Consequences

Part 58

One month later Mrs Sherman not so gently manipulated her grandson's secretary into allowing her into Doug's office without announcement. With her agitation showing in her stride and in her expression Mrs Sherman walked into her grandson's office. Much to Doug's consternation she closed the door behind him and kept walking forward.

"Douglas," She approached his desk and from her tone of voice he knew he was in trouble. How many times over the years had he heard that tone. But he was a grown man now. Still, that tone had impact. "I've just had lunch with Mrs Sojour-D'Sa."

Doug tried not to wince. No doubt the two grandmothers had shredded his reputation. He hadn't been able to contact Isabelle since that evening when she'd left him standing on the steps and walked away. He'd thought about calling her but hadn't quite figured out what to say. He'd thought about going round to her house, but again wasn't sure what he accomplish if she simply refused to see him. He knew that despite his years with a myriad of women, nothing had prepared him for his current situation

"What you've done to her granddaughter, Isabelle is monstrous." She told him with no preamble and came round the desk and fixed him with her no nonsense look. "And I want you to fix it." His grandmother told him. As if it was that simple. As if he didn't want to fix it. As if he hadn't been trying to work out how to fix it.

Deciding to try to get control of the situation, Doug opted for flippancy. "Good afternoon Gran. How nice of you to drop by." Doug was pretty certain that this meeting was not going to be pleasant.

"I'm not in the mood for this Douglas." His grandmother looked ready to box his ears. "So don't attempt to be flippant about this! Is that clear!" She might be half his size, might be a quarter of his weight but she had more clout then half a dozen of him.

"I haven't done anything monstrous as you put it, to Ms Soujour-D'Sa." Doug grumbled and felt like the little boy he had been all those years ago.

His grandmother looked around, spotted a seat and dragged it closer. "Not much." His grandmother took the chair beside his desk, "If I'd known you were going to ruin Isabelle Soujour-D'Sa I'd never have suggested she help out your company. Never." She looked him straight in the eyes and made sure he could see her frustration.

Doug gritted his teeth. He rubbed the back of his neck and then exhaled a long breath before he said, "I did not ruin her. And my company did not need her help!"

"Really." She quirked a grey brow at him. "So what do you call you breaking off the 'engagement'? Flattery?" She asked him. Doug drew in a long breath and kept his rejoinder to himself. His grandmother was no done. "Did you not think for one second that what you did would not send the community a message? How was anyone supposed to believe her, if the man she was engaged to didn't? You are a smart man, are you seriously telling me you thought she would emerge from that unscathed? Really, Douglas? Really? " She got to her feet and walked round the desk and scowled at him. "My own grandson. I'm thoroughly ashamed of you. And your conduct! We both know Isabelle isn't a prostitute. But your actions have ensured that everyone thinks she has a shady past. Your actions."

"My actions did not." Douglas replied not at all pleased to find himself being painted as the bad guy here.

"And how do you make that out?" His grandmother pointed at him, "You, young man, you didn't stand by her. You undermined her. While Isabelle Sojour-D'Sa was explaining to people about the centre they've set up, when you were asked about that your reply was no comment! While she was explaining about attempting to stop a street brawl between two women fight, you were saying no comment! While she was dealing with newspaper insults, you were adding coals to the fire."

Douglas could see where his grandmother was coming from and over the last few days knew that in keeping quiet he had indeed undermined Isabelle's attempts to recover her reputation.

"Gran. Calm down." He murmured quietly and ran a hand through his hair. Then he admitted, somewhat sheepishly, "I've apologised to her." That earned him a querying arched eyebrow as his grandmother took stock of his words and his tone. "I over reacted about the whole thing! I know that. I know she wasn't trying to hook herself a convenient meal ticket." He sighed.

For a second his grandmother simply stared at him, then she snapped, "I can't believe you of all people said that. My own grandson! Never have believed you were one to make judgments based on flimsy, unsubstantiated tittle tattle!" She stormed toward the door. "That young woman has worked hard to keep the roof over her family's head."

"She didn't set up the centre to keep a roof over her family's head." He challenged on a murmur.

His grandmother caught and held his gaze as hers heated up. "No, you're right, she didn't. She and her younger sister Marina set it up because they both knew what it was like to be desperate, and knew that while they'd had heirlooms to pawn, some women only had their bodies. They set it up to help women in desperate circumstances." His grandmother pulled on the door handle. "That young woman worked hard to keep the family name intact when they were flat broke. And now, not only have you made that public, your actions have resulted in her business falling apart."

"What do you mean?" Doug's shoulders froze. His gaze shifted from annoyance to concern.