sitting in the dark?”
“What is it Mimi?” Warren wasn’t in the mood for conversation and wanted to be left alone. Dusk had settled over the room and he hadn’t even noticed. “Leave it,” he said when Mimi reached for the light switch at the door.
“She’ll be fine you know. I like Mr. O’Malley.” Mimi moved into the salon, but didn’t sit down. Walking over to the fireplace, she stared at the portrait he had painted of himself with Alexandria sitting on his knees. It was painted on her sixth birthday. The light from the hallway shined on the picture. She studied the portrait. “He’ll be good for Alexandria.”
The underlining meaning was clear. She wanted some kind of a relationship to develop between his daughter and Mr. O’Malley. He was pushed into a corner, that’s why the man had to be called in. If he knew his daughter, she would give Sam a run for his money. Warren knew his daughter, but she would be safe until he figured out what to do. That being said, he couldn’t help but sense the tension between them. Something was brewing, but he won’t let that happen.
“He’s not her type.”
“Why, because he stood up to you?” She turned from the fireplace. “He doesn’t bow to you like Matt or Colt or everyone else that works for you. I thought you would be happy.”
Warren turned on the lamp and eased up out of the armchair. Mimi straightened ready for a confrontation. She had been like a mother to Alexandria even before his wife’s death. Sometimes he resented the relationship between his daughter and Mimi. She had stood against him in alliance with Alexandria when she wanted to move out.
Moments like these, and there had been plenty throughout the years, he would have gladly fired her. He couldn’t. There was nothing he could do because if Mimi left, he knew he would loose his daughter forever. She had moved out six months ago but he wanted her back home. He could fire Mimi now but he feared Alexandria would never return to the estate. Firing her also meant the he would be alone. He didn’t want to be alone.
“What do you want?”
“You shouldn’t have tried to wipe out every existence of her mother. You should have let her grieve.”
“She was seven years old.” They’d had this conversation already. What was the point in bringing it up again? He had done what he thought was best. Princess was his only child. She didn’t come with an instruction manual.
“You destroyed everything that belonged to Sienna. You left her no connection to her mother. And now she’s not a child anymore yet you continue to treat her like one.”
He ignored her comment. “You’re more of a mother to Alexandria than Sienna ever was.”
“I’m not her mother though, Warren.”
“I’m tired Mimi. It’s been a very long—”
“Her nightmares are back.”
“Oh God!”
Warren sat heavily in the chair and dropped his face into his hand. His heart was beating so hard he had to clutch his chest. He had tried to forget that night, to pretend it didn’t happen. But it did happen—it happened to a little girl. She’d lost her mother. He’d protected her then and will continue to do so.
Living with the scrutiny of the press had become a way of life for he and Alexandria but he’d tried to shield her from it as much as possible. But as Alexandria grew older, she seemed to gravitate toward the spotlight and he couldn’t figure out why. Every time he picked up a paper and saw her picture splashed across the pages, it broke his heart. They wouldn’t leave her alone because she was his daughter.
“What did she tell you?” he asked, knowing Alexandria had confided in her as she always did.
“She says in the nightmare someone pushes her mother over the banister, but she doesn’t see his face.”
“What did you tell her?”
“I didn’t say anything, but you need to tell her the truth.”
• • •
“That went well,” Sam grumbled to himself. He’d watched Princess
“What is it Mimi?” Warren wasn’t in the mood for conversation and wanted to be left alone. Dusk had settled over the room and he hadn’t even noticed. “Leave it,” he said when Mimi reached for the light switch at the door.
“She’ll be fine you know. I like Mr. O’Malley.” Mimi moved into the salon, but didn’t sit down. Walking over to the fireplace, she stared at the portrait he had painted of himself with Alexandria sitting on his knees. It was painted on her sixth birthday. The light from the hallway shined on the picture. She studied the portrait. “He’ll be good for Alexandria.”
The underlining meaning was clear. She wanted some kind of a relationship to develop between his daughter and Mr. O’Malley. He was pushed into a corner, that’s why the man had to be called in. If he knew his daughter, she would give Sam a run for his money. Warren knew his daughter, but she would be safe until he figured out what to do. That being said, he couldn’t help but sense the tension between them. Something was brewing, but he won’t let that happen.
“He’s not her type.”
“Why, because he stood up to you?” She turned from the fireplace. “He doesn’t bow to you like Matt or Colt or everyone else that works for you. I thought you would be happy.”
Warren turned on the lamp and eased up out of the armchair. Mimi straightened ready for a confrontation. She had been like a mother to Alexandria even before his wife’s death. Sometimes he resented the relationship between his daughter and Mimi. She had stood against him in alliance with Alexandria when she wanted to move out.
Moments like these, and there had been plenty throughout the years, he would have gladly fired her. He couldn’t. There was nothing he could do because if Mimi left, he knew he would loose his daughter forever. She had moved out six months ago but he wanted her back home. He could fire Mimi now but he feared Alexandria would never return to the estate. Firing her also meant the he would be alone. He didn’t want to be alone.
“What do you want?”
“You shouldn’t have tried to wipe out every existence of her mother. You should have let her grieve.”
“She was seven years old.” They’d had this conversation already. What was the point in bringing it up again? He had done what he thought was best. Princess was his only child. She didn’t come with an instruction manual.
“You destroyed everything that belonged to Sienna. You left her no connection to her mother. And now she’s not a child anymore yet you continue to treat her like one.”
He ignored her comment. “You’re more of a mother to Alexandria than Sienna ever was.”
“I’m not her mother though, Warren.”
“I’m tired Mimi. It’s been a very long—”
“Her nightmares are back.”
“Oh God!”
Warren sat heavily in the chair and dropped his face into his hand. His heart was beating so hard he had to clutch his chest. He had tried to forget that night, to pretend it didn’t happen. But it did happen—it happened to a little girl. She’d lost her mother. He’d protected her then and will continue to do so.
Living with the scrutiny of the press had become a way of life for he and Alexandria but he’d tried to shield her from it as much as possible. But as Alexandria grew older, she seemed to gravitate toward the spotlight and he couldn’t figure out why. Every time he picked up a paper and saw her picture splashed across the pages, it broke his heart. They wouldn’t leave her alone because she was his daughter.
“What did she tell you?” he asked, knowing Alexandria had confided in her as she always did.
“She says in the nightmare someone pushes her mother over the banister, but she doesn’t see his face.”
“What did you tell her?”
“I didn’t say anything, but you need to tell her the truth.”
• • •
“That went well,” Sam grumbled to himself. He’d watched Princess
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