Page 20 of Guardian Angel
The Duke turned to his wife, a soft smile on his face. Poor Gweneth looked rattled. Her short blond hair was in complete disarray and she couldnât seem to get the sash to her robe tied. âWhy, Henry?â she asked, staring at him so intently.
âItâs the usual custom each morning,â he answered. âAnd I was hungry.â
Her brown eyes filled with tears. âYou were hungry?â she whispered.
Henry put his plate down on the side bar and walked over to his wife. He took her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. âIâve given you quite a worry lately, havenât I, love?â
âBut youâre feeling better now?â she asked.
âIâve been advised not to languish any longer,â he stated.
âBy whom?â
âMy conscience,â he lied. âIn time, Gweneth, I shall explain this sudden turnabout to you. For now, however, I can only say Iâm sorry for all the worry Iâve caused you and the children. Iâve grieved long enough.â
âItâs a miracle,â she whispered.
Yes, he thought to himself, a miracle with bewitching green eyes. âCome and have a bite to eat, my dear. You look a bit peaked to me.â
âI looked peaked?â Her laughter was shaky. âYou, my love, look like death.â
He kissed her tenderly, then led her over to the table. âAfter Iâve cleaned up, I believe Iâll ride over to Caineâs place.â
âHeâll be stunned by your recovery,â Gweneth announced. âOh, Henry, itâs so good to have you back with us.â
âWould you like to ride over to see Caine with me?â
âOh, yes, Iâd like that,â she answered. A determined gleam entered her eyes. âIt isnât proper to have guests but I believe Iâll invite Lady Aisely and her dear mother down for a long weekend. You must tell Caine we expect him to . . . why are you shaking your head at me?â
âYou might as well save yourself the effort, Gweneth. Give it up. Caine wonât be marrying Lady Aisely.â
âItâs a sound match, Henry,â she argued. âGive me two good reasons why I cannot encourage this union?â
âVery well,â he answered. âOne, she doesnât have red hair.â
âWell, of course she doesnât have red hair. She has beautiful blond hair. You know that well enough.â
âAnd two,â he continued, ignoring her befuddled look. âShe doesnât have green eyes.â
âHenry, you arenât feeling altogether well yet, are you?â
Henryâs laughter echoed throughout the dining room. âCaine needs an enchantress. Youâll have to accept it, my dear.â
âAccept what?â she asked.
His slow wink left her more puzzled than ever. âI believe, Gweneth, that your breakfast will have to wait a while longer. You must go back to bed at once.â
âI must?â she asked. âWhy?â
The Duke leaned forward and whispered into his wifeâs ear. When he was finished with his explanation, his wife blushed.
âOh, Henry,â she whispered. âYou really are feeling better.â
Chapter Eleven
Jade returned to Caineâs home a short time later. After handing the reins to Matthew, she rushed up the back steps to her bedroom. When she rounded the corner, she found Sterns standing like a centurian outside her bedroom door.
He did a double take when he spotted her. Then he folded his arms across his chest. âYouâre suppose to be inside your bedroom, miâlady.â
She decided to take the offensive. Sheâd make him do the explaining. âAnd what are you suppose to be doing?â
âIâm guarding the door.â
âWhy?â
âSo you wonât leave.â
âBut I already left,â she countered with a soft smile. âSterns, I do believe your time is too valuable to be guarding an empty room.â
âBut miâlady, I didnât know it was empty,â he protested.
She patted him on his arm. âYou may explain this to me later, sir. Now please move out of my way. I really must change out of this riding garment and go help Caine.â
She scooted past the disgruntled-looking servant and shut the door on his protests. In little time at all, sheâd changed into a dark green gown and hurried downstairs by way of the main staircase.
Sterns was now guarding the front door. The set of his jaw told her he was going to be difficult. âYou may not go outside,â he announced in a voice that would have chilled a polar bear.
She wasnât at all intimidated. She gave him a wide smile. âI can and I will,â she answered.
âMy lord is most insistent that you remain inside.â
âIâm just as insistent that I go outside.â
In answer to that challenge, Sterns leaned against the door and slowly shook his head.
Jade decided to turn his attention. âSterns? How many servants are there in residence here?â
He looked surprised by her question. âWeâre only half staffed now,â he answered. âThere are five of us in all.â
âWhere are the others?â
âIn London,â he answered. âTheyâre helping to clean the town house.â
âBut I thought it was destroyed in the fire,â she said.
âIt wasnât as bad as all that,â he said. âThe sideâs been boarded up and now thereâs only the smoke damage to be righted. While the workers repair the structure, the servants are cleaning the inside.â
âIâm wondering, Sterns, if the servants here can be trusted.â
He rose to his full height before answering. âMiâlady, all the servants are trustworthy. They are all loyal to their employer.â
âYouâre certain?â
He took a step away from the door. âWhy are you so interested in . . .â
âYouâll be having two guests in the next few days, Sterns, but no one must tell that theyâre here. Your staff must keep silent.â
âThe Marquess hasnât mentioned any guests to me,â he argued, seeming mildly injured.
Jade rushed past him and threw the door wide. âCaine doesnât know about the visitors just yet,â she said. âThatâs the reason he hasnât told you. Itâs going to be a surprise, you see.â
She could tell from his befuddled expression that he didnât see. âI just thought youâd like to be forewarned so you could have the guest chambers made ready,â she explained. She picked up her skirts and started down the steps. âNow quit frowning, Sterns. I shall tell Caine you tried to keep me inside.â
âAnd I shall inform miâlord that you werenât in your room,â he called out.
Jade found Caine going through the remains of what had been his stables. Only smoldering embers remained. The destruction was absolute.
The horses, she noticed, were now housed in a large rectangular corral the men had just put together.
Caineâs white shirt was covered with soot. âHave you collected all your horses?â she asked when she reached his side.
He slowly turned to look at her. The scowl on his face could very well start a fresh fire. His tone, however, was deceptively mild when he said, âAll but the one you borrowed.â
âBorrowed?â she asked, feigning innocence.
âGo and wait for me in the drawing room,â he commanded.
âBut Caine, I want to help.â
âHelp?â He almost lost his temper then and there. âYou and your men have helped enough.â Several deep breaths later, he said, âGo back inside. Now.â
His roar accomplished his goal. Jade immediately turned around and hurried back to the house. She could feel Caineâs stare on her back and wouldnât have been surprised if her gown had caught fire. The man was spitting-embers angry.
It would be pointless to try to reason with him now. Sheâd have to wait until his anger had dissipated just a little.
When she reached the bottom step, she turned back to him. âCaine? If you must stay outside, donât be such a bloody easy target.â
Sterns rushed down the stairs, grabbed hold of her elbow, and wh
ispered, âDo as he orders, Lady Jade. You donât want to prod his temper now. Come along inside now,â he added as he assisted her up the stairs. âI donât believe Iâve ever seen miâlord in such a rage.â
âYes, he is in a rage,â Jade whispered, irritated by the tremor in her voice. âSterns, do you think I might have a cup of tea? This day seems to have gone completely sour,â she added. âAnd itâs not even half done.â
âOf course I shall fix you some tea,â Sterns rushed out. âMiâlady, Iâm certain the Marquess didnât mean to raise his voice to you. Once he gets over his anger, Iâm certain heâll apologize.â
âHe might not ever get over his anger,â she muttered.
Sterns opened the front door for her, then followed her inside. âThe stables werenât even a month old,â he said.
Jade tried to pay attention to what Sterns was saying, but Caineâs words kept echoing through her mind. You and your men have helped enough. Yes, those were his very words. He knew about Matthew and Jimbo. But how? she wondered, and more importantly, what else did he know?
While Sterns went to see about her tea, Jade paced the confines of the large drawing room. She opened the pair of French doors at the end of the room to let in the fresh spring air. It was a precautionary measure as well, for if Caine was bent on killing her, sheâd have a possible escape.
âNonsense,â she muttered as she resumed her pacing. Caine would never raise his hand against her, no matter how angry he became. Besides, he couldnât possibly know the full truth.
The front door suddenly bounded open. It banged against the interior wall twice before it was slammed shut.
Caine had arrived.
Jade rushed over to the gold brocade settee, sat down, and folded her hands in her lap. She forced a serene smile on her face. He wasnât going to know she was shaking. No, sheâd go to her grave before sheâd let him know he had her worried.
The doors to the drawing room flew open next. Caine filled the entrance. Jade couldnât hold her smile once she saw his expression. He looked ready to kill. Why, he was so furious, he was actually trembling.
âWhere did you go this morning?â he roared.
âDonât take that tone of voice with me, sir. Youâll make me deaf.â
âAnswer me.â
She glared at him because heâd ignored her order and had shouted once again, then said, âI went to visit your dear papa.â
That announcement took a little of the bluster out of him. Then he shook his head. âI donât believe you.â
âIâm telling you the truth,â she stated.
Caine walked into the room and didnât stop until he towered over her. The tips of his boots touched the hem of her gown. He loomed over her like an avenging god. Jade felt trapped. In the back of her mind she knew that he wanted her to feel that way. âIâm sorry you donât believe me, Caine, but I did go to see your father. I was very concerned about him, you see. Sir Harwick mentioned he wasnât feeling well and I thought a nice chat would lighten his mood.â
She stared down at her hands while she made that confession.
âWhen did you set the fire, Jade?â
She looked up at his face then. âI didnât set any fires,â she announced.
âThe hell you didnât,â he roared. He turned away from her and walked over to the hearth. He was so furious, he didnât trust himself to stand close to her.
She stood up, folded her hands in front of her, and said, âI didnât set your stables on fire, Caine.â
âThen you ordered one of your men to do it. Now I want to know why.â
âWhat men?â
âThe two bastards whoâve been hanging around here since the day we arrived,â he answered.
He waited to hear her denial. She had given him nothing but lies since the moment they met. He realized that now.
âOh, those two men,â she answered. She lifted her shoulders in a delicate shrug. âYou must mean Matthew and Jimbo. Youâve met them, have you?â
His anguish was almost unbearable now. âYes, Iâve met them. They were two more lies, werenât they?â
She couldnât look at him now. God help her, she was finally seeing the man sheâd read about in the file. Cold. Methodical. Deadly. The descriptive words hadnât been exaggerated after all.
âMatthew and Jimbo are fine men,â she whispered.
âThen you donât deny . . .â
âI wonât deny anything,â she answered. âYouâre putting me in an impossible position. I have given my word and I canât break it. Youâll just have to trust me a while longer.â
âTrust you?â He roared the words like blasphemies. âI will never trust you again. You must think Iâm a fool if you believe I would.â
She was terrified of him now. She took a deep breath, then said, âMy problem is very delicate.â
âI donât give a damn how delicate your problem is,â he roared. âWhat in Godâs name is your game? Why are you here?â
He was back to shouting at her. Jade shook her head at him. âI will tell you only that Iâm here because of you.â
âAnswer me.â
âVery well,â she whispered. âIâm here to protect you.â
She might as well have told him sheâd come from the heavens for all the attention he gave that statement of fact. âI want the real reason, damn it.â
âThat is the real reason. Iâm protecting you.â
Sterns appeared at the opened doorway with a silver tray in his hands. He took one look at his employerâs face and immediately turned around.
âShut the doors behind you, Sterns,â Caine ordered.
âDonât you raise your voice to Sterns,â Jade demanded in a near shout of her own. âHe has nothing to do with this and you shouldnât take your anger out on him.â
âSit down, Jade.â His voice was much softer now, far more threatening, too. It took all Jadeâs determination not to do as he ordered.
âYou probably kick puppies when youâre in a foul mood, donât you?â
âSit down.â
She glanced over to the doorway, judging the distance to safety, but Caineâs next words changed her mind. âYou wouldnât make it.â
Jade turned back to Caine. âYou arenât going to be at all reasonable about this, are you?â
âNo,â he answered. âIâm not going to be reasonable.â
âI was hoping that we could have a quiet discussion after youâve calmed down and . . .â
âNow,â he countered. âWeâre going to have our discussion now, Jade.â He wanted to grab hold of her, shake her into answering all his questions, but he knew if he touched her, he might kill her.
His heart felt as though it had just been torn in half. âPagan sent you, didnât he?â
âNo.â
âYes,â he answered. âMy God, the bastard sent a woman to do his work for him. Who is he, Jade? Your brother?â
She shook her head and backed away from him. âCaine, please try to listen . . .â
He started after her, then forced himself to stop. âAll of it . . . lies, isnât that right, Jade? You werenât in any danger.â
âNot all of it lies,â she answered. âBut you were the primary target.â
He shook his head. She knew then he wasnât going to believe anything she told him. She could see the pain, the raw agony in his eyes.
âHe sent a woman,â he repeated. âYour brotherâs a coward. Heâs going to die. It will be fitting justice, wonât it? An eye for an eye, or in this instance, a brother for a brother.â
âCaine, you must listen to me,â she cried out. She wanted to weep because of the torment she was causing him. âYou have to understand. In the beginning, I didnât know what kind of a man you were . . . Oh, God, Iâm so sorry . . .â
âSorry?â he asked, his voice flat, devoid of all emotion.
âYes,â she whispered. âIf youâll only listen . . .â
âDo you think Iâm going to believe any
thing you tell me now?â
Jade didnât answer him. Caine seemed to be staring through her. He didnât say anything for a long time. She could almost see the fury building inside of him.
She closed her eyes against his dark expression, his anger, his hatred.
âDid you let me make love to you because Pagan ordered you to?â he asked.
She reacted as though heâd just struck her. âThat would make me a whore, Caine, and I donât whore for anyone, not even my brother.â
He didnât agree with her soon enough to placate her. Her eyes filled with tears. âI am not a whore,â she shouted.
The sudden roar that came from the French doors turned both Caineâs and Jadeâs attention. The bone-chilling sound was like a battle cry.
Jade recognized the sound. Nathan had arrived. The deception was finally over.
âDid you just call my sister a whore?â
The walls shook from the venom in Nathanâs deep voice. Jade had never seen her brother so angry.
She took a step toward her brother, but suddenly found herself hauled up against Caineâs side.
âDonât get in my way,â he ordered, his voice mild, horribly calm.
âIn the way of what?â she asked. âYou arenât going to hurt my brother, Caine. I wonât let you.â
âGet your hands off her,â Nathan roared. âOr Iâll kill you.â
âNathan,â Jade cried out. âCaine doesnât understand.â She tried to push Caineâs hands away from her shoulders. It proved impossible. His grip was as tenacious as seaweed.
She didnât know who looked more furious. Nathanâs scowl was just as ugly as Caineâs was, just as threatening. They were equally matched, these two giant adversaries. They were bound to kill each other if given the chance.
Nathan looked like a pirate, too. His long, dark brown hair fell way past his broad shoulders. He was dressed in snug black britches and wore his white shirt opened almost to the waist. Nathan wasnât quite as tall as Caine was, but he was certainly just as muscular.
Yes, they would kill each other. Jade frantically tried to think of a way to ease the situation while the two men took each otherâs measure.
âI asked you a question, you bastard,â Nathan shouted again. He took a threatening step forward. âDid you call my sister a whore?â