“Abe?”
Abe turned from the book shells he had been staring at for the past ten minutes. “Isabella.” She was the last person he wanted to see, not while he was wrestling with his conscience over what he had said to miss Pemberton. It was probably a sensible precaution, a rational part of him said. You love her, his heart urged. Trust her.
“You want to talk to me?” He pulled a chair round so she could sit, but she stood in the middle of the floor, her hands clasped in front of her like a defendant in the dock.
“Yes, I want to talk..” She was very pain, but her voice was steady.” I overheard you speaking to miss Pemberton.”
“Hell.” He did not try to justify himself or to touch her. There was a core of inner steel there, he realized as he met her steady strong gaze. It was not hostile or t
