Where Secrets Sleep. Marta Perry
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struggled to hide her amusement at this example of small-town rivalry. Somehow she could imagine her grandmother doing just that. She’d probably enjoyed clashing with Blackburn. But Allison just found the old man’s insistence disturbing, particularly when she had no choice but to say no to him.
“I’m afraid selling is not possible right now, to you or to anyone else,” she said quickly. “The terms of my grandmother’s will—”
“I know all about the will.” Blackburn looked as if he were gritting his teeth. “Evelyn enjoyed making things as difficult as possible for people. However, that’s not insurmountable.”
“I’m not going to contest the will—” she began, but he shook his head.
“No, not litigation.” He smiled slightly. “That benefits no one but the attorneys, I find. I have already spoken with Brenda Standish Conner. She is willing to sell to me.”
The arrogance of that took her breath away. “Brenda is not the owner of Blackburn House, provisional or otherwise.”
He didn’t seem impressed by the statement. “I understand that she has already made you an offer to relinquish your claim.” He held up a large hand to quell her protest. “A ridiculous offer, as I’m sure you agree, but that’s Brenda all over. Always looking for a bargain, and perfectly willing to cut off her nose to spite her face. However, I’m sure you’ll agree that staying in Laurel Ridge for a year is an onerous requirement for an ambitious young professional like yourself. As for seeking to run the place at a profit for a year—well, so many things can go wrong in managing a building like this one. Unexpected repairs could eat up your profits very quickly.”
Allison was beginning to feel her back stiffen at the automatic assumption everyone seemed to make that she didn’t belong here. And how did he know she was an ambitious young professional, anyway? “What exactly are you proposing, Mr. Blackburn?”
He didn’t hesitate. “Naturally you’d like to gain a tangible profit from your inheritance and get back to your own life. In return for your agreement to Brenda’s offer, I will increase the offer. Shall we say double?” He drew a checkbook from his breast pocket, clearly prepared to write a check here and now.
Allison had the sensation that she was being pushed toward a precipice. She shoved her chair back, rising. “I’m afraid not, Mr. Blackburn.”
“Not?” His face reddened. “Do you understand what I’m offering you, young woman?”
“I understand you’re trying to pressure me into a decision before I’m ready. As a businessman, you should understand that I need to investigate all the possibilities before taking any action.”
Blackburn stood, towering over her and looking even more like a bird of prey. “Suppose I tell you that my offer will not remain on the table indefinitely?”
Since he’d already betrayed how much he wanted to regain the property, his argument wasn’t as convincing as he might have thought.
She smiled. “I’ll pass your offer on to my attorney. You’ll be hearing from us in due course.”
He glared at her for a long moment, his face so red that she wondered just how high his blood pressure might be. “You’ll regret this, Ms. Standish.” He stalked to the door.
The best word to describe his exit was stormy, Allison decided. Once the door had slammed behind him, she took a long look at her actions.
Was she burning bridges by her refusal to act before she was ready? She didn’t think so. If Blackburn wanted the building as much as he seemed to, he wouldn’t give up that easily. Probably he’d hoped to push her into a decision before she had a chance to think it through.
She wouldn’t be pushed, but she would have to make plans for her future and the future of Blackburn House. Soon.
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