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79. So, Annie, you called the meeting. What’s on your mind?
80. The thing is, I feel that far too many people have been coming around here lately,
81. and a lot of them we hardly know. And what with that story in “The Sunday Post”, well, to be honest with you,
82. I just don’t feel very safe right now.
83. So what do you want to do about it?
84. I want to propose a rule: that we just don’t allow any outsiders to come into the house, for the next few weeks at least.
85. What, not even friends?
86. No, not even friends. There is nothing to stop us going over to their places.
87. Well, it sounds a bit drastic, but I do see your point. OK, Annie, fair enough. I’ll support that.
88. Hmm. I do have small problem with it, I’m afraid. You see, I’ve decided to have piano lessons again,
89. and really start practicing seriously. And my teacher’s piano is being repaired at the moment,
90. so my plan was that he’d come over here and we could use our piano.
91. So if I agree in principle, could we make an exception for my piano teacher?
92. I don’t know. What do you think, Annie?
93. I’m sorry, Kate, but you’ll just have to make other arrangements.
94. Rules are rules, you know; the whole point of a rule is that there aren’t any exceptions.
95. I’ll go, shall I?
96. Yes?
97. Let me in, please!
98. Certainly not! Firstly, I don’t know who you are, and secondly we’ve made a rule-
99. Then let me speak to Annie!
100. Who is it?
101. Dad! What on earth are you doing here?
102. Annie, please! Roger Temples’ after me; he’s trying to kill me!
103. Hey, is this your father? Amazing!
104. But why have come here? I thought you were staying in a hotel.
105. It’s not safe there! Look, he doesn’t know about this place! Annie, for God’s sake, let me in, I’m your father!
106. Alright.
107. Hey, I’m sorry about this, ladies.
108. What about our rule? I thought there were no exceptions.
109. Dad, we’d better go up to my room. We can talk there.
110. Thank you, Annie. I can’t tell you how much this means to me.
111. That’s alright, but you can’t stay here long, I’m afraid.
112. This is my room, after you.
113. I must say, I still don’t understand why you choose to live like this, when you were brought up to appreciate the good things in life.
114. If you don’t like it here, you know what you can do.
115. Sorry my dear, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I’ve got something to tell you, Annie, which is very important for your future,
116. and which I didn’t get a chance to say at the restaurant the other day.
117. Because the police were after you?
118. Yes, but that’s not the point!
119. Do they know you’ve come here? Have they followed you?
120. I don’t know! No! Look, I didn’t come here to talk about the damn police!
121. They don’t understand anything, they never have and they never will. So can we drop the subject, please?
122. OK, what do you want to tell me, then?
123. Annie, as you know, I’ve made a fair bit of money in my time, through one thing and another.
124. A great deal of it I’ve spent rather selfishly on my own pleasure, I have to admit. But all this time I’ve also been thinking of you.
125. I’ve put aside a very useful little sum of money; I won’t say exactly how much.
126. But I don’t need money, Dad! I’m not interested in being a consumer; that’s not what my life’s about.
127. Not now, perhaps, but when you get married and settle down and have children,
128. I’d like to think you were secure and comfortable in a nice house, without any financial worries.
129. Don’t you understand anything, Dad? I’m not ever going to get married, or settle down, or have kids, ever!
130. That’s what you say now, because you’re young and you’re going through this revolutionary phase.
131. We all do it, for heaven’s sake; it’s part of growing up. When I was your age I used to, go to work without a tie sometimes.
132. But we all grow out of it, Annie.
133. and that’s when you’ll be grateful to your old dad for having saved up a few hundred thousand for you.
134. Oh, this is such a waste of time.
135. I’ll tell you another reason why I won’t grow out of this and settle down, as you put it.
136. I can’t stand kids, particularly not babies. They make me feel ill!
137. But Annie, that’s not natural.
138. There’s no need to be so shocked about it. Plenty of other women feel the same way as me.
139. Of course, I blame myself for this. It must have been the way I brought you up. Where did I go wrong?
140. Oh. Dad, don’t be so silly! It’s probably got nothing to do with my up-bringing, and even if it has, so what?
141. I just wanted to see you happily married, with children around you, playing with their toys, and calling me granddad.
142. Well, I’m afraid you won’t. Anyway, what about David? He’s happily
married. Well, he’s married at least.
143. Don’t talk to me about David! I’ve written to him and he hasn’t replied; I’ve called and he’s never there.
144. Annie, you’re the only one I really care about. It wouldn’t matter a damn to me if I never saw David again.
145. Oh, my God! Who’s that?
146. You stay here, I’ll go and see.
147. What if it’s the police?
148. You’ll have to hide in the wardrobe.
149. Don’t let them in, whoever it is!
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