his servants for the night, then took Jade into the library. The scent of smoke was still in the
air, and most of the walls were still blackened from the fire, but the servants had done a good job righting the damage. The town house was sound enough to live in.
When Lyon and Richards joined Jade and Caine, Richards said, 'We'll leave as soon as it goes completely dark.'
'It would be safer if we waited until midnight,' Jade interjected. 'There are two guards until then.'
'And what happens at midnight?' Sir Richards asked.
'Only one guard stays during the blackest hours of the night,' she explained. 'His name is Peter Kently and he's always half-sotted by the time he takes over the watch. Now, if we wait until half past, he'll
have finished the last of his bottle, and he should be fast asleep.'
Sir Richards was staring at her with his mouth gaping wide. 'How did you…?'
'Sir, one must always be prepared for any eventuality if one is going to be successful,' she instructed.
While Sir Richards sputtered about the lack of morals in government workers, Lyon asked Jade about
the locks. 'The back door is a piece of work,' she announced. Her eyes sparkled with merriment, for she was obviously warming to her topic.
'A piece of work?' Caine asked, smiling over her enthusiasm.
'Difficult,' she qualified.
Sir Richards perked up considerably. 'Well, thank God something's up to snuff.'
She gave him a sympathetic look. 'Difficult, Sir Richards, but not impossible. I did get inside, if you'll remember.'
He looked so crestfallen, she hastened to add, 'It took quite a long while that first time. Double locks are rather tricky.'
'But not impossible,' Lyon interjected. 'Jade? Just how long did it take you that first time?'
'Oh, five… perhaps as many as six minutes.'
Richards hid his face in his hands. Jade tried to comfort him. 'There, there, Sir Richards. It isn't as bad as all that. Why, it took me almost an hour to get inside the inner sanctuary where the sealed files are kept.'
The director didn't look as if he wanted to be comforted now. Jade left the men to their plans and went to the kitchens to find something to eat. She returned to the library with an assortment of food. They shared apples, cheese, cold mutton, day-old bread, and dark brown ale. Jade took her boots off, tucked her feet up under her, and fell asleep in the chair.
The men kept their voices low while they talked about the Tribunal. When Jade awakened several hours later, she saw Caine was rereading the letters she'd copied.
He had a puzzled look on his face, his concentration absolute, and when he suddenly smiled and leaned back in his chair, she thought he might have sorted through whatever problem he'd been contemplating. 'Have you come to any conclusions, Caine?' she asked. 'I'm getting there,' Caine answered, sounding positively cheerful.
'You're being logical and methodical, aren't you?' she asked.
'Yes,' he answered. 'We take this one step at a time, Jade.'
'He's a very logical man,' she told Lyon and Sir Richards. Caine thought she sounded like she was making an excuse for a sorry flaw. 'He cannot help himself,' she added. 'He's very trusting, too.'
'Trusting?' Lyon snorted with laughter. 'You can't be serious, Jade. Caine is one of the most cynical men in England.'
'A trait I developed by running with you,' Caine drawled out.
Jade was amazed by Lyon's comments. He sounded so certain. Sir Richards was nodding too. She
turned to smile at Caine, then said, 'I'm honored then that you trust me.'
'Just as much as you trust me, sweetheart,' he answered.
She frowned at him. 'And just what is that supposed to mean?' she asked. 'Are you being insulting?'
He grinned. Jade turned to Lyon. 'Do you have any idea how maddening it is to be married to someone who's so damned logical all the time?'
Caine answered her. 'I haven't the faintest idea.'
She decided to quit the topic. She eased her feet to the floor, grimacing over the discomfort that movement caused her backside. If she'd been all alone, she would have let out a loud, unladylike groan. 'I'm not at all accustomed to riding for such long hours,' she admitted.
'You did well today,' Lyon praised. He turned to look at Caine. 'When this is finished, Christina and
I will give a reception for the two of you.'
'That would be fine,' Caine interjected. 'You know, Lyon, Jade and Christina are really quite alike.'
'Is she a thief then?' Jade asked before she could stop herself. Her voice was filled with enthusiasm.
'We got along quite well right from the start. No wonder…'
'Sorry to disappoint you, love, but Christina isn't a thief,' Caine said.
She looked crestfallen. Lyon laughed. 'Christina isn't very logical either, Jade. She comes from a rather unusual family. She could teach you all sorts of things.'
'God help us,' Caine interjected, for he was very familiar with Lady Christina's unusual background. Lyon's wife had been raised in the wilderness of the Americas by one of the Dakota tribes.
Jade misunderstood Caine's reaction. 'I'm certain I'm a quick study, Caine. If I apply myself, I could learn
