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'No!' Hunt roared

'Let's go indoors,' Vito suggested

In bewilderlanced back to where her father was left standing alone Her head iht it possible that her ainst her father Nor could she even begin to iine what Sylvia could possibly have to tell her that could upset her father to such an extent

'Susan, I think you and Arnold should go hohed 'I'll phone you later'

As her sister and her husband left the room with pronounced reluctance, her father appeared in the doorway 'Please don't tell theritted 'It's none of their business'

'You made it Ashley's business' Her mother lifted her tear-streaked face up 'Everybody's suffered for my mistake You should have divorced me Instead you've taken it out on all of us for over twenty years'

'Sylvie-' Hunt looked grey, strangely shrunken in stature

'I-I had an affair' Sylvia stumbled over the admission, didn't meet anyone's eyes 'And your father found out When I discovered that I was pregnant, I…I wasn't sure that it was your father's child-'

'Oh, dear God-' Ashley collapsed down into the nearest chair, absolutely devastated by what she believed was co

Quietly her'Your father knew… and hen you were born with all that red hair, so different-looking from Susan… you see, we both assurateful that your father was prepared to bring you up as his'

But he hadn't been able to e, Ashley completed strickenly She was appalled by what her mother had revealed

'I believe that Ashleyher that she is not her father's child Tim and Ashley could pass for twins'

'The other m-ot that randmother had been auburn-haired It wasn't until Tim was born six years later that we realised that we'd e to Ashley's relationship with her father was already done He still behaved as though she wasn't his… I think that every time he looked at her he remembered that other man'

The silence went on forever Ashley's father was hunched in a chair, his spread hands covering his face He looked like a man on whom a sentence of death had been pronounced Ashley was in a complete daze Unconsciously she focused on Vito for what to do or say next Her heart had gone out to herof pity for her father Her nity Yet Ashley had learnt reat deal not to divorce her But unhappily he had been punishing her ever since

'Do you still want to leave with us?' Vito asked her le Trust Vito to stay in control when the rest of the apart at the seams in front of him

There was a long silence

'I-I think that Hunt and I have a lot to discuss,' Sylvia said hesitantly She stood up with an air of fledgling confidence and control that shook her daughter There was a new strength in her mother's stature

'We'll get lunch at a hotel' With complete cool, Vito whisked Ashley out to the hall

Sylvia engulfed her daughter in an emotional embrace 'I'm so sorry, but I can't leave your father when he's like this'

'She won't leave hione to pieces I think that little scene just cleared the air for them both The truth needed to come out It's a shame it didn't happen sooner for your benefit ' Ashley stole a glance at hied profile was fiercely clenched; the skin pulled tight over his angular cheekbones She had been wrong to believe that the episode had not affected hih she could not really understand why he should look so shattered For he did Pale and shattered

'Tellup with a father like that? With a mother who didn't stand up for you and a brother-in-laho evidently chose to stand on the sidelines as well?'

Her hands were shaking She couldn't find any of her flippant responses She was still too disturbed by what had occurred 'Scary,' she confided jerkily 'Lonely' Vito vented a harsh expletive

'Everybody suffered,' she extended 'I think Tihtest because he was a boy and Dad's favourite Susan married Arnold to escape There was soback, it seems so stupid but he picked onthat she had never ever talked about was finding its own voice and theout of her almost faster than she could frame the words to describe theThe sarcasm and the punishments The fact that her uilt The shame that her father could find her so unworthy of attention or affection