Persuade Me (27 page)

She needn’t have worried – Jenny’s voice was warm with approval. ‘Well, you’re a dark horse! I got the shock of my life when I knocked on your door this morning and
he
appeared.’

Anna giggled. ‘He’s just told me you called. About the shopping, I haven’t got a clue–’

‘Don’t worry, it was the best excuse I could think of to find out who you’d brought home.’

‘Look, Rick and I–’ Anna hesitated, then rushed on, ‘It’s not what you think.’

‘Don’t be so ridiculous!’ Jenny said in mock despair. ‘If it’s not what I think, if you’ve had that man in your flat all night and done nothing with him, then you’re a disgrace to womankind.’

Anna refused to be drawn on that particular subject, however. ‘What I mean is – this isn’t something sudden. Rick and I met a long time ago and, to cut a long story short, things didn’t work out. But now–’

‘But now everything’s going to be wonderful?’ Jenny put in, dryly. ‘All I can say is – you like making life difficult, don’t you? You couldn’t have chosen a longer-distance relationship if you’d tried – apart from dating an astronaut. Still, I’m sure you’ll either tell me to mind my own business or come out with something cheesy, like “Love will find a way”.’

Anna bit her lip. ‘No, I won’t, because you’re right – our biggest problem is how to be together. We need to talk through the options, so he’s not going back to Australia next week after all.’ As she said the words, she realised she was grinning from ear to ear.

‘I’m glad to hear it. Why don’t you come to lunch tomorrow, so that Tom can meet him?’

The grin widened, if that was possible. ‘I can’t think of anything nicer.’

‘If that’s true,’ Jenny said, with an exasperated sigh, ‘then you’ve got a
very
limited imagination.’

Chapter Fifty-Seven

Rick held Anna’s hand at every opportunity – outside on the pavement while they waited for Dave, then in the back of the car, and even at the hotel when they called to collect his things. Holding hands had the advantage, he decided, of making explanations about their relationship unnecessary. And, just as important, it felt bloody great.

Dave made no comment when he saw them; but he broke his usual habit and turned on the car radio – more for their privacy, Rick guessed, than his own entertainment. On their many journeys together, he’d always preferred talking to listening.

Ben, on the other hand, ran down the front steps of the hotel and greeted them with a whoop of delight. ‘So I
was
right! I told Charles last night there was something going on, but of course I couldn’t prove it. And d’you know what? He bet me fifty quid that Anna wouldn’t be interested in a shark wrestler! Pity he was drunk at the time – he’ll probably deny all knowledge.’

A quick handshake and a rash promise to visit Ben and Megan the following week were all they had time for. When they’d picked up Rick’s luggage and were in the car again, Anna said quietly, ‘How long can you stay in England?’

He looked down at her small hand, safe and warm in his. ‘A couple of months. I’m on sabbatical now, but I need to be back at university in early January for what we call the summer session.’ He hesitated and looked up. ‘What are your plans for Christmas?’

Her face clouded. ‘I usually go to Mona and Charles, but I’m not sure that’s a good idea.’

‘No,’ he said softly, ‘it’s not. Will you come away with me instead?’

‘Yes.’

‘Somewhere like the north of Scotland, or the depths of Wales, where we don’t need to bother about anyone else?’

‘Yes!’

He felt he corners of his mouth quirk in a tense little smile. ‘On honeymoon?’

‘Oh, Rick …’ She leaned over and brushed her lips against his.

Still that tense smile; trusting himself didn’t come naturally – yet. ‘Will you marry me, Anna?’

‘
Yes
. Did you doubt it?’ She kissed him – properly this time – and he felt again that rush of exhilaration at being with her; then she drew back, waited for their breathing to steady, and said, ‘But after Christmas?’

He said simply, ‘I’ll have to go back to Melbourne, even if it’s just to hand in my resignation.’

Her eyes blazed. ‘No – that would be like throwing away all your research!’ She frowned in concentration, her mind pursuing a glimmer of coherent thought. ‘Look, you have to be in southern Australia to do your work – but I don’t have to be in Bath to do mine. At least, not next term. I’ll have exam papers to mark, which I can do anywhere, and they’ve always said I could take time off from teaching to turn my PhD into a book. So, if I give them enough notice, I’m sure I’ll be able to go to Melbourne with you in January.’ She paused, and looked down at their joined hands. ‘It’s just – I don’t know if I could bear to be so far away from Kellynch. The place,’ she added hurriedly, ‘not the people in it.’

‘It needn’t be for long, we could come back here towards the end of February – I’ve got a week’s break. After that …’ He sighed. ‘As you said earlier, we’ll work out what’s best for both of us.’

She nodded. ‘The main thing is that we’re together – right?’

His hand tightened round hers. ‘For now, that’s more than enough.’

‘Told you he’d be here on time,’ Ed said, as they watched a black Jaguar swing through the gates of the garden centre.

Sophie turned away from the office window and allowed her shoulders to relax – but not her voice. ‘By the skin of his teeth!’ she ground out.

‘Fifteen minutes to spare, actually,’ Ed corrected her good-naturedly.

She pretended he hadn’t spoken. ‘I’ve been trying his mobile for the last hour, but he’s got it switched off! It’s just not good enough, he could easily have called to say he was on his way.’

‘Don’t think so – looks like he’s had his hands – pretty full.’

Oh God, Sophie thought, suddenly contrite, what was up with Ed? He sounded short of breath, as if … She whirled round, and discovered him struggling not to laugh. Before she could demand an explanation, however, a movement in the yard caught her eye. She glanced out of the window again – and her jaw dropped.

There was her brother, large as life, helping a woman out of the back of the car. Nothing odd about that; he could act the gentleman as well as anyone – when it suited him. But this was a man transformed – brimming over with a happy-to-be-alive energy, the Rick she’d last glimpsed when they were much younger. And the woman … the woman was none other than Anna Elliot!

She saw them give their driver a friendly wave, then link hands and amble towards the shop as if they had all the time in the world. People overtook them, turning round for a second look and nudging each other, and in the distance a few press cameras clicked; but Rick and Anna seemed oblivious.

At the entrance to the shop, Rick paused beside Sophie’s pride and joy – a large display of evergreen foliage and silk rosebuds in vibrant jewel colours. An appealing alternative, she hoped, to the potted poinsettias and holly wreaths that people usually bought to decorate their homes at Christmas. She’d spent many hours – and a vast amount of money – sourcing and arranging them to her satisfaction.

Now she watched her brother pluck a deep-red bloom from the very centre of the stand and present it to Anna.

‘Right, that’s done it!’ Grim-faced again, she rushed out of the office – leaving Ed to follow at an extremely safe distance.

It was like being in a dream, a beautiful, never-ending dream, where everything Rick said and did showed her how much he loved her.

He tucked the silk rosebud in the top buttonhole of her coat. ‘When we’re back in Bath, I’ll buy you real ones.’

She gazed up at him with heavy-lidded eyes. ‘And scatter the petals across our bed?’

He laughed – and it was his bedroom laugh, deep and rich and unhurried. ‘Keep on looking at me like that, and I’ll get Dave to drive us home right now.’

‘Over my dead body!’ a voice snapped behind them; Sophie, as Anna had never heard her before – almost hoarse with anger.

Rick turned towards her, smiling serenely. ‘Good morning to you, too, Soph.’ Then, eyebrows raised in astonishment, ‘What’s the matter? You didn’t honestly think I’d go off without opening your garden centre, did you?’

Anna risked a look at Sophie and immediately regretted it; she was the image of her brother at his most hostile.

‘Frederick,’ Sophie said coldly, ‘put that back
at once
. You’ve ruined my display!’

Until now, Anna had barely registered the stand of flowers and foliage a few feet away, with its uniform swaths of colour. Oh God, Sophie was right; the small hole Rick had made in the middle drew the eye like a magnet and completely spoiled the overall effect. She gasped an apology, took the rosebud out of her buttonhole and put it carefully back in its place.

‘Thank you.’ Sophie sounded as if she was thawing to her usual friendly self; but a moment later she iced over again. ‘And another thing, Frederick – how can you
do
this to Anna?’

‘Do what?’ Rick said, blankly.

And Anna, recalling that conversation in the Pump Room, finally understood Sophie’s anger.
She
may have left Sophie in no doubt of her feelings for Rick – but had
he
ever given his sister any hint that those feelings were mutual?

She tugged at his sleeve. ‘Sophie doesn’t know about our … history, does she? So she’s worried that I’m just a time-filler until you go back to Australia.’

‘History?’ Sophie repeated, her stunned gaze flicking between Anna and Rick as if they’d each grown another head.

Ed arrived, grinning broadly. ‘This garden centre’ll be history if we don’t open it soon. The shop’s full to bursting and the press are here in force. Come on, let’s get on with it.’

‘In a minute.’ Rick turned to Sophie. ‘There’s no need to worry,’ he said quietly, and Anna felt his fingers close round hers. ‘I don’t believe in wasting second chances.’

Sophie’s eyes were suspiciously bright. ‘I’m very glad to hear it. You know, I’ve always thought–’

‘Hell’s teeth!’ Ed put in, his grin fading as he stared across the yard towards the main entrance. ‘Looks like Sir Walter’s decided to honour us with his presence. Anyone have any idea why?’

Chapter Fifty-Eight

In the back of William’s Bentley, Walter reflected that Cléopatra Clé had exited his life as unexpectedly as she’d entered it. According to Lisa, she’d checked out of The Royal Crescent Hotel that morning, without so much as a thank you. So – no more purrings addressed to ‘Sir Voltaire’, no more delicious massages, no more saucy threats to attend to his sacral chakra …

It was probably just as well, now that this new business venture of William’s was gathering pace and taking up an increasing amount of everyone’s time. They’d soon be checking out of The Royal Crescent themselves, and Walter – not William – would be moving into The Lodge while the main house was refurbished. Hardly fitting accommodation for a baronet; but William had assured him it was the best option in the short term.

And, of course, Walter would agree to anything if it kept William at Lisa’s side.

Now the Bentley glided to a halt in front of Farley’s Garden Centre and Walter had a blurred impression of freshly painted buildings, vivid splashes of colour and dim shapes milling about the yard. The opening ceremony wouldn’t have started yet – he might still be asked to step in at the last minute. How he’d enjoy keeping Sophie Croft guessing as to whether he would accept!

He closed his eyes to run through the speech in his head. ‘We were truly delighted, though not at all surprised, when Mr and Mrs Croft begged us some months ago to open their humble little–’

‘Isn’t that Anna?’ William said, and the catch in his voice was unmistakable.

Walter jerked his eyes open. Trust
her
to be here, lying in wait for the dear boy – just when he and Lisa were making the final arrangements for their …

Fortunately, Lisa was on to it like a flash. ‘It is – and she’s wearing that dreadful coat, as usual. I told her it made her look like a hobbit when she bought it two years ago.’

Two years ago! His middle daughter was simply beyond comprehension. Why on earth would anyone keep anything longer than one season? Walter gazed fondly at his brand-new tweeds, then frowned as he noted William’s cream wool suit. Lisa, it seemed, was no longer interested in dressing both the men in her life to the same high sartorial standard. There was an obvious explanation: cream was their main corporate colour and William wore it almost daily, whereas Lisa knew it made Walter look like a living corpse. When he’d mentioned their matching outfits, however, Lisa had pretended she didn’t understand what he was talking about. But who else had been able to find out what Walter would wear, and give that information so promptly and discreetly to William?

A horn blared behind them. That would be Minty; William had offered to pick her up on the way, but she’d insisted on meeting them at the garden centre. Apparently she had a long-standing engagement earlier that morning to enlighten All Saints’ Young Mothers Group on the virtues of thrift. Walter wondered how she could be taken seriously in that Rolls-Royce.

‘I’ll get out – I want a word with Minty,’ he said, taking a handful of brochures with him.

It seemed that she was just as eager to have a word with him. When he reached her car, the window was already wound down and, before he could speak, she hissed, ‘Have you
seen
who Anna’s holding hands with?’

He could truthfully answer, ‘No.’

‘Rick Wentworth!’ She allowed this bombshell its full impact, then launched her next missile. ‘I read somewhere recently that his grandfather was a miner, and a communist! What
would
dear Irina think?’

Walter was too busy doing some thinking of his own to worry about Irina. ‘Now, now, Minty – the man may lack breeding, but he’s got money and he’s generally thought to be extraordinarily good-looking. Physically, he rather reminds me of myself – a few years ago, of course.’ He paused, in case Minty wanted to elaborate on his superiority even now; but she said nothing. Closing his mind to the memory of exquisite ‘Sir Voltaire’-laced compliments, he continued smoothly, ‘Last but by no means least, Dottie Dalrymple finds him an inspiration! We’ve left her in Bath reading every book on barnacles she can lay her hands on.’

‘Barnacles!’ Minty gave a grotesque snort. ‘Look, I know it’s not like last time, when Anna was so young and her place at Oxford was at stake–’ She broke off, and her whole face began to twitch and tremble – most unattractive; and he had to bend lower to hear what she was saying between revolting, hiccupping sobs – most inconvenient. ‘But, Walter – you do realise – if she still wants to be with him – we’ll hardly ever see her? He lives on the other side of the world!’

Exactly, Walter thought. As far away as possible from William and Lisa.

Aloud he said, ‘You may be jumping to conclusions, my dear. I’ll go over and have a little chat with them, do some subtle probing to find out the lie of the land. No need for you to come – just leave it to me.’

Anna’s heart sank like a stone at the sight of her father mincing towards them. She could see what was going to happen: at best an altercation between Walter and Rick, at worst a fight – all diligently recorded by journalists and photographers – and the opening of the garden centre ruined.

Not her life, though. This time, she would stand firm.

Everyone greeted each other civilly enough. But when Ed tried to hurry them all into the shop, Walter announced grandly, ‘We’re here to publicise our new business venture. It won’t launch for another six months, but we’re taking bookings now.’ He brandished half-a-dozen expensive-looking brochures in their faces, as if distributing largesse to the poor.

‘Sir Walter,’ Sophie began angrily, ‘we really haven’t time–’

‘It’s in a different league from other local enterprises, of course,’ he went on, with a dismissive nod at Sophie and Ed’s shop, ‘and destined to be a resounding success. Thankfully, there will always be those who value a noble lineage over fly-by-night celebrity, taste and refinement over tacky mediocrity. That is, after all, how we secured considerable investment to restore Kellynch to its former glory.’

And, instantly, Anna had to know –
what
was he up to? ‘Let me see that!’ She grabbed one of the brochures while Rick tightened his grip on her other hand; as he looked over her shoulder at the embossed gold script on the textured cream cover, she felt the reassuring warmth of his body at her back.

‘Brides of Kellynch’, she read out, in a strangled voice. ‘The ultimate wedding venue – a touch of class for your special day.’ She hesitated over the next two words, wondering if she could ever bring herself to utter them.
‘
Noblesse oblige
,’ she managed at last, through gritted teeth.

Walter gave a pompous smile. ‘And the best news of all – my eldest daughter, Elisabeth, will be the first “Bride of Kellynch” when she marries William Elliot-Dunne.’

‘More like “Bride of Dracula” then,’ Rick murmured.

But if Walter heard this taunt, he didn’t rise to the bait. ‘A late spring wedding, we hope,’ he simpered, ‘when our extensive facilities are complete – the Cherished Moments Chapel, the Royal Reception Hall, the Select Spa, the Bridal Bower for outside photographs, and so on.’ He looked straight at Anna and Rick and said, without any preamble, ‘If you two are getting married, we’ll try and fit you in somewhere. We might even agree to a small discount – for family, as it were.’

‘A very generous offer–’ Rick sounded amazingly composed, Anna thought – ‘and one that will get all the consideration it deserves.’

‘
Noblesse oblige
.’ Walter nodded benignly at him, then swivelled his cold blue eyes accusingly in Anna’s direction. ‘Haven’t you anything to say?’

But Anna couldn’t trust herself to speak. She was imagining her beloved home over the coming months, and its inevitable desecration. Living in Bath – even though she knew she would have Rick beside her – might prove too close to Kellynch for comfort.

Suddenly, Australia didn’t seem too far away after all.