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Kate was really missing her professional distance. Her heart ached painfully with sympathy. If she had thought he was an uncaring parent, she was ready to admit she had jumped to conclusions.
‘I told the truth.’
‘Asyousee it.’
She nodded. ‘I know you didn’t want to hear this and I...’ She lowered her gaze, not willing to acknowledge the level of her empathy for him, an empathy that went way beyond what she would normally feel. ‘It’s always best to tell the truth.’
The frown still stamped on his face, curiosity filtered into his silver eyes as he looked at her. ‘Always?Do youreallybelieve that?’
Her delicate jaw quivered at the incredulity in his voice. ‘Of course.’
‘No exceptions?’
‘No.’
‘You have no doubts, do you? I almost envy your ability to see everything in black and white.’
His comment came so close to one of Jake’s accusations that she flinched. A moment later she lifted her chin. ‘Actions are right or wrong, they are either a lie or the truth.’ She got to her feet. ‘Finding out your life is a lie, that you are not—’ She broke off, dodging his eyes.
It would be too much to hope that he’d miss the open goal she had just presented to him.
He didn’t.
‘Who lied to you?’ he asked, probably imagining a cheating lover.
The sly question made her stiffen defensively. Even if it was a slightly off-target shot in the dark, it showed he possessed a spooky perspicacity, which made her deeply uneasy. She really did not want this man wandering around in her head.
Either he was way too sharp or those eyes really were X-ray and not just X-rated.
‘I think we have rather drifted from the point.’
Which was that he was one hell of a father! Guilt curdled sourly in the pit of his stomach as he considered his arresting style. He’d farmed out his daughter to an elderly woman and then blamed her successor rather than place the blame where it lay, on his own shoulders.
‘I actually find it kind of reassuring that little Miss Goody Two-Shoes is as messed up as the rest of us,’ he drawled.
She compressed her lips over a retort. It took all her willpower not to respond, and focus instead on the cool professional advice she was meant to be delivering.
‘Look, I know I’ve given you a lot to think about and it’s hard to take in.’
She had no idea.
‘I’ve made a list of articles, books that you might find helpful, but, as I say, I’m not an expert. Fortunately you have access to as many experts as you need.’
Freya would not be at the back of any queue, sad that she had the best of everything but all she wanted was her dad.
‘I’ll send you my personal email. Could we keep this between ourselves for the next few days?’
‘As you wish,’ Kate responded stiltedly. She had no idea why she felt so disappointed by this response. ‘Dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of,’ she added, struggling not to show her contempt and, if his expression was any indicator, failing pretty miserably.
The heel of one hand pressed to his forehead, he looked at her for a moment and then appeared to come to a decision. ‘I am not ashamed, not of Freya at any rate.’ Her lips, compressed in a disapproving line, parted. ‘I am going to share some information with you.’
Not obviously, because he cared one way or the other what her opinion of him was. It was simply that he didn’t want her saying something that would come to the ears of the council.
‘Do I have to sign the Official Secrets Act?’ she asked, her flippancy masking her confusion, which turned to disquiet when he didn’t smile.
‘That will not be necessary.’
‘I wasn’t being serious.’
