Persuading Her: A Modern Persuasion Retelling (Pemberley Estates Book 2)

by Keena Richins

  "You make the idea of a soul mate," Harv was saying, "sound like a prison."

  Rick faced the room, not wanting the two to realize he could hear them, but hoping he could hear Anne's reply. And while her voice was low, he could still make out her words.

  "It can be like a prison," she said. "You have no idea." Despair tinged those words. Rick couldn't believe it. He'd never heard despair in her voice before.

  "I have a soul mate," Harv countered, "My wife. And I can assure you, it is no prison."

  "Yes, but she's WITH you. Imagine her being gone."

  Rick caught his breath. Was this in reference to him? Did he really have that strong of a hold on her heart this whole time?

  No, maybe it was Will. He could have dumped her in the past two days. That could explain the sudden despair.

  "But," Harv said, "I couldn't imagine falling in love with someone else. It would be wrong. It would cheapen my love for her."

  "I'm sorry, I don't mean you're expected to fall in love with someone else," Anne's sweet voice carried concern, "or that it's bad to expect you to move on. I'm just saying, for those that WANT to move on, being unable to can be unbearable."

  Anne's words stabbed Rick. He knew EXACTLY that feeling. He'd been wanting to move on from Anne for eight years and had failed.

  The two dropped their voices. Rick had to strain to catch anything.

  "He's not dead," he finally caught Anne saying. "He found love elsewhere."

  Maybe she WAS talking about him. Everyone here thought he had feelings for Louisa. And yet, Will could easily have dumped her for someone richer.

  If only he could know who she was referencing!

  Harv's reply was too low, he couldn't catch his side, but he knew Anne's voice too well.

  "I know," she said, "But sometimes, your heart won't listen to logic."

  He wanted to shout an 'amen' to that one.

  Harv's reply was too low again, but he thankfully caught Anne's, "James could be the same. He's young. To force him to only love one woman the rest of his life..."

  So, the whole argument had been about James. Rick glanced at the man in question, who still held Louisa's hand, reading his poems, the two oblivious to anyone else in the room. Harv must be upset that James was falling for someone other than his sister. And Anne--sweet Anne who always thought of others--was trying to ease Harv's pain by expressing the horror of still loving when the love was already lost. It was romantic in books and movies, but not so much when living with it day in and day out.

  He turned around, his eyes on Anne. He wasn't going to wait any longer. He needed to know if it was him.

  Chapter 26

  "Rick," Harv called, leaning against the wall next to Anne. "How are you holding up?"

  Rick barely glanced at him. All his focus was on Anne. "Good," he answered to Harv, "Anne--"

  "Rick!"

  Surprised, Rick turned to find Charles coming up to him. "Can I ask you something?"

  Rick wanted groan with frustration. Why couldn't Charles have waited two more minutes? The love of his life could be his! But, Anne shouldn't disappear in the next few minutes, right? She was here for Louisa, just like him, and Louisa wasn't leaving that room any time soon.

  Resigned to duty, Rick followed Charles down the hallway, not happy that each step took him further away from Anne. He wanted to overhear anything else she might say. "What did you need?" Rick demanded a little too curtly, but he didn't care. He wanted to be with Anne.

  Charles shifted his weight, concern and embarrassment on his face. "I'm really sorry about Louisa. I promise she had asked for you. She really did."

  Rick blew out a breath. "Don't worry about it. She's sustained a head injury. Whatever makes her happy will make me happy so I'm fine."

  "Are you sure?"

  Rick wished he hadn't been so stupid to make the Musgroves think he liked Louisa for so long. "It's fine." He clamped his hand on Charles' shoulder as if that would ensure his words. "It doesn't matter who she wants in the room with her. Louisa is awake and talking. That's more important."

  Charles let out a long sigh. "You're right. I am really happy she's awake. I just worried because..."

  "You thought I liked her."

  Charles jerked. "Do you not?"

  Now it was Rick's turn for a long sigh. "She's a good, beautiful girl. But I've had my eye on someone else for a long time now, so don't worry about it. Besides, James a good kid. And he'd love to help you with your farm and invention."

  "You think? Really?"

  "Yeah. He's good with his hands. You'll like him as a brother-in-law."

  Charles laughed. "Woah, I think you're getting a little ahead. They haven't even gone on a proper date."

  "Yeah, well, I'm just preparing you. James moved quick with his last girl."

  Charles frowned. "His last girl? He a serial dater?"

  "No, no, that's not what I meant. He was engaged last year but she died."

  "Oh, that explains a lot."

  "It does?"

  "Yeah. I was surprised with how well he managed to calm everyone. He seemed to really understand our pain despite his young age."

  "Pain ages you, doesn't it?" That might be why Rick always felt so old around people his age.

  "Yeah, I guess it does. But I sure hope I don't have anymore anytime soon."

  Rick laughed. "I'm with you on that." He turned eager to relieve another pain, but to hiss hock, Anne no longer stood in the hallway. Neither did Harv. "Where's Anne?" It was out before he knew it.

  "She may have gone after Mary," Charles offered. "Anne's good at calming Mary."

  Rick grimaced. He had no desire to see Mary. Though, ironically, if things worked with Anne, Mary would soon be HIS sister-in-law. Did he really want that?

  If it meant getting Anne, then yes. He'd go through anything to get Anne.

  "Where's Mary?" Rick asked, ready for his doom.

  "In the restroom--oh, there she is now."

  Rick watched as Mary emerged into the hallway, waiting for a dark-haired beauty to follow, but Anne didn't materialize. Charles immediately headed for his wife but Rick went in the opposite direction, toward Louisa's room. It was likely Anne had went in to see Louisa again, maybe with Harv, too. Unfortunately, he found only a besotted James reading to a quiet Louisa. He checked the hallways again. frustration mounting. Where had she gone? And why? Hadn't she just arrived?

  Well, no. HE had just arrived, but she could have been here for hours. Which meant she could have gone home. Home to that snooty father and sister. Rick marched down the hallway and turned the corner so Charles didn't see him pace in frustration. Now what was he going to do? Call her? Charles had her number. He should turn around right now and get it. It was the only way to contact--

  He stopped, a memory stirring of those several emails Anne had written when he was in bootcamp. He had never bothered to reply. He had been too angry, too ashamed, too hurt to respond. But if she had written an email, then he had her email address. And he could write one now.

  He immediately whipped out his phone and searched his email. Sure enough, there they were. Those precious emails he had never gotten around to deleting. He read over them again. They were short, polite emails, expressing her hope that he had arrived safely and that he was having a good time. They hadn't been filled with remorse nor had they begged him to come back, the two things he felt she needed to do before he ever talked to her again. But that was when he was an angry teenager. He was wiser now and not as prideful.

  He opened a new message, then stared at it for a moment. But if he thought too much, he'd never get it written, so he typed her name and let his feelings flow. He knew this should be done in person, but he couldn't stand it anymore. He had to reach her somehow. And he confessed how he had been such a fool, refusing to forgive her for the choice she had made, but that it never had meant he had stopped loving her. The thought of her had tortured him all these years, especially since he had assumed she had mov
ed on, but if it was true, that she still loved him, then he begged she'd forgive him and wanted to start over again.

  He was about to hit send, but stopped, fear seizing him. What if all that talk of a soul mate had been about Will? What if he sent the email only to look like a fool? Maybe he should delete it.

  No, he'd risk being fool. Anne was too important to let fear stand in the way anymore.

  But, just in case, he decided to add a short sentence that if he was a fool and she actually did love another, then she should ignore this email. And not do anything. And she'd never hear from him again. He'd make sure to never see her again. If she rejected him twice, he was done. He wasn't as strong as his brother, Al, to take so many rejections. It was pathetic, but true. His heart couldn't take it.

  He hit send before he psyched himself out of it, then immediately regretted it. The email was too short. Or too long. Or too much of a mess. Why in the world did he send it? He should have called her. Then he'd know the answer instead of pacing around like an idiot, waiting for a reply he might never get. What if her silence wasn't because of rejection? What if she never got the email in the first place? She might not even use that email address anymore. Or worse, what if he assumed she hadn't received it and approached her, only to be reminded that she had, in fact, read it and wanted nothing to do with him.

  He paced the hallway, wishing he had thought all this through before he had sent that stupid email. Now he didn't know if he could even face her. He wouldn't know if she had read the email or not and anxiety would consume him. He could already see the sneer on her face, the same sneers that haunted her family's faces.

  He marched further down the hallway, and turned the corner. He had to get out of here. He should take the stairs and run.

  With that thought, he hurried down to the corner where he knew the stairs would be located. However, just as he reached them, music poured into the hallways. Jubilant, excited, piano music.

  As if hypnotized, Rick ventured toward the sound. It emitted from the other hallway, the one adjacent to Louisa's room. His pace quickened, nearly sprinting down the hallway.

  And he ended up passing the room.

  He pedaled backwards, eyes on the open doorway, desperate to discover the creator of the happy music. The music ended just as he stepped into the room and Rick found Anne at the piano, fingers unmoving on the keys, her head bowed like a priestess before a shrine, the last chords of her jubilant song hanging in the air.

  Rick stared at her, awed by the sight. He wanted to speak, to add to her song, but words would shatter the precious moment.

  An idea crossed his mind and he stepped to the piano. She didn't stir, her fingers remaining still. Hoping this would work, Rick placed his right hand on the piano and played the first note of their old duet.

  Chapter 27

  Anne's head snapped upward and her chocolate eyes widened when they found his face. Shock imbued those eyes--shock and joy.

  Emboldened, Rick played the next note, hoping she'd answer. Her eyes snapped to his hand for a moment, then she looked back up, an excited smile bending her lips, and her left hand answered with a musical cord. Rick grinned and she scooted over, allowing him room to sit. He eased his frame beside her while his fingers continued the song, Anne keeping up with ease. He couldn't help remembering the last time they had played this, back when they were besotted teenagers in love. But this time, he wasn't fumbling about, desperately trying to keep up while Anne lovingly encouraged him. No, he could hold his own, the years of practice finally paying off. He was no longer the inferior one, lacking qualities to impress her. He was her equal, worthy of her love.

  The song ended and she gazed up at him, a joyous smile across her lips. The urge to taste those lips swept through him and he leaned in.

  But applause erupted around them. Rick jerked away, bewildered, and discovered a flock of nurses at the doorway, clapping in delight. Embarrassed, he stood up. Anne remained sitting, a furious blush over her face. Not wanting her to feel alone, he grabbed her hand and helped her rise to her feet. Then he bowed and she followed him, the nurses clapping even louder.

  "Thank you," Rick said, pulling Anne to his side and wrapping an arm around her shoulder. He didn't want her to dart away while he was distracted by the nurses.

  "You should do a performance!" One of the nurses called.

  "We'll think about it," Rick said, waving and hoping they'd get the hint to get lost. It took a few more minutes before they finally wandered away, leaving him alone with the one girl he'd been dying to talk with.

  He took a step back from her so he could see her face and grabbed her hands, clutching them to his chest. "Anne. Sweet Anne, I should have talked to you when we first met."

  She frowned. "You didn't even recognize me at first."

  He blinked. "Yes, I did. The instant I saw those chocolate eyes of yours," he wanted to kiss them but tapped near them with his finger instead, "I knew."

  She didn't look impressed. "You acted like I was a stranger."

  "YOU looked like you couldn't stand the sight of me."

  She grimaced. "I was in shock. I had been dreaming of the day of you coming back and that was NOT how I had imagined it."

  Rick laughed, remembering that tumultuous moment as the boy fell on her. "It certainly wasn't romantic, but..." he stopped, the full meaning of her sentence dawning on him. "You were hoping I'd come back?" Had been DREAMING of it? For years?

  "Of course," she said as if it was the most obvious thing. "That's what I thought the plan as. When I was eighteen and didn't need my Dad's permission--"

  "But, you had your college--"

  "I'd have given it up in a heartbeat if you had come back."

  He couldn't believe it. "But, your family, your godmother--" They had been so insistent on it.

  Anne sighed. "My parents hadn't had the best marriage and Russelle, she was terrified I'd end up as unhappy as my mother. We were young and you wanted to take me away, far away from her, and it scared her."

  For some reason, he could not see that arrogant woman scared. Imposing and demanding, yes, but scared? "Is that what she said?"

  "No, back then, she focused on college and all those other excuses I gave. They made sense then. But looking over the incident with older eyes, I understand her position better than I did when I was seventeen."

  He wanted to reject the explanation, to continue blaming that woman. But that might hurt Anne. It might be better to forgive than risk losing Anne. "All right, I might be able to see it her way. But she still could have given me a chance."

  "You could have given ME a second chance and come back."

  He winced. "Okay, you make a good point. I was as hasty to judge you as she was to judge me."

  She gave his waist a squeeze as if trying to provide comfort. "It's okay. We all did stupid stuff. But one you get to know Russelle, I'm sure you'll love her as much as I do."

  Rick fought not to groan out loud. He could handle her presence for Anne's sake, but grow to love her, let alone like her?

  "That...might take a while." It was the best he could promise at the moment.

  She leaned toward him, tilting her head up. "Well, as long as you're by my side, I don't care how long it takes."

  He grinned, wanting to kiss those lips so close to his. "Really?" He didn't really care about the conversation anymore.

  "Yeah."

  Unfortunately, the image of Will flashed before his eyes. Before he kissed her, he needed to know where, exactly, that man stood in Anne's heart. "What about Will?"

  Anne pulled away, her face snarling in disgust. "Ugh, don't speak his name."

  He laughed. That was the perfect response. "Good. I can't stand him either. The guy's a snake. It killed me to think you might like him."

  "Is that you why left the symphony so early?"

  He growled as the memory of that horrible night, with Will hovering around his Anne and the stuffy father insinuating he wasn't good enough, rose to the sur
face. "Yes. And the fact that your father made it rather clear your family was keen on Will and not me."

  She wrapped a warm hand around his as if pleading for forgiveness. "My father has a lot of opinions, but they don't represent mine."

  "They did once," Rick couldn't help saying. The hurt still stung.

  "I was seventeen and I hate causing conflict. Still do. I was trying to please everyone and ended up pleasing none."

  Rick eyed her. "So, if your father announced he was dead set against you marrying me--"

  "I'd totally run away with you! I'd run right now--" she suddenly stopped, a frown marring her beautiful face. "Actually, I need to save my father first. And help Livvy."

  He stared at her. Save her father? From what? His pride?

  Rick decided to go with an easier question. "Who's Livvy?" Some other cousin he wasn't aware of?

  "An old friend from college. Will ruined her husband and she thinks he intends to do the same with my father."

  Rick couldn't believe it. He knew Will was a selfish snake, but never considered he'd intentionally ruin someone. "What do you mean?"

  She pulled away and sat down on the piano bench as if the load of sorrow was too much to bear. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and somehow make it all go away.

  "Will has a trail of friends," Anne began, her eyes focused on the air in front of her, "who all mysteriously end up in trouble with the feds. He's now best friends with my father even though I'm pretty sure he secretly hates him, but I need proof before I can convince my father to get away from Will before he ruins him."

  Rick plopped himself next to her and gave her knee a comforting squeeze. "I always had a bad feeling about him, but I never thought it was THIS bad. Do you know why the feds go after his previous friends?"

  She sighed. "Embezzlement, I think? Livvy would know more. Do you know where Will works right now? He always evades the question," she added grumpily.

  "He did? That's odd." Why would he be embarrassed for working for his company? "He works for my corporation. He replaced some lawyer that had mishandled a case for one of my bosses, Mr. Darcy."