Persuade Me Read Online Free

‘Are you sure it wasn’t Woolworth?’
    Anna made no answer; it was taking all her self-control not to run out of the room. She stared down at her lap, outwardly composed but secretly chasing wild thoughts around in her head.
    A famous scientist who wrote books … from Australia … a sister called Sophie. It must be him. He’d talked about Sophie, all those years ago … To think that his sister would be living in The Lodge and running the garden centre on the main road between here and Uppercross … She decided she would make an effort to meet her. It would be – interesting. And it might help her to prepare for meeting him .
    Her father was saying, ‘At Cleopatra’s recommendation, of course. An excellent place for the more advanced treatments, a sort of revival of its former glory days as a spa town. And I won’t be too far away if there’s anything to sort out at Kellynch, which there usually is.’ He paused and gave a little sigh.
    Anna closed her eyes; she knew perfectly well what was coming next.
    ‘ Noblesse oblige ,’ he murmured, savouring the words like nectar. ‘ Noblesse oblige .’
    Then Minty said, ‘At least you’ll see a lot more of Anna.’
    Anna looked up, blinking in confusion. Was her father moving to Bath? She could feel the blood draining from her face.
    Minty went on, warming to her task, ‘You could even see if the flat below hers is still vacant. Bennett Street’s so handy for everything and Jenny Smith charges a very reasonable rent.’
    Anna’s confusion turned to undisguised horror; but, as usual, Walter didn’t appear to notice. He glanced impatiently at his watch, stood up and crossed the room to the large ormolu mirror over the fireplace. ‘Definitely …’ he paused to study his reflection from several angles, while Anna held her breath for his next words, ‘not. We have our standards and I guarantee that they’re a far cry from anything that Smith woman might aspire to.’ He turned to Lisa with a brilliant smile. ‘Don’t worry, darling, I’ve booked us into The Royal Crescent Hotel.’
    ‘I should bloody well hope so,’ Lisa muttered. ‘If we have to go to Bath and not London, then I’m certainly not slumming it.’
    Anna went over in her mind what she’d just heard – blocking out the unkind reference to Jenny, knowing from experience that retaliation was pointless. The Royal Crescent was only a short walk from Bennett Street, but her work would take her several miles in the opposite direction, and her social life even further away, metaphorically speaking … She felt her shoulders relax; in reality there’d be little chance of their paths crossing and, with any luck, Walter and Lisa would be too busy enjoying their five-star surroundings to parade themselves around Bath like C-list celebrities.
    Minty leaned forward and glared at Walter. ‘The rent from The Lodge and a few greenhouses won’t go very far at The Royal Crescent. Quite frankly, I’m astonished that you’re even considering living in Bath when you’ll still be paying for the upkeep of this enormous house.’
    Walter ignored her and fixed his cold blue eyes on Anna. ‘We will, of course, expect to see you occasionally. Although I find it incomprehensible that a daughter of mine wishes to waste her life being a university lecturer, I’m not above offering her a helping hand with her career. I imagine the head of your department will be honoured to receive an invitation to dinner from Sir Walter Elliot, 8th Baronet.’
    Anna smiled sweetly at him. ‘As she’s a committed socialist, I imagine she’ll be anything but.’ She had no intention of letting her father disrupt the measured pace of her life in Bath. It had been years since she’d let his bullying – there was no other word for it – affect her. Still, might as well show some interest; and, after all, forewarned was forearmed. She said, ‘When do you–’
    Lisa cut in with, ‘Here’s Cleo now, coming up the drive.