'What was all that about?'
She turned around to smile at him. 'You said a man's pride is very important, didn't you?'
'I did.'
'You also said that when a man is manipulated or deceived, his pride suffers, too.'
'I did say that.' He leaned forward. 'And?'
'Well, if others were also… fooled… friends who have earned their own legends and England's respect, then wouldn't the blow be less painful?'
He finally understood. His wink was slow, his grin arrogant. 'I shall go and ask Colin and Nathan to join you now,' Jade announced before she left the room. The door closed softly behind her.
'What was she talking about?' Richards asked.
'A personal matter,' Caine answered. He turned to Lyon then. 'Well? What do you think of her now?'
His friend refilled his goblet with more brandy before he answered. 'She's still damned beautiful,' he
said. 'But I'm once again thinking she's awfully timid. Must come from being around you.'
Caine laughed. 'You're back to thinking she's timid?'
'What am I missing, Caine?' Lyon asked, genuinely perplexed. 'What's the jest you find so amusing?'
'Put aside this talk about women,' Richards ordered. 'Now, son, you must promise me something.'
'Sir?' Caine asked.
'Have you actually met this Pagan fellow?'
'I have.'
'When this is finished, you must find a way for me to meet him.'
Caine leaned back in his chair. Jade had been right. She had just given him his pride back.
'I must meet Pagan,' Sir Richards demanded again.
Caine nodded. 'Sir Richards, you just did.'
Chapter Fifteen
'Jade, come back here.' Caine shouted that order while his two friends were trying to absorb the news he'd just given them.
When she didn't respond to his summons, Caine called for Sterns. The butler must have been standing right outside the door, for he immediately rushed inside the library. He bowed to his employer, a courtesy he never ever extended when they were alone, and then asked, 'You wished something, mi'lord?'
'Bring Jade back here,' Caine ordered.
'I believe she heard your bellow, mi'lord,' Sterns announced in that highbrow voice of his, 'She has declined the invitation to rejoin you, however. Was there something more you wanted?'
Caine wanted to strangle Sterns, but he pushed the notion aside. 'Bring her to me. Drag her in here if
you have to, but bring her to me. That's what I want, Sterns.'
The butler nodded, then left on his errand. Caine turned back to his friends. He lost some of his irritation when he saw Lyon's grin. His friend seemed to be taking the news of Pagan's identity much better than Sir Richards was. The director still looked quite stunned.
'Hell, Caine, I should have guessed,' Lyon said. 'She was so timid… yes, I should have known, all right. You aren't one to be attracted to… and Christina did say that I should look below the…'
'Son,' Sir Richards interrupted Lyon's rambling. 'This isn't the time for jests. We've a serious matter here.'
Jade opened the door in the middle of Richards' protests. 'I was fetching Nathan and Colin for you, Caine. What is it you wanted?'
'Give them back, Jade.'
His voice had the bite of a pistol shot in it. Jade pretended innocence. 'Whatever are you talking about?' she asked. She pressed her hand to her bosom in mock fear and fluttered her eyelashes at him.
He wasn't at all impressed. 'You know damned good and well what I'm talking about,' he roared.
'Give them back.'
'Caine, it isn't polite to raise your voice to me in front of visitors,' she instructed. Her voice had risen
an octave. 'It's plain rude.'
'They know who you are.'
'They know?'
She marched over to the front of his desk and glared at him. Her hands were planted on her hips now. 'Exactly what do they know?'
'That you're Pagan.'
She let out a gasp. 'Why don't you just post it in the dailies?' she shouted. 'Then you wouldn't have to spend so much time…'
'I had to tell them,' Caine interjected.
