Guardian Angel - Garwood Julie. Страница 75

"Impressing you again, sweetheart."

The man was as good as his word, Jade decided a long while later. And he had far more stamina than

she did. When he finally rolled away from her, she felt like a limp rag.

She fell asleep with Caine holding her close, whispering words of love. She didn't have any nightmares that night.

By noon, they were back at Caine's house. Matthew and Jimbo couldn't leave for Shallow's Wharf quickly enough. They were both mortified by their slip up of the night before. They'd obviously underestimated the Marquess. Matthew didn't think he'd ever live down the disgrace; though, of course, Jade promised not to tell anyone he'd been caught so unaware.

Hell, Caine had prodded him awake, and how in God's name such a big man was able to get into his

room without making a sound still baffled him.

As soon as they returned to Caine's home, Jade changed her gown and then went to Caine's study to make copies of the letters for him. She listened to him explain his plan. She argued something fierce

about trusting Richards, but agreed that Lyon could hold a confidence.

"When you meet Richards, you'll like him as much as you like Lyon," Caine replied. "You'll trust him

as much, too."

She shook her head. "Caine, I like Lyon, yes, but that isn't the reason I trust him. No, no," she

continued. "Liking and trusting are two different kettles of fish."

"Then why do you trust Lyon?" he asked, smiling over the censure in her tone.

"I read his file," she answered. "Do you know, in comparison, Caine, you've led the life of a choirboy."

Caine shook his head. "I wouldn't mention reading his file to him," he advised.

"Yes," she agreed. "He'd probably get as prickly as you did when I told you," she added. "Lyon's file is just as fat as yours, but he didn't have a special name."

Caine looked thoroughly irritated with her. "Jade, exactly how many files did you read?"

"Just a few," she replied. "Caine, I really must concentrate on these letters. Please quit interrupting me."

The library door opened then, drawing Caine's attention. Nathan walked inside. "Why hasn't anyone tried to get to you, Caine, since you've been here? It's damned isolated, and I would think…"

"Someone did try to get to Caine the day we arrived, Nathan," Jade said without looking up.

When Jade didn't continue, Caine filled Nathan in on the details of the failed attempt.

"Nathan, how nice you look," Jade said, completely turning the topic when she glanced up and saw his handsome shirt and pants.

"That shirt looks damned familiar," Caine drawled out.

"It's yours," Nathan answered with a grin. "Fits well, too. Colin has also borrowed a few of your things. We hadn't packed sufficiently when we were tossed into the ocean. Why hasn't anyone tried to get to

you since that first day?" he added with a scowl.

Nathan started to pace the room like a tiger. Caine continued to lean against the edge of the desk. "They have."

"What?" Nathan asked. "When?"

"They have not," Jade interjected. "I would have known."

"In the past ten days, four others have tried."

"And?" Nathan asked, demanding more of an explanation.

"They failed."

"Why wasn't I informed?" Jade asked.

"I didn't want to worry you," Caine explained.

"Then you had to have known Matthew and Jimbo were here," Nathan said.

"I knew," Caine answered. "I left them alone, too, until they burned down my stables. Then I had a little talk with them. Couldn't you have come up with another plan to keep me busy while you went to see my father?"

He was getting all worked up again. Jade guessed he still wasn't over the fire yet. Sterns had said the stables were brand new. "I should have been more specific with Matthew," she announced. "1 left the diversion up to him. Still, he was very creative, effective, too. You were busy."

"You took a needless risk going off on your own like that," he snapped. "Damn it, Jade, you could have been killed!"

He was shouting at her by the time he'd finished that statement. "I was very careful," she whispered, trying to placate him.

"The hell you were!" he roared. "You were damn lucky, that's all."

She decided she needed to turn his attention. "I'm never going to finish this task if you two don't leave

me alone." She tossed her hair over her shoulder and returned to her letter writing. She could feel his

glare on her. "Why don't you both go see how Colin's doing. I'm sure he'd like the company."

"Come on, Caine. We've just been dismissed."

Caine shook his head. "Promise me you won't take needless risks again," he ordered Jade. "Then I'll leave."

She immediately nodded. "I promise."

The anger seemed to drain out of him. He nodded, then leaned down to kiss her. She tried to dodge him. "Nathan's here," she whispered.

"Ignore him."

Her face was bright red when he lifted his mouth away from hers. Her hands were shaking, too. "I love you," he whispered before he straightened up and followed Nathan out of the room.

Jade stared at the desktop a long while. Was it possible? Could he really love her? She had to quit thinking about it in order to calm the trembling in her hands. Richards and his friend wouldn't be able to read the letters otherwise. Besides, it didn't matter if he loved her or not. She still had to leave him. Didn't she?

Jade had worked herself into a fine state of nerves by the time dinner hour was over. Nathan had decided to eat his supper upstairs with Colin. She and Caine, and Sterns, of course, ate at the long table. They got into a heated debate about the separation between church and state. In the beginning, when Caine stated he was in favor of the separation wholeheartedly, she took the opposite opinion.

Yet when he deliberately argued the opposing view, she was just as vehement in her rebuttal.

It was a thoroughly invigorating argument. Sterns ended up acting as referee. The debate made Caine hungry again. He reached for the last slice of mutton only to have it snatched out of his reach by Sterns.

"I wanted that, Sterns," Caine muttered. "So did I, mi'lord," the butler answered. He picked up his