“So you also told Abby about her own father? You’ve had quite a day.”
“She took it surprisingly well. She seemed more concerned about me than herself. They have no relationship of course, and I gave her enough of the truth growing up to make sure she didn’t harbour any fairy-tale illusions about her grandfather. Hearing the truth about her own father would have been much harder, I’m sure. She’ll have questions when she has had time to think about it.”
“From what I’ve seen she’s a kind, steady and level-headed person. I’m sure she’ll handle it.”
It warmed her to hear him praise her daughter. “You think you know your own child, and then suddenly you look at themand realise they are adults and they have qualities you haven’t noticed before.”
He looked at her with interest. “Like what?”
“I never knew what a good listener she was before today. Probably because I’ve never confided in her before. Today, I was the one supposed to be supporting her and in the end she was the one supporting me.” She felt pressure in her chest as she remembered Abby’s hand on hers and the look in her eyes. “And you’re right, she’s kind. I used to worry that was a weakness, a vulnerability that people could exploit, but in Abby I’ve seen it is possible to be both strong and kind. She has none of my hard edges.”
“Because she has never had to deal with the things you dealt with. You protected her. And you’re kind, too.”
“I don’t think I am.”
“Try telling that to the man you helped all those years ago.”
“I was lucky to be in a position to help.”
“Not everyone would have done it, even if they could. But you did.”
And it had felt good to be able to ease someone else’s burden, even if only by a small amount.
Alexandra smiled at him. “Abby told me how helpful you’ve been since she arrived. Did you know who she was, despite the name?”
“Yes. She has your eyes.”
“But you didn’t tell anyone.”
Edward sat back in his chair. “I assumed there was a reason you didn’t want her to reveal her identity.”
“There was.” She paused. “The official reason was that I needed her to get close to the staff. To get a true picture of what was going on in the hotel. People knowing who she was would have altered the dynamic. She was uncomfortable with the idea.”
“I can imagine. She seems a straightforward and honest person.”
“She is, but she’s also astute about the business and she could see there was truth in what I was saying.”
His gaze was steady. “You said that was the official reason. What was the real reason?”
“That’s more complicated.” It didn’t come naturally to her to confide in people, but this was Edward. “If I tell you this, it mustn’t go any further.”
“I’ve kept our secret for thirty years, Alex. I think I can be trusted with this one.”
She nodded. “I did it for her. She isn’t happy at work. Oh, she works hard and she’s successful and there is no one who understands the business as well as she does. I have no doubt that she loves the work and she has a gift for curating an exceptional guest experience, but the team don’t include her.” It stressed her to talk about it, just as it had stressed her to watch it over the years. “There are times when they actively exclude her, because of who she is.”
“The boss’s daughter.”
“Yes. It’s a hindrance, not a help. They keep her at a distance. She pretends it doesn’t hurt, but I can see it does. And it hurts me, too. I don’t show it, of course, but it keeps me awake at night. I’ve felt helpless.” She took a deep breath and flashed him a smile. “And that’s something I wouldn’t admit to anyone but you.”
“Welcome to parenthood.”
“Yes. Watching your child suffer is the ultimate form of torture, even when they’re adults.”
“True. If anything, it’s harder when they’re adults.” He pushed the plate towards her. “Eat a little more.”
“I’m not very—”
“Eat. For me.”
