Authors: Patricia Wilson
‘I agree,’ she said quickly
before she could change her mind.
‘To what?’ He sat very
still, watching her intensely and her face began to flush with a mixture of
fright and embarrassment. For all she knew, it had been some cruel joke. For
all she knew, he might very well have changed his mind.
‘You—you
wanted to—to borrow me,’ she managed to stammer. ‘You wanted to make a bargain
with my father.’
‘So I
did,’ Logan agreed, his voice a dark mummer. ‘I never got to see him, though,
and even if I had it’s clear that he would not have been in any condition to
barter.’
‘Why are
you like this?’ Abigail flared, and he looked at her coolly.
‘Maybe I
was born like this. Or maybe I grew into it, propelled by the force of
circumstance. Whatever the reason. I’m now set in my ways, as they say’ He sat
back and crossed one ankle over his knee, his head thrown back as he watched
her through half-dosed eyes. ‘I take it that you’re prepared to make the
bargain yourself. A unilateral decision?’
‘I have
no choice.’ She avoided his gaze, her own eyes on the slender length of her
fingers. She dared not look up and see his answer on his face. ‘I have to give
my father some reason to live.’
He was silent for a long
time and still she didn’t look up. She was just beginning to think that he
wouldn’t answer when he suddenly stood and looked down at her.
‘Very well. I accept the
arrangement. You pretend to be my wife again—’
‘I was never pretending!’
Abigail almost shouted, her head snapping up as she stared at him angrily. ‘The
pretence was all yours! I never tried to damage anyone you cared about and I
never had a secret lover!’
‘I
believe you.’ Logan murmured sardonically. ‘As I understood it, you’ve moved
into that sphere since you left me. Brian Wingate, isn’t it?’
‘Yes!’
Abigail lied vehemently. Let him think what he liked. If he imagined she had
somebody else he would, perhaps, stand clear of her until this charade was
over.
‘Let me
remind you, though, that Brian and I didn’t even know each other when I was
married to you.’
‘You’re
still married to me, sweetheart.’ Logan said with quiet acidity. ‘Tell him to
keep that in mind. ‘Tell him to keep his distance, too. As far as everyone is
concerned, we’re reconciled until this is all over. If one word of this being a
sham reaches my American contacts, the whole deal will be off, and if my deal
is off, Abigail. Then so is yours.’
She stood
and began to collect her things. There was nothing she could do at the moment
about seeing her father and she had no intention of staying here.
‘Where
are you going?’ Logan snapped, his hand coming like a vice round her wrist.
‘Home.
Where else?’ she asked coldly. ‘No doubt you’ll give me the date when this
thing is to begin. I assure you that I’ll be on the starting line, ready and
waiting’
‘Going back to the house is
not a good idea,’ Logan stated more quietly, and she looked at him scornfully.
‘You need someone with you.’
‘Oh, no, you don’t Logan. I’m not nineteen now. There’s no way you’re getting me under your thumb again.
We’ve got a bargain and I want some concrete proof before this bargain begins.’
‘It’s already begun,’ he
said softly, his hand falling away from her wrist, it had begun before I even
mentioned any sort of deal. I called off the bank. As to my keeping my end of
the bargain, you have my word, Abigail.’
It
stopped her angry attack and knocked the force out of her argument. Logan’s word was and always had been good enough for anyone.
‘Very
well,’ she agreed, ‘but at the moment there’s no need for me to be here.’
‘We’re
close to the hospital,’ he reminded her. ‘If your father wakes up and asks for
you then you’ll be able to be then in minutes. If anything happens to him,
you’ll also be on call,’ he added quietly
Abigail
knew it was true. She also knew that her own thoughts about her father’s
chances of survival were running on those lines. Hearing Logan put them into
words was too much, though, and she flew at him, tears streaming down her
cheeks.
‘You
pig!’ she shouted, her hands flying to his face, her eyes overflowing. ‘That’s
what you want, isn’t it? You’re watching like some ferocious hunting animal
waiting for him to die!’
Logan
caught her as she attacked him, his strong hands
easily subduing her, pinning her arms to her sides, his grip on her long, black
hair forcing her head up.
‘I am not
waiting for him to die!’ he grated furiously ‘It’s a matter of common sense
and, my Lord, you’ve little of that. When he collapsed you had nobody. Abigail,
and let me remind you that you still have nobody. You have me, and without me
you’re alone.’
The words
sank in like acid, taking away her anger and her much needed self-possession.
When had she ever had anyone but Logan? And she had never even really had him.
The angry tension left her body and she slowly sagged, her shoulders drooping
under his biting grip, tears still glistening on her lashes.
‘All right,’ she
whispered. ‘I’ll stay but I—I can’t stay here if you’re here.’
‘I never
thought you would. I’ll move out, providing that we have an understanding—if
anything happens, you ring me and let me know. I want to look after you. Whatever
you feel about me, you need me.’
Abigail nodded, her
head down now to hide her tear-stained face.
‘I’ll
ring,’ she promised. ‘Where will you...?’
‘I’ll be
at the house,’ he informed her tightly. ‘Our house. Remember, Abbie?’
‘I’ve got
the number somewhere,’ she murmured, deliberately misunderstanding him ‘If
anything happens... And—and I’ll be ready when you want me.’
He
suddenly caught her to him, his arms wrapping round her like iron, crushing her
close with little thought to her comfort.
‘When I want you?’ he said
vehemently. ‘Abbie! I’ve always wanted you. Some things stay constant no matter
what happens in this world, and that’s one of them.’
His grip
was punishing and when she dared to meet his eyes their clear grey was blazing
with anger. She tried to escape but he merely tightened his grip until she
gasped. There was fright on her face and he let her go, turning away in
self-disgust.
‘Fear
not,
Abigail,’
he
muttered
with
sudden cold detachment. ‘You had
me racing round after you like an idiot teenager once upon a time. I’m not
about to repeat my mistake. This is a deal - a business deal—and when it’s over
you can have that divorce you’ve so fastidiously avoided.’
CHAPTER FIVE
Logan
walked out of the door, slamming it behind hint,
and Abigail remained exactly where he had left her. She was too shaken to think
straight. He was going to the house—the house she had once helped to set up in
a dreamy state of happiness.
How long
ago it seemed now. She sank to the chair shaking and anxious. It would not be
easy to pretend to be a happy wife to Logan. Mostly she would have to rely on
his own acting ability. She would have to look at her clothes, think things out
a little better. Where Logan went there was wealth and although she had lived
with wealth for most of her life it had never been on a level with Logan’s.
There was
this trip to America. There would be glamorous people—the sort of people he was
used to. Without warning she was back to long-ago, to almost five years ago,
and she closed her eyes in anguish when she realised I that she was once again
skirting on the edge of jealousy.’ her self-confidence shattering at the
thought of Logan.’ with some sophisticated woman she had never even seen.
Why did
he insist on taking care of her when it had all been over for four weary years?
Perhaps it was masculine pride. She was still his wife and if they had
separated and still been friends it would have been natural to turn to him. It
was natural now but she dared not admit it. She had carried every burden alone
for so long that to lean on Logan and accept his strength would wipe away all
her fight.
Kent Madden began to
recover during the next few days. The hospital rang to tell Abigail that he was
conscious and asking for her and she went along to see him without contacting Logan at all.
Her
father was weak and still frighteningly vulnerable but he was awake and looked
as if he would start to fight his way out of this.
‘What’s
happening?’
Abigail
hid a weary smile. It was exactly what she had expected and she made no attempt
to misunderstand him. He did not mean what was happening in her own life. He
was not aware of the momentous changes she was planning to face. He merely
wanted to know about the firm, and she settled down to tell him although there
was nothing concrete to relate.
‘Nothing
much. Everything seems to be quiet. The bank has backed off, if that’s what you
mean.’
‘Why?’ He
was instantly suspicious, agitated and she tried to skirt around the necessity
to tell him. In fact she was in a dilemma. If she simply shrugged and said she
didn’t know then he would go on worrying. If she told him that Logan had softened he just wouldn’t believe it
She dared
not take the risk of telling him about her agreement with Logan either because
there was so much hatred between them that any surge of such an emotion could
put her father right back to where he had been.
Well,
business is still coming in,’ she answered vaguely. ‘Perhaps they’re having
second thoughts.’
Abigail,
you’re hopeless,’ he snapped. ‘Banks don’t have second thoughts. It’s all
profit and loss to them and they saw a good while ago that we come on the loss
side.’‘ He was silent, thinking it over. ‘There’s something peculiar going on,’
he finally concluded.
Abigail
could see thin he was getting upset and she looked at him carefully, trying to
make up her mind. Luckily she didn’t have to come to any decision because the
sister appeared and ushered her out. The brief visit was over and Sister wanted
to talk to her.
‘He needs
surgery.’ she began when they were in her office. ‘The surgeon has spoken to
your father and explained things to him. He needs a triple bypass operation.
That’s his only way back to any sort of normal health. After that he needs rest
and careful nursing for a while and then, with any luck, you should be able to
have him back at home with you.’
‘Does he
agree to all this?’ Abigail asked, her heart lurching at the thought of such a
big operation. Her father had not mentioned one word about it to her. All he
had been concerned with was business.
‘Yes, he
does. He doesn’t even seem to be unduly anxious either.’ The sister suddenly
smiled. ‘I really think he just wants to get back to work.’
Abigail
nodded. She knew that. She also knew that he would take no precautions and
would live the same life he had always lived—too much worry, too much drink and
too much food. However, he had agreed all by himself—’unilaterally’, as Logan had said to her. It was out of her hands and all she had to do was wait for the day
to arrive.
It
arrived two weeks later. Until that time she didn’t see Logan. She had promised
to get in touch with him if anything happened but she did not. Seeing him was
too risky a proposition and she wanted to keep him out of her life until the
very last moment, until she actually had to keep her end of the bargain.
She saw
her father each day but talking to him was a strain. Abigail was always aware
that at any time he might say something that would force her into a confession
about her agreement with Logan.
The night
before the operation he seemed to be much stronger. Once again he was
questioning her, wanting to know what was going on, and this time she decided
to take the risk and tell him. The thought of going back to his office was
making him more vigorous and she had to let him know that there was more hope
than just the vague thought of the bank being in a kindly frame of mind.
Logan
called off the bank.’ she said quietly, watching
him for any adverse reaction. ‘He tried to see you to tell you but you were too
ill.’
At the mention of Logan’s name her father’s face was suffused with colour and she clasped his hand anxiously
It’s all
right,’ she assured him quickly. ‘He didn’t want to see anything happen to
you.’ ‘You believe that?’ Her father gave an angry bark of laughter. ‘He
always bamboozled you, girl. He had you wound round his finger and you’re
falling for the same old tricks. If the bank stepped back it’s nothing to do
with Steele.’
Abigail
was suddenly angry. She was angry at the content battering of her self-esteem
by both Logan and her father, angry at the way she had to take the blows and
still get none of the praise.
‘Logan called them off,’ she said steadily. ‘It’s not only the bank. He’s called off all
the creditors. Things are in limbo but at least nothing is getting worse. He
called them off because—because he has a bargain with me.’