileen flushes with even more guilt and shame. ”My twins are to be presented into wizarding society, and I would like to at least be present for their godparent ceremony. I know that my father nor my aunt will not allow me anything more, but still, I wish to be present at such an important milestone in their lives. And I know that I am a wretched mother, who has only failed them time and time again, but still, I wish to make amends as best as I can even if that is only at a distance.”
Roderic sighs and pours himself a cup of tea, before drinking it while it is still hot even if it scaled his tongue. After a gulp, he looks at his wife with a mix of anger, sadness, and disappointment. ”By no means is everything right between us, Eileen,” Roderic said. ”But I won't be leaving you because of this, and we will have more words regarding this topic. However, for now, this will suffice.”
Eileen almost crumbles in her chair in relief as the two of them remain in the kitchen in silence until late into the night. Her husband was not leaving her, nor their child. And that was more than enough for her for everything else could be discussed and would come in due time.