Persuade Me (20 page)

Chapter Forty-Four

‘Here’s your cup of tea, Jen.’

‘Thanks.’ Jenny sat up in bed and gave Tom a smile that rapidly became a grimace. ‘Ouch, my head’s thumping! How’s yours?’

‘Fine. But then I wasn’t knocking back the champagne like you and Anna.’

‘Well, we don’t often get the chance, do we?’ She took a sip of tea. ‘God knows how much that meal cost last night – I hope our host thought we were worth it.’

This should have been the lead-in to a cosy little chat about William Elliot-Dunne, except that Tom was too preoccupied with his previous train of thought. ‘Unusual for Anna to drink like that,’ he said, anxiously. ‘Perhaps you’d better go and see if she’s OK.’

‘At least it brought her out of her shell. To begin with, she was even quieter than usual, wasn’t she?’

‘Maybe she didn’t really want us along–’

‘She did, I asked her at work yesterday.’ Jenny gave a little sigh. ‘She said she wasn’t in a hurry to encourage William. But, as he reminded her last night, they’re having tea together this afternoon. I can’t figure it out.’

‘Neither can he, judging by the look on his face when she wouldn’t invite him up to her flat.’ Tom frowned. ‘You’re sure she made it up those stairs?’

‘Absolutely. I counted the right number of steps, more or less, then I heard her open her door – must get round to oiling those hinges! – and shut it again.’ Jenny paused, before steering the conversation firmly in the desired direction. ‘So, be honest, what do you think of him?’

He shrugged. ‘Seems like a nice guy. Must be loaded, judging by his car and the way he was throwing money around. And he seems very keen on Anna. She could do a lot worse.’

Jenny laughed, then winced as her head pounded. ‘Spoken like a typical man. Yes, in financial terms Anna could do a lot worse. There’s just something about him … I’m not convinced he’s right for her. But don’t worry – I’m not going to say a word. For the time being, at least, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.’ She took another sip of tea. ‘Maybe I’d better go and see if she’s OK, like you suggested. And I want to compare notes about last night.’

‘I thought you weren’t going to say anything to her about William?’

‘I’m not, it’s Rick Wentworth I want to talk about. I tried at dinner, remember, but she wouldn’t rise to the bait. She probably thought it was a bit off to drool over another man in front of William.’

‘On the other hand,
you
were quite happy to drool over another man in front of
me
.’ Tom sounded amused rather than offended; but, just in case, Jenny reached across and kissed him.

‘We both know only too well that I’m yours for eternity, whereas Anna and William don’t know each other very well at all. Although if William has anything to do with it,’ she added wryly, ‘that won’t be the case for much longer.’

The umbrella was a constant reminder of her. Last night Rick had needed it on the long wet walk to his hotel, and he’d left it by the radiator in his room to dry. This morning, when he woke up, his stomach knotted at the very sight of it.

He remembered the way she’d laughed at it; except now he knew she’d been laughing at
him
, at his arrogant assumption that he’d be walking her home. He remembered how deftly she’d folded it; huh, she must have been laughing about that, too, and thinking, Can’t he even work an umbrella properly? And he remembered the thrill of her touch as she handed it back …

He pulled his laptop savagely towards him and checked his email. Nothing of interest, so he turned to his list of recently viewed websites. For whatever reason, the one that jumped out at him was James Benwick’s. He clicked on the link; same dreary old site, except that he could find no trace of ‘Move on You’. In its place was something equally grotesque, entitled ‘Lady in White’ and dedicated ‘To my brave angel Louisa’:

In the white room,

In the white bed,

She lies white-faced.

Only poetry brings

A blush to her cheek,

A gleam to her hazel eye.

Poems from my heart

For the lady in white.

‘Give me strength!’ Rick resisted the urge to hurl the laptop across the room – but only just. If Lou actually liked this trash, she must need her head examining. He gave a mirthless laugh as he realised she’d had plenty of
that
over the last two weeks.

His mind wandered back to Anna. James may have lost interest – and he suspected that she’d never been interested in him anyway – but what the hell was going on between her and that jerk last night? Dinner – and then what? Back to her flat, passionate kisses on the sofa – opposite the painting that he’d come to think of as theirs alone, not to be shared with anyone else? Or maybe they made straight for the bedroom, tore each other’s clothes off and–

‘Please God,
no
!’ Had he simply whispered the words, or shouted them out loud?

Strange how it had taken until this moment for everything to fall into place. When he’d first met her again in Charles and Mona’s kitchen, and he was free of Shelley, he should have realised it was a second chance. But he was feeling shocked and raw, and he’d always been in denial about the Anna Elliot part of his past. If only he’d had the sense to stop and think – to face his feelings about her openly and honestly – they might have had a future.

Then he’d made a major error of judgement and become embroiled far too quickly with Lou. But hardly had he extricated himself from that relationship when here was Anna with someone else in her life – a man who seemed to be part of her past, just as he was. Had he really expected her to wait patiently until he sorted himself out and decided she was the only one for him?

What a sodding mess …

And now he had to go through the motions of being alive and kicking: this morning he was meeting Sophie and Ed for coffee and this afternoon he had another signing in Bristol. Finally, there was the theatre tonight with Guy: an unexpected pleasure, thanks to Marie-Claude being held up in Paris. By a strange coincidence, the play was called
Three Sisters
.

No prizes for guessing who he’d be thinking about all evening.

The phone rang just as Anna was blow-drying her hair. She didn’t recognise the mobile number; all she knew was – it wasn’t Rick’s. She deliberately hadn’t stored it that time he’d rung her out of the blue, but she was sure his ended in 651.

Not that she was expecting him to contact her again, not after last night. If she really wanted to know how he felt, she’d have to make the next move …

‘Anna?’ A woman’s voice, vaguely familiar.

‘Yes?’

‘Sophie Croft here – and I mean here. Ed and I have just arrived in Bath for the weekend.’ A rich chuckle, so like her brother’s from long ago. ‘And for once it’s not raining!’

‘You could be tempting fate.’ Anna managed a little laugh. ‘Where are you staying?’

‘The Royal Crescent Hotel, the most gorgeous suite, all expenses paid – a present from Rick for our fifth wedding anniversary. I wish he was staying here too, but there weren’t any rooms left.’

Thank God for that, Anna thought, imagining what might happen if Rick and Walter bumped into each other at breakfast. But all she said was, ‘Very nice – and congratulations. How long are you here for?’

Sophie sighed down the phone. ‘Three whole days – which sounds a lot, but there’s so much we want to do! Including seeing you – you had to turn down that cup of tea with us in Uppercross, remember? When are you free?’

‘I’m not sure – what are your plans?’

‘Let me see … We want to try the hotel spa, of course, probably later today. Then I’d like to visit the Abbey again, and the Roman Baths. But first we’re having coffee with Rick, it’s the only time he can fit us in – that’s the trouble with having a famous brother! He couldn’t manage lunch because he’s off to Bristol for a signing, and he can’t do dinner because his publicist is taking him to the Theatre Royal.’ Another chuckle. ‘I’ll be surprised if Rick can sit still long enough to watch a play for three hours!’

The Theatre Royal, tonight? Anna shelved that thought until later; for the moment, she wanted to establish if she’d have any other opportunities to meet him.

‘Can’t he see you tomorrow, then?’ She hoped it came across as an innocent question.

‘No, he’s going up north, leaving straight after breakfast. He’s got twelve solid days of signings, then he’s coming to us for a few days before he flies back to Australia.’ Sophie added, ‘He’s opening our garden centre the weekend after next – I hope you can come.’

‘I’d love to,’ Anna said automatically; but all she could think was, ‘Two weeks, then he’ll be gone. And I might never see him again.’

‘You’ve heard about him and Lou, haven’t you?’ Sophie’s voice sharpened. ‘I know everyone thinks
she
dumped
him
, but it wasn’t really like that. He just felt he had to do the right thing and stand by her. Thank God she recovered and let him off the hook!’

‘Mmmm.’

‘It certainly seems to have taught him a lesson – d’you know, he actually told me that he should have taken my advice and worked out what went wrong with his previous relationship before starting a new one? Incredible.’ She paused. ‘Did you go to his talk last night?’

‘Yes, I did.’

‘I thought you might,’ Sophie went on, breezily. ‘He sounds fine on the phone, but what did you think when you saw him?’

Anna struggled with a hot wave of humiliation as she recalled how the signing had ended. She’d been stunned by Rick’s reference to a far more intimate moment –
I remember you saying that about something quite different
 … And excited by his offer to walk her home … She’d found his awkwardness with the umbrella endearing, the touch of his fingers disturbingly familiar … Then William had turned up, and Rick had become as bleak and unapproachable as before. And, although he’d not said a single word, she’d felt his anger rise between them like a barricade …

The bizarre thing was, when she’d thought it over in the middle of the night, his behaviour had given her a flicker of hope. But the time to do anything about it was running out – fast.

She decided to give Sophie a version of the truth. ‘He gave a very …
interesting
talk, but I couldn’t really tell how he was feeling.’ Then – deep breath – ‘I didn’t have a chance to ask him some questions. Would you mind if I joined you for coffee?’ She steeled herself for a polite refusal.

‘Of course not!’ Sophie made it sound like the best idea in the world. ‘We’re meeting in that lovely little deli on George Street at eleven o’clock. Come as soon as you like.’

Chapter Forty-Five

In the middle of the bustling café-delicatessen, Rick greeted Sophie and Ed even more warmly than usual; it seemed like years – not days – since he’d last seen them. And, for a split second, he forgot he was a minor celebrity. Then people started to stare and he made for the most secluded corner.

‘Hotel OK?’ he said, after they’d settled themselves at one of the chunky wooden tables.

Sophie beamed at him. ‘More than OK, as you know very well.’

‘Or as you would know, if you’d managed to get a room there yourself,’ Ed put in with a sly wink.

Rick laughed. ‘Don’t rub it in any more, thank you – although the place I’ve got is pretty good.’

‘How did your talk go last night?’ Sophie said, as she scanned the menu.

He decided to be truthful. ‘Mixed. Some things went to plan, other things didn’t.’

She looked up. ‘Maybe you should – ah, here’s Anna.’

He wondered if he’d heard her correctly. The next moment, however, a pink-cheeked Anna was pulling out the chair opposite his, and smiling at everyone, even him … especially him.

It was a second chance. Wasn’t it?

Sophie picked up the signs immediately.

Rick wasn’t supposed to be getting involved with
anyone
, until he’d worked out what had gone wrong with Shelley. Yet here he was, asking Anna if she recommended anything on the menu, using his seductive smile and what she called his chocolate-fudge-cake eyes – dark, delicious and deadly – to their fullest effect.

What was that famous Robin Williams quote? Something like ‘God gave man a brain and a penis, and only enough blood to run one at a time.’

When they’d ordered coffee and – surprise, surprise – chocolate fudge cake for Rick and Anna, Sophie returned to their earlier conversation. ‘So was it your usual talk, Rick, or something different?’

‘Both.’ Another smouldering look at Anna. ‘The usual stuff at first – a talking trailer for the book – but, for that particular audience, I added something new. You see, all the creatures I mentioned last night have one thing in common – monogamy, a mate for the rest of their lives.’

Ed gave a loud guffaw. ‘I’d have paid good money to hear about that – from you!’

‘So would I,’ Sophie said dryly, glancing sideways at Anna. The poor girl had a dreamy expression on her face, no doubt deluding herself that his talk had been aimed at her. ‘Not much monogamy around these days, is there? With or without marriage.’

Anna seemed to rouse herself from her trance. ‘I think you two are great adverts for monogamy. And Rick obviously thought your wedding anniversary was worth celebrating, otherwise he wouldn’t have arranged this weekend.’

Another guffaw from Ed. ‘Good one, Anna. And another thing – I’m always suggesting weekends away to Sophie, and she’s always got a reason to stay at home. But as soon as Rick arranges something, she’s packed and in the car, nagging me to hurry up!’

‘Complete rubbish,’ Sophie retorted, then paused as the waitress brought four coffees and two huge slabs of death by chocolate. She went on, ‘I don’t always do whatever Rick wants. Some of his ideas are ridiculous, like wanting me to emigrate to Melbourne almost as soon as he arrived. As if I’d have given up my life here, when he might only have stayed out there three years! And I also had Mother to think about.’

Anna started, and her gaze flicked across to Rick. ‘Your mother? In what way?’

Rick didn’t answer, so Sophie explained. ‘She’d just moved to Spain, mainly for health reasons. I was responsible for her legal and financial affairs – Rick was still a student, a post-grad by then, and out of the country a lot. There was always a chance that Mother wouldn’t settle and she’d come back to England.’

‘And did she?’

Rick cleared his throat. ‘No. She loved Spain – which probably meant she put the fear of God into the community of Ancient Brits out there – but she died after a few months.’

Anna’s big grey eyes filled with tears. ‘Oh, I’m so sorry … What happened to your father?’

Sophie grimaced. ‘The less said about him the better. He hasn’t been part of our lives for years, and we’ve lost touch.’ Then, in a brighter tone, ‘But, you know, I’m really glad I didn’t let my brother persuade me to emigrate, because otherwise I wouldn’t have met Ed.’

Ed stirred what Sophie considered far too much sugar into his cappuccino, and gave an exaggerated sigh. ‘Whereas I keep hoping Rick still wants Sophie to go and live in Australia. Without me!’

‘Well, I’m always open to persuasion,’ Rick put in.

And there was a sudden intensity in his voice that made Sophie think he wasn’t talking to Ed at all.

Anna had thought it impossible, and now it was actually happening: she and Rick were relaxing with Sophie and Ed over a coffee.

Except that it wasn’t very relaxing – because, every time she met Rick’s gaze, she wanted to lean across the table and kiss him. Good job Sophie and Ed hadn’t noticed.

Piecing together the precious personal fragments of the conversation, she realised that life must have been hard for him when he first went to Australia. Not only did he have the aftermath of their break-up to cope with; Sophie had refused to leave England, and then his mother had died – and his father had obviously been out of the picture.

And just how was she meant to interpret that last remark: ‘I’m always open to persuasion’? Was he suggesting they might have a future together? Things were different now – they were older and wiser, they’d completed their education, built their careers – but not necessarily easier. They would still have to make sacrifices, and really
want
to take the risk – so where did persuasion come into it?

Unless it was all about persuading yourself to decide what mattered most …

But she was moving too fast, ready to make life-changing decisions based on a few enigmatic looks and ambiguous words. She made a determined effort to tune in to what the others were discussing; it turned out to be Rick’s last-minute invitation to the theatre that night.

‘If it’s the Chekhov play, I’ll probably see you there,’ she said recklessly.

His face lit up. ‘Great, I’ll look out for you.’ A pause, then he continued with a wicked grin, ‘Any of your favourite heroes in it?’

Her eyes danced. ‘How can you even ask that? When I told you who they were, I never even mentioned Chekhov.’ She turned to Sophie and Ed. ‘We were having a few drinks at the time, so no wonder he can’t remember.’

‘I remember it perfectly,’ Rick said, in mock indignation. ‘One of your heroes was … James Benwick?’

She pretended to give this nonsense serious consideration. ‘James meets the main criteria, I suppose. He’s an Action Man – when he needs to be … And he’s thoughtful and kind – at least, to a certain person recovering in hospital … A man of honour? Probably … But there’s nothing heroic about his writing.’

Another grin from Rick. ‘You’ve seen his website, then?’

‘Yes, I looked at it yesterday.’

She was about to contrast it with
Sex in the Sea
’s narrative style – spare, yet vivid, and at times incredibly moving – when Sophie chipped in. ‘Rick, it’s quarter to. Aren’t you meant to be leaving for Bristol?’

He stood up. ‘See what she’s like, Anna? Always on my case, has been for the past thirty-two years.’ With a mischievous glint in his eye, he shook Ed’s hand, bent to give Sophie a brotherly kiss and received a playful slap in return.

Then he came round to Anna’s side of the table. ‘Until tonight,’ he murmured; and his lips brushed the curve of her cheek. Instantly, she felt the blood rush to her face. It might have looked as casual as the kiss he’d just given Sophie, but it certainly didn’t get the same flippant response.

She watched him walk away, and wished she could go with him; but Sophie was talking to her, something about lunch the next day. ‘That sounds great,’ she said, vaguely.

‘The Royal Crescent it is, then. The restaurant’s first class, apparently.’

Anna’s eyes widened in dismay. ‘Actually, can we meet somewhere else? My father and older sister are staying there too, and I’d rather not–’

A peal of laughter from Sophie. ‘Neither would I! Right, how about the Pump Room Restaurant, at twelve-thirty?’

‘That would be wonderful, it’s one of my favourite places in Bath.’ Anna turned her attention to finishing her cake although, without Rick there to share the experience, it had lost most of its appeal. She could almost feel her waistline expanding; at this rate, she’d never get into her coral dress tonight. Except … why not splash out on something new?

Minutes later, she said goodbye to Sophie and Ed and headed for Jolly’s. Shopping for clothes with a man in mind was an unfamiliar sensation, but she found something that looked good enough to justify the price.

Back home, instead of going straight upstairs, she decided to knock on Jenny and Tom’s door. After a little while, an ashen-faced Jenny answered, shuffled Anna through to the kitchen and switched on the kettle.

‘Where’ve you been?’ she said. ‘I’ve just been all the way up to your flat to see if you’re feeling as bad as me.’ She raised one eyebrow, very gingerly. ‘If you are, you don’t look it.’

‘That’s because I stuck to champagne, whereas you had red wine with your main course, didn’t you? And it was very good champagne, so no after-effects.’

‘You certainly seemed to enjoy yourself.’

‘I suppose I felt safe with you and Tom there.’

Jenny frowned. ‘Don’t you feel safe on your own with William?’

A pause. ‘I find him disturbing.’

‘And is that good, or bad?’

‘I’m not sure.’

Silence, while Jenny made them both a coffee; then she said, ‘I found Rick Wentworth’s talk disturbing.’

Anna glanced sharply at her. ‘Why was that?’

‘Oh, it made me think about Tom and whether we should be trying some of the new treatments we’ve read about. Of course we’d never get them on the National Health, but we can’t afford to go privately unless we sell the house.’ She sighed. ‘And, at the end of the day, life’s not too bad as it is.’

‘But that’s just what he was getting at,’ Anna said eagerly. ‘We can all go on as we are, doing nothing different. Whereas “hope” is an action word – or should be. Something aspirational, like – how did he put it? – living our dream. But, to achieve it, we usually have to come out of our comfort zone and change in some way.’

And she’d made up her mind. Tonight
she
would change – be proactive, ask Rick if they could go somewhere and talk. She’d tidy the flat, too, in the unlikely event that they’d come back here …

Jenny was saying, ‘… very convincing, ever thought of becoming an after-dinner speaker? Maybe you and Rick could join forces and combine
Sex in the Sea
with nineteenth-century Russian literature.’ She put on a hushed David Attenborough tone. ‘Meet Anna Karenina, a typical female sea dragon, leaving her child for hubby to bring up.’

Anna giggled. ‘You’re ridiculous! Although it would be a way of freshening up my lectures, which I’ve been meaning to do this term. What could Prince Myshkin be – the deep sea angler fish, making the ultimate self-sacrifice and fusing himself to the female?’

But by now Jenny had spotted Anna’s carrier bag. ‘You’ve been shopping – is it something to wear at the theatre? You
are
a dark horse, telling me you’re not in a hurry to encourage William.’ Her eyes sparkled. ‘Come on, let’s see what you’ve bought.’

Anna opened her mouth to tell Jenny that it wasn’t William she wanted to impress – then quickly shut it again. No point in making things more complicated than they already were.