"Do not look at me so conflicted, darling girl," he admonished, "You know your own mind better than anyone on this realm or any other. Look into your heart and you will see whether you are able to trust a man like me to be your father. That right is earned, not a given."
He stepped back for a moment and looked at her proudly, if it was only a flash on his face, "I care for my actions and my words."