Paradise by Judith McNaught Read Free Book Online

something?"
    "No, he's at a dinner meeting with the board of directors," Meredith answered, and because she assumed Lisa would be as fascinated with the corporate functioning of Bancroft & Company as she was, she continued, "The agenda is really exciting. Two of the directors think Bancroft's ought to expand into other cities. The controller says it's fiscally irresponsible, but the merchandising executives all insist that the added buying power we'd have would increase our overall profits."
    "That's all mumbo-jumbo to me," Lisa said, her attention on a big schefflera in the corner of the room. She moved it a few feet forward, and the effect of the simple change was quite startling.
    "Where are you going to high school?" Meredith asked, admiring her transformed bedroom and thinking how unjust it was that Lisa couldn't go to college and make the most of her talents.
    " Kemmerling ," Lisa answered.
    Meredith winced. She passed Kemmerling on her way to St. Stephen's. St. Stephen's was old, but immaculately well-kept, Kemmerling was a big, ugly, sprawling public school and the students looked very shabby and tough. Her father had repeatedly stressed the idea that excellent educations were obtained at excellent schools. Long after Lisa had fallen asleep, anidea was taking shape in Meredith's mind, and she planned her strategy more carefully than she'd ever planned anything, with the exception of her imaginary dates with Parker.

Chapter 5
     
    Early the next morning, Fenwick drove Lisa home, and Meredith went down to the dining room, where her father was reading the newspaper, waiting to have breakfast with her. Normally she'd have been curious about the outcome of his meeting last night, but now she had something more pressing on her mind. Sliding into her chair, she said good morning, then she launched her campaign while his attention was still on the article he was reading. "Haven't you always said that a good education is vital?" she began. When he nodded absently, she continued. "And haven't you also said that some of the public high schools are very understaffed and inadequate?"
    "Yes," he replied, nodding again.
    "And didn't you tell me the Bancroft family trust has endowed Bensonhurst for decades?"
    " Mmmm ," he murmured, turning to the next page.
    "Well," Meredith said, trying to control her mounting excitement, "there's a student at St. Stephen's—a wonderful girl, from a very devout family. She's very smart, and she's talented too. She wants to be an interior designer, but she'll have to go to Kemmerling High because her parents can't afford to send her to a better school. Isn't that sad?"
    " Mmmm ," he said again, frowning at an article about Richard Daley. Democrats were not among his favorite people.
    "Wouldn't you say it's tragic that so much talent and intelligence and, and ambition will go to waste?"
    Her father raised his gaze from the newspaper and regarded her with sudden intensity. At forty-two he was an attractive, elegant man with a brusque manner, piercing blue eyes, and brown hair turning silver at the temples. "Just what are you suggesting, Meredith?"
    "A scholarship. If Bensonhurst doesn't offer one, then you could ask them to use some of the money the trust has donated for one."
    "And I could also specify that this scholarship is to be awarded to the girl you've been talking about, is that it?" He made it sound as if what Meredith was asking was unethical, but she already knew that her father believed in using his power and connections whenever, and wherever, they would benefit his purpose. That's what power was for, he'd told her hundreds of time.
    She nodded slowly, her eyes smiling. "Yes."
    "I see."
    "You'd never find anyone more deserving," she prodded eagerly. "And," she added, seized by inspiration, "if we don't do something for Lisa, she'll probably end up on welfare someday!" Welfare was a subject guaranteed to evoke a strong negative response in her father. Meredith wanted desperately to tell