been much worse if anyone knew that her father, Harrison Huntington, didn’t hold her money.
A small smile pulled at her lips as she imagined what her father’s face would look like once he discovered the truth – a truth that had been there all along, only he hadn’t been able to tear himself away from his mistress long enough to hear his wife’s will read.
It had been to Abby’s advantage, and she intended to use it ruthlessly, just as her father had shown her. She couldn’t wait until it was all over and that part of her life was gone. She intended to fill her years with laughter and happiness at every turn.
“Halt!” Rye shouted.
Abby jerked her gaze around expecting to find an attack imminent. When nothing happened, she let out a sigh only to jump when her elephant shook his head.
“Everything all right, Miss Huntington?” he asked with barely a glance in her direction.
She kept her tone even as she looked down at Rye. “Perfectly.”
How such an impressively good-looking man could grate on her nerves with just a few words she didn’t know. Yet, she couldn’t ignore the fact that Mr. Rye couldn’t stand the sight of her.
Was he jealous because she had money? Had some wealthy woman once scorned him? Why she should care, she wasn’t sure, but she didn’t like being hated for no apparent reason. It was a fact she could be most unpleasant when she wanted to be.
“Glad to hear it,” Rye said, his tone bland as he dismounted from his elephant. “We’ve stopped for lunch, but if you’d rather take your meal atop the elephant, I’ll have it brought to you.”
Abby clenched her teeth. Would it behoove the man to offer her his assistance? She was paying him an absurd amount of money to see her through her plan.
She lifted a brow and stared down at him with her most haughty expression. “I’ll pass on eating atop the elephant, thank you.”
As she began to dismount, she bit her lip while she hastily struggled to remember how she was shown. Just as she thought she had managed it, Abby felt her foot slip and she fell backwards.
A scream locked in her throat, but it was a pair of strong arms that caught her.
“You need to pay more attention when you’re shown instructions,” Rye said and practically tossed her out of his arms.
Abby drew in a shaky breath as she set about straightening her skirt and calming herself. She heartily disliked Mr. Channing Rye now. Never had she been treated so rudely. Except by her father.
She turned to find that Rye had walked away to get his food. Abby didn’t expect to be ignored so. Men of her acquaintance didn’t begin to eat until the lady was ready. Apparently, Rye had been out of society for many years to forget such simple manners.
Abby was too excited about it being noon to say anything to Rye. She could hardly wait for the next step in her plan, and the only drawback was that she wouldn’t be there when her father learned the truth.
She accepted the banana and bag of food from one of the natives Rye had hired. Abby gave him a nod of thanks and a smile. She walked around their small camp and ate faster than she intended, but her anticipation got the better of her.
Once her meal was finished, she waited impatiently for Rye to announce they would set out. Instead he lay back against a tree and shifted his hat to shield his face. A few moments later she heard him snore.
Her mouth dropped open in astonishment. For several minutes she stared at him while he continued to snore. With a sign of frustration, Abby walked around the tree and sat back against it, her ankles crossed in front of her. The hot noon sun soon began to lull her to sleep.
Just before she closed her eyes, she looked over to make sure the elephants hadn’t wandered off. It would thoroughly mess up her plans if their only means of transportation left.
Abby sighed as she gave into sleep.
Chapter
A small smile pulled at her lips as she imagined what her father’s face would look like once he discovered the truth – a truth that had been there all along, only he hadn’t been able to tear himself away from his mistress long enough to hear his wife’s will read.
It had been to Abby’s advantage, and she intended to use it ruthlessly, just as her father had shown her. She couldn’t wait until it was all over and that part of her life was gone. She intended to fill her years with laughter and happiness at every turn.
“Halt!” Rye shouted.
Abby jerked her gaze around expecting to find an attack imminent. When nothing happened, she let out a sigh only to jump when her elephant shook his head.
“Everything all right, Miss Huntington?” he asked with barely a glance in her direction.
She kept her tone even as she looked down at Rye. “Perfectly.”
How such an impressively good-looking man could grate on her nerves with just a few words she didn’t know. Yet, she couldn’t ignore the fact that Mr. Rye couldn’t stand the sight of her.
Was he jealous because she had money? Had some wealthy woman once scorned him? Why she should care, she wasn’t sure, but she didn’t like being hated for no apparent reason. It was a fact she could be most unpleasant when she wanted to be.
“Glad to hear it,” Rye said, his tone bland as he dismounted from his elephant. “We’ve stopped for lunch, but if you’d rather take your meal atop the elephant, I’ll have it brought to you.”
Abby clenched her teeth. Would it behoove the man to offer her his assistance? She was paying him an absurd amount of money to see her through her plan.
She lifted a brow and stared down at him with her most haughty expression. “I’ll pass on eating atop the elephant, thank you.”
As she began to dismount, she bit her lip while she hastily struggled to remember how she was shown. Just as she thought she had managed it, Abby felt her foot slip and she fell backwards.
A scream locked in her throat, but it was a pair of strong arms that caught her.
“You need to pay more attention when you’re shown instructions,” Rye said and practically tossed her out of his arms.
Abby drew in a shaky breath as she set about straightening her skirt and calming herself. She heartily disliked Mr. Channing Rye now. Never had she been treated so rudely. Except by her father.
She turned to find that Rye had walked away to get his food. Abby didn’t expect to be ignored so. Men of her acquaintance didn’t begin to eat until the lady was ready. Apparently, Rye had been out of society for many years to forget such simple manners.
Abby was too excited about it being noon to say anything to Rye. She could hardly wait for the next step in her plan, and the only drawback was that she wouldn’t be there when her father learned the truth.
She accepted the banana and bag of food from one of the natives Rye had hired. Abby gave him a nod of thanks and a smile. She walked around their small camp and ate faster than she intended, but her anticipation got the better of her.
Once her meal was finished, she waited impatiently for Rye to announce they would set out. Instead he lay back against a tree and shifted his hat to shield his face. A few moments later she heard him snore.
Her mouth dropped open in astonishment. For several minutes she stared at him while he continued to snore. With a sign of frustration, Abby walked around the tree and sat back against it, her ankles crossed in front of her. The hot noon sun soon began to lull her to sleep.
Just before she closed her eyes, she looked over to make sure the elephants hadn’t wandered off. It would thoroughly mess up her plans if their only means of transportation left.
Abby sighed as she gave into sleep.
Chapter
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