Guardian Angel

Chapter Fifteen

"Jade, come back here." Caine shouted that order while his two friends were trying to absorb the news he'd just given them.

When she didn't respond to his summons, Caine called for Sterns. The butler must have been standing right outside the door, for he immediately rushed inside the library. He bowed to his employer, a courtesy he never ever extended when they were alone, and then asked, "You wished something, mi'lord?"

"Bring Jade back here," Caine ordered.

"I believe she heard your bellow, mi'lord," Sterns announced in that highbrow voice of his, "She has declined the invitation to rejoin you, however. Was there something more you wanted?"

Caine wanted to strangle Sterns, but he pushed the notion aside. "Bring her to me. Drag her in here if

you have to, but bring her to me. That's what I want, Sterns."

The butler nodded, then left on his errand. Caine turned back to his friends. He lost some of his irritation when he saw Lyon's grin. His friend seemed to be taking the news of Pagan's identity much better than Sir Richards was. The director still looked quite stunned.

"Hell, Caine, I should have guessed," Lyon said. "She was so timid… yes, I should have known, all right. You aren't one to be attracted to… and Christina did say that I should look below the…"

"Son," Sir Richards interrupted Lyon's rambling. "This isn't the time for jests. We've a serious matter here."

Jade opened the door in the middle of Richards' protests. "I was fetching Nathan and Colin for you, Caine. What is it you wanted?"

"Give them back, Jade."

His voice had the bite of a pistol shot in it. Jade pretended innocence. "Whatever are you talking about?" she asked. She pressed her hand to her bosom in mock fear and fluttered her eyelashes at him.

He wasn't at all impressed. "You know damned good and well what I'm talking about," he roared.

"Give them back."

"Caine, it isn't polite to raise your voice to me in front of visitors," she instructed. Her voice had risen

an octave. "It's plain rude."

"They know who you are."

"They know?"

She marched over to the front of his desk and glared at him. Her hands were planted on her hips now. "Exactly what do they know?"

"That you're Pagan."

She let out a gasp. "Why don't you just post it in the dailies?" she shouted. "Then you wouldn't have to spend so much time…"

"I had to tell them," Caine interjected.

"You could have waited until after I'd left."

"Since you aren't leaving, that wasn't possible, now was it?"

"My God, it's really true?" Richards interjected in a near shout of his own.

Jade glanced over her shoulder to frown at the director. "No," she snapped. "It isn't true."

"Yes," Caine countered. "It is."

"Damn it, Caine, don't you know how to keep a secret?" She didn't give him time to answer that

question but turned to leave.

"I told you to give them back, Jade."

"Why?"

"These men happen to be my friends," he answered. "That's why."

"Caine, if you can't rob from your friends, who can you rob?" she asked.

He didn't have a ready answer to that absurd question.

"You did say it was all right for me to continue my work," she reminded him. "Have you already gone back on your word?"

He couldn't believe she had the audacity to look so outraged. Caine didn't dare stand up, certain the urge to grab her and try to shake some sense into her would be too overwhelming to ignore.

Jade turned to look at Lyon. "When I give my word, I never break it," she stated.

Caine took a deep breath, then leaned back in his chair. He stared at Jade long and hard.

She glared back.

With the crook of his finger, he motioned her closer. When she'd reached his side, he said, "I meant

what I said. You may continue with your work."

She was totally perplexed. "Then why are you making such a fuss over…"

"You may continue to rob," he interrupted. "But every time you take something, I'm going to give it back."

Her gasp nearly knocked her over. "You won't."

"I will."

"But that's… ridiculous," she stammered. "Isn't it?"

He didn't answer her. Jade looked over at Lyon for help. His grin told her she wouldn't be getting any assistance from him. Sir Richards was still looking too flabbergasted to intervene.

She was on her own, she decided, just as she'd always been. "No."

"Yes."

She looked as though she wanted to weep. "Now give them their…"

"I switched them," she announced. "May I leave now?"

Caine nodded. He waited until Jade had reached the door, then called out, "Jade, you may leave this room, but don't you dare try to leave this house. I'll only come after you if you do. You wouldn't want

to inconvenience me again, now would you?"

She didn't answer that question. Caine knew she was furious with him, though. The door almost flew

off its hinges when she slammed it shut behind her.

"She's got a bit of a temper," Caine announced. His grin suggested he didn't mind that flaw much at all. "Have you recovered yet, Richards?" he asked then.

"I have," Richards agreed.

"But you never once considered…"

"No, no," Richards returned.

Caine nodded with satisfaction. "It's good to know my own superior was taken in. I do believe my pride has been fully restored."

Nathan and Colin walked into the library then. Colin used his cane and Nathan's arm for assistance.

"Quit treating me like an infant," Colin muttered, as Nathan helped him ease into a chair.

"You are an infant," Nathan drawled out. He pushed a footstool in front of the chair, then propped

Colin's foot on it.

Nathan stood to take his measure of the two men watching him. Caine made the introductions. He

shook their hands, then sat on the arm of Colin's chair.

"Jade wants me to ask you what time it is," Nathan stated then.

The director looked puzzled by that request, then shrugged. "I'd say it was going on nine, wouldn't you, Lyon?"

Lyon was more astute than his superior. He lifted the timepiece from his waist pocket. He laughed then,

a full booming sound that filled the room. "I believe this one is yours, Richards. You have mine. She did embrace both of us."

Richards was duly impressed. "I certainly misjudged her," he announced. "You saw her make the switch, didn't you, Caine. That's why you called her back."

Caine shook his head. "No, I didn't," he admitted. "But when she embraced each of your I knew she was up to something. She doesn't usually show such affection to strangers."

"No, she doesn't," Nathan agreed;

Caine looked at Lyon. "The woman has led me in circles. She's determined to make me a madman."

"I'd say she's already accomplished that goal," Nathan drawled out.

"This sounds familiar to me," Lyon said. He smiled, remembering the bizarre circumstances leading up

to his marriage. "I've been led in a few circles by Christina, too. Tell me this, Caine. What did you do while she was leading you?"

"Same thing you did," Caine answered. "I fell in love with her."

Lyon nodded. "God help you now, friend. It isn't going to get any easier after you've married her.

When is the wedding, by the way?"

"Yes, Caine, when is the wedding?" Nathan demanded.

"There damned well will be a wedding." Colin made that statement of fact. He was frowning intently at his brother.

"Yes," Caine answered. "There will be a wedding."

"Sounds to me as if you don't have any choice, son," Sir Richards interjected. "Will you say your vows with a pistol aimed at your back?"

"If a pistol is needed, it will be aimed at Jade's back, not mine," Caine countered. "I still have to convince her that I mean what I say. Hell, I'll probably even have to get down on one knee in front of her men."

Even Nathan smiled over that picture. Colin scoffed. "Jade won't make you kneel before her," he said.

"No, but Black Harry sure as hell will," Caine replied.

"Who is Black Harry?" Richards asked.

"Nathan, you start explaining," Caine announced. "While I go after Jade."

"She's gone?" Nathan asked.

Caine stood up and started for the door. "Of course she's gone. I never make the same mistake twice, Nathan. I'll be back soon."

Since Caine was already wearing his riding britches and boots, he went directly to the corral housing the horses.

The speckled mare was missing. "How many men do you have trailing her?" he asked the stablemaster.

"Three at the back door chased after her," the servant answered.

Caine bridled his stallion but didn't bother with the saddle. He grabbed hold of the black mane and mounted the steed in one quick motion.

He trailed her to the cabin on the edge of his property. She was standing next to the creek, watering her horse.

Caine broke through the trees, then goaded his mount into a full gallop. Jade heard the sound of pounding hooves. She turned to run into the woods. Caine's stallion never broke stride as he leaned down and lifted her into his arms. He slammed her bottom down in front of him, turned direction and headed back toward home.

He didn't say a word to her, nor she to him, and he didn't slow his pace until they'd reached their destination.

Sterns was waiting at the front door. Caine dragged Jade up the steps. "Lock her in her room!" he roared. "Post two guards below her windows and two more outside the door."

He didn't let go of Jade until he'd dragged her inside the house and bolted the door behind him.

He kept his expression as ugly as he could manage until he was once again inside the library. When he was back in his chair behind his desk, he let himself smile.

"I assume you found her," Nathan said.

"I did," Caine answered. "Impressed the hell out of her, too. Now catch me up on what you've told my friends," he ordered.

The talk returned to the letters and the men didn't finish formulating their plans until well past eleven. Richards and Lyon were given chambers in the North wing. Both appeared to be reluctant to say goodnight.

Richards insisted on taking the copies of the letters to bed with him. "There's information still to be ferreted out," he announced.

No one argued with the director. Caine went directly to Jade's room. He dismissed the guards, unlocked the door, and went inside.

Jade was reading in bed. She wouldn't look at him, but kept her gaze on the book she held in her hands.

"You need more light if you're going to read," Caine announced. "The fire needs to be stoked, too. It's damned cold in here."

She didn't even look up at him. "It's ridiculous to pretend I'm not here," he told her, his exasperation obvious in his tone.

"As ridiculous as giving back everything I take?" she countered, her attention focused on her book.

Caine added two more candles to the bedside table. He went to the hearth next. "Where's Sterns?"

he asked.

"Sterns has gone to bed," she answered. "You'd make a good butler, Caine. Your man has trained you well."

He didn't jump to the bait. "You're spoiling for a fight, sweetheart, but I'm not going to accommodate you."

"I'm not spoiling for a fight," she snapped. She slammed her book shut while she watched him add another fat log to the embers.

In the firelight, his skin looked as bronzed as a statue. His shirt was opened to the waist, his sleeves

rolled up to his elbows. The fabric was stretched tight across the back of his shoulders, showing the

splay of muscle there when he reached for the iron staff to prod the fire into a full blaze.

She thought he was the most appealing man in all the world.

Caine turned, still bent on one knee, and smiled at her. The tenderness in his gaze tugged at her heart.

He was such a good man, a trusting man, a loving man.

He deserved better than the likes of her. Why didn't he realize that obvious fact?

Tears welled up in her eyes and she started trembling. It was as though the blankets had suddenly turned into snow. She was freezing… and terrified.

Don't ever let me leave you, she suddenly thought. Make me stay with you forever.

Oh, God, how she wanted to love him, to lean on him.

And then what would she become, she asked herself, when he left her. How in God's name would she survive?

The change in her was startling. Her face had turned the color of her white nightgown.

"Sweetheart, what's the matter?" he asked. He stood up and walked toward the bed.

"Nothing," she whispered. "Nothing's wrong. I'm just cold," she added in a stammer. And afraid, she wanted to add. "Come to bed, Caine."

She desperately needed to hold him close. Jade added to the invitation by pulling the covers back for him. Caine ignored her request. He went to the wardrobe, found another blanket on the top shelf, then draped it over the other covers on the bed.

"Is that better?" he asked.

"Yes, thank you," she answered, trying not to sound too disgruntled.

"If you aren't too tired, I want to ask you a few questions," he said.

"Ask your questions in bed, Caine," she suggested. "You'll be more comfortable."

He shook his head, then sat down in the chair and propped his feet up on the foot of the bed. "This will do," he said then, trying his damnedest not to smile.

She wanted him, perhaps even as much as he wanted her. And by God, she was going to have to tell

him so.

Jade tried to hide her irritation. The man was as dense as rain. Didn't he realize she wanted to be held? She'd told him she was cold, damn it. He should have immediately taken her into his arms, then kissed her of course, and then…

She let out a long sigh. Caine apparently didn't realize what she needed when he started in with his questions about the stupid files again.

It took all her determination to hold onto her concentration. She had to stare at her hands so his heart-stopping smile wouldn't detract her.

"Jade?"

"Yes?" She looked startled.

"I just asked you if you read the files on our Williams," he said.

"They aren't our Williams," she replied.

She gave him an expectant smile, waiting for his next question.

Caine's smile widened. "Are you going to answer me?" he asked.

"Answer what?"

"You seem preoccupied."

"I'm not."

"Sleepy then?"

"Not at all."

"Then answer my question," he instructed again. "Did you read the files…"

"Yes," she interrupted. "You want to hear them, don't you?"

"Yes, I do," he answered. "Was there something else you wanted to do?" he asked.

The blush came back to her cheekbones. "No, of course not," she answered. "All right, Caine, I'll tell

you…"

A knock sounded at the door, interrupting them. Caine turned just as Nathan peeked inside.

When Jade's brother saw Caine lounging in the chair, he frowned. "What are you doing here, Caine?"

"Talking to Jade," Caine answered. "What do you want?"

"I couldn't sleep," Nathan admitted. He strode over to the hearth and leaned against it. Nathan was barefoot and shirtless now. Caine saw the scars on Nathan's back, of course. He didn't mention them,

but he wondered how Nathan could have survived such a beating.

"Here's Caine's robe, if you're cold, Nathan," Jade said. She pointed to the empty chair on the other side of the bed. "You'll catch a chill if you don't cover up."

Nathan was in an accommodating mood. He put Caine's robe on, then sprawled out in the chair.

"Go back to bed, Nathan," Caine ordered.

"I want to ask my sister a couple of questions."

Nathan had left the door opened. For that reason, Sir Richards didn't bother to knock when he reached the room. The director was dressed in a royal blue robe that reached his bare feet. He looked positively thrilled to see the gathering.

Jade pulled the covers up to her chin. She looked at Caine to see his reaction to this invasion.

He looked resigned. "Pull up a chair, Sir Richards," Caine suggested.

"Be happy to," Richards replied. He smiled at Jade then. "I couldn't sleep, you see, and so I thought I'd look in on you and…"

"If she was awake, you were going to question her," Caine guessed.

"This isn't at all proper," Richards said as he dragged a chair close to the bed. His chuckle indicated he didn't mind that fact at all. "Nathan?" he added then. "Would you mind fetching Lyon for us? By now he'll have a few questions of his own."

"He might be sleeping," Jade said.

"I could hear him pacing in the chamber next to mine. This Tribunal has us all rattled, my dear. It's quite a lot to take in,"

Nathan returned with Lyon by his side. Jade suddenly felt ridiculous. She was in bed, after all, and dressed only in her nightgown. "Why don't we go down to the library to discuss this?" she suggested.

"I'll get dressed and…"

"This will do," Caine announced. "Lyon, Jade's going to give us the files on the Williams."

"Do I have to repeat every word, Caine?" she asked. "It will take days."

"Start with just the pertinent facts," Richards suggested. "Lyon and I are going back to London tomorrow. We'll read the files from start to finish then."

Jade shrugged. "I'll start with Terrance then," she announced. "The dead one."

"Yes, the dead one," Lyon agreed. He leaned against the mantel and smiled encouragement.

Jade leaned back against the pillows and began her recitation.

Lyon and Richards were duly impressed. When they got over their initial astonishment, they took turns interrupting her to ask specific details on certain missions William Terrance was involved in.

She didn't finish with the file until two in the morning. She couldn't quit yawning either, a hint of the exhaustion she was feeling.

"It's time we all took to our beds," Sir Richards announced. "We'll start in again come morning."

The director was following Lyon and Nathan out of the room when Jade called out to him.

"Sir Richards? What if the William you're looking for isn't one of the three in the files?"

Richards turned back to her. "It's just a starting place, my dear," he explained. "Then we begin the cross-check, read through each and every file the superiors in every department kept. It will take time, yes, but we will persevere until we get to the bottom of this."

"There couldn't be a chance they're both dead now?" Jade asked.

She looked so hopeful, Richards hated to disappoint her. "I'm afraid not," he said. "Someone wants those letters, dear. At least one of the two remaining members of the Tribunal is still very much alive."

Jade was relieved to be alone with Caine again. She was exhausted, worried, too, and all she wanted was for him to take her into his arms and hold her close. She pulled back the covers for Caine, then patted the sheet.

"Goodnight, Jade," Caine said. He walked over to the bed, leaned down, and gave her a horribly chaste kiss, then blew out the candles on his way to the door. "Pleasant dreams, sweetheart."

The door closed. She was astonished he'd left her. He didn't want her any longer. The thought was so repugnant to her, she pushed it aside. He was just angry with her still because he'd had to chase after her again, she told herself… he was tired, too, she added with a nod. It had been a long, exhausting day.

Damn it, the man was suppose to be reliable.

She didn't have pleasant dreams. She was drowning in the blackness, could feel the monsters circling

her as she went down, down, down…

Her own whimpers awakened her. She instinctively turned to Caine, knowing he'd soothe away her terror.

He wasn't there. She was wide awake by the time she'd made that determination, and shaking so much she could barely get the covers out of her way.

She couldn't stay in bed, but went to the window and stared out at the starless night while she contemplated her bleak situation.

She didn't know how long she stood there, worrying and fretting, before she finally gave in. She was going to have to go to him.

Caine woke up as soon as the door opened. Since it was dark, he didn't have to hide his smile. "I don't know how to dance, Caine," she announced.

She slammed the door shut after making that statement, then walked over to his side of the bed. "You might as well know that right off. I can't do needlework, either."

He was resting on his back with his eyes closed. Jade stared at him a long minute, then prodded his shoulder. "Well?" she demanded.

Caine answered her by pulling the covers back. Jade pulled off her nightgown and fell into bed beside him. He immediately took her into his arms.

The shivers vanished. She felt safe again. Jade fell asleep waiting for Caine to answer her.

He woke her up a little past dawn to make love to her, and when he was done having his way with her and she having her way with him, she was too sleepy to talk to him. She fell asleep listening to him tell her how much he loved her.

The next time she was nudged awake, it was almost noon.

Caine was doing the nudging. He was fully dressed and sweetly demanding she open her eyes and

wake up.

She refused to open her eyes, but tried to kick the covers away and make him come back to bed. Caine insisted on holding the covers up to her chin. She didn't understand why he was being so contrary until she finally opened her eyes and saw Sterns standing at the foot of her bed.

She took over the task of shielding her nakedness then. Jade could feel her face turning crimson. It

would be pointless to try to bluster her way through this embarrassment. "Oh, Sterns, now you're ashamed of me, aren't you?"

The question came out in a wail. Sterns immediately shook his head. "Of course not, mi'lady," he announced. "I'm certain my employer dragged you into his bed," he added with a nod in Caine's

direction.

"By her hair, Sterns?" Caine asked dryly.

"I wouldn't put it past you, mi'lord."

"He did," Jade announced, deciding to let Caine take all the blame. "You mustn't tell anyone," she added.

Sterns' smile was gentle. "I'm afraid there isn't -anyone left to tell."

"Do you mean Sir Richards and Lyon know?"

When Sterns nodded, she turned to glare up at Caine. "You told them, didn't you? Why don't you just post that in the dailies too?"

"I didn't tell," Caine countered, his exasperation obvious. "You didn't shut your door when you…" He paused to look at Sterns, then said, "When I dragged you in here. They noticed the empty bed on their way downstairs."

She wanted to hide under the covers for the rest of the day.

"Jade? Why is my silver under my bed?"

"Ask Sterns," she said. "He put it there."

"It seemed an appropriate place, mi'lord," Sterns announced. "One of your guests, the big man with the gold tooth, certainly would have taken a liking to the silver. Mi'lady suggested a safe haven for the pieces once I'd explained their special meaning to you."

She thought he might thank her for saving his treasures. He laughed instead. "Come downstairs as soon

as you're dressed, Jade. Richards wants to start questioning you again."

Sterns didn't leave the room with his employer. "The Duchess has sent over several gowns belonging to one of her daughters. I believe the fit will be close, mi'lady."

"Why would she…"

"I requested the clothing," Sterns announced. "When I was unpacking your belongings, I couldn't help

but notice there were only two gowns."

She looked as though she were going to protest, but Sterns didn't give her time. "The selection is hanging in the wardrobe. Cook will act as your lady's maid. I shall go and fetch her immediately."

It wouldn't do her any good to argue with him. Sterns had turned from butler to commander. He selected the garment she'd wear, too-a deep, ivory-colored gown with lace-embroidered cuffs. The gown was so elegant looking, Jade couldn't resist.

There were undergarments as well. Though Sterns didn't make mention of them, he put the silk treasures on the foot of her bed, next to the thin-as-air stockings and matching ivory-colored shoes.

Jade was washed and dressed in the finery a scant fifteen minutes later. She sat in a straight-backed chair while Cook pulled on her hair. The elderly woman was tall and rotund. Her salt and pepper hair had been clipped into short, bobbing curls. She attacked Jade's hair as if it were a side of beef. Still, Jade would have put up with the mild discomfort for the rest of the day if it would put off having to face Lyon and Sir Richards again.

The meeting couldn't be avoided, however. "You're a looker, you are," the servant announced when she'd finished her task. She held up a hand mirror and gave it to Jade. "It's a simple braid, but those little wisps of curls along the sides of your face soften the look. I would have put it up in clusters atop your head, mi'lady, but I fear the weight would have toppled you over."

"Thank you so much," Jade replied. "You've done a splendid job."

Cook nodded, then hurried back downstairs. The meeting couldn't be avoided any longer. Caine would only come and fetch her if she stayed closeted in his room. When Jade opened the door, she was surprised and irritated to find two guards in the hallway. Both men looked a little undone by the sight of her. Then one stammered out what a fair picture she was. The other blurted out that she looked just like

a queen.

Both guards followed her downstairs. The dining room doors were closed. The bigger of the two men rushed ahead to see them opened for her. Jade thanked the man for his consideration, then straightened her shoulders and walked inside.

Everyone was seated at the long table, including Sterns. And everyone, including the rascal butler, was staring at her.

All but Colin stood up when she entered the room. Jade kept her gaze on Caine. When he moved to pull out the chair adjacent to his, she slowly walked over to his side.

He leaned down and kissed her brow. Nathan broke the horrid silence. "Get your hands off her, Caine."

"My hands aren't on her, Nathan," Caine drawled out. "My mouth is." He kissed Jade again just to goad her brother. Jade fell into the chair with a sigh.

Sterns saw to her breakfast while the men continued their discussion. Sir Richards sat at one end of the long table, Caine at the other. When her plate had been taken away, Sir Richards called everyone to attention. She realized then that they had all been waiting for her. "My dear, we've decided that you

must come to London with us," Sir Richards announced. "We'll keep the security tight," he added with

a glance in Caine's direction.

Richards then pulled the pen and ink well close. "I'd like to make a few notes while I question you,"

he explained.

"Sir? Why must I come to London?" Jade asked.

The director looked a little sheepish now. Lyon, Jade noticed, was grinning.

"Well, now," Richards began. "We need to get in the file room. If I request the keys during working hours, my name will have to go into the entry book."

"They want to go during the night," Colin interjected. "Without keys."

"You did say you'd broken into the building once and read the files," Richards reminded her.

"Three times," Jade interjected.

Sir Richards looked as if he wanted to cry. "Is our security so puny then?" he asked Lyon.

"Apparently," Lyon returned.

"Oh, no," Jade said. "The security is very good."

"Then how…" Richards began.

Caine answered. "She's better than good, Richards."

Jade blushed over the compliment. "Sir Richards, I understand your need for secrecy. You don't want

the Tribunal knowing you're hunting them, but I believe they probably know already. They've sent men here. Surely they saw you and Lyon arrive and reported back…"

"No one who was sent by the Tribunal has returned to report to anyone," Lyon explained.

"But how…"

"Caine took care of them."

Jade's eyes widened over Lyon's statement. He sounded so certain. She turned to look at Caine. "How did you take care of them?"

Caine shook his head at Lyon when he thought his friend might explain. "You don't need to know," he told Jade.

"You didn't kill them, did you?" she whispered.

She looked frightened.

"No."

Jade nodded, then turned to look at Lyon again. She noticed his exasperated expression but decided to ignore it. "He didn't kill them," she announced. "Caine doesn't do that sort of thing any longer. He's retired."

She seemed to want Lyon's agreement. He nodded, then knew his guess had been correct when she smiled at him.

"Jade?" Colin asked, drawing her attention. "You can stay with Christina and Lyon when you reach London. Caine will stay in his town house, of course…"

"No," Caine interrupted. "She stays with me."

"Think of the scandal," Colin argued.

"It's almost summer, Colin," Caine countered. "Most of the ton is away from London now."

"It only takes one witness," Colin muttered.

"I've said no, Colin. She stays with me."

His hard voice didn't suggest his brother continue the argument. Colin sighed, then reluctantly nodded agreement.

Jade wasn't certain she understood. "What did you mean by one witness?"

Colin explained. Jade looked appalled by the time he'd finished telling her the damage that could be done by one malicious gossiper. Sterns sat down next to Jade, patted her hand, and said, "Do look on the

bright side, mi'lady. Mi'lord won't have to post it in the dailies now."

She turned to glare him into silence. Sterns couldn't be intimidated, though. He squeezed her hand.

"Do not fret, dear lady. It has all been arranged."

She didn't know what he was talking about but his grin suggested he was up to something. Sterns turned her attention, however, by arrogantly motioning to his empty tea cup. She immediately went to fetch a fresh urn.

As soon as she'd left the room, Sterns turned to Caine. "Your guests should be arriving in half an hour's time."

"Guests? We can't be having any bloody guests," Colin bellowed.

Nathan nodded. "Damned right we can't. Caine, are you out of your mind to invite

Caine was staring at Sterns. "I didn't invite anyone," he said. A hint of a smile turned his expression. "Why don't you tell us who these guests are, Sterns?"

Everyone was staring at the elderly man as though he'd just grown another head. "I have taken the

liberty of inviting your parents, Jade's uncle and cohorts, and one additional guest."

"What the hell for?" Nathan demanded.

Sterns turned to smile at him. "The ceremony, of course."

Everyone turned to look at Caine. His expression didn't tell them anything.

"The license, Sterns?" Caine asked in a blase tone of voice.

"Secured the day after you signed the request," Sterns answered.

"Isn't this man your butler, Caine?" Sir Richards asked.

Caine wasn't given time to answer that question, for Nathan blurted out, "She'll argue fierce."

Colin agreed. "I don't think Jade has come to terms with her future just yet."

"I'll persuade her," Caine announced. He leaned back in his chair and smiled at his butler. "You've

done well, Sterns. I commend you."

"Of course I've done well," Sterns agreed. "I've seen to everything," he boasted.

"Oh?" Nathan asked. "Then tell us how Caine's going to convince Jade?"

In answer to that question, Sterns removed the empty pistol he'd concealed in his waistband. He dropped the weapon in the center of the table.

Everyone stared at the pistol until Sterns broke the silence again. He addressed his remarks to Richards.

"I believe I overheard you suggesting the pistol be aimed at Lady Jade's shoulders, or was I mistaken?"

The laughter was deafening. Jade stood at the door, the urn in her hands while she waited for the men

to calm down.

She then poured Sterns his tea, put the urn on the sideboard, and returned to her seat. She noticed the pistol in the center of the table, but when she asked what it was doing there, she couldn't get a decent answer. The men had all started laughing again.

No one would explain. Jade guessed someone had told a bawdy jest and they were too embarrassed to share it with her.

Jade was ready to return to their plans. Caine surprised her by suggesting she return to her room.

"Why?" she asked. "I thought we were going…"

"You need to pack your things," Caine said.

Jade nodded. "You just want to tell more of your jests," she announced before she took her leave.

They were all smiling at her like happy thieves looking over their booty. She didn't know what to make

of that. The two guards were waiting for her in the foyer. They helped her carry the gowns Sterns had placed in Caine's wardrobe down to her chambers, then waited outside in the hall while she packed.

When she was finished with her task, she sat down by the window and began reading the book she'd

only half finished two nights ago.

A short time later, there was a timid knock on the door. Jade closed her book and stood up just as Black Harry came into the room.

She was clearly astonished to see him. Her uncle was carrying a dozen long-stemmed white roses.

"These are for you, girl," he announced as he shoved the bouquet into her arms.

"Thank you, Uncle," she replied. "But what are you doing here? I thought you were going to wait for

me at the cottage?"

Harry kissed her on the top of her head. "You look fit, Pagan," he muttered, completely ignoring her question. "Caine should be wearing my clothes this proud day."

"Why should Caine wear your clothes?" she asked, thoroughly confused now. She'd never seen her

uncle act so nervous. He looked terribly worried, too.

"Because my shirt is the very color of your pretty gown," Harry explained.

"But what does…"

"I'll be telling it in my own good time," Harry blurted out. He hugged her close, squishing the flowers in the process, then stepped back. "Caine asked me if he could wed you, girl."

Harry took another precautionary step back after making his announcement, fully expecting an explosion. He got a dainty shrug instead. He noticed, though, that she was gripping the flowers tightly. "Watch for thorns, girl," he ordered.

"What did you tell him, Uncle?" she asked.

"He asked me real proper," Harry rushed out. "I could have had him down on one knee," he added with

a nod. "He said he would, if it be needed to win my permission. He said it loud and clear right in front of me men, he did."

"But what did you tell him?" she asked again.

"I said yes."

He took another hasty step back after telling her that. She shrugged again, then walked over to the side

of the bed and sat down. She put the bouquet of roses on the coverlet beside her.

"Why aren't you getting your temper up, girl?" Harry asked. He rubbed his jaw while he studied her. "Caine said you might be resistant to the notion. Ain't you angry?"

"No."

"Then what is it?" he demanded. He clasped his hands behind his back while he tried to guess her reasons. "You care for this man, don't you?"

"I do."

"Well then?" he prodded.

"I'm afraid, Uncle."

Her voice had been a bare whisper. Harry heard her but was so astonished by her admission, he didn't know what to say. "You're not," he stammered.

"I am."

He shook his head. "You ain't never been afraid of anything before." His voice was gruff with affection. He went to the bed, sat down beside her on top of the flowers, and awkwardly put his arm around her shoulders. "What's different now?"

Oh, yes, she wanted to shout, I've been afraid before… so many times, so many near mishaps, she'd lost count. She couldn't tell him, of course, for if she did, he'd think he'd failed her.

"It's different because I'll have to give up my work," she said instead.

"You know it's time, what with me retiring and all," he countered. "I've hid it from me men, girl, but my eyes, well, I ain't seeing as proper as I used to. They'll balk at following a blind pirate."

"Then who will they follow?" she asked.

"Nathan."

"Nathan?"

"He wants the Emerald. It belonged to his father, after all, and he has that little business to take care of. He'll make a fine pirate, girl. He's learned how to be real mean."

"Yes, he would make a good pirate," she admitted. "But Uncle Harry, I can't be the kind of woman

Caine wants."

"You are the woman he wants."

"I'll make so many mistakes," she whispered. She was on the verge of tears and was valiantly trying to keep her emotions controlled for Harry's sake. "I don't know how to do all the things a proper wife

should know how to do. I'm no good with a needle, Harry."

"Aye, you're not," Harry admitted bleakly, remembering the time she tried to mend his sock and stitched it to her gown.

"1 can't dance," she added. She looked so forlorn when she'd made that confession, Harry threw his arm around her shoulder and hugged her. "All the fine ladies of the ton know how to dance," she ended on a wail.

"You'll learn," Harry predicted. "If you want to learn."

"Oh, yes," she admitted in a rush. "I've always wanted…"

Now she sounded wistful. Harry didn't know what was going on inside her mind. "What?" he asked. "What have you always wanted?"

"To belong."

The look on his face indicated he didn't understand what she was talking about.

"Are you wishing now I'd given you to Lady Briars? She would have taken you, girl. Why, she fought

me something fierce for you, too. She's the reason we snuck off real quiet-like right after your father's funeral. I guessed she'd come back with the authorities and try and steal you away from me. I weren't your legal guardian, if you'll remember. Still, your papa wanted you to get away from England."

"You kept your word to my father," she interjected. "You were very honorable."

"But are you wishing now I wasn't so honorable back then?"

She shook her head. For the first time in all their days together, she was seeing Harry's vulnerability. "I cannot imagine my life without you, Harry. I would never wish that things had been different. You

loved me as though I were your very own daughter."

Harry's arm dropped to his side. He looked dejected. She put her arm around his shoulders, trying now

to comfort him. "Uncle, Lady Briars would have taught me all the rules, yes, but she couldn't have loved me the way you did. Besides, you taught me far more important rules. You taught me how to survive."

Harry was quick to perk up. "I did," he admitted with a grin. "You had the makings though. I've never seen such a natural thief or a born liar in all my days. I'm right proud of you, girl."

"Thank you, Uncle," she replied, blushing over his praise. Harry wasn't one to give idle compliments

and she knew he spoke from his heart.

His expression soured, however, when he returned to her initial remark. "Yet you didn't think you belonged? You did say you wanted to belong, girl."

"I meant to be a proper wife," she lied. "That's what I meant by belonging now."

"You weren't speaking plain enough, girl," Harry announced. He looked relieved. "As for me, I've

always wanted to be a grandpapa."

She started to blush. "I don't know how to have babies either," she wailed.

Harry had meant to lighten her mood. He realized he'd taken the wrong approach. "Hell, no woman knows how until the time comes, girl. Tell me this. Do you love Caine? He says you do."

She skirted his question. "What if he gets tired of me? He'll leave me then, Harry," she whispered.

"I know he will."

"He won't."

"He needs time to realize…" She paused in midsentence. "That's it, Harry. If the courtship is long enough, perhaps he'll realize he's made a mistake." She smiled then. "And during that time, in case he

isn't making a mistake, I could try to learn all that would be required of me. Yes, Uncle, that's it. Caine's being very honorable now, trying to do the right thing…"

"Well, now, girl," Harry interrupted. "About this lengthy courtship plan…"

"Oh, Harry, that is the only answer," she interrupted. "I'll insist on a year. I'll wager he'll agree right off."

She was so pleased with her decision, she rushed out of the room. Harry adjusted his ill-fitting spectacles on the bridge of his nose, grabbed the bouquet and tucked it under his arm, and chased after her.

"Wait up," he bellowed.

"I must talk to Caine at once," she called over her shoulder. "I'm certain he's going to agree."

"I'm just as certain he ain't going to agree," Harry muttered. "Girl, hold fast. There's still a bit of the

telling I have to do."

She'd already reached the foyer by the time Harry reached the landing above. "They're in the drawing room," her uncle shouted as he lumbered down the stairs.

Jade came to an abrupt stop when she opened the doors and saw the gathering. Harry caught up with

her and forced her hand on his arm. "We're doing this proper, girl," he whispered.

"Why are all these people here?" she asked. She looked at the group, recognized everyone but the short, partially bald-headed man standing by the French doors. He held a book in his hand and was in deep conversation with the Duke and Duchess of Williamshire.

Caine was standing by the hearth, talking to Lyon. He must have sensed her presence, for he suddenly turned in midsentence and looked at her.

His expression was solemn.

He knew at once by her puzzled expression she didn't understand what was going on. Caine braced himself for the fireworks he was sure were about to erupt, then walked over to face Jade.

"I ain't had time to finish explaining," Harry said.

"I can see you haven't," Caine interjected. "Jade, sweet, we're going…"

"I'll be telling it," Harry insisted.

He clasped Jade's hand flat on his arm so her nails wouldn't do injury, then said, "There ain't going to

be a year's courtship, girl."

She continued to stare up at him with that innocent, angelic gaze. Harry tightened his hold on her hand. "But there's going to be a wedding."

She was beginning to understand, Harry guessed, when he noticed her eyes were turning the color of emeralds again.

She was trying to tug her hand away. Harry held tight. "When is this wedding?" she asked in a hoarse whisper.

Harry grimaced before answering. "Now."

She opened her mouth to shout her denial, but Caine moved closer, blocking her view from the audience. "We can do this the easy way, Jade, or the hard way. You call it."

She shut her mouth and glared up at him. Caine could see how frightened she was. She was in a near panic. She was actually shaking. "The easy way is for you to walk over to the minister and recite your vows."

"And the hard way?" Jade asked.

"I drag you over there by your hair," Caine told her. He made sure he looked as if he were up to that task, too. "Either way, I win. We are getting married."

"Caine…"

The fear in her voice tore at his heart. "Decide," he ordered, his voice hard. "Easy or hard?"

"I won't let you leave me," she whispered. "I won't! I'll leave you first."

"What are you stammering about, girl?" Harry asked.

"Jade? Which is it?" Caine demanded again, ignoring both her protest and Harry's interference.

Her shoulders sagged. "Easy."

He nodded.

"I'll be walking her over to the preacher man," Harry announced. "Nathan," he called out. "You can

trail behind."

"In just a minute," Caine ordered.

While Jade stood there trembling with panic and Harry stood there giving the Duchess downright lecherous looks, Caine went over to the minister and spoke to him. When he was finished, he handed a piece of paper to the man.

All was finally ready. Colin stood up at his brother's side, supported by Caine's arm. Jade stood beside Caine. Harry had to support her.

Jade repeated her vows first, a breach from tradition Caine had insisted upon. He stared at his bride while he repeated each of his vows. He let her keep her gaze downcast until he reached the end of the litany. Then he tilted her chin up and forced her to look at him.

She looked so scared, so vulnerable. Her eyes glistened with tears. He loved her so much. He wanted to give her the world. But first he had to gain her trust in him.

The minister closed his book, opened the sheet of paper in his hand, and began to read. "Do you promise to stay with your wife for as long as you shall live? Do you give your word before God and these witnesses that you will never leave her until death do you part?"

Her eyes had widened during the minister's questions. She turned and saw the paper he was holding.

"I do," Caine whispered when Jade turned back to him. "And now the last," Caine directed the minister.

"This is highly irregular," the minister whispered. He turned to address Jade. "And do you promise to tell your husband you love him before this day is out?"

Her smile was radiant. "I do," she promised.

"You may kiss the bride," the minister announced.

Caine happily obliged. When he lifted his head, he said, "You're mine now."

He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. "I never make the same mistake twice, sweetheart,"

he whispered.

"I don't understand, Caine," she replied. She was still on the verge of tears and was desperately trying to maintain her composure. "Then why didn't you have the minister make me promise not to leave you? Don't you believe I'd honor my vows?"

"Once you give your word, I know you won't break it," he answered her. "But you have to give it freely. When you're ready, you'll tell me."

He wasn't given any more time to talk to her, for the crowd of well-wishers moved in on them to offer their congratulations.

Harry stood in the corner with his men, dabbing at his eyes with the edge of his sash. Caine's mother seemed genuinely happy to have Jade in the family. Of course she didn't know her new daughter-in-law was a common thief, Jade reminded herself.

"Will your uncle be visiting you often?" Gweneth asked after giving Harry a quick glance.

"He lives a fair distance from England," Jade explained. "He'll probably come just once a year."

Caine heard the last of Jade's explanation, saw his mother's quick relief, and started to laugh.

"My mother's a little nervous around your uncle," he said.

"Oh, you shouldn't be," Jade countered. "Harry is really a very kind man. Perhaps if you got to know

him better…"

Caine's mother looked absolutely appalled by that suggestion. Jade didn't know what to make of that. "That was Harry's idea a while back," Caine explained. "He wanted to get to know my mother a whole

lot better."

Since Jade hadn't witnessed Harry trying to drag the Duchess out the front door, she didn't understand why his mother was looking so horrified. She didn't understand Caine's amusement, either.

"Now, son, this isn't the time…"

"You called him son," Jade blurted out. "And you called her mother, didn't you?"

"He is my son," Gweneth announced. "What else would I call him, dear? I have his permission."

Jade was so pleased, she couldn't quit smiling. "Oh, I misunderstood," she whispered. "I thought he only called you madam, and that you never, ever called him son. I wanted him to belong… yes, I was mistaken."

Neither Caine nor his mother set her straight. They smiled at each other.

"Where's Henry?" Gweneth suddenly asked. "Harry's coming over here."

The Duchess picked up her skirts and went running toward her husband before Caine or Jade could

stop her.

"You were worried I didn't belong?" he whispered.

She looked embarrassed. "Everyone should belong to someone, Caine, even you."

Harry shoved the bouquet of roses in her hands. "These will be the last roses Jimbo's going to fetch for you, girl, so you might as well enjoy them." He thought his announcement might have sounded surly, so he gave her a kiss on her forehead. Then he turned to Caine. "I need to give you the telling about the fire we got planned for the ship," he said. "The painting should be done by tomorrow."

"If you'll excuse me, I want to talk to Nathan," Jade said. She noticed her brother standing all alone on

the terrace.

Caine listened to Harry as he outlined his plans, but he kept his gaze directed on his bride all the while. Jade faced her brother and spoke to him a long time. Nathan nodded several times. His expression was serious. He looked startled, too, when Jade pulled one of the roses from her cluster and held it out to him.

He shook his head. She nodded.

And then he smiled at his sister, accepted the rose, and pulled her into his arms.

For the first time since Caine had met Nathan, he was seeing the real man. He was completely unguarded now. The look on his face as he held his sister close was filled with love.

Caine didn't intrude. He waited until Jade moved away from Nathan and walked back to his side.

Harry and his men were all watching Nathan now. When Jade's brother lifted the rose in the air, a resounding cheer went up. The men immediately went to Nathan. Both Jimbo and Matthew pounded

him on his back.

"What is that all about?" Caine asked Jade. He put his arm around her and pulled her into his side.

"I gave Nathan a wedding present," she told him.

Her eyes sparkled with merriment. He was sidetracked by the sudden desire to kiss her. "Well?" she asked when he just stared down at her so intently. "Don't you want to know what I gave him?"

"A rose," he whispered. He leaned down and kissed her brow. "Love, let's go upstairs for a few minutes."

The urgency in his voice, added to the look on his face, left her breathless. "We can't," she whispered. "We have guests. And we have to go to London," she added with a nod.

Caine let out a long sigh. "Then quit looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you want to go upstairs, too," he growled.

She smiled. "But I do want to go upstairs."

He kissed her then, just the way he wanted to, using his tongue in erotic love play, pretending for just a moment that they were really all alone.

She was as limp as lettuce when he lifted his head back. Lord, how he loved the way she responded to him.

He remembered the promise she'd given the minister then. "Jade, wasn't there something you wanted to say to me?" he gently prodded when her glazed expression began to fade.

"Yes," she whispered. "I wanted to tell you I gave Nathan a white rose."

She looked so sincere, he knew she wasn't jesting with him. He decided then he'd have to wait until they were alone before nagging her into admitting she loved him. Damn, he needed to hear her say the words.

"Do you understand the significance, Caine?"

He shook his head. "1 gave him my name," she explained.

He still didn't understand. "He's going to look damned silly answering to your name, sweetheart."

"Pagan."

"What?"

She nodded when he looked as if he wanted to argue with her. "Nathan's going to be Pagan now. It was my gift to him."

She looked so pleased with herself, he felt guilty for arguing. "Jade, Pagan has to die, remember?"

"Just for a little while," she replied. "The men have a new leader, Caine, Nathan wants the Emerald. He has business to take care of."

"What business?"

"He has to fetch his bride."

That statement did get a reaction. Caine was stunned. "Nathan's married?"

"Since he was fourteen," she returned. "By the King's command."

"Where's his wife?" Caine asked.

She laughed, delighted by his astonishment. "That's the business he has to attend to, Caine."

He started to laugh. "Do you mean to tell me Nathan lost his wife?"

"Not exactly," she answered. "She ran away from him. Now can you understand why he's so cranky?"

Caine nodded. "Sweetheart, how many other secrets have you still to share with me?"

She wasn't given time to mull that question over. Sir Richards interrupted with the reminder that it was time they left for London.

"Jade, you'd better change into your riding garments," Caine instructed. "We won't be taking the carriage."

She nodded, quickly said her farewells, and went upstairs to change. Sterns carried her satchel

downstairs to give to the stablemaster so he could secure it on the back of her horse.

Caine was just putting his jacket on when she walked into his room. He'd already changed into snug-fitting fawn-colored britches and dark brown Hessian boots. He wore the same white shirt but

had removed the cravat.

"I'm ready," she called out from the doorway to get his attention.

"It's a hell of a way to begin our marriage," Caine muttered.

"We could have waited," she replied.

He shook his head. "No, we couldn't have waited."

"Caine? Why couldn't we have taken the carriage?"

"We're taking the back way, through the woods, starting out in the opposite direction, of course, and

then circling. We're going to sneak up on London, sweet."

She smiled. "Just like McKindry," she announced.

Caine slipped the long knife into one boot, his attention turned to his task, and asked, "Who's McKindry?"

"The man who used the whip on me," Jade answered. "Don't forget your pistol, Caine."

"I won't," he answered. He turned to look at her. "McKindry's the bastard who marked you?" he demanded.

"Don't look so angry, Caine, it was a long time ago."

"How long ago?"

"Oh, I was eight, perhaps nine years old at the time. Harry took care of McKindry. And it was a very good lesson for me," she added when his expression turned murderous.

"What lesson?"

"McKindry sneaked up behind me," she explained. "After that, every time Harry left me, his very last words were, always, remember McKindry. It was a reminder, you see, that I must always be on my guard."

What the hell kind of a childhood was that? he asked himself. Caine kept his anger hidden. "And how often did Harry leave you?" he asked, his tone mild. He even turned toward the wardrobe so she

wouldn't see his expression.

"Oh, all the time," she answered. "Until I was old enough to help, of course. Then I went with him. Caine, you'd really better hurry. Sir Richards will be pacing. I'll go downstairs…"

"Come here, Jade."

His voice was a hoarse whisper, his expression solemn. Jade was thoroughly confused by his behavior. She walked over to stand in front of him.

"Yes, Caine?" she asked.

"I want you to remember something else besides McKindry," he said.

"What?"

"I love you."

"I could never forget you love me." She reached up and gently brushed her fingertips down his cheek.

She tried to kiss him then, but he shook his head. "I also want you to remember something else," he whispered. "Remember your promise to me that you're never, ever going on the ocean again."

Her eyes widened. "But I didn't promise you…"

"Promise me now, then," he ordered.

"I promise."

She was looking quite stunned. Caine was satisfied by that reaction. "I'll tell Harry he'll have to come to England if he wants to see you. We won't be going to him. I'll also tell him I made you promise me. He won't argue over that."

"How long have you known, Caine?" she asked.

"That you're afraid of the water?"

She timidly nodded. "Since the first nightmare," he explained. He took her back into his arms. "You've been worried, haven't you?"

"A little," she whispered. Then she shook her head. "No, Caine, I wasn't just a little worried. I was terrified. Harry wouldn't understand."

A long ponderous moment passed before she whispered, "Caine, do you think me a coward for being afraid of the water?"

"Do you have to ask me that question?" he replied. "Don't you already know the answer, Jade?"

She smiled then. "No, you don't believe I'm a coward. I'm sorry for insulting you by asking. I'm just not use to admitting…"

"Sweetheart, Poseidon wouldn't go back in the water if he'd been through your terror."

She started to laugh and cry at the same time. She was so relieved he'd just taken her burden away, she felt positively light-headed. "Nathan's stronger than 1 am," she said then. "He's going on the waters again."

"Nathan isn't human, love, so he doesn't count," Caine replied.

"Oh, he's human, all right. If I tell you a secret, will you keep it? You won't torment my brother with…"

"I promise."

"Nathan gets seasick."

Caine laughed. "He's going to make a hell of a pirate then," he drawled out.

"I love you."

She'd blurted out her confession, her face hidden in the lapels of his jacket.

He quit laughing. "Did you say something?" he asked, pretending he hadn't heard her. He nudged her

chin up and stared down into her eyes.

It took her a long time to get the words out again, and every ounce of courage she possessed. Her throat tightened up, her heart hammered a wild beat, and her stomach felt like it was tying itself in knots.

She wouldn't have been able to tell him if he hadn't helped. The look on his face was so filled with love,

it made some of the panic ebb away. The dimple did the rest. "I love you."

He felt relieved, until she burst into tears again. "Was that so difficult? To tell me you loved me?"

"It was," she whispered while he kissed her tears away. "I'm not at all used to telling what's in my heart.

I don't believe I like it at all."

He would have laughed if she hadn't sounded so damned vulnerable. He kissed her instead.

"You didn't like making love the first time, either," he reminded her before kissing her sweet mouth once again.

Both of them were shaking when they drew apart. He would have dragged her over to the bed if Sir Richards' bellow hadn't interrupted them.

They sighed in unison. "Come along, sweetheart. It's time to go."

He started out the doorway, tugging her by her hand.

Lyons and Richards were waiting for them in the foyer. The time for gaiety was quickly put aside. They walked in silence through the backwoods where Matthew and Jimbo waited with their horses.

Caine took the lead. Jade was next in line, with Lyon responsible for protecting her back. Sir Richards trailed last.

Caine was cautious to the point of fanaticism. The only time they stopped to rest was when he backtracked on his own to make certain they weren't being followed. Still, Jade didn't mind the inconvenience. She was comforted by his precautions.

Each time Caine left, Lyon stayed by her side. And every time he talked to her, the topic was always about his file. It was apparent he was concerned about someone else getting hold of it.

She suggested he steal his own file so that he could gain peace of mind. Lyon shook his head. He tried

not to smile as he explained it wouldn't be ethical. There might also come a time, he added, when someone would question one of his missions. The file couldn't be destroyed or stolen, for the truth was his protection.

Jade didn't argue with him, but she decided the file would be much better protected in his home than in the War Office. She made the decision to take care of that little chore on her own.

By the time they reached the outskirts of London proper, the sun was setting. Jade was exhausted from the long ride. She didn't protest when Caine took her into his lap. She rode the rest of the distance with his arms wrapped around her.

And all the while she kept thinking to herself that Caine was such a solid, reliable man. A woman could depend on him.

She was just drifting off to sleep when they reached his town house. Caine went inside first, curtly dismissed his servants for the night, then took Jade into the library. The scent of smoke was still in the

air, and most of the walls were still blackened from the fire, but the servants had done a good job righting the damage. The town house was sound enough to live in.

When Lyon and Richards joined Jade and Caine, Richards said, "We'll leave as soon as it goes completely dark."

"It would be safer if we waited until midnight," Jade interjected. "There are two guards until then."

"And what happens at midnight?" Sir Richards asked.

"Only one guard stays during the blackest hours of the night," she explained. "His name is Peter Kently and he's always half-sotted by the time he takes over the watch. Now, if we wait until half past, he'll

have finished the last of his bottle, and he should be fast asleep."

Sir Richards was staring at her with his mouth gaping wide. "How did you…?"

"Sir, one must always be prepared for any eventuality if one is going to be successful," she instructed.

While Sir Richards sputtered about the lack of morals in government workers, Lyon asked Jade about

the locks. "The back door is a piece of work," she announced. Her eyes sparkled with merriment, for she was obviously warming to her topic.

"A piece of work?" Caine asked, smiling over her enthusiasm.

"Difficult," she qualified.

Sir Richards perked up considerably. "Well, thank God something's up to snuff."

She gave him a sympathetic look. "Difficult, Sir Richards, but not impossible. I did get inside, if you'll remember."

He looked so crestfallen, she hastened to add, "It took quite a long while that first time. Double locks are rather tricky."

"But not impossible," Lyon interjected. "Jade? Just how long did it take you that first time?"

"Oh, five… perhaps as many as six minutes."

Richards hid his face in his hands. Jade tried to comfort him. "There, there, Sir Richards. It isn't as bad as all that. Why, it took me almost an hour to get inside the inner sanctuary where the sealed files are kept."

The director didn't look as if he wanted to be comforted now. Jade left the men to their plans and went to the kitchens to find something to eat. She returned to the library with an assortment of food. They shared apples, cheese, cold mutton, day-old bread, and dark brown ale. Jade took her boots off, tucked her feet up under her, and fell asleep in the chair.

The men kept their voices low while they talked about the Tribunal. When Jade awakened several hours later, she saw Caine was rereading the letters she'd copied.

He had a puzzled look on his face, his concentration absolute, and when he suddenly smiled and leaned back in his chair, she thought he might have sorted through whatever problem he'd been contemplating. "Have you come to any conclusions, Caine?" she asked. "I'm getting there," Caine answered, sounding positively cheerful.

"You're being logical and methodical, aren't you?" she asked.

"Yes," he answered. "We take this one step at a time, Jade."

"He's a very logical man," she told Lyon and Sir Richards. Caine thought she sounded like she was making an excuse for a sorry flaw. "He cannot help himself," she added. "He's very trusting, too."

"Trusting?" Lyon snorted with laughter. "You can't be serious, Jade. Caine is one of the most cynical men in England."

"A trait I developed by running with you," Caine drawled out.

Jade was amazed by Lyon's comments. He sounded so certain. Sir Richards was nodding too. She

turned to smile at Caine, then said, "I'm honored then that you trust me."

"Just as much as you trust me, sweetheart," he answered.

She frowned at him. "And just what is that supposed to mean?" she asked. "Are you being insulting?"

He grinned. Jade turned to Lyon. "Do you have any idea how maddening it is to be married to someone who's so damned logical all the time?"

Caine answered her. "I haven't the faintest idea."

She decided to quit the topic. She eased her feet to the floor, grimacing over the discomfort that movement caused her backside. If she'd been all alone, she would have let out a loud, unladylike groan. "I'm not at all accustomed to riding for such long hours," she admitted.

"You did well today," Lyon praised. He turned to look at Caine. "When this is finished, Christina and

I will give a reception for the two of you."

"That would be fine," Caine interjected. "You know, Lyon, Jade and Christina are really quite alike."

"Is she a thief then?" Jade asked before she could stop herself. Her voice was filled with enthusiasm.

"We got along quite well right from the start. No wonder…"

"Sorry to disappoint you, love, but Christina isn't a thief," Caine said.

She looked crestfallen. Lyon laughed. "Christina isn't very logical either, Jade. She comes from a rather unusual family. She could teach you all sorts of things."

"God help us," Caine interjected, for he was very familiar with Lady Christina's unusual background. Lyon's wife had been raised in the wilderness of the Americas by one of the Dakota tribes.

Jade misunderstood Caine's reaction. "I'm certain I'm a quick study, Caine. If I apply myself, I could learn everything Christina would like to teach me."

She didn't give him time to argue with her. "I'm going to change my clothes. We must leave soon."

Caine, she noticed, was glaring at Lyon when she took her leave. Jade quickly changed into her black gown. She carried a cloak with her. The hood would shield her brightly colored hair in the lamplight.

They walked most of the way to the War Office. The building was across town, but they used the hired hack for only half the distance. When they reached the alley behind the building, Jade moved to Caine's side. She took hold of his hand while she stared up at the top floor of the brick structure.

"Something's wrong, Caine."

"What?" Sir Richards asked from behind her back. "Your instincts, my dear, or…"

"There's a light in the third window on the right," she explained. "It shouldn't be showing any light."

"Perhaps the guard at the entrance…"

"The entrance is on the other side," Jade interrupted. "That light comes from the inner office."

Caine turned to Lyon. "If someone's in there going through the files, he'll use the back door when he leaves."

"Let him pass when he does," Sir Richards directed. "I'll follow him."

"Do you want me to go with you?" Lyon asked. "If there's more than one…"

Richards shook his head. "I'll see who the leader is and follow that bloke. You're needed here. We'll

meet back at Caine's, no matter what the hour."

They moved to the shadows a fair distance from the back door, then patiently waited. Caine put his

arm around Jade's shoulders and held her close.

"You don't want me here with you, do you, Caine?" she whispered when his grip became almost painful.

"No, I don't want you to be here," he answered. "Jade, if there's trouble inside…"

"Lyon will take care of it," she interjected before he could finish his thought. "If there's any killing done, God forbid, then Lyon should be the one doing it. He's used to it."

Lyon heard her announcement and raised an eyebrow in reaction. He wondered if she'd read Caine's

file all the way through. It was a fact that Caine was every bit as capable as Lyon was.

Their whispers stopped as soon as the back door squeaked open. While they watched, two men scurried outside. In the moonlight, Jade could see their faces clearly. She couldn't contain her gasp. Caine clamped his hand over her mouth.

The second man out turned and locked the door. How had he secured the keys? Jade wondered. She

held her silence until the men had turned the corner. Sir Richards left to follow them.

Then she turned to Caine. "The security is deplorable," she whispered.

"Yes," he agreed. "You recognized them, didn't you?"

She nodded. "They are two of the three men who waylaid Nathan's carriage. The bigger of the two is

the one who hit me on the head."

The look on his face frightened her. She thought he might very well go after the two men then and there. "Caine, you must be logical now, please. You can't chase after them."

He looked exasperated with her. "I'll wait," he said. "But when this is over…"

He didn't finish that statement, but took hold of her hand and led her over to the door. With the special tool Harry had given her for her tenth birthday, she was able to get the lock undone in quick time. The second latch took only a few minutes longer.

Lyon went inside first. Jade followed, with Caine taking up the rear. She nudged Lyon out of the way

and took the lead. They went up to the third floor by way of the back steps. Jade remembered the squeak in the fourth rail on the second staircase, motioned for both men to avoid it, then felt Lyon's arms on her waist. He lifted her over the step and put her down. She turned to smile her appreciation before continuing on.

The guard wasn't sleeping at his post behind the desk in the outer office. He was dead. Jade saw the handle of the knife protruding from his shoulders. She took a quick step back. Caine's hand immediately covered her mouth again. He must have thought she was going to cry out.

Through the glass window of the door, they could see two shadows. Caine pulled Jade over into the corner, motioned for her to stay there, and then followed Lyon into the inner office. She was impressed by their silence. The two of them would make proper thieves, she decided.

They were taking too long, though. She stood there with her back pressed against the cold wall, wringing her hands together while she waited. If anything happened to Caine, she didn't know what she would do. Until she had to leave him, of course, she qualified in her mind… God help her, she needed him.

She didn't realize her eyes were squeezed shut until she felt Caine's hand on her shoulder. "Come on, we're alone now."

"What about the men inside?" she whispered. "And for heaven's sake, lower your voice. We're at work now."

He didn't answer her. Jade followed Caine inside the sanctuary, tossed her cloak on the nearest desk while Lyon added another candle to the lights.

She noticed the two men on the floor in the corner then. She couldn't contain her gasp. "Are they dead?" she asked.

She couldn't quit staring at the bodies sprawled atop each other. Caine moved to block her view. "No,"

he said.

Her relief was obvious. "Jade, didn't any of your men ever have to…"

"They most certainly did not," she interrupted. "I would have had their hides. Killing wasn't allowed. Now quit talking so much, Caine. You must hurry. If they wake up, they'll shout an alarm."

"They won't wake up for a long while," Caine said. He pulled out a chair, gently pushed her down into it. "You rest. This is going to take some time."

"Rest while I'm at work? Never." She sounded appalled by his suggestion.

"Terrance's file is missing," Lyon announced, drawing their attention. He was bent over the file drawer, smiling broadly. "Interesting, wouldn't you say?"

"The lamplighters probably think it's very interesting, too," Jade snapped. "Do keep your voice down, Lyon."

"Yes, it is interesting," Caine said quietly in answer to Lyon's remark.

"Then we can leave now?" Jade asked, glancing over at the two men on the floor once again.

"Jade, why are you so nervous?" Caine asked. "You've been in and out of this room several times before," he reminded her.

"I was working with professionals then," she announced.

Lyon and Caine shared a smile. "She's worried about us," Lyon said.

"No," Caine countered. "That would be insulting if she…"

She couldn't believe he was daring to tease her now. "Of course, I'm worried. You two aren't even proper apprentices. Even an imbecile would know that now isn't the time for idle chitchat. Do get on with it."

"She is insulting us," Lyon drawled out. He started to laugh, but her glare changed his mind.

The men turned serious then. They labored over certain files for two long hours. Jade didn't interrupt. She didn't dare rest, either, for she was determined to keep on her guard in case of intruders.

"All right, we're finished," Caine said as he slammed the last file shut.

Jade stood up and walked over to the drawer. She took the folder from Caine, turned, and put it back in its proper place. Her back was to the men and it didn't take her any time at all to remove both Caine's

and Lyon's fat files.

She turned around, determined to have it out with them then and there if they offered one word of protest. Luck was on her side, however, for the men had already moved to the outer office.

"Aren't you going to go through their pockets?" she called out. She pointed to the sleeping men. "We already did," Caine answered. Jade wrapped the files in her cloak. She blew out the candles and followed the men downstairs. Since they were all alone inside the building, she guessed they didn't need to be quiet. Each was taking a turn muttering expletives. Caine's, she noticed, were every bit as colorful as Lyon's were.

"I am never taking either one of you on another raid again," she muttered. "I wouldn't be surprised if the authorities were waiting for us outside."

Neither Caine nor Lyon paid any attention to her ramblings. She soon became too weary to lecture them anyway.

Sir Richards was waiting for them in the alley. "There's a hack waiting four blocks over," he announced before he turned and took the lead.

Jade stumbled when they rounded the corner. Lyon grabbed her, lifted her into his arms. She thought he might have felt the folders when he transferred her into Caine's arms, then decided he hadn't noticed after all when he grinned down at her and turned to take up the rear guard. She fell asleep in the vehicle with the cloak clutched to her breasts. It was such a comfort to realize she didn't have to worry. As long as Caine was nearby, she felt safe, protected. For the first time in a good long while, she didn't have to remember McKindry. Caine would keep his guard up for both of them. He'd never make a proper thief, of course, but he certainly wouldn't let the evil McKindrys of the world sneak up behind them, either.

She found herself in Caine's bed when she woke up. He was trying to pry her cloak away from her.

"Are they waiting for you downstairs?" she asked in a sleepy whisper.

"Yes, they are. Sweetheart, let me help you…"

"I can undress myself," she said. "Do you need me…"

She was going to ask him if he needed her to go downstairs with him, but he interrupted her. "I'll always need you, Jade. I love you."

He leaned down and kissed her. "Go to sleep, sweetheart. I'll join you as soon as we've finished."

"I don't want to need you."

She blurted out that confession in a voice filled with panic. Caine's smile was almost sympathetic.

"I know, love, but you do need me. Now go to sleep."

She didn't understand why, yet found she was comforted by his contradiction. He was so sure of

himself, so confident. It was a trait she couldn't help but admire.

Jade let out a loud sigh. She was simply too tired to think about the future now. She hid the files, took

her clothes off, and fell back into bed. She thought she very well might have the horrid nightmare again, then realized she wasn't dreading it as much as before.

She fell asleep hugging the promise Caine had given her. She would never have to go near the ocean again.

Caine didn't come to bed until after seven in the morning. Jade opened her eyes just long enough to watch him pull back the covers and stretch out beside her. He hauled her up against his side, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist, and was snoring like a drunk before she got settled again.

She went downstairs around noon, introduced herself to Caine's London staff, and then went into the dining room to have breakfast.

Caine suddenly appeared at the doorway, dressed only in a pair of light-colored britches. He looked exhausted, angry, too, and when he crooked his finger at her she decided not to argue.

"Come here, Jade."

"Did you get up on the wrong side of the bed, Caine?" she asked as she walked over to face him.

"Or are you always this surly when you first wake up?"

"I thought you'd left."

Her eyes widened over that confession, but she wasn't given time to think about it too much. Caine

lifted her into his arms and carried her back upstairs. She realized just how furious he was when she noticed the muscle in the side of his jaw was flexing. "Caine, I didn't leave you," she whispered, stating the obvious. She reached up to caress his cheek, smiling over the stubble there. "You need a shave, husband."

"That's right, I am your husband," he grated out. He tossed her onto the bed, took his pants off, and stretched out beside her, facedown, with his arm anchored around her waist. She was fully clothed; he was stark naked.

She would have laughed over the absurdity of her circumstances if the fullness of what he'd just implied hadn't settled in her mind. How dare he not trust her? She was furious. She would have given him a good piece of her mind, too, if he hadn't looked so damned peaceful. She didn't have the heart to wake him up.

The lecture would have to wait until later. She closed her eyes, selected a book from her memory, and reread it in her mind while she patiently waited for Caine to get the rest he needed.

He didn't move until almost two that afternoon. He was in a much better frame of mind, too. He smiled

at her. She glared at him.

"Why don't you trust me?" she demanded.

Caine rolled onto his back, stacked his hands behind his head, and let out a loud yawn. "Take your clothes off, sweetheart," he whispered. "Then we'll discuss this."

Her gaze moved down his body to his obvious arousal. She blushed in reaction. "I think we should discuss it now, Caine," she stammered out.

He pulled her on top of him, kissed her passionately, and then ordered her to take her clothes off again. Odd, but she didn't mind obeying his command now. He was such a persuasive man. Demanding, too. She climaxed twice before he finally filled her with his seed.

She could barely move when he finally moved away from her. "Now what was it you wanted to discuss?"

She couldn't remember. It took them another hour to get dressed, for they kept stopping to kiss each other. It wasn't until they were on their way downstairs that Jade remembered what it was she wanted

to lecture him about.

"Haven't I proven myself to you?" she asked. "You should trust me with all your heart."

"You don't trust me," he countered. "It works both ways, Jade, or not at all. You've made it clear you'll leave me at the first opportunity. Isn't that right, love?"

He paused on the bottom step and turned around to look at her. They were eye to eye now. Hers, he noticed, were cloudy with tears.

"I don't wish to talk about this now," she announced, struggling to maintain her composure. "I'm hungry and I…"

"It gives you the edge, doesn't it, wife?"

"I don't understand what you mean," she returned. Her voice shook. "What edge?"

"In the back of that illogical mind of yours lurks the possibility that I'll eventually leave you," he explained. "Just like Nathan and Harry did. You're still afraid."

"I'm afraid?" she stammered out.

He nodded. "You're afraid of me."

He thought she'd argue over that statement of fact. She surprised him by nodding. "Yes, you make me very afraid," she admitted. And I can tell you, sir, I don't like that feeling one little bit. It makes me…"

"Vulnerable?"

She nodded again. He let out a patient sigh. "All right, then. How long do you suppose it's going to take you to become unafraid?" His voice was so gentle, his expression so serious.

"How long before you get tired of me?" she asked, her fear apparent.

"Are you deliberately misunderstanding?"

"No."

"Then in answer to your absurd question, I will never get tired of you. Now tell me how long it will take you before you trust me?" he ordered again. His voice wasn't at all gentle now. It was as hard, as determined as his expression.

"I told you I loved you," she whispered.

"Yes, you did."

"I repeated the vows before you and God." Her voice had risen an octave. He could also see her panic, her insecurity.

"Well? What more do you want from me?"

She was shouting now, wringing her hands together. Caine decided she still wasn't ready to surrender wholeheartedly.

He felt like an ogre for upsetting her. "Jade…"

"Caine, I don't want to leave you," she blurted out. "I do trust you. Yes, I do. I know you'll keep me safe. I know you love me, but there's a part of me that still…" She stopped her explanation and lowered her gaze. Her shoulders slumped in dejection. "Sometimes the feelings locked inside me since I was a little girl do get in the way of being logical," she admitted a long minute later. "I suppose you're right. I'm not at all logical about this, am I?"

He pulled her into his arms and held her close. The hug was more for his benefit than hers. In truth, he couldn't stand to see the torment in her eyes.

"I want to tell you something, sweetheart. The first time you tried to leave me… when Harry told me you'd left, it threw me into a panic. I've never had such a god-awful feeling before, and I sure as hell hated it. Now I'm beginning to realize that you've lived with that feeling a long time, haven't you?"

She mopped her tears away with his shirt before she answered. "Perhaps."

"And so you learned how to make it completely on your own," he continued. "You've been teaching yourself not to depend on anyone else. I'm right, aren't I?"

She shrugged against him. "I don't like talking about this," she whispered, trying to sound disgruntled

and not terrified. "I love you with all my heart," she added when he squeezed her. "And I know you

love me now, Caine. Yes, I'm sure of that."

Neither said a word for a long while after she'd made that statement. Jade used the time to calm her racing heart. He used the silence to think of a logical way to ease her illogical fears.

"What if we make this a short period?" he suddenly blurted out.

"What?" She pulled away from him so she could see his expression. Surely he was jesting with her.

The look on his face indicated he was quite serious. "You want to make our marriage a short union?

But you just told me you loved me. How can you…"

"No, no," he argued. "If we just make this commitment to each other for six months' time, if you can

just promise me you'll stay with me for that length of time, won't some of your panic ease away?"

He sounded so enthusiastic, looked so arrogantly pleased with himself. She realized then he was quite sincere in this absurdity. "You already said you'd never leave me. Now you're telling me six months…"

"I won't ever leave you," he snapped, obviously irritated she wasn't embracing his plan wholeheartedly. "But you don't believe I mean what I say. Therefore, you have only to promise to give me six months, Jade."

"And what about you, husband? Does this promise hold for you as well?"

"Of course."

She threw herself back into his arms so he couldn't see her smile. She didn't want him to think she was laughing at him. Odd, too, but she suddenly felt as though a weight had been lifted from her chest. She could breathe again. The panic was gone.

"Give me your word, wife."

The command was given in a low growl. "I give it," she replied.

"No," he muttered. "It won't work. It's too short a time," he added. "Hell, if I ever forgot, you'd be gone before I… I want a full year, Jade. We'll start from the day we were married. I won't ever forget our anniversary."

He squeezed her shoulders when she didn't answer him quickly enough. "Well? Do you promise not to leave me for a full year?"

"I promise."

Caine was so relieved, he wanted to shout. He'd finally come up with a way to keep her happy; He'd

just given her the edge he was certain she needed. "Say the words, wife," he ordered, his voice gruff.

"I don't want any misunderstandings."

The man really should have become a barrister, she decided. He was so logical, so clever, too. "I'll stay with you for one year. Now you must promise me, husband."

"I won't leave you for one full year," he announced.

He tilted her chin up with his thumb. "You do believe me, don't you?" he asked.

"Yes, I do."

"And you're relieved, aren't you?"

She didn't answer him for a long minute. The truth wasn't at all slow in coming, either. It hit her like a warm bolt of sunshine, filling her heart and her illogical mind all at once. He would never leave her… and she could never leave him. The vulnerable childlike feelings hidden inside her for so many years of loneliness evaporated.

"Sweetheart? You are relieved, aren't you?"

"I trust you with all my heart," she whispered.

"You aren't in a panic now?"

She shook her head. "Caine, I want to tell…"

"I took the panic away, didn't I?"

Because he looked so supremely pleased with himself, she didn't want to lessen his arrogant satisfaction. A man had to have his pride intact, she remembered. "You have made me sort this all out in my mind," she whispered. "And yes, you have taken my panic away. Thank you, Caine."

They shared a long sweet kiss. Jade was shaking when Caine lifted his head away. He thought his kiss had caused that reaction.

"Do you want to go back upstairs, love?" he asked.

She nodded. "After you've fed me, Caine. I'm starving."

He took hold of her hand and started for the dining room.

"Do you know, husband, I have the oddest feeling now."

"And what is that?" he asked.

"I feel… free. Do you understand, Caine? It's as though I've just been let out of a locked room. That's ridiculous, of course."

Caine held out the chair at the table for her, then took his own. "Why is it ridiculous?"

She immediately looked disgruntled. "Because there isn't a locked room I can't get out of," she explained.

Caine ordered their breakfast, and when Anna, the servant, had left the room, he asked Jade to tell him about some of the adventures she'd had. "I want to know everything there is to know," he announced.

"You'll only get angry," she predicted.

"No, no," he argued. "I promise I won't get angry, no matter what you tell me."

"Well, I don't mean to boast," she began. "But I do seem to have a natural ability for getting in and out

of tight spots. Uncle Harry says I'm a born thief and liar," she added.

"Now, sweetheart, I'm sure he didn't mean to criticize you," Caine replied.

"Well, of course not," she returned in exasperation. "Those were compliments, husband. Uncle's praise meant all the more to me because he doesn't usually give compliments to anyone. He says it isn't in his nature," she added with a smile. "Harry worries that others will find out the truth about him."

"And what might that truth be?" Caine asked. "That he's actually a little civilized after all?" "How did

you guess?"

"From the way you turned out," he explained. "If he was such a barbarian, you wouldn't have become such a lady." She beamed with pleasure. "It is good of you to notice," she whispered. "Uncle is very intelligent." "He's the one who taught you how to read, isn't he?" She nodded. "It proved fortunate, too, for his eyes started failing him. At night I would read to him." "From memory?"

"Only when there weren't any books available. Harry stole as many as he could get his hands on."

"The way he speaks," Caine interjected. "That's all part of his deception, too, isn't it?"

"Yes," she admitted. "Appearances, after all. He doesn't even use proper grammar when we're alone, fearing he'll slip up in front of his men, you see."

Caine rolled his eyes. "Your uncle became a bit of a fanatic about his position as leader, didn't he?"

"No," she argued. "You misunderstand. He enjoys the deception, Caine." She continued to talk about

her uncle for another few minutes, then turned the topic to some of her most memorable escapades. Because he'd promised not to get angry, Caine hid his reaction. His hands were shaking, though, with

the true need to wring good old Uncle Harry's neck, by the time she'd finished telling him about one particularly harrowing incident.

He decided he didn't want to know all about her past after all. "I think I'd better hear these stories one

at a time."

"That's what I'm doing," she countered. She paused to smile at the servant when the woman placed a

tray of crusty rolls in front of her, then turned back to Caine. "I am telling them one at a time."

Caine shook his head. "I mean I want you to tell me one every other month or so. A man can only take so much. I promise you I'll be thinking about the story you just told me a good long while. Hell, Jade,

I can feel my hair turning gray. You could have been killed. You could have…"

"But you aren't getting angry," she interjected with a smile. "You did promise."

Caine leaned back in his chair. "I think we'd better change the subject. Tell me when you realized you love me," he commanded. "Did I force you?"

She started to laugh. "You can't force someone to love you," she said. "I believe, however, that when

I read your file, I was already falling in love with you."

She smiled over the astonished look on his face. "It's true," she whispered.

"Jade, I'm not very proud of some of the things I had to do," he said. "You did read the entire file, didn't you?"

"I did," she answered. "You were determined, methodical too, but you weren't inhuman about it. In every accounting, you were always so… reliable. People depended upon you and you never let them down. I admired that quality, of course. And then I met you," she ended. "You were a little like McKindry, because you snuck up behind me and stole my heart before I even realized what was happening. Now you must tell me when you realized you loved me."

"It was during one of our many heated debates," he said.

It was her turn to look astonished. "We never debated," she said. "We shouted at each other. Those

were arguments."

"Debates," he repeated. "Loud ones but debates all the same."

"Are you telling me you fell in love with my mind first?"

"No."

She laughed, delighted by his honesty. "Shouldn't your man be here with us? It might look suspicious

if he stays in the country, Caine."

"Sterns never comes to London with me," he explained. "Everyone knows that. Sterns hates London, says it's too cluttered."

"I miss him," she admitted. "He reminds me of you. Sterns is most opinionated-arrogant, too."

"No one understands why I put up with him," Caine said. "But if the truth were out, I don't understand why he puts up with me. He's been like a shield to me, especially when I was a lad. I did get into quite a bit of mischief. Sterns softened the telling, though. He pulled me out of certain death several times, too."

Caine told her a story about the time he almost drowned in a boating incident and how Sterns had saved him only to toss him right back in the waters to learn the proper way to swim. Both of them were laughing by the time Caine ended the tale, for the picture of the sour-faced butler in full clothing swimming alongside his small charge was quite amusing.

Jade was the first to grow somber. "Caine, did you and your friends come to any conclusions last night after I went to bed?"

"The man Richards followed home was Willburn. Do you remember Colin told us that Willburn was his director and how he confided in him?"

"Yes, I remember," she replied. "Nathan said he never trusted Willburn. Still, my brother doesn't trust anyone but Harry and Colin, and me, of course."

"Colin was wrong, Jade. Willburn did work for the Tribunal. He's now employed by the one remaining member."

Before she could interrupt him, he continued. "We're pretty certain William Terrance was the second man. Since he's dead, and your father too, that only leaves the third. Richards is convinced Terrance

was called Prince. That leaves Ice unaccounted for."

"How will we ever find Ice? We really don't have much to go on. The letters were very sparse with personal information, Caine."

"Sure we do, sweetheart," he replied. "In one of the letters, there was mention that Ice didn't attend Oxford. Also, both Fox and Prince were surprised when they met Ice."

"How did you gather that bit of information?"

"From one of the remarks made by your father to Prince in the third… no, the fourth letter."

"I remember," she countered. "I just didn't think it significant."

"Richards believes Ice could very well be a foreigner."

"And you?" she asked.

"I'm not convinced. There are other important clues in those letters, Jade. I just need a little more time

to put them all together."

She had complete faith in his ability to sort it all out. Once Caine put his mind to a problem, he would be able to solve it.

"Richards put a watch on Willburn. He thinks he might lead us to Ice. It's a start, but I'm not putting my money on it. We have other options, too. Now, sweetheart, I don't want you to leave this town house,

no matter what the reason, all right?"

"You can't leave either," she returned. "Agreed?"

"Agreed."

"Whatever will we do to keep ourselves occupied?" she asked with as much innocence in her tone as

she could manage.

"We could do a lot of reading, I suppose," he drawled out.

She stood up and went to stand behind his back. "Yes, we could read," she whispered as she wrapped

her arms around his broad shoulders. Her fingers slipped inside the top of his shirt. "I could learn how

to embroider," she added. "I've always wanted to learn that task." She leaned down and nibbled on his earlobe. "But do you know what I want to do most of all, husband?"

"I'm getting a fair idea," he answered, his voice husky with arousal.

"You know? Then you'll teach me?"

"Everything I know, sweetheart," he promised.

He stood up and took her into his arms. "What will we do for music?" she asked.

If he thought that an odd question, he didn't say so. "We'll make our own music," he promised. He dragged her by the hand into the foyer and started up the steps.

"How?" she asked, laughing.

"I'll hum every time you moan," he explained.

"Don't you think the drawing room will be better?" she asked.

"The bed would be more comfortable," he answered. "But if you're determined to…"

"Learn how to dance," she interjected. "That is what this discussion is all about, isn't it?"

She smiled ever so sweetly up at him after telling that lie, waiting for his reaction. She thought she'd bested him with her trickery. Caine, however, proved to be far more cunning than she was, more creative, too. He followed her into the drawing room, locked the doors behind him, and then proceeded

to teach her how to dance.

It was a pity, but she was never going to be able to show off her new skill in public, for Caine and she would scandalize the ton with the erotic, absolutely sinful way he taught her how to dance. And though

he was thoroughly logical in his explanation, she still refused to believe the ladies and gentlemen of the

ton took their clothes off before they did the waltz.

Caine kept her entertained the rest of the day, but as soon as darkness fell, they had their first argument.

"What do you mean, you're leaving?" she cried when he put his jacket on. "We agreed that we wouldn't leave this town house…"

"I'll be careful," Caine interrupted. He kissed her on her forehead. "Lyon and Richards are waiting for

me, sweet. I'm going to have to go out every night, I'm afraid, until we finish this. Now quit worrying

and tell me you won't wait up for me."

"I will wait up for you," she stammered out.

"I know," he answered with a sigh. "But tell me you won't anyway."

She let him see her exasperation. "Caine, if anything happens to you, I'm going to be very angry."

"I'll be careful," he answered.

Jade chased after him to the back door. "You'll remember McKindry?"

He turned, his hand on the doorknob. "That's your lesson, sweetheart."

"Well, you can damned well learn from it, too," she muttered.

"All right," he answered, trying to placate her. "I'll remember McKindry." He turned and opened the

door. "Jade?"

"Yes?"

"You will be here when I come home, won't you?"

She was amazed by his question, insulted, too, and she would have blistered him with a piece of her

mind if he hadn't sounded so vulnerable. "Have I made you so insecure, then?" she asked instead.

"Answer me," he commanded.

"I'll be here when you come home."

Those parting words became their ritual. Each night, just as he was leaving, he would tell her he would remember McKindry, and she would tell him she would be waiting for him.

During the dark hours of the night, while she waited for her husband to come home to her, she thought about his vulnerability. At first, she believed she was the cause. After all, she'd let him see her own insecurity often enough. But she sensed, too, that Caine's background was another reason for his own vulnerability. She couldn't imagine what his early life must have been like. Sir Harwick had called Caine's mother a shrew. She remembered he'd also said that the woman had tried to turn her son against his father. It couldn't have been a peaceful time for Caine.

The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became that Caine actually needed her just as much as she needed him.

That realization was a comfort.

Lady Briars sent several notes inviting Jade to visit. Caine wouldn't let her leave the town house, however, and sent word back that his wife was indisposed.

In the end, her father's dear friend came to see her. Jade's memory of the woman was hazy at best, but she felt horribly guilty about pretending to be ill when she saw how old and frail the woman was. She

was still beautiful, though, with clear blue eyes and silvery gray hair. Her intellect appeared to be quite sharp, too.

Jade served tea in the drawing room, then took her place next to Caine on the settee. He seemed quite determined to participate in the women's conversation.

Both husband and wife listened to Lady Briars extend her condolences over Nathan's tragic death. Jade played the role of grieving sister well, but she hated the deception, for Lady Briars was so sincere in her sympathy.

"When I read about the tragedy in the papers, I was stunned," Lady Briars said. "I had no idea Nathan worked for the government doing such secretive work. Caine, I must tell you how sorry I was to hear your brother was also killed by that horrid pirate. I didn't know the lad, of course, but I'm certain he

must have had a heart of gold."

"I never met Colin either," Jade interjected. "But Caine has told me all about him. He was a good man, Lady Briars, and he died for his country."

"How did Pagan become involved in this?" Lady Briars asked. "I'm still hazy on the details, child."

Caine answered her question. "From what the War Department was able to piece together, Nathan and Colin were waylaid when en route to investigate a highly secretive matter."

"Isn't it rather ironic that you two ended up together?" Lady Briars asked. There was a smile in her

voice now.

"Not really," Caine answered. "Both of us missed the ceremony honoring our brothers," he explained. "Jade came to see me. She wanted to talk about Nathan and I guess I needed to talk about Colin. We were immediately drawn to each other."

He paused to wink at Jade, then continued, "I believe it was love at first sight."

"I can see why," Lady Briars said. "Jade, you've turned into a beautiful woman." She shook her head

and let out a little sigh. "I never understood why your father's friend snatched you away so quickly after your father's funeral. I will admit I was going to petition the Crown for guardianship. I'd always wanted

a daughter. I also believed you would have fared much better with me. Now, after visiting with you, well, I must concede that you were properly raised."

"Uncle Harry insisted we leave right away," Jade explained. "He wasn't our legal guardian and he knew you'd fight for Nathan and me."

"Yes," Lady Briars agreed. "Do you know, I feel in part responsible for Nathan's death. Yes, I do. If

he'd come to live with me, I certainly wouldn't have allowed him to go off on those sea voyages. It was too dangerous."

"Nathan was a fully grown man when he made his decision to work for England," Caine interjected.

"I doubt you could have kept him home, Lady Briars."

"Still," she countered. "I still don't understand why your father didn't consider me for guardianship…"

"I believe I understand," Jade said. "Harry told me that Father had turned his heart against England."

"I cannot imagine why," Lady Briars returned. "He seemed very content to me."

Jade shrugged. "We probably will never know his reasons. Harry believed Father was being chased by demons who lived in his head."

"Perhaps so," Lady Briars agreed. "Now enough about your father, Jade. Tell me all about your early

life. We have so much catching up to do. What was it like living on this tiny island? Did you learn to

read and write? How did you keep yourself occupied, child? Were there many functions to attend?"

Jade laughed. "The people on the island weren't part of society, Lady Briars. Most didn't even bother to wear shoes. I never managed to read or write because Harry couldn't find anyone who could teach me."

Jade told that lie because Caine had insisted no one know she'd conquered those skills. Every little edge would give them an added advantage, he'd explained. If everyone believed she hadn't learned how to read, then she couldn't have read the letters.

She thought that reasoning was filled with flaws, but she didn't argue with her husband. She concentrated on making up several amusing childhood stories to satisfy Lady Briars' curiosity. She ended her remarks with the admission that although it had certainly been a peaceful time, it had also been a little boring.

The topic returned to the issue of their recent marriage. Caine answered all of the woman's questions. Jade was amazed by the easy way he told his lies. He obviously had a natural talent, too.

Her father's old friend appeared to be genuinely interested. Jade thought she was a terribly sweet woman.

"Why is it you never married?" Jade asked. "I know that's a bold question, but you're such a beautiful woman, Lady Briars. I'm certain you must have set the young men scurrying around for your attention."

Lady Briars was obviously pleased by Jade's comments. She actually blushed. She paused to pat her

hair before answering. Jade noticed the tremor in the elderly woman's hand then. The ravages of age,

she decided as she waited for her to answer.

"I had my hopes set on your father for a long time, my dear. Thorton was such a dashing man. That special spark was missing, though. We ended up good friends, of course. I still think about him every once in a while, and I sometimes bring out some of the precious little gifts he gave me. I get quite maudlin," she admitted. "Do you have any special mementos to remember your father by, Jade?"

"No," Jade answered. "Everything that belonged to my father burned in the fire."

"Fire?"

"This is going to disappoint you, Lady Briars, but the lovely house you helped Nathan renovate caught fire. Everything was destroyed."

"Oh, my poor dear," Lady Briars whispered. "It has been a difficult time for you, hasn't it?"

Jade nodded agreement. "Caine has been a comfort, of course. I doubt I would have gotten through

this last month without him at my side."

"Yes, that is fortunate," Lady Briars announced. She put her teacup down on the table. "So you say

you don't have anything at all to remember your father by? Nothing at all? Not even a family bible

or a time piece or a letter?"

Jade shook her head. Caine took hold of her hand and squeezed it. "Sweetheart, you're forgetting the trunk," he interjected smoothly.

She turned to look at Caine, wondering what his game was. Not a hint of her confusion appeared in

her expression however. "Oh, yes, the trunk," she agreed.

"Then you do have something to remember your father by, after all," Lady Briars announced. She nodded in apparent satisfaction. "I was going to rush right home and go through my things to find something for you. A daughter must have a trinket or two from her father. Now, I remember a lovely porcelain statue your father gave me as a birthday gift when I turned sixteen…"

"Oh, I couldn't take that from you," she interjected.

"No, she couldn't," Caine said. "Besides, she has the trunk. Of course, we haven't had a chance to look inside yet. Jade's been so ill these past weeks with the worrisome fever."

He turned to smile at Jade. "My dear, what say we go over to Nathan's town house next week? If you're feeling up to the outing," he added. "We still have to settle her brother's affairs," he told Lady Briars.

Jade thought Caine had lost his mind. She smiled, just to cover her unease, while she waited for his next surprise.

It wasn't long in coming. "Perhaps you'd like to accompany us over to Nathan's place and have a look

at the trunk with us," Caine suggested.

Lady Briars declined the invitation. She insisted that Jade come to see her soon, then took her leave. Caine assisted the frail woman into her carriage.

Jade paced the drawing room until he returned. "And just what was that all about?" she demanded as soon as he walked inside again.

He shut the doors before answering her. She noticed his grin then. Caine looked thoroughly pleased

with himself.

"I didn't like lying to that dear woman one bit, Caine," she cried out. "Besides, I'm the accomplished liar in this family, not you. Why did you tell her there was a trunk, for heaven's sake? Were you thinking to make her feel better so she wouldn't have to give up any of her cherished possessions? Do you know, now that I reflect upon this, I don't like hearing you lie at all. Well?" she demanded when she needed to pause for breath. "What have you got to say for yourself?"

"The lie was necessary," Caine began.

She wouldn't let him get any further. '"No lie is ever necessary,'" she quoted from memory. "You told

me that days ago. Remember?"

"Love, you're really upset because I lied?" he asked. He looked astonished.

"1 most certainly am upset," she returned. "I've come to depend upon your honesty, Caine. Yet if you

tell me the lie was reaily necessary, then I must assume you have a plan. Do you think Lady Briars

might mention this imaginary trunk to someone? Is that it?"

She thought she had it all figured out. "No," he answered, smiling over the frown his denial caused.

"No? Then you should be ashamed of yourself for lying to that old woman."

"If you'll let me explain…"

She folded her arms across her chest. "This had better be good, sir, or I just might blister you."

He thought she sounded like her Uncle Harry now. She was certainly blustering enough to make him draw that conclusion. He laughed and took his disgruntled looking wife into his arms.

"Well?" she muttered against his jacket. "Explain, if you please, why you lied to a dear family friend."

"She isn't a dear family friend," Caine told her, his exasperation apparent in his tone of voice.

"Of course she is," Jade protested. "You heard her, husband. She has kept all the little presents my

father gave her. She loved him!"

"She killed him."

Jade didn't react to that statement for a long, silent minute. Then she slowly lifted her gaze to stare into his eyes. She shook her head.

He nodded.

Her knees went weak on her. Caine had to hold her up when she slumped against him. "Are you trying

to tell me," she began, her voice a mere thread. "Do you mean to say that Lady Briars is…"

"She's Ice."

"Ice?" She shook her head again. "She can't be Ice," she cried out. "For God's sake, Caine. She's a woman."

"And women can't be killers?"

"No," she returned. "I mean to say yes, I do suppose…"

He took mercy on her confused state. "All the clues fit, Jade. Now sit down and let me explain it to

you," he suggested.

She was simply too stunned to move. Caine led her over to the settee, gently pushed her down on the cushions, and then settled himself next to her. "It's really very logical," he began as he put his arm

around her shoulders.

A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. She was recovering from her initial surprise. "I knew

it would be logical."

"I was suspicious when I reread the letters, of course. And I never make the same mistake twice, love, remember?"

"I remember that you like to make that boast whenever possible, husband, dear. Now explain to me

what this mistake is that you didn't repeat."

"I thought Pagan was a man. I never once considered that he could be a she. I didn't make that same error when I was hunting Ice."

"You are really convinced Lady Briars is Ice? How did you come to that conclusion?" she asked.

He wasn't about to let the topic completely turn just yet. "Jade? Did you ever consider that Ice could

be a woman? Tell me the truth," he commanded in that arrogant tone she liked so much.

She let out a sigh. "You're going to gloat."

"Yes, I'm sure I will."

They shared a smile. "No, I never once considered that possibility. There, are you happy?"

"Immensely," he drawled out.

"Caine, you still have to convince me," she reminded him. "Lord, I'm still having difficulty believing this. Ice killed people and threatened to kill Nathan and me. Remember that one letter, where he told my

father that if the letters weren't returned, he would kill us?"

"Not he, love," Caine replied. "She." He let out a long sigh, then added, "Jade, some women do kill."

"Oh, I know," she countered. "Still, it isn't at all ladylike."

"Do you remember in one of the earlier letters, when they were given their operative names, that Ice admitted to being furious over that name? That comment made me curious. Not too many men would care one way or the other. A woman would mind, though, wouldn't she?"

"Some might."

"There are more substantial clues, of course. Briars hired the full staff for Nathan's country home. They were her men, loyal to her. The fact that the house was pillaged told me they were searching. And guess where Hudson, Nathan's butler, turned up?"

"He's staying at Nathan's town house, isn't he? He's guarding it until we close it up."

"No, he's currently in Lady Briars' residence. I imagine we'll find that your brother's town house has

been turned upside down by now."

She ignored his smile. "I never trusted Hudson," she announced. "The man kept trying to force tea

down me. I'll wager it was poisoned."

"Now, Jade, don't let your imagination get the better of you. By the way, all those confusing incidents were Hudson's doing. They did dig up your father's grave on the off chance that the letters had been hidden there. They cleaned up the mess, too."

"Did Hudson shoot Nathan's fine horse?"

"No, Willburn did," Caine explained.

"I'm telling Nathan."

Caine nodded. "Hudson had the cleanup detail. You were right, by the way, a cart was used to carry

the horse away. It must have taken seven strong men to lift the steed."

"How did you learn all this?"

"You're impressed with me, aren't you?"

He nudged her into answering. "Yes, Caine, I'm impressed. Now tell me the rest."

"My men have been ferreting out the facts for me so I can't take all the credit. The horse was found in

a ravine almost two miles away from the main road."

"Just wait until I tell Nathan," Jade muttered again.

Caine patted her shoulder. "You can explain it all to him after this is finished, all right?"

She nodded. "Is there more to tell me, Caine?"

"Well, once I decided that Briars was certainly the most logical candidate, I looked into her background. On the surface, everything appeared to be above board, but the deeper I looked, the more the little oddities showed up."

"For instance?"

"She did a hell of a lot of traveling for a woman," he remarked. "For instance," he added before Jade could interrupt, "she went back and forth to France at least seven times that I know of, and…"

"And you thought that odd? Perhaps she has relatives…"

"No," he countered. "Besides, Jade, she did most of her traveling during war time. There were other telling clues."

"I do believe I'm married to the most intelligent man in all the world," she praised. "Caine, it's only just beginning to make sense to me. What do Sir Richards and Lyon have to say about your discovery?"

"I haven't told them yet," he answered. "I wanted to be absolutely certain. After listening to Briars' questions, I don't have any doubts left. I'll tell them tonight when I meet them at White's."

"What question did she ask that made you suspicious?"

"She asked you right away if you could read, remember? Considering the fact that most well-bred ladies in England have acquired that skill, I thought it was a telling question."

"But she knew I'd been raised on an island," Jade argued. "That's why she asked, Caine. She was trying to find out if I'd been raised properly without coming right out and…"

"She was also a little too interested in finding out what your father had left you," he interrupted.

Jade's shoulders slumped. "I thought she was sincere,"

"We'll have to tighten the net around Nathan's town house," Caine remarked. "I only have two men guarding it now." He paused to smile at Jade. "Your poor brother will probably have his town house burned to the ground before this is over."

"You needn't look so cheerful over that possibility," she said. "Besides, Hudson has had ample time to find out there isn't any trunk." She let out a small gasp. "I have another disappointment for you, Caine. Lady Briars knows I was lying when I said I couldn't read. I believe she asked that question to find out

if we might be on to her. Oh, yes, I do believe we've mucked it up this time,"

Caine lost his smile. "What are you talking about? Why do you think Briars knows you were lying?"

"Hudson saw me reading almost every night," she rushed out. "After dinner, I'd go into Nathan's lovely study and read until I became sleepy. There were so many wonderful books I hadn't memorized yet. Hudson would light the fire in the hearth for me. I'm certain he told Lady Briars."

She patted his hand to soften his disappointment. "Now, what will you do?" she asked, certain he'd

come up with an alternate plan of action in no time at all. Caine was simply too logical not to have covered every possibility.

"Eventually we'll be able to compare the handwriting, once we get the letters from the Emerald."

"We have a sample here," Jade said. "Lady Briars sent two notes requesting I call on her. I hate to disappoint you, but the handwriting didn't look at all familiar."

"I doubt she wrote those notes," Caine returned. "She's old, Jade, but she hasn't gotten careless yet.

No, she probably had one of her assistants pen the letters."

"Would you like for me to steal…"

"I'd like you to stay here day and night," he stated. The suggestion was given as a command. "This is going to get sticky before it's finished. Everything I've gathered is actually circumstantial evidence in a court, Jade. I've still got some work to do. Now promise me you won't leave."

"I promise," she answered. "Have a little faith in me, husband. You know that once I give my word,

I'll keep it. Please tell me what you have planned."

"Lyon's been itching to put a little pressure on Willburn. I think it's time he had his way. Willburn hasn't been at all accommodating thus far. We hoped he'd lead us to Ice, but he stays hidden behind his drapes all day. Yes, it's time we had a talk with him."

"I don't like the idea of you leaving every night, Caine. Until the ship is burned and the rumor of Pagan's death hits London, I think you should stay home. I'll tell you this, sir, if the people in this town celebrate my death, I'm going to be very disappointed."

Caine's smile was gentle. "They would mourn," he promised. "Anyway, we'll never know. It isn't necessary to burn the ship now."

"Why?"

"Because I know who Ice is," he explained. "And she isn't going to quit coming after me, either. She knows we're on to her."

"Yes," Jade countered. "If you hadn't made me lie about not knowing how to read, she wouldn't be on

to us, husband. See? That lie wasn't all for the good."

"Don't sound so smug, my love."

"Harry's going to be happy he doesn't have to burn a ship," she announced, ignoring his remark. "You

will send someone to tell him, won't you?"

"Yes, I'll send someone to Shallow's Wharf," he replied. "You're going to have to tell me exactly where that is, Jade. It's an operative name for somewhere else, isn't it?"

Jade cuddled up against her husband. "You are so clever," she whispered. "You will be careful when you go out, won't you? She's on to us, all right. I don't want you turning your back on anyone, Caine. I have come to rely on you."

"And I have come to rely on you," he answered. His grin was telling. "This is sounding damned equal to me."

"It is equal," she said. "But you can pretend it isn't if it will make you feel better."

He ignored that comment and tickled the side of her neck instead. Jade shivered in reaction. "Do you feel like another dance lesson now?"

"Will I be on my knees again?"

"Didn't you like it, love? You acted like you did. Your mouth was so sweet, so…"

"I liked it," she admitted in a rush.

"Can we?"

"Oh, yes." Her voice was breathless.

"Upstairs or here?"

"Upstairs," she whispered. She stood up and tugged on his hand. "But this time, Caine, I want to lead."

They spent the rest of the day in each others' arms. It was a blissful time that ended all too soon. Before she knew it, she was reminding him to remember McKindry and he was demanding her promise to stay put until he returned.

Jade was so exhausted, she slept quite soundly until an hour or so before dawn. She awakened with a start, then rolled on her side to take Caine into her arms.

He wasn't there. Jade rushed downstairs to check inside the library. Caine hadn't come back to her yet. Since he'd never taken this long before, she started worrying.

She'd worked herself into a frenzy when another hour passed and he still hadn't returned.

Her instincts were screaming a warning. Something was terribly wrong. The familiar ache had settled in her stomach just like in the old days when a plan would go amiss.

She had to be ready. Jade dressed in quick time, added a dagger to her pocket, the special clip to her

hair, then resumed pacing again.

Caine had left two guards for her protection. One stood in the shadows outside the front door and the other guarded the back entrance.

Jade decided to talk to Cyril, the man guarding the front entrance. Perhaps he'd know what they should do. She opened the door just in time to see a man hand Cyril a piece of paper and then run away.

Cyril bounded up the steps two at a time. "It's a letter for you," he said. "At this hour of the night," he added in a near growl. "It can't be good news, mi'lady."

"I hope it's from Caine," she blurted out. "Come inside, Cyril. Bolt the door behind you. Something's wrong," she added as she tore the seal from the envelope. "Caine has never taken this long before."

Cyril grumbled his agreement. "Aye," he said. "I feel it in my gut."

"Me, too," Jade whispered.

As soon as Jade unfolded the sheet of paper, she paled. She recognized the script immediately. The

note came from Ice.

"What is it, mi'lady?" Cyril asked. He spoke in a hushed tone, an oddity, that, for Cyril was a big man with a booming voice to match.

"Caine's in trouble," Jade whispered. "I have one hour to go to a building on Lathrop Street. Do you know where that is?"

"It's a warehouse if it's on Lathrop," Cyril answered. "I don't like this," he added. "I'm sniffing a trap. What happens if we don't go?"

"They'll kill my husband."

"I'll go fetch Alden," Cyril announced. He started toward the back door but stopped when Jade called

out to him.

"I'm not going."

"But…"

"I can't leave. I have to stay here, Cyril. This could be a trick and I gave my word to Caine. No, I have

to stay here. Do you know how late White's stays open?"

"It's closed for certain by now."

"Caine might have gone to have a talk with a man named Willburn. Do you know where he lives?"

"I do," the guard answered. "He's just six, perhaps seven blocks oven"

"Send Alden over there now. Lyon and Caine might be having a visitation with the infidel."

"And if they aren't?"

"While Alden goes to Willburn's house, I want you to run over to Lyon's residence. Now then, if Lyon isn't home, then go on to Sir Richards' town house. Do you know where those two men live?"

"Yes," Cyril said. "But who will guard you while we're tracking Caine down? You'll be all alone."

"I'll bolt the doors," she promised. "Please hurry, Cyril. We need to find Caine before the hour is up.

If we can't find him, then I have to assume the note wasn't trickery."

"We'll hurry," Cyril promised on his way toward the back of the house.

Jade clutched the letter in her hands and stood in the center of the foyer a long while. She then went upstairs to her bedroom. She bolted the door behind her.

The pounding started on the front door just a few minutes later. She knew it wasn't Caine. He had a

key, of course. The sound of glass shattering came next.

Had she inadvertently played right into their hands? Were they so certain she'd send the guards to look

for Caine? Jade found solace in that possibility, for it meant Caine hadn't been taken captive after all.

She prayed she was right, prayed, too, that God wouldn't get angry with her. She was probably going

to have to kill someone, and very soon, judging from the sounds of men lumbering up the steps.

Jade grabbed the pistol from the drawer of the nightstand on Caine's side of the bed, backed herself into

a corner, and took aim. She decided she would wait until they'd broken the latch, then shoot the first man who entered the room. Her hand was steady. A deadly calm came over her, too. And then the door was kicked open. A dark form filled the entrance. And still she waited, for she wanted to be absolutely certain it was her enemy and not one of Caine's hired men arriving to save her.

"Light a candle," the voice shouted. "I can't see the bitch."

Jade squeezed the trigger. She must have caught the man somewhere in the middle, for he let out a loud scream of pain as he doubled over. He fell to the floor with a loud thud.

She won that round, she told herself, though the battle went to Ice. Jade was surrounded by three men. When the first reached for her, she cut his hand with her knife. The second villain grabbed her weapon just as the third slammed his fist into the side of her jaw. The blow felled her to the floor in a dead faint.

Jade didn't wake up again until she was being carried inside a dark, damp building. There were only a few candles lighting the area but quite enough for Jade to see the crates stacked up along the stone walls. At the end of the long corridor stood a woman dressed in white. Lady Briars was there, waiting for her.

The man carrying her dropped her when he'd reached his leader. Jade staggered to her feet. She rubbed the sting in her jaw while she stared at her adversary.

The look in those eyes was chilling. "I understand now why you were given the name Ice," she heard herself say. "You don't have a soul, do you, Lady Briars?"

Jade was rewarded by a sound slap across her face. "Where are the letters?" Briars demanded.

"Safe," Jade answered. "Do you really believe stealing the letters back is going to save you? Too many people know what you've done. Too many…"

"You fool!" Briars shouted. There was such strength, such cruelty in her voice that Jade suddenly felt

as though she were facing the devil. She resisted the urge to cross herself. "I will have those letters, Jade. They are my proof to the world of all the glorious feats I've accomplished. No one's going to deny me now. No one. In years to come, the world will realize what my Tribunal was able to accomplish. We could have ruled England, if I had chosen to continue with my work. Oh yes, I will have the letters back. They will be kept in a safe place until the time is right to reveal my genius."

She was mad. Jade could feel the goose bumps on her arms. She tried desperately to think of a way to reason with the woman before she finally came to the conclusion that the crazed woman was beyond

any kind of reason. "If I give you the letters back, will you leave Caine alone?" she asked.

Lady Briars let out a high-pitched snicker. "If? Don't you have any idea who I am? You can't possibly deny me, Jade."

"Oh, I know who you are," Jade replied. "You're the woman who killed my father. You're the woman who betrayed her country. You're the foul creature who was born from the devil. You're the

demented…"

She quit her tirade when Briars hit her again. Jade backed up a space, then straightened her shoulders. "Let Caine go, Briars, and I will get you the letters."

In answer to that promise, Briars turned to one of her cohorts. "Lock our guest in the back room," she ordered. She turned to Jade then. "You're going to be the bait, my dear, to get Caine here. He has to

die," she added in a singsong voice. "But only after he's given me the letters, of course. Then I shall kill you, too, little Jade. Your father was the true traitor, for he turned his back against me. Me! Oh, how I wished I could have been there when his son died. You will have to make up for that regret, dear, dear child, by dying slowly by my hand… Get her out of here!" Briars ended in a near shout.

Jade felt like weeping with relief. They hadn't taken Caine after all. He would come for her, she knew, and there was still danger… but he was safe for the moment.

She actually smiled to herself when they led her to her temporary prison. They believed they had her now. They mustn't tie her hands, she thought to herself. Jade started whimpering so that her captors would believe she was frightened. As soon as they opened the door, she rushed inside, then collapsed

on the floor in the center of the room, and began to cry.

The door slammed shut behind her. She kept up her wailing until the sound of footsteps faded. Then she took inventory. Moonlight filtered in through the gray filmed window. The opening was a good fifteen feet up. There was only one piece of furniture, an old scarred desk with only three legs, and they

certainly knew she wouldn't be able to reach the window even if she stood on top of the desk.

Yes, they thought they had secured her inside. Jade let out a little sigh of pleasure.

She pulled the special clip from her hair that she used for just such an occasion, and went to work on

the lock.

Because she was in such a desperate hurry to get to Caine before Briars' men did, she wasn't as quick

as she would have been under calmer circumstances. It took her a little over ten minutes to work the

lock free.

It was pitch black inside the warehouse proper. Even though Jade was certain Briars had taken all her men with her, she still made her exit as quietly as possible. Jade was completely disoriented when she reached the street. She ran in one direction for two long blocks before she got her bearings and realized she'd taken the wrong way.

Jade was in absolute terror now. She knew it was going to take her another fifteen minutes to reach home. While she ran, she made several fervent promises to her Maker. She gave him her word that she would never lie or steal again, if he would only keep Caine safe. "I know you gave me those special talents, Lord, and you know that once I give my word, I won't break it. I won't follow in my father's path, either. Just let me live long enough to prove myself. Please, God? Caine needs me."

She had to stop when the stitch in her side intensified. "If you'll only give me a little added strength,

Lord, I won't use blasphemies either."

Odd, but the stitch in her side faded. She was able to catch her breath, too. That last promise must have been the one her Maker was waiting to hear, she decided.

"Thank you," she whispered as she picked up her skirts again and started running.

Jade didn't stop again until she reached the street their town house was located on. She kept to the shadows as she made her way toward the steps. When she spotted three men littering her stoop, she started running again. The men weren't in any condition to waylay her. They looked restful too, in their forced slumber.

Caine had obviously come home.

Jade couldn't remember the number of men Briars had with her. She began to fret again. Should she sneak in by way of the back door or should she boldly walk into the foyer and try to confront Briars

once again.

The question was answered for her when Caine's bellow reached her.

"Where is she?" Caine roared through the door.

The anguish in his voice tore at Jade's heart. She pulled the door open and rushed inside.

They were all in the drawing room. Lyon, Jade noticed, was holding Caine by the shoulders. Briars stood in front of the two men. Sir Richards stood next to her. Both Cyril and Alden stood behind the director.

"She'll die of starvation before you find her," Briars shouted. She let out a snort of amusement.

"No, you'll never find her. Never."

"Oh, yes, he will."

Briars let out a screech when Jade's soft voice reached her. Caine and Lyon both whirled around.

Caine simply stood there, smiling at her. She saw the tears in his eyes, knew her own were just as misty. Lyon looked as startled as Richards. "Jade… how did you…"

She looked at Caine when she gave her answer. "They locked me in."

It took a full minute before anyone reacted. Lyon was the first to laugh. "They locked her in," he said to Caine.

Jade kept smiling until Caine walked over to her. When he reached out to touch her face with his fingertips, she burst into tears and ran up the stairs.

She went into the first bedroom, slammed the door shut behind her, and threw herself down on the bed. Caine was right behind her. He pulled her into his arms. "My love, it's all over now," he whispered.

"I didn't leave you. I stayed right here until they came inside and dragged me away. I didn't break my word."

"Hush, Jade. I never thought…" "Caine, I was so scared," she wailed against his chest. "So was I," he whispered. He squeezed her tight, then said, "When Cyril told me… I thought you were… Oh, God,

yes, I was damned scared."

She mopped her eyes on his jacket, then said, "You can't say damn anymore. We can't ever use another blasphemy, Caine. I promised God." His smile was filled with tenderness. "I see." "I would have promised anything to keep you safe," she whispered. "I need you so much, Caine." "I need you, too, my love."

"We can't steal anymore, or lie, either," she told him then. "I made those promises, too."

He rolled his eyes heavenward. "And your promises are also mine?" he asked her. He hid his smile now, for she looked so sincere, and he didn't bother to mention to her that he'd never stolen anything before.

"Yes, of course my promises are also yours," she answered. "We are suppose to share everything, aren't we? Caine, we are equal partners in this marriage."

"We are equal," he agreed.

"Then my promises are also yours?"

"Yes," he answered. He suddenly pulled away from her.

The worry in his expression was obvious. "You didn't give up anything else, did you?"

He looked as though he dreaded her answer. She immediately guessed what he was thinking.

"Like dancing?"

"Like making love."

She laughed, a full rich sound filled with joy. "Aren't they the same thing?"

"This isn't the time for jests, Jade."

"No, Caine, we didn't give up dancing or making love. I would never give a promise I couldn't keep,"

she added, quoting back his very words to her.

Caine wanted to tear her clothes off and make love to her then and there. He couldn't, of course, for there was still the mess to be cleaned up downstairs.

He wasn't able to spend much time with his bride over the next couple of days. He and Lyon were both occupied dictating their findings for their superior's records. Lady Briars was locked away in Newgate Prison. There was talk that she was going to be transferred to a nearby asylum, for the court had

decreed that the woman was quite mad. Jade was in wholehearted agreement.

Caine was finally free to keep his other promise to Jade. They settled down to live a peaceful life together.

And just as he'd predicted, they did live happily ever after.

He was still terribly insecure, however. Jade did worry about that. On the morning of their first anniversary, he demanded she give him her pledge to stay for another year.

Jade thought the question was ill-timed, considering the fact that she was in the midst of an excruciating contraction. She gritted her teeth against the agony.

"Caine, we're going to have our baby," she said.

"I know, my love," he answered. He rolled to his side and gently rubbed her swollen abdomen. "I noticed quite a long time ago," he added just to tease her. He leaned down to kiss her damp brow. "Are you too warm, Jade?"

"No, I'm…"

"Give me your promise," he interrupted while he pulled the top cover away. "Then you can go back to sleep. You were very restless during the night. I think you stayed up too late talking with Lyon and Christina. I was glad to see them, of course, and I'm happy Christina wants to offer her services when

the time comes, but I still insist that a physician be in attendance, Jade."

Jade was too exhausted to argue. She'd been having sporadic contractions during the long night. She didn't wake Caine, though. She was following her good friend's advice. Christina had suggested that it would be better if her husband weren't bothered until the very last minute. Husbands, Christina had explained, fell apart too easily.

Christina considered Jade her blood sister, ever since the night she handed her Lyon's file and told her to keep it safe. The two ladies trusted each other completely and spent hour upon hour telling each other favorite stories about their pasts.

Caine gently prodded his wife. "I want your word now."

As soon as the fresh contraction faded, she answered him. "Yes, I promise you. And, Caine, we're going to have our baby now. Go and wake Christina."

The babe Jade was certain was going to present himself at any moment didn't actually arrive for another three hours.

Through the intense labor, Caine remained as calm, as solid and dependable as Jade had expected. She thought then that Christina had been wrong. Not all men fell apart so easily.

Christina sent Caine down to the library when Jade's contractions became too unbearable for him to watch. Caine only lasted five minutes below the stairs, however, and was then back at Jade's side, clutching her hand in his and begging her forgiveness for putting her through this god-awful ordeal.

He was more hindrance than help, of course. He didn't panic during the birthing, however, and just bare minutes later was holding his beautiful daughter in his arms.

Sterns couldn't restrain himself. As soon as he heard the lusty cries of the newborn, he bounded into the room. He immediately took the baby away from Caine, announced that she was indeed magnificent, and then proceeded to give her her first bath.

Christina took care of Jade. Caine helped her change the sheets and Jade's gown, as well, and when Christina told Caine he'd held up rather well, he actually managed a smile.

Caine was pale, his hands were shaking, his brow was drenched with sweat, he still couldn't speak a coherent word, but he had held fast.

Yet once the trauma was over, his discipline deserted him.

Christina had just left the room to give the wonderful news to her husband. Sterns was cuddling his new charge in his arms, and Jade was simply too weak to catch her husband.

"Is he all right?" Jade asked Sterns. She couldn't even find the strength to look over the edge of the bed.

"He swooned."

"I know he swooned," Jade replied. "But is he all right? He didn't hit his head on anything sharp, did he?"

"He's fine," Sterns announced. He hadn't bothered to look down at his employer when he made that pronouncement but continued to stare down at the beautiful infant; The look on his face was one of true adoration.

"Do help him up," Jade whispered. She was biting her lip to keep herself from laughing.

"He doesn't appear to be ready to get up just yet," Sterns announced. "The babe needs my full attention now. You've done very well, mi'lady, very well, indeed. I'm certain the Marquess will agree when he finishes his faint."

Jade beamed with satisfaction. Her eyes filled with tears. "You're never going to let him live this down, are you, Sterns?"

Caine groaned then, drawing her attention. "We must never tell anyone he swooned. He'd die of embarrassment."

"Don't worry, mi'lady," Sterns returned. "I certainly won't tell anyone. I promise."

She should have realized from the determined sparkle in his eyes that he wasn't going to honor his promise. Three days later, she read all about Caine's fainting spell.

The rascal butler had posted it in the dailies.

The Marquess of Cainewood took it all in stride. He didn't mind the jests from the well-wishers at all.

Nothing could rile his temper. After all, his mission had been successful. He'd hunted down the infamous pirate… and now she belonged to him.

The hunter was content.