Communication

Tessa thinks she is close to her father, but he tells her nothing. He's not being perverse, it is just the way he is. He feels a special bond with her because she is the only one in the household who allows him to be who he is. She listens to him. She comes to find him so that she can spend time with him. She doesn't ignore him. He gives her jobs to do for him and pays her in liquorice allsorts. They share the syrupy taste that oozes with heat and exotic aromas.
Outside of her father's study, all is noise and commotion. Inside, there is peace and a sense of accomplishment.
And Tessa believes that there is a special bond between them because he is the only one in the household who allows her to be who she is.
Until she grows up and the game they have been playing verges on reality. But in London, at the time of the First World War, the daughter of a catholic girl had to do as she was told.
But she loves her father. He loves her. Is it better not to feel love because if you don't, you are free to do what you want. If you love someone, doing what you want can cause pain and that is not something you want to inflict. On the other hand, if you love someone, do all your needs disappear?
Every member of the household explores this dilemma. Being part of a family thrusts this upon you. How to resolve - the needs of the one outweighing the needs of the many, or vice versa?