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

As soon as he'd shut the door behind him, Jade opened it and climbed out. The driver came to stand beside his employer. "I can't fathom it, mi'lord. I'm always checking the wheels to make certain they're sound."

"I'm not faulting you, Miller," Caine returned. "We're far enough on the side of the street to leave it

here for the night. Unleash the horse, Miller. I'll…"

Caine stopped when he noticed Jade. She was clutching a wicked-looking dagger in her hand. He

almost laughed. "Put that away, Jade. You'll hurt yourself."

She slipped the knife back into the seam pocket of her gown. "We're fair targets, Caine, standing out

here for anyone to grab."

"Then get back inside," he suggested.

She pretended she hadn't heard him. "Miller? Was the wheel tampered with, do you suppose?"

The driver squatted down next to the axle. "I'd say it was," he whispered. "Mi'lord, it was tampered

with! Have a look here, at the cuts made in the side bar."

"What are we going to do now?" Jade asked Caine.

"We'll ride the horse," he announced.

"But what about poor Miller? They might do him in when we leave."

"I'll be all right, miss," the driver interjected. "I got me a big flask of brandy to keep me warm. I'll sit inside the carriage until Broley comes to fetch me."

"Who is Broley?" Jade asked.

"One of the tigers," Miller returned.

Jade didn't know what he was talking about. "You have a friend who is an animal?"

Caine did smile then. "Broley works for me," he explained. "I'll explain it all to you later."

"We should just hire a hack," she announced then. She folded her arms across her chest. "Then we

could all ride together and I wouldn't have to worry about Miller."

"At this time of night? It's doubtful we'd find a hack."

"What about Monk's lovely tavern?" she asked. "Couldn't we go back there and wait until light?"

"No," Caine answered. "Monk has certainly locked up and gone home by now."

"We're a fair distance away from the Ne'er Do Well now, mi'lady," Miller interjected.

When the driver moved to unstrap the horse, Jade grabbed hold of Caine's hand and moved closer to

his side. "Caine?" she whispered.

"Yes?"

"I think I know what happened to your fine carriage wheel. It was probably the very same men who…"

"Hush now," he whispered back. "It's going to be all right."

"How can you know it's going to be all right?"

She sounded so frightened. Caine wanted to comfort her. "My instincts," he boasted. "Sweet, don't let your imagination get out of hand. It's…"

"Too late," she countered. "Oh, Lord, my imagination's at it again."

The pistol shot rang out just as she threw herself into his side, knocking him off balance.

The shot flew past the side of his head, narrowly missing him. He could hear the whistle in his ear. Though he was certain it wasn't intentional, Jade had actually just saved his life.

Caine tightened his hold on Jade's hand, shouted a warning to Miller as he pushed her in front of him,

and then started running. He forced her to stay directly in front of him so he could shield her with his broad back.

Several more pistol shots rang out. Jade could hear the thundering of men chasing them. It sounded like

a herd of wild horses were about to trample them down.

Jade soon lost all track of where they were. Caine seemed to know his way around the area well enough. He pulled her through a maze of alleys and back streets, until she had a horrid stitch in her side and couldn't catch her breath. When she stumbled against him, he lifted her into his arms without breaking

his stride.

He continued the grueling pace long after the sounds of pursuit had stopped. When they reached the center of the old bridge spanning the Thames, he finally paused to rest.

Caine leaned against the rickety railing, holding her close against him. "That was close. Damn, my instincts were off tonight. I never saw it coming."

He hadn't sounded a bit winded when he made that remark. She was amazed by his stamina. Why, her heart was still pounding from the exertion. "Do you do quite a lot of running through alleys, Caine?" she asked.

He thought that was an odd question. "No, why do you ask?"

"You aren't at all out of breath," she answered. "And we never once ran into a dead end," she added. "You do know your way around the city, don't you?"

"I guess I do," he answered with a shrug that almost sent her flying over the railing. She threw her arms around his neck and held on. Then she realized he was still holding her in his arms.

"You may put me down now," she announced. "I'm certain we lost them."

"I'm not," Caine drawled out.

"I've already explained that I don't like being touched, sir. Put me down." She paused to give him a hard look, then asked, "You aren't going to blame me for your instincts tailing you, are you?"

"No, I'm not going to blame you. Jade, you ask the damnedest questions."

"I'm not in the mood to argue with you. Just apologize and I shall forgive you."

"Apologize?" He sounded incredulous. "What for?"

"For thinking I have an overactive imagination," she explained. "For telling me I'm confused, and most

of all, for being terribly rude when you said those insulting things to me."

He didn't apologize, but he did smile at her. She noticed the wonderful dimple in the side of his left cheek then. Her heart took notice and started pounding in a wild beat again.

"We're standing on a bridge in the middle of London's most disreputable section with a band of cutthroats chasing us, and all you can think about is gaining my apology? You, sweet, really are mad."

"I always remember to apologize when I've done something wrong," she remarked.

He looked downright exasperated with her now. She couldn't help but smile at him. Lord, he was a handsome rascal. The moonlight softened his harsh features, and she barely minded his frown now.

In truth, she wanted him to smile at her again.

"Jade? Can you swim?"

She was staring intently at his mouth, thinking to herself that he had the most beautiful white teeth she'd ever seen.