'They happened to be in the middle of the ocean at the time,' Colin drawled out. 'Pagan wouldn't let
him drown, though.'
'How very considerate of you,' Caine muttered to Nathan.
'Now there was this other bloke, a good, strong man…'
Caine let out a long sigh. He leaned back in the chair, closed his eyes, and decided he was going to have to wait until all this ridiculous talk about nicknames was finished. Colin seemed to be enjoying the conversation and he had asked for time. His brother looked half asleep now… and so damned pale.
For a good ten minutes or more Harry continued with his dissertation. When he finally finished, Nathan said, 'Jade has a special nickname, too.'
'I'll be telling it,' Harry stated. 'I'm the one who came up with the special name, after all.'
Nathan nodded. 'All right, Harry, you tell it.'
Everyone was watching Caine now. If he'd bothered to open his eyes, he would have seen their smiles.
Caine was having difficulty holding onto his patience. 'And what is her special nickname, Harry?' he finally asked, his tone weary.
'Well now, me boy,' Harry drawled out. 'We like to call her Pagan.'
Chapter Twelve
He didn't take the news at all well. For the longest time, he simply refused to believe Jade could possibly be Pagan. Only a man could get away with such daring feats, only a man.
Colin, Harry, and Nathan were all watching him closely. When he shook his head in denial, they nodded in unison.
'I can see you're having trouble accepting this,' Colin said. His expression was sympathetic. 'But it is true, Caine. Harry gave her that nickname years ago because…'
'I'll be telling it,' Harry interrupted. 'It was the color of her hair, son. As red as hell's fire it was when
she was a youngster.'
It was apparent from the look on Caine's face that he still didn't accept. Harry thought he didn't understand the reason for her special nickname. 'She was as wild as the devil back then, too,' he explained. 'Just like a pagan baby, she was.'
Caine's expression slowly turned from disbelief to fury. Both Colin and Harry became uneasy. Only Nathan seemed to be enjoying the moment. 'Would a man be apt to leave a rose behind, Caine?' he asked, hoping to rub salt in his wounds. 'That's the work of a woman. It's amazing to me that no one's figured it out by now. Don't you agree, Colin?'
'Yes,' Colin answered, his gaze directed on his brother. 'Amazing.'
It was the last remark anyone made for a long while. Harry and Nathan waited for Caine to come to terms with the truth.
Colin knew his brother far better than his friends did. He patiently waited for the explosion.
Jade was in the dining room helping Sterns set the table. As soon as the butler took one look at her face, he knew something was wrong. She looked as pale as the linen tablecloth.
She wouldn't tell him anything but explained that her uncle had arrived and that he and his four men would require supper before they left. She also insisted upon using the finest crystal. Sterns went into
the kitchens to order the meal, throwing both the cook and her assistant, Bernice, into a frenzy, and
then returned to the dining room.
He found Jade examining a large oval silver platter. 'Uncle would like this,' she remarked. 'The design
is quite magnificent.'
Sterns nodded. 'A gift from the King,' he explained. 'When the Marquess was knighted, Colin threw quite a bash in his honor. The King showed up and gave him that platter. If you turn it over, you'll see
the inscription.'
Jade shook her head. She thrust the platter into Sterns' hands. 'Hide it.'
'I beg your pardon?'
'Hide it, Sterns,' she repeated. She looked around the room, then asked, 'Are there any other special things Caine would rather keep?'
'The silver tea set on the side bar,' he said. 'I do believe it has special meaning to mi'lord.'
'Did the King give him that, too?'
'No, the set came from his grandmother.'
'Hide it as well, Sterns. Put the things under Caine's bed. They'll be safe there.'
'Mi'lady?' Sterns asked. 'Are you feeling ill?'
'No.'
'You look ill,' Sterns announced. 'And you're walking around as though you're in a trance. I know something's wrong…'
Jade walked over to the door, then turned back to Sterns. 'You have been very kind to me, sir. I will always remember that.'
