'Colin, I'm going with you,' Caine announced.
Alesandra knew it was useless to continue to argue with her husband. From the look in his eyes she knew he was going to be stubborn about this. She went upstairs to fetch her list, added a few more questions to the sheet of paper, and then hurried downstairs again.
'We'll take my carriage,' Caine told his brother.
Colin nodded. He took the list from his wife, put it in his pocket, and kissed her good-bye. 'Stay home,' he ordered. 'I shouldn't be gone long.'
'She can't stay home,' Caine interjected. 'I've forgotten. Nathan's coming by to collect her in about an hour.'
'Why?' Colin asked.
'Jade wants your wife to meet Sara,' he explained. 'Mother and Catherine are at the house, too.'
'Nathan will be with Alesandra?' Colin asked.
'Yes.'
Alesandra turned and started up the steps. She was in a hurry to change her dress. She wanted to look her best when she met Sara.
'Should I take our gift along?' she called down to her husband.
Colin was starting but the doorway. He told her that was a fine idea, but she could tell from the shrug in his answer he was barely paying attention to her.
Megan helped her change her clothes. Flannaghan's sister was nervous-awkward, too-but her enthusiasm to please her mistress was most apparent.
Nathan came to collect her a short while later. Alesandra carried the gift Flannaghan had rewrapped for her down the stairs. She handed the box to Nathan to carry for her but didn't explain what it was.
Colin's partner seemed preoccupied and barely said a word to her on the way over to Caine's town house.
She finally asked him if something was wrong.
'I've been going over the books,' he explained, 'and trying to figure out where all the entries came from. Colin's the one with a head for figures,' he added. 'I'm trying to keep the ledgers current but it's difficult.'
'I entered the invoices while Colin was ill,' she said. 'Perhaps I made a mistake. Are you thinking the balances are wrong?'
Nathan shook his head. 'Colin told me you caught him up,' he said. He smiled then and stretched his long legs out. She moved her skirts out of his way so he would have more room.
'I couldn't find the invoices for some of the deposits made,' he said.
She finally understood what was bothering him. The money Colin had transferred into the company account came from payment for services rendered for the War Department.
'There aren't any receipts for four entries,' she remarked.
'Yes, four exactly,' Nathan agreed with a nod. 'Do you know where Colin got the money? It doesn't make sense. The income from the ships is accounted for and I know he doesn't have a separate income.'
'Have you asked him about it?'
Nathan shook his head. 'I just discovered the puzzle this morning.'
'Do you and Colin… share everything? I mean to ask, does either of you keep secrets?'
'We're partners, Alesandra. If we can't trust each other, who in thunder can we trust?'
He gave her a piercing look. 'You know where the money came from, don't you?'
She slowly nodded. 'Colin should probably tell you-not me,' she reasoned aloud.
'Did the money come from you?'
'No.'
'Then who?'
He wasn't going to let it drop. Because Nathan wasn't just Colin's partner but his best friend as well, Alesandra decided it wouldn't be disloyal to tell him.
'You must promise me not to say a word to Caine or anyone else in Colin's family,' she began.
Nathan nodded. His curiosity was pricked, of course. 'I promise.'
'Colin was doing some work on the side to increase the accounts.'
Nathan leaned forward. 'Who did he work for?'
'Sir Richards.'
His roar almost knocked her gift off the seat. Nathan had appeared to be only mildly interested and for that reason his furious reaction was a bit stunning. She visibly jumped. She flinched, too, when he muttered a dark expletive.
Nathan regained his control and apologized for using the foul word. The look in his eyes remained chilling.
'I believe it would be best if you let Colin explain,' she stammered out. 'He doesn't work for Richards any longer, Nathan.'
'You're certain?'
She nodded. 'I'm very certain.'
Nathan let out a long sigh and leaned back. 'Thank you for telling me.'
'Colin would have told you, wouldn't he?'
The worry in his voice was very apparent. Nathan thought she was having second thoughts about telling him. He smiled. 'Yes, he would have told me. In fact, I'll ask him about the missing invoices tonight.'
He deliberately turned the topic so she would quit fretting. They arrived at Caine's town house a few minutes later.
Alesandra met Flannaghan's uncle Sterns when he opened the door for them. He was an extremely dour- faced elderly gentleman, stiff as starch in his manners, but there was a true sparkle in his eyes when he greeted her. Flannaghan, it seemed, had been singing her praises, and Stems made mention that he'd just heard both Megan and Kate were also in her household now.
The doors to the salon were wide open. Caine's daughter spotted her first and came running into the entrance. The four-year-old grabbed hold of Sterns's hand so she wouldn't tumble when she executed a curtsy. Her ladylike behavior was short-lived. The second she'd finished with the bothersome formality, she let go of Sterns and threw herself at her uncle Nathan's legs. She let out a shriek of joy when he lifted her up and tossed her like a hat into the air.
'Thank God for tall ceilings,' Sterns remarked.
Nathan heard the comment and laughed. He settled his niece in his arm and followed Alesandra into the salon.
Jade and Catherine were sitting side by side on the settee. The duchess was seated in the chair across from her daughters. All three women rushed to their feet and surrounded Alesandra.
'We just heard the wonderful news,' the duchess announced.
Alesandra laughed.
'I heard it from Catherine,' said the duchess.
'I heard it from Jade,' Catherine interjected.
'I never…' Jade began to protest.
'I heard mother giving you her speculations,' Catherine admitted then.
'Where is Sara?' Nathan demanded to know.
'She's feeding Joanna,' Jade explained. 'She'll be down in a minute or two.'
Nathan immediately turned to go to his wife. He tried to put Olivia down, but she tightened her hold on his shoulders and announced she was going with him.
Alesandra put the gift box down on the side table and followed her relatives over to the chairs. She sat down next to her mother-in-law. The duchess was dabbing at her eyes with her linen square.
'I'm beside myself with joy,' she announced. 'Another grandchild. It's such a blessing.'
Alesandra beamed with pleasure. The talk centered on children for several minutes. Catherine quickly became bored. Alesandra noticed and decided to change the topic.
'Are you angry with me for telling Colin about the flowers you received?'
'I was angry at first, but then Father explained everything. Then I became afraid. Now that Neil Perry's been
