Golden Lies - Barbara Freethy [48]
Her mother's expression was usually unreadable, but not today. Today the truth was written all over her face. Her mother knew where her father was. She had probably known for a long time. Every time Alyssa had asked, she had been told that he had disappeared and that her mother could not bear to speak of him.
Jasmine wrung her hands. "I didn't want to tell you. I still don't. But I am afraid they will."
"Who? Who will tell me?"
"Paige."
The name didn't ring a bell.
"She is his daughter, too," Jasmine added, drawing in a breath. "Paige Hathaway."
"Hathaway? As in the Hathaways? My father is a Hathaway?" Alyssa asked in shock.
"David Hathaway. He was attacked in Salmon Alley two days ago."
"That's only two blocks away."
"He came to see me."
"He came to see you after all these years?" Alyssa's mind was spinning. "Why? Why now?"
"He has come before. I am sorry, Alyssa. I only wanted to protect you. But his family knows of your existence now, and they may want to talk to you."
Alyssa couldn't believe what she was hearing. "They want to talk to me? Why?"
"Because it's possible that your father may not survive."
She didn't know how she was supposed to take that information. Was she supposed to feel sad about a man she didn't know? Angry—because now it might be too late to know him? But why would she want to know him? Had he known about her? Had he ignored her all these years? She took a breath. "You said be came to see you. Why?"
"That's not important."
"Of course it's important. Does he know about me? Does he know I'm his daughter?"
"Yes," Jasmine said quietly, painfully. "He knows."
"For how long?" Her mother's dark eyes pleaded with her for understanding, but Alyssa wasn't sure she could give it. "How long?"
"Since you were born."
Her mother's words were shocking. "How can that be? How can he have known and not come to see me? He doesn't live that far away. My God! David Hathaway is an incredibly rich man. He lives in a mansion in Pacific Heights. I know, because there's a picture of the house on the wall of the bank I work in." Her anger grew with each word, each new realization. "And he let us live here, in this small apartment? You had to work two jobs when I was small. We barely had enough to eat."
"I wouldn't take his money in the beginning. But when you got older, when you needed things, I asked him to help. He paid for your college. He bought my paintings to help us out."
"To ease his guilt, you mean. He should have supported us, or at least me. I don't care what you told him."
"He did give me some money. That's the only way I could afford for us to live here alone. But I hated every penny that I took from him. If I couldn't have him, I didn't want his money, but pride wouldn't pay the rent, so I took a little when I had to."
Alyssa sat down on the couch, not sure she would have the energy to get back up again. She'd never felt so overwhelmed in her life. She had hated not knowing who her father was, but now that she did, she almost wished for that innocence again. It was bad enough to know that her father hadn't loved them enough to stay—but even worse to know he was a rich, powerful man who lived only a few miles away but had never wanted to see her.
Jasmine sat down in the chair across from her. She tapped the teapot on the table with her finger. "Would you like some tea?"
Alyssa shook her head. How could they have tea? How could they pretend that nothing had changed between them?
For long minutes there was nothing but silence in the room. It wasn't unusual that they were quiet. Her mother had never been a talker, but now the air was filled with tension and distrust. Alyssa couldn't help it. She loved her mother, but she couldn't understand how she had kept such a secret all these years.
"You don't have to see him," Jasmine said haltingly.
"Of course I don't have to see him. I don't want to see him. He didn't care enough to see me." Alyssa paused, her mind catching up with everything that had been said. "You said he was attacked in the alley?"
"Yes. He was struck in the head.