Guardian Angel

by Julie Garwood

  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 o
n 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.