Borrowed Wife by Patrícia Wilson

longer and although there was still an uneasy atmosphere in the
building it was possible to sense, with no words spoken, that everyone knew
things had changed.
    ‘Logan is helping,’ she told Martha. In all fairness she had to tell Martha something and
the truth had always seemed best to Abigail.
    ‘About
time too,’ Martha sniffed, but it didn’t take any crystal ball to see that she
was delighted. She asked no questions and Abigail offered no further comment.
If Martha wanted to believe that they were back together again she would find
out sooner or Iater that it was all a business deal.
    ‘I have
to go to America,’ she offered a little distantly, and to her surprise Martha
took that well too, with no questions.
    ‘Things
will still be here when you get back,’ she said comfortably, and Abigail
pretended not to see the pleased gleam in her eyes. It seemed that she was not
the only one who could relapse into dreams. Martha suffered from the same
disease as far as Logan was concerned.
    ‘By the
way,’ she added as Abigail was about to go to her office, ‘Brian Wingate
phoned. He’s back from Germany sooner than he expected.’
    ‘Fine.’
Abigail smiled slightly and walked off. Another problem. She hid her sudden
frown. There was the little matter of his offer of a job and there was the
somewhat bigger matter of her lie about him to Logan.
    Still, it
was not important. The two would never meet, and she would contact Brian as
soon as this deal with Logon was over because quite clearly she would need that
job. She had no intention of working here with Logan constantly in and out as
he set the firm to rights. She also had no intention of being tossed this way
and that by every whim of her father. If he wanted to come back here and work
with Logan he was welcome to try it.
    For the
first time in a long time, Abigail enjoyed the day at work. For some reason a
weight seemed to have lifted from her and she did not know whether it was the promise of Logan taking over
or if her new determination to stand alone had something to do with it.
    She left
the office with a smile on her face. Now that her father was off the danger
list there was no need at all to stay at the flat and she had her own car with
her. Tonight she intended to go home, make arrangements with Rose and acquaint
her with all the facts.
    She was
just approaching her car when Brian drew up and sounded his horn, stopping her
in her tracks. He wound the window down and shouted before he had even got out
of his car.
    ‘Abigail,
love! I’m back! You can stop worrying. Rescue is here...’
    She
turned at the sound of his voice, laughing towards him, glad to see his
warm-looking eyes peering at her from the open window of the car, his fair hair
untidy as if he had been in a strong breeze. Her laughter faded, however, when
the familiar dark Jaguar pulled in silently behind Brian’s more modest vehicle
and Logan sat watching events with icy eyes and a mouth tightened in anger.
    Before
she could take any action, an unsuspecting Brian had leapt from his car and
hurried over to give her a great hug and to kiss her soundly—a thing he had
never done before in the whole time she had known him.
    ‘I came
tearing back from Germany as soon as I could,’ he told her eagerly. ‘I’ve been
worrying about you all the time. Now we can plan your future.’
    Abigail
stood like someone stunned. Dimly she heard the dull thud of the Jaguar door
closing and she knew that somewhere very close Logan was on his feel and moving
towards them. For herself, she was powerless to move. All her calm thoughts in
the safety of the office had now vanished. Logan was about to meet Brian face
to face and he would readily believe her lie now after Brian’s unrestrained
show of affection.
    Embarrassment
held her to the spot and it was only as she stared over Brian’s shoulder,
watching Logan’s approach with wide and anxious eyes, that Brian sensed some
strain in the atmosphere.
    ‘What