Finally, trying her best to keep the conversation on a professional level, Addison returned to the posture of an employer. Explaining she had neither the time nor the patience to hire new staff, she offered Evelyn twice her salary to stay on and assume the role of house manager. Evelyn would hire and fire when needed, make up the schedules, manage the household budget and payroll, and basically be in charge of everything and everyone under Addison’s roof.

Addison made it clear she wanted only the most necessary of personnel on her property. She required a cook, two chauffeurs, and as many maids as it would take to keep the living areas clean and orderly. She didn’t want a gardener. She didn’t want a butler. She didn’t want intrusion. She wanted a staff that would blend into the background, stay out of her way, and be there only when she called for them.

It was a good speech. It was professional. It was effective, and it was Addison Kane at her best, but her best crumbled when she saw the hurt in Evelyn’s eyes. Evelyn hadn’t worked for the Kanes because of money. She hadn’t spent years answering to the supercilious Hugo Marwick because there weren’t other opportunities elsewhere. She had done it for Addison. She had remained in a house of darkness and doom because she would not walk away from the little girl she had once held in her arms. A little girl who Evelyn had tried to save so many times, in so many ways, only to be defeated by the child’s hateful father and his underlings.

Undone by the sadness etched on Evelyn’s face, in a voice cracking with emotion, Addison spoke words she hadn’t spoken in years, and it was those words that turned the tide. She admitted how much she cared for Evelyn. While their lineage differed, Evelyn had been the closest thing to a mother in Addison’s life. She knew all Addison’s secrets, and she had even known Addison was gay before she could admit it to herself. Evelyn knew Addison’s faults, and like any parent, she had looked past them. In her heart, Evelyn was sure the child she loved still existed, but the walls Addison had erected as an adult were formidable. Luckily, on that day the bricks had loosened enough for Evelyn to see that leaving was impossible. Addison needed someone on her side. Someone who would protect her privacy, accept her quirks and understand her need for peace and quiet.