Page 77 of The Precious Secret of a Loving Governess
“I expect that you know why I wished for us to have a while alone?” her father began.
“Yes, I imagine that I do,” she replied.
“I am glad for that. Because this may not be an easy talk for either of us, but it is a necessary one,” he remarked.
Victoria knew how badly she needed to hear his apology and was glad that it was finally going to come. Never in her life had she realised that she had depended on her father for so many things.
“As you know, my life was not in such a good place just a few years ago. I lost you and your mother, as well as everything we had. But I think that the first thing I must apologise for was that day when you were such a young girl,” he began, appearing disgusted with himself.
Victoria knew that he was speaking of the time that she had caught him with a mistress, but felt that she ought not to speak up until he had said all that needed to be said from his end.
“It was wrong of me to have asked you to keep a secret from your mother. Just as it was wrong of me to disrespect the both of you by having a mistress—well, more than one—it was wrong of me to have asked you to lie for me,” he admitted.
“I did not appreciate your mother for the woman that she is. I wanted more and I felt that my status in society, the wealth we had accrued, all of those things, were enough to bring me happiness.
“You were such a wonderful daughter. I loved you and I loved watching you play or spend time on your studies. I appreciated your personality in every way. But I had become addicted to my own vices and indulged in them quite foolishly. I allowed them to become more important to me than you and your mother,” he continued, sadness choking his voice.
Victoria listened to his words and tried to accept them even when she didn’t want to hear them. She wished she could just tell him that she forgave him and that they would move on. But it was evident that he needed to be truly forgiven, the sort that required the pain to be uprooted rather than buried.
“Well, as you know, I was a terrible man for a number of years. I had allowed pride to overwhelm me and bring me down.
“But I am not that same man now and I can promise you that. I have been doing very well. In many ways the loss of our fortune was good for me, although I still regret how it impacted you and your mother.
“And the best part is what I have come to learn about your mother,” he said with a look of joy while thinking about her.
Victoria watched his face, saw how it calmed when speaking of his wife. That was the sort of look she had always longed for her mother and father to have when thinking of one another.
“She is quite remarkable. Not simply because she has chosen to forgive me when I least deserved it. But because of her very nature and character. She is skilled in so many areas, talented in ways I never gave her credit for,” he lamented while praising her.
Victoria nodded, knowing that he was right. Her mother was a truly wonderful woman. It was good that he had finally seen that.
“I was humbled through this fall from grace and I believe that it was exactly what needed to happen for me to see how fortunate I was in other ways. I am working to be a better person. I want to be the man that your mother deserves. A good husband,” he said.
“And I want to be a good father,” he added with great intention in his voice.
Victoria nodded, understanding the meaning of his words.
“I love my daughter very much,” he said.
They looked out at the sky and watched the colours change for a moment, taking in the beauty of it all. The shades of the clouds very nearly took their breath away, but it was not the most important part of the evening by any means.
Victoria felt overwhelmed by her father’s confession and the fact that he truly loved her mother. His regret was genuine and his change had been difficult but true.
Seeing in his eyes that he wished he could take it all back, Victoria heard the happiness in her father’s voice that he had been given a new start.
“I am undeserving of forgiveness. Both from your mother and from you. But I must ask for it nevertheless. I must ask you to give me a second chance as your mother has,” he finally requested.
“Oh, Father! Of course it is yours,” she pronounced, readily.
Throwing their arms around one another once more, they began a new experience as father and daughter. It was the very thing they needed in order to move into the future and have the freedom to enjoy life once again.
“You must also know that I wholeheartedly approve of this man that you have committed to marrying,” he added.
Victoria looked at him and grinned.
“You do?” she asked.
“Most certainly. He sees in you what it has taken me this long to see in your mother. He appreciates and values you. A father could ask for nothing more for his daughter. I am glad that you two have found another and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for your life together,” he insisted.
