Authors: Patricia Wilson
‘You—you
got it all wrong,’ Abigail began urgently. ‘You misunderstood’
‘Did I?’ Logan asked violently. ‘You’ve already admitted that Wingate is your lover and now he
holds you tight and announces that you’ll go with him, everything will be all
right. Maybe we don’t need each other after all; maybe this bargain should be
called off right now.’
‘He
didn’t mean that! He meant to go and work for him. He offered me a job before
he went away.’ She was about to say that Brian had never even kissed her before
but she thought better of it. Pointing out a previous lie would hardly make Logan believe her now.
Logan
looked down at her icily, his crystal eyes
searching her face. Fury was racing just below his expression and she could
see it clearly. She clenched her hands together, anxiety written all over her,
and Logan watched her intently. His eyes went from her face to her tightly
clenched fingers and then he took a deep, angry breath.
‘Very
well. We go on from here, but one false move, Abigail, and I call off the deal.
Any sign of Wingate and you’re on your own; so is the Madden Corporation.’
He began
to lead her away again, straight to his car, but Abigail pulled free and faced
him.
‘I have
my own car. I’m going back home tonight. When you want this thing to start
you’ll let me know. In the meantime, I have things to do. Rose is alone at the
house and I can’t go rushing off without making arrangements.’
‘And what
about Wingate?’ Logan snapped caustically. ‘Does he go with you when you drive
off?’
‘He does
not!’ she stormed, her patience at an end. ‘I don’t need a third man under my
feet. Between you and my father I have plenty of trouble and none of it is anything
to do with me. You said that all this did not include me. Can you say that
honestly now, Logan? I’m sick of being pig-in-the-middle. When this is over,
you and my father can go into a room and throw mud at each other for all I
care. In the meantime, I’ll keep the bargain, but only on civilised terms. If
you don’t understand the word ‘civilised’ then let the Madden Corporation drop
from this great height you’re threatening and I’ll be free at last!’
Logan
watched her silently for a second, his eyes lit by
a sort of amused admiration.
‘So, you
finally grew up, Abigail,’ he said softly. ‘You’re prepared to take on the two
wolves in your life and vanquish them.’
‘I just
want to see the back of them both!’ Abigail flared. ‘Even the most humble worm
can turn.’
‘You were
never humble,’ Logan mused, ‘just too sweet for your own good.’ His hand
reached out and touched her face lightly, his eyes skimming over her. ‘Sweet,
sweet Abigail,’ he murmured. ‘I’ll take a lot of convincing that the sweetness
has gone.’
‘It
should be quite easy to prove,’ she assured him tartly. The way he touched her,
the words he used combined to bring back the past and she could have done
without that. ‘Let me know when I’m on duty,’ she finished, turning away to go
to her car.
‘If
there’s anything you need...’ Logan began, and she turned flashing green eyes
on him.
‘Space!’
she snapped. ‘That’s all I need from you.’
‘You’ll
get it,’ Logan promised, the amused indulgence dying from his voice. ‘When
this is over you’ll want that divorce. After that there’ll be all the space you
require.’
She
marched off, afraid to ask herself why his words had sent cold fingers racing
over her heart. It would be the end of Logan altogether and she was too honest
to hide from the realisation that there hadn’t yet been an end. He had always
been there, right at the back of mind. After this he would have to be
obliterated. They would both be free.
A vision
of Fenella Mitchell came into her head and she suddenly knew why after all this
time he was mentioning divorce. He couldn’t tell her outright because she might
have refused to go to the States with him. He couldn’t marry Fenella quickly
and take her there cause it would probably upset his deal if the man knew he
was divorced and remarried.
Pain
seemed to race across her, tightening her chest, and she almost walked past
Brian without seeing him, He was still there, beside his car, and he stopped
her his touch on her arm making her spin round and notice him.
Is it true, Abigail? Are
you two together again?’ Oh, lies, lies, lies, Abigail mourned silently. She
longed to tell him the truth but if she did there would be nothing left for her
father what he came out of hospital, even the dust to sweep up, as Logan had threatened.
‘We’re
going to try.’ she managed, her face pale and distant ‘I’m sorry about all
that, Brian. Logan completely misunderstood the situation.’
‘I hope I
haven’t messed things up,’ he said ruefully.
‘I could
see you having a go at each other.’
‘it’s all
right,’ she soothed, forcing a smile ‘Logan can get very angry for very little
and, as I say, he mistook the situation.’
‘I can
understand him being jealous,’ Brian said wryly.
‘I rather put my foot in it and you know I was only being my usual
blundering self.’
‘You were
simply being kind,’ Abigail assured him. ‘I’ll have to go now. Rose is
expecting me home. I have a lot to do before we leave for America.’
She
summoned up a brilliant smile and turned away to her car. Logan jealous? He was
simply enraged that his well-laid plans were in danger of being thwarted. When
this was over he would hand her over to almost anyone without a qualm and go
off to Fenella Mitchell.
She
started the car and swung into a turn to leave the parking area and her lips
tightened as she saw Logan still standing by the Jaguar, his eyes watchful. He
wasn’t taking any chances. If Brian turned his car to follow, Logan would
probably ram him off the road.
Her
father had been right. This deal in America must be very important. Logan was prepared to do almost anything to see that it did not collapse. He was taking
the Madden Corporation under his wing and he was patting his private life on
hold to take a respectable wife with him. Until she stepped clear of both Logan
and her father she would never be anything at all but the pawn she had always
been.
Logan
waited until her father was safely out of hospital
and locked away in a private hospital for convalescence.
It was closer to home and
Rose would be able to see to taking things in that he needed. His friends would
be able to visit him too, and when Abigail went he was looking better than she
had seen him look for months
‘I have
to go with Logan,’ she reminded him. ‘I don’t like leaving you alone but unless
I go the deal will be off. He’s no more flexible about things than he has ever
been.’
‘He must
be flexible to a certain extent, otherwise he wouldn’t have been prepared to
wait until I was out of hospital,’ Kent Madden pointed out. ‘He must have a
soft spot for you. Just remember that he’s a very wealthy man. Try to play your
cards better this time round ‘
Abigail
nearly pulled out of the whole thing right then. She was only doing this for
her father and she knew the danger that awaited her. Logan still had an almost
mystical hold on her and the only way she could project herself was by fighting
it. Now her father was suggesting that she cast aside all her standards and
patch things up with Logan in order to get some of his money.
She had
difficulty in not showing her disgust openly.
‘Waiting
was part of the bargain,’ she informed him tightly. ‘He knew I wouldn’t go
unless I knew you were safe and getting better.’
‘I’ve
never needed anyone to prop me up,’ her father snapped. ‘Getting help for the
firm is more important than hanging around here and bringing me flowers. Just
put me out of your mind, Abigail, and remember all the time why you’re doing
this.’
‘I could
hardly forget,’ she reminded him drily. ‘I’m going to America to live a lie for as long as Logan specifies.’
‘Hardly a
lie,’ her father corrected her with a knowing smile. ‘You’re going to act as
his wife. You are his wife? He’s got a lot of sense after all.’
A lot of
cunning, Abigail thought bitterly as she left the hospital. Logan’s cunning was
almost matched by her father’s callous schemes. She counted for nothing at all,
being merely a useful daughter and a virtuous wife. Just once she would like to
do something wild and suspected, something for herself alone. But she was well
and truly trapped. Not after this, she thought angrily. After this she would
change completely. She could work for Brian, alter all her ways, be more like
the Fenella Mitchells of this world.
She smiled ruefully. Who
was she trying to fool? Nothing would change her. Her only hope was escape and
that was what she would have the moment they came back from America. She would leave her father to his precious firm and leave Logan to live his life
as he had always lived it. She had been right when she had first seen him five
years ago. He was way, way beyond her, outside her world. It had merely been a
dream.
CHAPTER SIX
Logan
rang a few days later while she was in the office.
The time had come and her heart thumped alarmingly when he said that they were
leaving at the end of the week.
‘It gives you three days to
complete your preparations,’ he told her inflexibly. ‘We fly out on Saturday
afternoon and have a stop-over in New York before flying to California.’
She had visions of
beautiful, sun-bronzed women in skimpy bikinis and any bit of self-assurance
she had gained by long and determined arguments with herself fled at the
thought.
‘Why there?’ she asked
shakily, and Logan sounded surprised.
‘He lives there.’
‘You mean we’re staying at
his house—his home?’ Abigail gasped.
She heard Logan’s low growl
of exasperation before he said, ‘We are not. The hospitality was offered but I
refused.’
‘Why?’ Quivering suspicion
raced over her and it was evident in her voice. Logan lost patience and snapped
at her immediately.
‘Not for any devious
motives concerning you! This is a business trip, not a furtive, sensual weekend
away’
‘Are we just going for the
weekend?’ Abigail muttered, her face crimson at his reprimand, and he almost
exploded with frustration at her stupidity.
‘We’re going for as long as
it takes to make the deal. Get a grip on yourself, Abigail! I have no intention
of demanding my rights as a husband. My interest is purely business and it will
take all your intelligence to play the part of a normal wife without any other
problems. I’ll collect you at your house on Saturday morning.’
‘It’s not
necessary. I’ll come by myself. If you’ll just tell me the time of—’
Logan
slammed down the phone before she could
finish and
Abigail stared at it a little desperately. He would
come for her. Thank goodness her father would not be there. They had not met
since the wedding five years ago and in spite of the change in Logan’s attitude she would not like to think what would happen if they ever met again.
The word
‘California’ came floating back into her head and she stood by her desk, her
mind frantically considering her wardrobe and its contents. Would she be smart
enough? There would be dinner parties, perhaps. She would be meeting these
people socially or it would not have been necessary for Logan to take her with
him.
He had
said that the man liked things to be homely. What did that mean? His having
morals as homely as apple pie did not mean that his wife or the other women
there would be wearing gingham dresses and hair-bands. Her only knowledge of California came from films and although she knew she was being fairly idiotic the picture
that flashed into her mind unnerved her.
Abigail
abandoned the office early and told Martha that she would not be in again until
she had come back from America.
‘Good luck!’ Martha said
cheerfully. ‘Have a wonderful time.’ Abigail looked at her as if she were mad.
It would be the most stressful time of her life. She had to play a part and
that would not be easy. She was herself and had never tried to be different.
She would be in daily close contact with Logan and although she trusted his
word completely she did not entirely trust her emotions. His hold on her had
always been strong she was not foolish enough to imagine that she could resist
any charm.
She
shrugged angrily. What charm? Logan still felt that he had the right to dictate
to her, still felt he had the right to lose his temper. If she had possessed
even one scrap of common sense she would have fallen in love with Brian and
lived an easygoing, amusing life. Brian was like that. He did not have the raw
power and unfailing physical perfection of Logan. Any contact with Logan was like a contact with live electricity.
Over the next two days she
fussed endlessly over her possessions. Her father had never stinted on her
allowance even when she’d been younger, and since bad been working she had
amassed a lot of expensive clothes. She thought with a pang of regret about her
clothes at the flat. There were beautiful things there she had just walked out
and left them.