Guardian Angel - Garwood Julie (читать книги полностью без сокращений TXT) 📗

Caine smiled. "It makes as much sense as everything else she's told us."

"Hudson insisted on returning to the stables," she continued. "He was convinced we'd find the horse had found its way back home on its own."

"And was he correct in that assumption?" Caine asked.

"No, he wasn't. The men searched the grounds for the rest of the morning but they couldn't find him. There were fresh wagon tracks along the south trail, though. Do you know what I think happened, Caine? I think they put the horse in the wagon and carried him away. What do you think of that possibility?"

She sounded so eager he was a little sorry to have to disappoint her. "You obviously don't have any idea how much a fully grown horse weighs, Jade. You can take my word it would require more than three men to lift it."

"Difficult," Lyon interjected. "But not impossible."

"Perhaps the animal only had a flesh wound and wandered off," said Caine.

"A flesh wound between his eyes? I doubt that." She let out a groan of frustration. "Nathan's going to be so upset when he finds out about his house and his carriage, too."

"His house? What the hell happened to his house?" Caine muttered. "Damn, I wish you'd tell this in sequence, Jade."

"I believe she has finally gotten to the fires," Lyon said.

"Why, it burned to the ground," Jade returned.

"When did the house burn down?" Caine asked with another weary sigh. "Before or after the horse was killed?"

"Almost directly after," she explained. "Hudson had ordered Nathan's carriage made ready for me. I had decided to return to London and find Nathan. I was good and sick of the way his servants were acting. They kept a wide berth around me, and kept giving me odd looks. I knew Nathan would help me solve this riddle."

She didn't realize she'd raised her voice until Caine patted her hand and said, "Just calm down, sweet,

and finish this."

"You're looking at me the very same way Hudson… oh, all right then, I'll finish. I was on my way back to London when the footman shouted that Nathan's house was on fire. He could see the smoke coming over the hilltops. We immediately turned around, of course, but by the time we arrived back at the house… well, it was too late. I ordered the servants to go to Nathan's London town house."

"And then you set out for London again?" Caine asked. He was absentmindedly rubbing the back of her neck. It felt too good for Jade to ask him to stop.

"We stayed on the main road, but when we turned a curve, they were waiting for us. The driver was so frightened,-he ran off."

"The bastard."

Lyon had made that remark. Caine nodded agreement.

"I don't fault the man," Jade defended. "He was frightened. People do… peculiar things when they're afraid."

"Some do," Caine allowed.

"Tell us what happened then, Jade?" Lyon asked.

"They blocked the doors and set the carriage on fire," she answered. "I was able to wiggle out through the ill-framed window. Nathan spent good coins on that vehicle, but it wasn't at all sturdy. I was able to kick the hinges away from the branches easily enough. I don't believe I'll mention that fact to my brother, though, for it would only upset him… unless, of course, he thinks to hire the same company."

"You're digressing yet again," Caine said.

Lyon smiled. "She reminds me of Christina," he admitted. "Jade, why don't you go and find my wife for me? She was going to pack a satchel for you to take with you."

Jade felt as though she'd just been given a reprieve. Her stomach was in a quiver of knots. She felt as though she'd just had to relive the terror.

She didn't waste any time at all leaving the room.

"Well, Caine?" Lyon asked when they were alone. "What do you think?"

"There were men chasing us last night," Caine reminded his friend.

"Do you believe her story?"

"She saw something."

"That isn't what I asked you."

Caine slowly shook his head. "Not a damned word," he admitted. "And you?"

Lyon shook his head. "It's the most illogical story I've ever heard. But damn, if she's telling the truth, we've got to help her."

"And if she's not?" Caine asked, already guessing the answer.

"You damned well better watch your back."

"Lyon, you don't think…"

Lyon wouldn't let him finish. "I'll tell you what I do know," he interrupted. "One, you're not being objective. I can't fault you, Caine. I reacted to Christina in much the same way you're reacting to Jade. Two, she is in danger and has put you in danger, too. Those are the only facts we can take as true."

Caine knew he was right. He leaned back against the settee. "Now tell me what your gut reaction is."

"Perhaps this has something to do with her father," Lyon suggested with a shrug. "I'll start looking into

the Earl of Wakerfield's history. Richards will be able to help."

Caine started to disagree and then changed his mind. "It couldn't hurt," he said. "Still, I'm beginning to wonder if her brother might not be behind all this. Remember, Lyon. Nathan went to London to help a friend in trouble. That's when all this started."

"If we accept the story she told us."

"Yes," Caine answered.

Lyon let out a long sigh. "I only have one question to put to you, Caine." His voice was low, insistent. "Do you trust her?"

Caine stared at his friend a long minute. "If we apply logic to this bizarre situation…"

Lyon shook his head. "I value your instincts, friend. Answer me."

"Yes," Caine said. He grinned then. For the first time in his life, he pushed reason aside. "I trust her

with my life but I couldn't give you one valid reason why. How's that for logic, Lyon?"

His friend smiled. "I trust her, too. You don't have the faintest idea why you trust her, though, do you, Caine?"

Lyon sounded downright condescending. Caine raised an eyebrow in reaction. "What are you getting at?"

"I trust her only because you do," Lyon explained. "Your instincts are never wrong. You've saved my backside more than once because I listened to you."

"You still haven't explained what your point is," Caine reminded him.