Borrowed Wife (20 page)

‘And go
where?’ he asked shortly.

‘Wingate’s.
I was offered a job there a long time ago. That’s what Brian was talking to me
about when...  

 ‘When I
savaged him,’ Logan finished for her irascibly. He sat up and pinned her with
cold eyes. ‘You’ve worked damned hard these past few years and one day that
firm will be yours. What’s the point of getting out now when it could all be
salvaged and working will within months?’

‘Self-preservation,’
Abigail answered calmly. ‘I want a new life, another life. I intend to start
again before I get enmeshed in anything at all.’ She made a decision to bring
matters to a head now rather than wait in misery. ‘I’ll apply for a divorce as
you suggested. That can
be
seen
to at once, no matter what is happening in the firm.’

Logan
leaned back again and regarded her blandly.

‘I’ll
oppose any divorce,’ he informed her with no inflection at all in his voice.

It
stunned her into silence for a second and Abigail looked at him in astonishment.

‘You
said... The night you were so nasty to Brian, you said I should go ahead and
get a divorce.’

‘From
time to time I lose my temper,’ Logan reminded her silkily. ‘I’m not in a rage
now and, I repeat. I will oppose any divorce.’

‘You
can’t. We’ve been separated for a long time. Even if you’re serious about this
I can get a divorce next year with or without your consent. It would be a mere
formality.’

‘I’m
serious,’ Logan assured her. ‘And next year would not make five years’
continuous separation. We’ve been lovers twice in the last week. We’re
reconciled in the eyes of the world. No divorce, Abigail.’

She
remembered his words in the flat, at the hotel words of desire—and now every
sense came to danger alert. The lovemaking had been part of some plan and once
again, as always with Logan, she had fallen for it.

‘It was
all deliberate,’ she whispered. ‘You even planned... planned—that.’

You
helped.’ His lips twisted wryly. ‘I don’t re-member you putting up any sort of
struggle, Abigail. All I remember is that you went off into space just as
you’ve always done. If I had a plan then you were a very willing accomplice.’
He stared at her with narrowed eyes, glittering and grey. ‘It was no great
hardship to want you—I always have done, from the moment I first saw you.’

‘Take me
home!’ She stood and glared at him because it was the only thing she could
safely do. There was no clue as to the state of his mind in his expression. For
reasons she could not fathom he was opposing any divorce and although she could
simply go ahead, call his bluff she knew his ways. He did not mean that he
would oppose things in any calm and easy way. Logan always had some plan.

‘You can
stay here,’ he suggested, his eyes never leaving her. ‘It’s better than that
great, cold house you’ve occupied for the past four years. To the whole world,
we’re reconciled. Let them go on thinking that. I have no doubt at all that
under the new circumstances your father would
be
delighted.’

‘What new
circumstances?’ She still stood waiting although Logan hadn’t moved to obey
when she had demanded to go home.

‘Don’t be
obtuse, Abigail,’ he murmured, getting to
his
feet
slowly. ‘I’m supposed to be helping. Sooner or Inter. Kent Madden
will have to work with me. He’ll seem less like a man who is taking charity if
his saviour is his son-in-law, happily reunited with his only daughter.’

Abigail
found her mind working overtime but even so she could not see beyond the
moment. That Logan was planning some further mischief was evident but what that
mischief would be she had no way of knowing. The old fear came racing back.

‘You made
a promise,’ she choked. ‘I pretended to be reconciled. I kept my half of the
bargain. You said you would pull the Madden Corporation together. You gave your
word.’

‘I’ll
keep it,’ he assured her softly. ‘The trouble is, Abigail, that having had you
back for a while, I want you back permanently. Come back to me and your father
is right off the hook.’

‘You
promised!’ She stated al him with wide, frustrated eyes and he shrugged easily,
a slight smile hovering over his lips.

‘I
promised to help the firm. I said nothing at all about letting your father step
free. I’ve never felt inclined to do that. There are more ways than one of
seeking revenge,’

‘What are
you going to do?’

Abigail was
mesmerised by the clever, handsome face and his slight smile grew into a wide
and amused one as he looked back at her.

‘I see
you have that expression on your face again,’ he murmured ironically ‘Once
again you’re certain of my omnipotence. As to what I intend to do, I never show
my hand until the circumstances are right. I’ve waited a long time. I can wait
further—if you’re prepared to risk it.’

She felt
a wave of anger then. Trapped! Always she had been trapped, first by her love
for Logan and them by her loyalty to her father. Now Logan was coolly inviting
her into a new trap and she had no doubt at all that he would use her as he had
always used her—to gain his own ends. He had not asked her to go back to him,
because he loved her. He did not love her and never had done. It was merely a
dark threat—his way of playing on her conscience and her loyalty.

 ‘Nice try, but hard luck,’
she said scornfully, taking great pleasure in looking at him disdainfully.
‘You’re counting on my loyalty to my father. You’re counting on my well-known
guilty conscience. But this time, Logan, you’ve guessed wrongly. I don’t feel
the same any more. Once, I would have done anything you asked, just because I
was bewitched. I’m no longer bewitched.’

The smile
had died on his face and now he looked at her bleakly. Abigail felt a wave of
triumph. Once, just once, she would fool Logan. If she could get out of here
without showing that her love for him was greater than ever, then she would
have won.

‘As to my
father,’ she continued when he said nothing at all, ‘I don’t trust him any more
than I trust you. These past few weeks have shown me that there’s not really a
lot to choose between you. You’re both prepared to use me to gain your own
ends. Well, this time I’m not falling for anything. We’ll simply slick to the
bargain as laid down and I’ll hold you to your word. After that, I’ll leave-
and set up a new life that will not contain either of you. I told you I was
tired of being pig-in-the-middle. I meant it. Brian Wingate wants me in his
firm and it’s not for any male chauvinist reason. I’m good at what I do, Logan. I intend to go out into the world and do it.’

‘You want
to hear me say I love you?’ he asked quietly, and she turned away, picking up
her bag and small case. ‘Don’t bother to lie,’ she said flatly. ‘You never have
lied and it’s a little late to start now. In any case, I no longer care. I
simply want to go home. My part of the deal is over’  

Abigail
walked purposefully to the door and although her legs were shaking she knew she
had fooled him. He said nothing more. He simply picked up her cases and
followed, and it was all over.

Logan
didn’t appear at the offices of the Madden
Corporation. From the time that Abigail returned on the following Monday, it
was obvious that new life was being pumped into the place but it was being done
from a distance; Logan was not about to enter the place he hated. There was
almost the old bustle about the offices and although it was a relief to find
that Logan was in action, pulling strings from far away, Abigail also felt
sadness. The busy offices, the new life about the place served to remind her of
how things had been on the day she had met Logan here for the first time.

He’d sent
in one of his top men, a man called Joe Saville—a middle-aged genius who worked
with Abigail and delved deeply into the business of the firm. He could scarcely
be called a fatherly man but gradually she relaxed with him and became quite
enthusiastic. She was learning a lot and his sharp, pleased glances in her direction
when she offered any suggestion made her feel that Brian had not been merely
kind when he had told her she was good.

Her
father progressed, his attitude one that went well on its way to infuriating
her. Now that the firm was out of danger he was striking an attitude and
although he had not as yet set foot in the place he interfered with almost
everything she planned, treating her, as usual, a> if she were an imbecile.

Fortunately,
Joe Saville merely grunted at the messages she brought and went about his
business in his own way. He had to report to Logan every evening, he told her,
and this was more a worry to him than any mere chance of upsetting Kent Madden.

Abigail
could only agree. There was also a strange kind of comfort in knowing that Logan went over everything and her cheeks flushed when she wondered if Joe Saville told
him about the things she had suggested herself. She threw herself
enthusiastically into the work because she could not afford to allow herself
the time to think about Logan. She had always missed him but now, after their
Hip together, she found each lonely night an added misery. She loved him, she
wanted his arms around her, but not without love.

One night the following
week she left work early and went to do some shopping. The days, though still
warm, were shorter and by the time Abigail had finished her shopping the shop
windows were bright with lights and the sky was deepening to evening.

‘Why,
it’s Logan’s wife!’ Abigail turned from her last- minute window-shopping to
find herself confronted and almost trapped by Fenella Mitchell. ‘I hear the
Madden Corporation is thriving again,’ she continued before Abigail could
escape. ‘The city is quite enthralled, holding its breath, so to speak. Of
course, now that you’re back with Logan it’s all explained.’

‘Is it?’
Abigail murmured. ‘The city keeps an eye on Logan’s private life then, does
it?’

‘Well,
he’s not just any man, is he?’ Fenella asked with a knowing smile. ‘There has
always been this sort of morbid interest, ever since his father committed
suicide, but even without that he’s such a brilliant man. Naturally the city
takes an interest.’

Abigail
stood as if she had been carved from stone, the words ringing in her head.
People bumped into her and she didn’t even react. All she could hear were the
words ‘ever since his father committed suicide’ and she simply stared at
Fenella, aware of nothing else.

‘What do
you mean?’ she asked in a strange voice, and Fenella raised dark, shapely
brows.

‘But
didn’t you know? You must have done. Everyone knows. That’s what brought Logan back to England from America; that’s why he stayed here instead of going back. He
owns far more there than he does here. And I should know,’ she added with a
frown. ‘I’m usually dispatched to see to things. I fly out there with Joe
Saville, although I hear he’s now working with you.’

Abigail
still stood silently; another person bumped into her and Fenella took her arm
impatiently.

‘You’re
going to be knocked over soon. I had no idea that my little bit of gossip would
stun you. I imagined that Logan would have told you. Come and have a coffee.
You’d better sit down at the very least.’

Abigail
knew dimly that she was playing right into Fenella’s hands but at that moment
she felt incapable of defending herself. If it were true, if Logan’s father had
indeed taken his own life, then that was the cause of Logan’s deadly vendetta
and it would never end.

‘There.
You look quite shocked.’ Fenella settled them at a table and flung up her hand
imperiously for the waiter. ‘I would never have told you but, after all, you
were Logan’s wife!’

‘I still
am Logan’s wife,’ Abigail said quietly, striving to defend herself, however
feebly. She had no illusions. This had been quite deliberate. How it would
serve Fenella’s purpose she didn’t know but she could not now simply let the
matter rest. For five years she had been trying to find out how her father had
made such an enemy of Logan and now she was about to learn everything.

‘Why?’
she asked quietly. ‘What made Logan’s father...?’

‘He was
tricked, cheated and ruined,’ Fenella assured her. She sipped her coffee with
every appearance of enjoyment and Abigail had no doubt at all that she was also
enjoying this conversation, ‘He was a property dealer,’ Fenella continued. ‘He
was well liked and completely honest. Like Logan, his word was his bond, accepted
throughout the city. There was a lot of competition, of course, but he built up
the Steele Group slowly and surely, completely above board.’

She
looked at Abigail’s pale face and seemed determined to make her beg for
information and Abigail had no choice.

‘So what
went wrong?’ she asked.

‘Jealousy
and greed,’ Fenella stated. ‘Some people are not content to work and wait. Some
people want it all and they want it now, even things that don’t belong to
them.’ She fixed Abigail with pitying eyes. ‘Surely you know that your father
drove John Steele to suicide? How can you not have known? It was all over the
papers, though no mention was made of names and nothing could ever be proved.
It was well-known that your father lined various agents to dupe John Steele
into buying land that was never going to get planning consent. The whole city
lives on borrowing and the land deal was enormous. But whole thing crashed like
a pack of cards and your father went for the jugular, trying to buy out the
Steele Croup for next to nothing. It wasn’t even that, though, that drove John
Steele to his death. He had borrowed money he could never pay back, made
promises he could never keep, and he couldn’t live with it. He stood to lose
everything, even his home. He drove his car off the Embankment.’