then, 'Have you seen a newspaper this morning?' he probed gently.
She frowned groggily. 'I've only just got out of bed, your call woke me.'
'Oh God . . .!' he groaned. 'Darling, I'm coming over.'
'Now?'
'Right now!'
The last remnants of sleep left her at the deep concern in his voice. 'Daddy, what is it? What's happened?' Panic began to engulf her.
'I'll be there as soon as I can,' he promised before ringing off abruptly.
Danielle felt a terrible sense of forboding assail her. What could the newspapers have printed that had so disturbed her father? Could a reporter have possibly been lurking about outside her apartment last night as Nick left?
She was showered and dressed by the time her
father rang the doorbell fifteen minutes later,
shocked at how grey and drawn he was. 'Daddy,
what'
'Sit down, Ellie,' he instructed firmly, striding over to her drinks cabinet to pour out a large measure of brandy.
Danielle had sat as soon as he told her to, but her eyes widened at his second move. 'Isn't it a little early in the day for you. Daddy?' she prompted in a concerned voice.
'It isn't for me,' he held the glass out in front of her. 'It's for you.'
'Me...?'
'Believe me, darling,' he said grimly. 'You're going to need it.'
She continued to frown, taking the glass with shaking fingers. 'Is it really that bad?' she attempted lightness.
'Just drink the brandy, Ellie,' he encouraged softly. 'Then we'll talk.'
She swallowed a little of the brandy, feeling its warmth hit her empty stomach, briefly wondering what it would make of its unusual breakfast this morning. 'All right, Daddy,' she looked up at him unflinchingly. 'I'm ready now for whatever it is you want to tell me.'
'I don't want to tell you, Ellie,' he told her regretfully. 'But someone has to break the news, and I think it should be one of the family. '
'Mummy— '
"Is safely at home.' He took a newspaper out of his jacket pocket. 'Look at this, darling, and—and just remember that your mother and I were here for you then and we're here for you now, that we always will be."
His assurance only made her trepidation grow, and as she unfolded the newspaper she saw the reason for his obvious concern. The headline read, 'Latest Andracas girlfriend in love-child riddle'.
She felt the colour drain from her face, her breathing suddenly shallow, her eyes moving avidly over the paper, the written article accompanying the headline spoke of a reliable source informing them of the illegitimate child she had given birth to several years ago. It claimed the father of the child was something she didn't talk about, that it was even a big dark secret. It also wondered what her new lover thought of this love-child. Danielle had no need to guess at the identity of the 'reliable source', but at least Audra hadn't realised that Nick had been the baby's father!
Her father crouched down in front of her. 'I'm sorry, Ellie. I have no idea how this trashy newspaper,' he threw it angrily to one side, 'got hold of such a story.'
Danielle was still too shaken to speak. She had known Audra was out for blood, but this, this was too much. The other woman had found the miniature of her beloved baby when she went through her private things in the jewellery box, had drawn her own conclusions about the blonde-haired baby, and told the newspapers about it out of spite.
'Who could have done such a thing?' her father asked darkly. 'And why?'
She raised a shaking hand to her temple. 'That doesn't matter now, it's done. I—Would you mind very much if I wanted to be alone now?' she looked at him pleadingly, willing him to understand how much she needed to be on her own just now.
'Of course, darling,' her father held her in his arms as she stood up. 'I have to admit, though, that I had a feeling something like this might happen,' he muttered grimly.
She looked up at him in stunned surprise. 'You did?' she asked warily.
'A man like Andracas, so much in the public eye, was bound to drag
She frowned groggily. 'I've only just got out of bed, your call woke me.'
'Oh God . . .!' he groaned. 'Darling, I'm coming over.'
'Now?'
'Right now!'
The last remnants of sleep left her at the deep concern in his voice. 'Daddy, what is it? What's happened?' Panic began to engulf her.
'I'll be there as soon as I can,' he promised before ringing off abruptly.
Danielle felt a terrible sense of forboding assail her. What could the newspapers have printed that had so disturbed her father? Could a reporter have possibly been lurking about outside her apartment last night as Nick left?
She was showered and dressed by the time her
father rang the doorbell fifteen minutes later,
shocked at how grey and drawn he was. 'Daddy,
what'
'Sit down, Ellie,' he instructed firmly, striding over to her drinks cabinet to pour out a large measure of brandy.
Danielle had sat as soon as he told her to, but her eyes widened at his second move. 'Isn't it a little early in the day for you. Daddy?' she prompted in a concerned voice.
'It isn't for me,' he held the glass out in front of her. 'It's for you.'
'Me...?'
'Believe me, darling,' he said grimly. 'You're going to need it.'
She continued to frown, taking the glass with shaking fingers. 'Is it really that bad?' she attempted lightness.
'Just drink the brandy, Ellie,' he encouraged softly. 'Then we'll talk.'
She swallowed a little of the brandy, feeling its warmth hit her empty stomach, briefly wondering what it would make of its unusual breakfast this morning. 'All right, Daddy,' she looked up at him unflinchingly. 'I'm ready now for whatever it is you want to tell me.'
'I don't want to tell you, Ellie,' he told her regretfully. 'But someone has to break the news, and I think it should be one of the family. '
'Mummy— '
"Is safely at home.' He took a newspaper out of his jacket pocket. 'Look at this, darling, and—and just remember that your mother and I were here for you then and we're here for you now, that we always will be."
His assurance only made her trepidation grow, and as she unfolded the newspaper she saw the reason for his obvious concern. The headline read, 'Latest Andracas girlfriend in love-child riddle'.
She felt the colour drain from her face, her breathing suddenly shallow, her eyes moving avidly over the paper, the written article accompanying the headline spoke of a reliable source informing them of the illegitimate child she had given birth to several years ago. It claimed the father of the child was something she didn't talk about, that it was even a big dark secret. It also wondered what her new lover thought of this love-child. Danielle had no need to guess at the identity of the 'reliable source', but at least Audra hadn't realised that Nick had been the baby's father!
Her father crouched down in front of her. 'I'm sorry, Ellie. I have no idea how this trashy newspaper,' he threw it angrily to one side, 'got hold of such a story.'
Danielle was still too shaken to speak. She had known Audra was out for blood, but this, this was too much. The other woman had found the miniature of her beloved baby when she went through her private things in the jewellery box, had drawn her own conclusions about the blonde-haired baby, and told the newspapers about it out of spite.
'Who could have done such a thing?' her father asked darkly. 'And why?'
She raised a shaking hand to her temple. 'That doesn't matter now, it's done. I—Would you mind very much if I wanted to be alone now?' she looked at him pleadingly, willing him to understand how much she needed to be on her own just now.
'Of course, darling,' her father held her in his arms as she stood up. 'I have to admit, though, that I had a feeling something like this might happen,' he muttered grimly.
She looked up at him in stunned surprise. 'You did?' she asked warily.
'A man like Andracas, so much in the public eye, was bound to drag
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