Kathryn Ross - Ruthless Contract

‘Yes. He and Mike spent a long holiday going around Europe about six years ago. Then Mike met my sister when they were in London and he decided to stay and marry her.’

‘Very romantic,’ Jayne smiled.

‘Yes, it was.’ For a moment Abigail’s thoughts drifted to that time. Jenny had been madly in love with Mike from the moment she had first set eyes on him.

‘He’s the most gorgeous thing on two legs,’ Jenny had laughed when she had tried to describe him to Abbie. ‘I know you will just love him…but not too much. I’ve arranged for you to meet his brother Greg. He’s the one you can fall for.’

Abbie had certainly been captivated by Greg Prescott’s good looks; he had been so charming, so smooth, with the most sexy accent.

Both girls had spent a wonderful three months being wined and dined by the brothers during the last stop of their holiday, apart from a four-week trip up to Scotland. They had cancelled that trip so that they could stay longer in London, much to Abbie’s and Jenny’s delight.

Jenny had danced around their small flat when the phone call had come from Mike saying they weren’t going up to Edinburgh after all. ‘They are as besotted with us as we are with them.’ She had sung the words at the top of her voice. ‘Oh, Abbie, I’m so happy.’

Abbie had been happy too, although she had tried to be more cautious than her sister, reminding her that it was only a month before Mike and Greg would go back to the States.

Jenny had pulled a face. ‘When people love each other, things work out.’

If only that were true, Abbie thought now…If only Jenny and Mike were here and this was just a family party. She shook her head at the ridiculous thought and tried very hard to concentrate on what Jayne was saying to her.

‘Greg is going to have his work cut out with the children,’ she was saying now. ‘I’d give him a hand if I could, but my career takes up all of my day. I’m as stuck as he is.’

‘Yes…Well, I’m sure we will work something out,’ Abbie said positively. Then all of a sudden she was struck by a thought that hadn’t occurred to her before. ‘Jayne,’ she said cautiously, ‘do you happen to know if Mike and Jenny made a will?’

The girl nodded. ‘Oh, yes, I’m sure they did. Greg said something about it the other day.’

Abigail fought down the impulse to ask if she knew what was in it. Her mind raced. Surely Jenny had specified who should look after the children if anything happened to them?

That meant she could pursue custody. She had no doubt whatsoever that her sister would have named her as first choice to look after the children.

Tomorrow, first thing, she would seek legal advice, she thought grimly.

Margaret interrupted their conversation at that moment. ‘Abbie, I’m going to leave now,’ she said with a wan smile in Jayne’s direction. ‘I told Mrs Greenwood that I wouldn’t be much later than five picking the children up.’

‘I’ll come with you, Margaret.’ Abigail immediately put her drink down. She wanted to be away from this place, from Greg’s disturbing presence. She needed some time to think quietly.

‘Well, if you’re sure.’ Margaret turned and indicated to Greg that she wanted a word. ‘Abbie and I are going to collect the children now,’ she said as he came across.

‘All right.’ He nodded. ‘Unfortunately I can’t come straight home. I’ve got to go back to the office after here.’

‘What about dinner?’ Margaret asked.

‘Don’t worry about me,’ Greg said smoothly. ‘I’ll grab something later on.’

And he thinks he will have time to look after two children, Abigail thought angrily, as she followed Margaret out to her car. The man was far too busy with his work and his girlfriend ever to be at home.

Abigail didn’t see Greg again that day. She was fully occupied seeing to the girls when she got back to the apartment. Then after dinner Margaret looked completely washed out, and Abigail suggested gently that they all had an early night.

The strange thing was that once Abigail got into the privacy of her bedroom, she didn’t feel at all tired.

She had a shower in the en suite bathroom and then dried her hair briskly with a towel. She felt less stressed after that, and sat reading in bed for a while, hoping that it would take her mind off things and she would start to feel drowsy.

At midnight she got up and went to check that the girls were all right. They were both fast asleep.

She sat for a while by their beds just watching them. They had been very good today, had faced up to the fact that it was their parents’ funeral with brave little hearts. Jenny would have been proud of them.

For a moment she found herself remembering the last time she had seen her sister. She had gone to wave her and Mike and the girls off at the airport when they had been on their way to live in America, just a little over a year ago. There had been tears streaming down her face that day as she hugged Jenny tightly and said goodbye.

‘It won’t be forever,’ Jenny had said with a sob in her voice. ‘You’ll come out and see us, won’t you?’

With a sigh, Abbie stood up and crept out of the girls’ room. There wasn’t time for regrets—she just had to sort out the question of the girls.

She noticed as she glanced down the corridor that the lights were still on in the lounge. Obviously Greg wasn’t home yet. Too busy out drowning his sorrows with Jayne, she thought bitterly.

Greg had always had an eye for the women, she reflected as she climbed back into bed. He had two-timed her for a start.

She supposed she had been naive where Greg was concerned. She had believed the whispered words of endearment, had lived for his kisses…his caresses. Yes, she had been naïve…She had actually believed herself to be in love almost from the first moment she had met those charismatic eyes across a crowded room.

For a while she allowed her thoughts to drift back to that time…

ABIGAIL wished she had never allowed herself to get talked into this. She had only ever been on a blind date once before, and that had been an utter disaster.

The memory made her want to leave the crowded room and run as fast as her legs would carry her, back to the sanctuary of her flat. The only thing that stopped her was the knowledge that Jenny would be hurt.

Her sister had talked and talked about her meeting Mike’s brother for ages now. Finally she had given in and it had been arranged that they would meet here at this party.

Abigail didn’t know anybody and she was feeling more and more apprehensive as the minutes ticked by and one heavy metal tune after another was played at high volume on a powerful CD system, grinding on her already sensitive nerves.

‘I wonder where he can be?’ Jenny’s eyes searched the crowded room anxiously. ‘You did tell him nine o’clock, didn’t you, Mike?’

Mike grinned. ‘Yes, honey. Stop worrying, it’s only just gone nine.’ Mike turned good-humoured eyes on to Abbie. ‘How about a drink?’

‘Sorry?’ Abigail’s mind had been miles away and it was hard to hear above the racket. ‘What did you say?’

‘How about a drink?’

She shook her head. ‘I’m just going to the ladies’ room. I won’t be long.’ Turning, she pushed her way through the crowds. She would give Greg Prescott ten minutes, she decided firmly. If he hadn’t arrived by then she would make an excuse and go home.

Abigail took her time upstairs. She brushed her long blonde hair and studied her reflection in the brightly lit mirror with critical eyes.

It was a hot summer evening and she was wearing a white halter-necked dress that emphasised her golden tan and the soft curves of her figure. She found fault with her looks but in actual fact she had a fresh-faced innocent beauty that had already caught the attention of more than one man downstairs.