“I’m certain,” he returned. “Just hold on a little longer, sweet. We’ll be out of this muck in no time at all.”
His soothing voice did calm her a little. She was still trying to strangle him, but her grip had lessened. It was only a halfhearted attempt now.
They floated at least a good mile down the winding river before he finally pulled her out of the water and onto the grassy slope. Jade was too cold, too miserable, to blister him with her opinion of his conduct.
She couldn’t even get in a decent whimper. Her teeth were chattering too much. “I smell like dead fish,” she stammered out in a pitiful wail.
“Yes, you do,” Caine agreed. He sounded amused.
“So do you, you . . . pretender.”
“Pretender?” he repeated while he tore his jacket off and tossed it on the ground behind him. “What do you mean by that?”
Jade was trying to wring the water out of the hem of her gown. Her hair covered most of her face. She paused to toss the clumps out of her vision. “You needn’t act so innocent with me,” she muttered.
She gave up her task and accepted the pitiful fact that her gown now outweighed her, then wrapped her arms around her waist and tried to hug some warmth back into her bones. Her voice took on her shivers when she added, “Pretending to be the pirate, Pagan. He would never throw a gentle lady in the Thames.”
“Jade, I did what I thought was best under the circumstances,” he defended.
“I lost my cloak.” That announcement came out in a loud gasp.
“I’ll buy you another one.”
“But my silver coins were in that cloak,” she said. “Well?”
“Well, what?”
“Go fetch it.”
“What?”
“Go fetch it,” she ordered again. “I’ll wait here.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“I’m perfectly serious,” she countered. “We only drifted a mile or so, Caine. It shouldn’t take you any time at all.”
“No.”
“Please?”
“I’d never find it,” he returned. “It’s probably at the bottom of the river by now.”
She mopped at the corners of her eyes with the backs of her hands. “Now I’m a pauper and it’s all your fault.”
“Don’t start,” he commanded. He knew she was on the verge of tears again. “Now isn’t the time for hysterics or complaints, even though they seem to be the only two things you’re any good at,” he continued. He caught her gasp and smiled. She was getting her temper back. “Do you still have your shoes on or do I have to carry you?”
“How would I know?” she asked. “I’ve lost all the feeling in my feet.”
“Look, damn it.”
“Yes, damn it,” she muttered when she’d done as he ordered. “I’m still wearing them. Well?” she added. “Are you going to apologize or not?”
“No,” he answered in a clipped voice. “I’m not going to apologize. And lower your voice, Jade. Do you want every cutthroat in London after us?”
“No,” she whispered. She moved close to his side. “Caine? What would you have done if I didn’t know how to swim?”
“The same thing,” he answered. “But we would have jumped together.”
“I didn’t jump,” she argued. “Oh, never mind. I’m cold, Caine. What are we going to do now?”
He took hold of her hand and started up the bank. “We’re going to walk over to my friend’s town house. It’s closer than mine.”
“Caine, you’re forgetting your jacket,” she reminded him.
Before he could tell her to leave it, she rushed back, lifted the jacket, rung as much of the water out of it as she could manage with her numb fingers, and then hurried back to his side. She tossed the hair out of her eyes again, just as he put his arm around her shoulders. “I look terrible, don’t I?”
“You smell worse,” he told her quite cheerfully.
He gave her an affectionate squeeze, then remarked, “I’d say it’s more like rotten meat than dead fish though.”
She started to gag. Caine slapped his hand over her mouth. “If you lose your supper, I’ll become very angry with you. I have enough to contend with now. Don’t you dare complicate matters by getting sick.”
She bit his hand, gaining both her freedom and another blasphemy from him. “I didn’t have any supper,” she announced. “I wanted to die on an empty stomach.”
“You still might,” he muttered. “Now quit talking and let me think. Why the hell did you want to die on an empty stomach?” he couldn’t help but ask.
“Some people become ill when they’re frightened. I thought I might, you see, right before you . . . oh, never mind. I just didn’t want to go to my Maker in a messy gown, that’s all.”
“I knew I shouldn’t have asked,” he replied. “Look, when we get to Lyon’s place, you can have a hot bath. You’ll feel better then.”
“Is Lyon the interfering friend Monk mentioned?”
“Lyon isn’t interfering.”
“Monk said he’d find out what happened to you this black night,” Jade replied. “Those were his very words. That certainly sounds interfering to me.”
“You’ll like Lyon.”
“If he’s your friend, I have my doubts,” she returned. “Still, I will try to like him.”
They lapsed into silence for several blocks. Caine was on his guard now and Jade wasn’t nearly as worried as she pretended to be.
“Caine? After we’ve had our baths, what will we do?”
“You’re going to sit down and tell me everything that happened to you.”
“I’ve already told you what happened to me. You didn’t believe me though, did you?”
“No,” he admitted. “I didn’t.”
“Besides, your mind is already set against me, Caine. You won’t believe anything else I tell you. Why should I make the effort?”
“My mind isn’t set against you,” he answered. His irritation was obvious in his tone.
She let out a rather inelegant snort. Caine vowed he wouldn’t let her draw him into another argument. He led her through another maze of back streets. She was so exhausted by the time they’d reached the steps to the impressive, redbrick town house, she wanted to weep real tears.
A giant of a man with a rather sinister-looking scar creasing his forehead opened the door on Caine’s insistent pounding. The man had obviously been asleep. He wasn’t happy about being awakened, either. Jade took one look at the stranger’s dark scowl, and edged closer to Caine.
The man she assumed was Lyon wore only a pair of black britches. The frightening scowl quickly turned to a look of true astonishment as soon as he saw who his visitor was. “Caine? What in God’s name . . . come inside,” he rushed out. He moved forward with the intent of clasping Caine’s hand, then abruptly changed his mind. He’d obviously just gotten a good whiff of the two of them.
Jade was horribly embarrassed. She turned to glare at Caine, a silent message that she still believed her foul condition was all his fault, then walked into the black and white tiled foyer. She saw a beautiful woman hurrying down the winding staircase then. The woman’s long, silvery blond hair flew out behind her. She was so lovely, Jade felt all the worse.
Caine made hasty introductions while Jade stared at the floor. “This is Lyon, Jade, and his wife, Christina.”
“What happened to you two?” Lyon asked.
Jade whirled around, raining drops of sour water in a wide circle. She lifted her hair out of her eyes and then announced, “He threw me in the Thames.”
“He what?” Lyon asked, a hint of a smile in his expression now, for he’d only just noticed what looked very like a chicken bone dangling from her hair.
“Caine threw me in the Thames,” she repeated.
“He did?” Christina asked. Lyon’s wife sounded astonished.
Jade turned to her. “He truly did,” she announced yet again. “He didn’t apologize afterward either.”
“Don’t start on that again,” Caine warned.
“Why did you throw this poor dear in the Thames?” Christina asked again. She hurried over to Jade, her arms outstretched. “You must be chilled to the bone,” she said in sympathy. Christina came to a quick stop when she got close to Jade, then backed up a space.
“It was necessary,” Caine answered. He was trying to ignore Jade’s glare.
“I believe I hate him,” Jade told Christina. “I don’t care if he’s your friend or not,” she added on another sob. “The man’s a scoundrel.”
“Yes, he can be a scoundrel,” Christina agreed. “But he does have other nice qualities.”
“I’ve yet to see them,” Jade whispered.
Christina wrinkled her nose, took a deep breath, and then put her arm around Jade’s waist. “Come with me, Jade. We’ll have you cleaned up in no time. I think the kitchen will serve us better this night. Lyon? You best wake up the staff. We’ll need help heating the water. My, you do have an unusual name,” she told Jade then. “It’s very pretty.”
“He ridiculed my name,” Jade whispered, though loud enough for Caine to overhear.
Caine closed his eyes in vexation. “I did not ridicule your name!” he shouted. “I swear to God, Lyon, that woman’s done nothing but complain and weep since the moment I met her.”
Jade let out a loud gasp, then allowed Christina to prod her along toward the back of the house. Both Caine and Lyon watched the pair depart.
“Do you see how insulting he is, Lady Christina?” Jade asked. “All I asked was one little favor from the man.”
“And he refused?” Christina asked. “That certainly doesn’t sound like Caine. He’s usually very accommodating.”
“I even offered to pay him silver coins,” Jade announced. “I’m a pauper now. Caine threw my cloak in the Thames, too. The coins were in the pocket.”
Christina shook her head. She paused at the corner to look back at Caine so he could see her displeasure. “That was terribly ungallant of him, wasn’t it?”
They rounded the corner on Jade’s fervent agreement.
“What was the favor she asked of you?” Lyon asked.
“Nothing much,” Caine drawled out. He bent over to pull off his water-soaked boots. “She just wanted me to kill her, that’s all.”
Lyon let out a shout of laughter, but stopped when he realized Caine wasn’t jesting.
“She wanted it done before morning,” Caine said.
“She didn’t.”
“She was willing to let me finish my brandy first.”
“That was thoughtful of her.”
The two men shared a grin. “Now your wife thinks I’m an ogre because I’ve disappointed the woman.”
Lyon laughed again. “Christina doesn’t know what the favor was, friend.”
Caine dropped his boots in the center of the hall, then added his socks to the pile. “I could still change my mind and accommodate the little woman, I suppose,” he remarked dryly. “Damn, my favorite boots are ruined.”
Lyon leaned against the archway, his arms folded across his chest, while he watched Caine pull off his shirt. “No, you couldn’t kill her,” he replied. His tone was mild when he added, “She wasn’t really serious, was she? She seems quite timid. I can’t imagine . . .”
“She witnessed a murder,” Caine interjected. “Now she has several unsavory men chasing after her, obviously intent on silencing her. That’s all I know, Lyon, but as soon as possible, I’m going to find out every detail. The sooner I can solve her problem, the sooner I’ll be rid of her.”
Since Caine was glaring so ferociously, Lyon tried to hide his smile. “She really has you rattled, doesn’t she?” he asked.
“The hell she does,” Caine muttered. “Why would you think a mere woman could get me rattled?”
“You just took your britches off in the middle of my foyer, Caine,” he replied. “That’s why I think you’re rattled.”
“I need some brandy,” Caine countered. He grabbed his pants and started to put them back on again.
Christina strolled past him, smiled at her husband, and then continued on up the stairs. She didn’t mention his near naked condition, and neither did he.
Lyon thoroughly enjoyed Caine’s embarrassment. He’d never seen his friend in such a state. “Why don’t you go inside the library. The brandy’s on the side bar. Help yourself and I’ll see about your bath. God, you do smell rank.”
Caine did as Lyon suggested. The brandy warmed him a little and the fire he started in the hearth took the rest of his chills away.
Christina left Jade alone once the tub had been filled with steaming hot water. She’d already helped her wash her hair in the bucket of warm, rose-scented water.
Jade quickly stripped out of her soggy clothing. Her fingers were numb from cold, but she took the time to remove her dagger from the hidden pocket in the lining. She put the weapon on the chair beside the tub as a precautionary measure in case someone tried to sneak up behind her, then climbed into the hot water and let out a long sigh of pleasure.
She scrubbed every inch of her body twice before she felt clean again. Christina came back into the kitchen just as Jade was standing up. Since her back was to her, Christina immediately noticed the long, jagged scar along the base of her spine. She let out a gasp of surprise.
Jade grabbed the blanket from the back of the chair, wrapped it around herself, and then stepped out of the tub to face Christina. “Is something the matter?” she asked, daring her to mention the scar she knew she’d seen.
Christina shook her head. She saw the knife on the chair then and walked over to have a closer look at it. Jade could feel herself blush with embarrassment. She tried to think of a logical explanation to give her hostess as to why a gentle lady would be carrying such a weapon, but she was simply too weary to come up with a believable lie.
“Mine’s much sharper.”
“I beg your pardon?” Jade asked, certain she hadn’t heard correctly.
“My blade is much sharper,” Christina explained. “I use a special stone. Shall I fix yours for you?”
Jade nodded.
“Do you sleep with this by your side or under your pillow?” Christina asked very matter-of-factly.
“Under my pillow.”
“So did I,” Christina said. “It’s much easier to grasp that way, isn’t it?”
“Yes, but why did you . . .”
“I’ll take your knife upstairs and put it under your pillow,” Christina promised. “And in the morning, I’ll sharpen it for you.”
“That’s very kind of you,” Jade whispered. “I didn’t realize other ladies carried knives.”
“Most don’t,” Christina replied with a dainty shrug. She handed Jade a pristine white nightgown and matching wrapper, then helped her dress. “I don’t sleep with a dagger under my pillow any longer. Lyon protects me. In time, I think you’ll give up your dagger, too. Yes, I do believe you will.”
“You do?” Jade asked. She was desperately trying to make sense out of the woman’s remarks. “Why is that?”
“Destiny,” Christina whispered. “Of course, you’ll have to learn to trust Caine first.”
“Impossible,” Jade blurted out. “I don’t trust anyone.”
From Christina’s wide-eyed expression, Jade assumed she’d been too vehement in her reply. “Lady Christina, I’m not at all certain I know what you’re talking about. I barely know Caine. Why would I have to learn to trust him?”
“Please, you needn’t call me Lady Christina,” she countered. “Now come and sit by the fire while I brush the crinkles out of your hair.”
She dragged the chair across the room, then gently pushed Jade down into the seat. “I don’t have many frien
ds in England.”
“You don’t?”
“It’s my fault,” Christina explained. “I don’t have enough patience. The ladies are very pretentious here. You’re different, though.”
“How can you know that?” Jade asked.
“Because you carry a knife,” Christina explained. “Will you be my friend?”
Jade hesitated a long minute before answering. “For as long as you wish me to be your friend, Christina,” she whispered.
Christina stared down at the lovely woman. “You believe that once I know all about you, I’ll change my inclination, don’t you?”
Her new friend shrugged. Christina noticed her hands were tightly clenched in her lap.
“I haven’t had time for friends,” Jade blurted out.
“I noticed the scar on your back,” Christina whispered. “I won’t tell Caine about it, of course, but he’ll notice when he takes you to his bed. You carry a mark of honor, Jade.”
Jade would have bounded out of the chair if Christina hadn’t grabbed her shoulders and held her down. “I meant no insult,” she rushed out. “You shouldn’t be ashamed of . . .”
“Caine isn’t going to take me to his bed,” Jade countered. “Christina, I don’t even like the man.”
Christina smiled. “We are friends now, aren’t we?”
“Yes.”
“Then you cannot lie to me. You do like Caine. I could see it in your eyes when you looked at him. Oh, you were frowning, but it was all bluster, wasn’t it? At least admit that you think he’s handsome. All the ladies find him very appealing.”
“He is that,” Jade answered with a sigh. “He’s a womanizer, isn’t he?”
“Lyon and I have never seen him with the same woman twice,” Christina admitted. “So I do suppose you could call him a womanizer. Aren’t most until they’re ready to settle down?”
“I don’t know,” Jade replied. “I haven’t had many men friends either. There just wasn’t time.”
Christina finally picked up the brush and began to give order to Jade’s lustrous curls. “I’ve never seen such beautiful hair before. There are threads of red fire shining through it.”
“Oh, you have beautiful hair, not me,” Jade protested. “Men have a preference for golden-haired ladies, Christina.”
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