At the invitation and the opportunity to hear more about her nightmares, he nodded.  "I would like that very much."  He thought a moment thinking about the topic for a moment.  "How about I leave Heidi with the nanny so you can focus on what you want to tell me about and not worry about a three-year-old running around?"  He asked with a raised brow.

"Or you could have dinner at my place, and the twins could go into the nursery with Heidi after we eat?"  He added to give her the choice.  "There is nothing to letting Miss Cora know there will be another to join me."

When she winked, he found it adorable.  He grinned.  "Remind me not to let you spend too much time alone with Miss Cora."  He laughed.

After her initial reaction to what he had started telling her about, he was relieved, though he still felt shame knowing about Heidi's mother going through all of that alone.  He continued with the history he was so shameful of.

"I met a very special lady while I was in college and far from home. She helped me get through some childhood traumas, a bad argument I had with my parents, and she and I got close. I allowed myself to get too close and I caused her to be ruined,"  he paused looking down to the ground as they walked before continuing, " and more than just talking alone improperly."  Another pause, "She left, though we cared deeply for each other. I didn't know why she left until much later.  She felt she had to, as had her parents, to save her from the public ruin."

He paused then continued. "It was after I met and was about to marry Cressida that I found out about Heidi and that the mother died soon after giving birth to my daughter. The parents were really not able to raise her and I wouldn't have stayed out of her life anyway." He explained with a defined tone in the last part not wanting Karen to think he was a total rake.

"At first, finding out about Heidi, Cressida and I had a major split. Understandably, of course, I had a child out of wedlock with an innocent young woman. But our relationship eventually mended, and when we found out that the grandparents really couldn’t take care of the infant, Cressida and I decided to adopt her. My late wife agreed, in fact, was quite forceful about it,” he chuckled, “when I brought the idea to her. She knew I would not be able to bear if they put Heidi up for adoption to the general public.”

He gave Karen another work about telling the whole shameful story with obvious embarrassment and shame in his tones and body language. “I figured you should know of this. We don’t tell my part in it, just saying she is adopted. Eventually, when she is older, maybe married herself, letting her know I am not just her adopted father but her real father. I don’t know, maybe just let it be a secret to everyone. But I thought you should know.”