to hear it or not you’re being told.’ Abel’s voice halted Jo’s withdrawal.
‘I’m not listening,’ she refused.
‘I am the victim of my father.’ Abel said it clearly, so clearly that Jo had to follow the words in spite of herself. ‘He wants me to marry Erica Trent.’
‘Good heavens!’ Jo could not stop that scornful outburst. ‘That sort of thing went out years ago, and, anyway, it’s the girl who’s coerced, not the man.’
‘I’m not being coerced, far from it. I’m not marrying Erica.’
‘Perhaps she feels the same about you.’
‘Having followed me here?’ he scorned.
‘To tell you so?’ Jo suggested.
‘Very unlikely. No, she came after me to corner me, Josephine.’
Jo smiled disbelievingly.
‘Why would your father want a marriage between you and Erica?’
‘Well, I scarcely think it would be to see me settled,’ Abel answered sourly, ‘that kind of paternal attention is always reserved for females. No, it appears that there’s been something between Erica’s father and mine.’
‘What kind of thing?’
‘Any trouble concerning my father is likely to centre on money.’
Jo was trapped in the room. Abel Passant stood between her and the door. She decided she might as well listen, because it appeared he had no intention of letting her leave until she had heard. Anyway, she was curious.
‘Does a westerner ever leave the west?’ she doubted.
‘This one did. I did. But then I was not born into the life, I only inherited it.’
Jo’s face plainly spoke her bewilderment How, she wondered, could he inherit when his father was still alive?
‘No, I did not inherit from my father. My father is still making a general nuisance of himself. From my uncle.’
‘And you didn’t care for your inheritance?’
‘No, you’re quite wrong there. I did. I like anything not enclosed in four walls and away from cities. Abel meaning Breath, remember. The breath of the open, I like to think. Oh, yes, I liked it. But I have to admit I like this part better. I expect you could say I’m not a flat-lands bloke but more the undulating type.’
‘More a banana boss?’
‘Yes. But I didn’t come here because of that. I simply sold out and left for anywhere to escape a net. A matrimonial net.’
‘Isn’t that a little dramatic?’
‘It wasn’t when my respected’ ... Abel laughed sourly ... ‘parent kept tightening that net.’
‘But why? Did he fancy you and Erica together?’
‘More likely he fancied yet another handy exit from yet another gambling debt.’
‘Owed to—?’
‘Can’t you guess?’
‘Erica’s father?’
‘Yes. The same type, incidentally, as Dad. A good fellow, too, I suppose, but—’ Abel spread his big hands.
‘Did the Trents live near you?’ Jo was recalling Erica’s ‘... like Abel, I’m “country”.’ She had smiled at Gavin.
‘Next property. Fate couldn’t have been more unkind to me, bringing those two old rogues together. Anyway, the last wager between them was my final straw. It appeared I was the only thing left my father had to speculate.’
‘You’re not serious?’ asked Jo.
‘Why am I here, then?’
‘But those sort of things just don’t happen.’
‘Well, this time that sort of thing just did.’
‘But Erica ... I can’t believe ... she looks so nice.’
‘Probably is nice, but probably is not averse, like all women, to a plain gold ring. Probably tired of living at home, anyhow.’
‘But a girl with looks like Erica’s would have no trouble getting a plain gold ring anywhere.’
‘I don’t know,’ Abel shrugged. ‘You’re not doing so well yourself.’
‘Gavin and I are engaged.’
‘But it’s still not a plain gold ring, is it?’
Jo ignored that. ‘The story is too ridiculous,’ she dismissed. ‘I refuse to believe that that nice girl would follow you up here for such a reason.’
‘Well, I can tell you this, she hasn’t come to converse about the weather. Use your common sense,
‘I’m not listening,’ she refused.
‘I am the victim of my father.’ Abel said it clearly, so clearly that Jo had to follow the words in spite of herself. ‘He wants me to marry Erica Trent.’
‘Good heavens!’ Jo could not stop that scornful outburst. ‘That sort of thing went out years ago, and, anyway, it’s the girl who’s coerced, not the man.’
‘I’m not being coerced, far from it. I’m not marrying Erica.’
‘Perhaps she feels the same about you.’
‘Having followed me here?’ he scorned.
‘To tell you so?’ Jo suggested.
‘Very unlikely. No, she came after me to corner me, Josephine.’
Jo smiled disbelievingly.
‘Why would your father want a marriage between you and Erica?’
‘Well, I scarcely think it would be to see me settled,’ Abel answered sourly, ‘that kind of paternal attention is always reserved for females. No, it appears that there’s been something between Erica’s father and mine.’
‘What kind of thing?’
‘Any trouble concerning my father is likely to centre on money.’
Jo was trapped in the room. Abel Passant stood between her and the door. She decided she might as well listen, because it appeared he had no intention of letting her leave until she had heard. Anyway, she was curious.
‘Does a westerner ever leave the west?’ she doubted.
‘This one did. I did. But then I was not born into the life, I only inherited it.’
Jo’s face plainly spoke her bewilderment How, she wondered, could he inherit when his father was still alive?
‘No, I did not inherit from my father. My father is still making a general nuisance of himself. From my uncle.’
‘And you didn’t care for your inheritance?’
‘No, you’re quite wrong there. I did. I like anything not enclosed in four walls and away from cities. Abel meaning Breath, remember. The breath of the open, I like to think. Oh, yes, I liked it. But I have to admit I like this part better. I expect you could say I’m not a flat-lands bloke but more the undulating type.’
‘More a banana boss?’
‘Yes. But I didn’t come here because of that. I simply sold out and left for anywhere to escape a net. A matrimonial net.’
‘Isn’t that a little dramatic?’
‘It wasn’t when my respected’ ... Abel laughed sourly ... ‘parent kept tightening that net.’
‘But why? Did he fancy you and Erica together?’
‘More likely he fancied yet another handy exit from yet another gambling debt.’
‘Owed to—?’
‘Can’t you guess?’
‘Erica’s father?’
‘Yes. The same type, incidentally, as Dad. A good fellow, too, I suppose, but—’ Abel spread his big hands.
‘Did the Trents live near you?’ Jo was recalling Erica’s ‘... like Abel, I’m “country”.’ She had smiled at Gavin.
‘Next property. Fate couldn’t have been more unkind to me, bringing those two old rogues together. Anyway, the last wager between them was my final straw. It appeared I was the only thing left my father had to speculate.’
‘You’re not serious?’ asked Jo.
‘Why am I here, then?’
‘But those sort of things just don’t happen.’
‘Well, this time that sort of thing just did.’
‘But Erica ... I can’t believe ... she looks so nice.’
‘Probably is nice, but probably is not averse, like all women, to a plain gold ring. Probably tired of living at home, anyhow.’
‘But a girl with looks like Erica’s would have no trouble getting a plain gold ring anywhere.’
‘I don’t know,’ Abel shrugged. ‘You’re not doing so well yourself.’
‘Gavin and I are engaged.’
‘But it’s still not a plain gold ring, is it?’
Jo ignored that. ‘The story is too ridiculous,’ she dismissed. ‘I refuse to believe that that nice girl would follow you up here for such a reason.’
‘Well, I can tell you this, she hasn’t come to converse about the weather. Use your common sense,
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