Читать книгу False Family - Mary Wilson Anne - Страница 10

“Excellent,” Saxon murmured, then levered himself out of his chair and crossed to the bed. “Remember, outside the walls of this room, you are in character, and you stay that way. No talking about any of this, not even to me, unless we’re in here.” He looked back at her, his hand hovering over the raised nightstand. “You’re my daughter. I’m your father…unless we’re in here. Understood?”

“Yes.”

He pressed a button on the nightstand, then turned back to Mallory. “I’ll have Myra take you to your room now.”

She stood. “Don’t you need to tell me more about all these people I’m supposed to be deceiving?”

“Why? You just came here tonight and found out you’re my daughter. You wouldn’t know much about me, and even less about my family and acquaintances.”

“What if they ask questions about my life? What do you want me to tell them?”

“Tell them the truth as much as you can. Tell them you work as a waitress, that you live alone, that you don’t have any other family.”

She knew her jaw must have dropped a bit. “You had me checked out, didn’t you?”

“I had to. I know your mother died from pneumonia when you were five, and you were in various foster homes until you were old enough to escape the system and go out on your own. You have two years of college as a drama major, and you’ve worked as a waitress to help support yourself so you can act.” He ticked off her life with an ease that shocked her. “You’ve had roommates, but you’ve lived alone for the past six months. You’re twenty-eight years old.”

“All right. I get the idea.” She looked at the photo that was still facedown on the table. “What about her…Kate? What do I tell them about her, since she’s supposed to have been my mother?”

“Tell them the truth about your mother, except for the fact that your mother wasn’t Kate. Tell them what you remember, what she was like, and leave it at that. And she died in Europe.”

“My mother never even made it out of California as far as I know, let alone Europe.”

He waved that aside with a sharp jab of his hand. “Then don’t talk about her death. As a rule of thumb, stick to the truth as much as possible, and when you need to add details for authenticity, play it by ear. Your own clothes will be fine most of the time, but there are a few things in your room for you to wear when you need to be more formal. There are riding clothes, just in case you want to ride when this storm is gone.”

It was a bit unnerving to think someone had purchased clothes for her, but she knew that her casual jeans and sweaters weren’t exactly a full wardrobe. “How do you want me to play this part?”