The Gift (35 page)

Caine thought that had to be the understatement of the year. "Then help her find it again," he suggested.

"How?"

"Do you love her, Nathan?"

"I care for her," he answered. "I've come to realize that she isn't my enemy. She's my partner," he added in a brisk tone of voice. "She has my best interests at heart, just as I have her best interests at heart."

Caine rolled his eyes heavenward. "Colin's your partner, Nathan. Sara's your wife."

When Nathan didn't comment, Caine continued prodding him. "Do you want to spend the rest of your life with Sara? Or is she just a nuisance you have to put up with in order to receive the king's gift?"

"I cannot imagine living without her," Nathan said in a low, fervent voice.

"Sara's a little more than just a partner, then, isn't she?"

"Of course she is," Nathan muttered. "She's my wife, for God's sake. Colin's my partner."

The two men were silent for a moment.

"I had no idea this… caring thing could be so irritating. I've ruined everything, Caine. I've destroyed Sara's faith in me."

"Does she love you?"

"Of course she loves me," Nathan immediately answered. "Or at least she used to love me. She would tell me almost every day." He let out a sigh, then said, "Matthew was right. All this time Sara's given me her love without reservation. It's like a flower, and I've stomped on it."

Caine tried not to smile. "Like a flower, Nathan? God, you have taken a fall. You've become… eloquent."

Nathan wasn't paying him any attention. "She thinks of herself as extra baggage I have to put up with in order to get the land and the coins. That was true at first, but everything's changed now."

"Nathan, simply tell her how you feel."

"Sara's so delicate," Nathan announced. "She deserves better than me, but I'll be damned if I'll let anyone else touch her. I've got to fix this. I've stomped on her…"

Caine cut him off. "I know. I know. You've stomped on her flower."

"Her heart, damn it," Nathan muttered. "Get it right, for God's sake."

Since Nathan wasn't looking at him, Caine felt it was safe to smile. "So what are you going to do?" he asked.

Another five minutes passed in silence. Then Nathan straightened his shoulders. He turned around to look at Caine. "I'm going to restore her faith in me."

Caine didn't think it would do him any good to remind Nathan that he'd suggested that very action not ten minutes earlier.

"That's a sound idea," he said instead. "Now tell me how you plan to achieve this—"

"I'm going to show her," Nathan interrupted. "Hell, why didn't I think of this before?"

"Since I don't know what you're thinking, I can't answer you."

"It's so simple, an imbecile could figure it out. I'll need your help to pull it off."

"I already said I'd help you."

"Now I need some advice, Caine. You are the expert on women," he added in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

That announcement was news to Caine, and he was about to ask Nathan how he had come to that conclusion, but his brother-in-law answered him before the question was asked. "Jade never would have settled. If anything, my sister is discriminating."

Caine started to grin, then frowned instead when Nathan casually added, "I still can't figure it. You must have something only she can… appreciate."

Caine wasn't given a chance to respond to that barb. "I need your help with Luther Grant," Nathan announced.

"For God's sake, Nathan, will you quit jumping back and forth between issues? You just asked for advice concerning women, and now you're—"

"Grant's got to talk to us," Nathan insisted.

Caine leaned back in his chair. "I was going after the bastard anyway, Nathan. He'll get what's coming to him."

"He might be on the run," Nathan said.

"Don't borrow trouble," Caine said. "We'll find out soon enough."

"He has to admit his part in this scheme before Farnmount's ball. If Grant has taken off, that only gives us two days to find him."

"We'll have his signed confession before then," Caine promised. "But why is Farnmount's ball your deadline, Nathan?"

"Everyone comes back to London to attend, that's why."

"You never attend."

"I will this year."

Caine nodded. "You know, Nathan, I always enjoy the affair. It's the only ball your friendly St. James relatives attend."

"It's the only ball they're ever invited to attend," Nathan drawled. He leaned against the window ledge and smiled at his brother-in-law.

Caine still didn't understand what Nathan was planning. He knew prodding wouldn't do him any good. Nathan would tell him when he was ready. "Everyone's afraid to go to the ball for worry that he will be your Uncle Dunnford's next victim," Caine remarked. He smiled when he added, "But they're also afraid to miss the fiasco. Dunnford does provide some refreshing entertainment. He reminds me of Attila the Hun dressed in formal attire. Now that I think about it, so do you, Nathan."

His brother-in-law barely heard what Caine was rambling on about. His mind was centered on his plans. Another minute or two passed before he said, "The prince regent always attends the party, too."

A sudden gleam came into Caine's eyes. He leaned forward in his chair. "Yes," he agreed. "And so do all the Winchesters, now that I think about it."

"I'm only interested in one Winchester," Nathan said. "Winston."

"Do you think that's when he plans to spring his scandal about your father? Hell, yes, it is," Caine continued. "What better opportunity?"

"Can you set up a meeting with Sir Richards? I want to fill him in on the facts as soon as possible."

"The director of our War Section already knows about Grant. I spoke with him just this morning. He should be visiting with the bastard right about now."

"Unless he's gone into hiding," Nathan muttered.

"He doesn't have any reason to think we know about him. Quit worrying about Grant and tell me what you plan to do."

Nathan nodded. He then proceeded to explain what he wanted to do. When he finished Caine was smiling. "If luck is on our side, we should be able to set the meeting as early as tomorrow afternoon, Nathan."

"Yes," his brother-in-law answered. He straightened away from the window. "Now, about Sara. Someone has to keep a close watch on her until this has been resolved. I don't want the Winchesters to get hold of her while I'm seeing to the details. If anything happened to her, Caine, I don't know what…" He didn't go on.

"Jimbo's in the kitchen, eating the shelves dry. He already made it clear he's protecting Sara. He won't let her leave here. Jade and I will also keep a close watch. You don't think you'll make it back here before tonight?"

"I'll try," Nathan said. "Right now I've got to talk to Colin. It's only fair that my partner agree to my plan before I proceed."

"At the risk of sounding completely ignorant, why does Colin need to give his agreement about Grant?"

"I'm not talking about Grant now," Nathan explained. "I'm talking about Sara. God, Caine, pay attention."

Caine let out a long sigh. "I'm trying."

"I have one more favor to ask you."

"Yes?"

"You're always calling Jade by those ridiculous endearments."

"Jade likes hearing those ridiculous endearments," he muttered.

"Exactly my point," Nathan said with a quick nod. "Sara will like them, too."

Caine looked incredulous. "You want me to call Sara by the same endearments I call my wife?"

"Of course not," Nathan snapped. "I want you to write them down on a piece of paper for me."

"Why?"

"So I'll know what the hell they are," Nathan bellowed. "Damn, you're making this difficult. Just write them down, all right? Leave the paper on the desk for me."

Caine didn't dare laugh. He did smile, though. The picture of Nathan referring to notes while he tried to woo Sara was quite amusing. "Yes, I'll leave it on the desk for you," he said when Nathan glared at him.

Nathan started to leave. "Are you even going to look in on Sara before you go?" Caine asked.

Nathan shook his head. "I have to get everything ready first."

The worry in his voice wasn't lost on Caine. "The love words aren't necessary, Nathan, if you just tell her what's in your heart."

His brother-in-law didn't respond to that suggestion. Caine finally understood. "You're afraid to confront her, aren't you?"

"The hell I am," Nathan roared. "I just want it to be right."

Jade was just passing by the library door when she heard her husband's laughter. She paused to listen, but the only snatch of conversation she caught didn't make any sense to her.

Nathan had just announced that come hell or high water, he was going to fix his flower. He just needed time to find out how.

Now what in heaven's name did that mean, Jade wondered.

Why couldn't he love her?

She asked herself that painful question every ten minutes or so but never did come up with a proper answer. The future terrified her. She'd already made up her mind to break the contract so that her family couldn't have the king's gift; but once the scandal was made known about Nathan's father, wouldn't the prince regent be placed in the position of having to withhold the royal gift from Nathan as well?

Sara couldn't allow that. Her father had used trickery and deceit to gain the advantage over Nathan. Sara was determined to find a way to even the odds. She didn't want to live with a man who didn't love her, so she decided to strike a bargain with Nathan. In return for her signature giving up all rights to the gift Nathan would let Matthew take her with him when he returned to Nora's island.

Lord, there was so much to consider. The unfairness of what her father had done shamed her. She decided then that her only hope was to gain the prince regent's support. The thought of having to plead her case to him sent a shiver down her spine.

George, the future king of England once his father died or was, as the rumors were whispering, officially declared insane, was a handsome, well-educated man. Those were, unfortunately, his only good points. Sara disliked him immensely. He was a spoiled, pleasure-seeking fop who rarely placed his country's concerns above his own. His worst flaw, to Sara's way of thinking, was his trait of changing his mind on any matter. Sara knew she wasn't the only one who disliked the prince. He was extremely unpopular with the masses, and just a few months past she'd heard that the windows of his carriage had been broken by angry subjects. George was in the conveyance at the time, said to be on his way to Parliament.

Still, she didn't have anyone else to turn to, and so she penned a note to the prince requesting an audience the following afternoon. She sealed the envelope and was just about to go into the corridor to ask Sterns to send a messenger over to Carlton House when Caine intercepted her.

He'd come to fetch her for dinner. Sara was most polite when she refused his invitation, insisting that she really wasn't hungry. Caine was just as polite when he insisted that she eat something. The man wouldn't take no for an answer. He told her so as he coaxed her along the hallway.

Jimbo was waiting in the foyer. Sara handed him the envelope and asked him to deliver the letter for her. Caine reached over Sara's head and plucked the letter out of the seaman's hands before he could agree to undertake the errand.

"I'll have one of the servants take it over," Caine explained. "Jimbo, escort Lady Sara into the dining room. I won't be a minute."

As soon as Jimbo and Sara turned the corner Caine opened the envelope, read the letter, and put it in his pocket. He waited another minute or two and then strolled into the dining room.

Jimbo sat next to Sara at the long table. Jade was seated directly across from her. Caine took his place at the head of the table and then rang for the servants to begin.

"Though it was probably very rude of me to notice, I did see that the letter was addressed to our prince regent," Caine began.

"I don't know of anyone else living in Carlton House," Jimbo interjected.

Caine frowned at the seaman. "Yes, but I didn't realize Sara was on personal terms with the prince."

"Oh, I'm not on personal terms with the prince," she rushed out. "I don't even like…" She stopped in mid-explanation, then blushed. She lowered her gaze to the table. "I apologize. I do tend to blurt out whatever's on my mind," she confessed. "As far as the note is concerned, I requested an audience. I hope that the prince will see me tomorrow afternoon."

"Why?" Jade asked. "Sara, the prince is certainly in your father's camp."

"I do hope you're wrong, Jade."

"I'm afraid my wife's correct in that evaluation, Sara," Caine said. "When the prince made it known he wanted to divorce his wife, Caroline, your father was one of a handful who supported him."

"But won't the prince put personal considerations aside and come to a loyal subject's aid?"

Her innocence was both refreshing and alarming. Caine didn't want her to be disappointed. "No," Caine said. "His own considerations always come first. The man changes his views as often as he changes his ministers, Sara. Anything he would promise you shouldn't be counted on. I'm sorry to sound disloyal, but I'm being completely honest with you. I don't want you to get your hopes up only to have them dashed. Let Nathan fight this battle, Sara. Stand by his side and let him handle your father."

She shook her head. "Do you know I refused to learn how to swim?" she blurted out. "I thought I shouldn't have to know how, you see, because it was Nathan's duty to make certain I didn't drown. I've been perfectly willing to take care of everyone but myself. Now you suggest I let Nathan fight my battles. It's wrong, Caine. I've been wrong. I don't want ever to cling to anyone. I should have enough strength to stand on my own. I want to be strong, damn it."

She turned bright pink after she'd finished her impassioned speech. "Please excuse my gutter language," she whispered.

An awkward silence followed that remark. Jimbo filled the space with a couple of spicy stories about his sea adventures.

The dessert tray was just being removed from the table when Jade asked, "Have you seen our beautiful daughter yet?" She'd blurted out that question in an attempt to keep Sara at the table awhile longer. She wanted to bring the conversation around to Nathan, of course. Jade was determined to interfere. It was such a heartache to see Sara looking so desolate and alone.

Sara actually smiled at the mention of the infant. "I've heard your daughter," she confessed. "But I've yet to see her. Sterns has promised me that this evening he'll let me hold Olivia."

"She's such a delightful baby," Jade announced. "She's smiling all the time now. She's very intelligent, too. Caine and I noticed that right away."

Jade continued to expound on her three-month-old's considerable accomplishments. Sara noticed that after each of Jade's boasts, Caine immediately nodded his agreement.

"Olivia's blessed to have such loving parents."

"Nathan will make a wonderful father," Jade interjected.

Sara didn't comment.

"Don't you agree, husband?" Jade asked Caine.

"If he ever learns to lower his voice, he will."

Jade kicked her husband while she continued to smile at Sara. "Nathan has so many wonderful qualities," she announced.

Sara didn't want to talk about Nathan, but she felt it would be rude not to show some interest. "Oh? And what might those qualities be?" she asked.

Jade opened her mouth to answer, then stopped. She looked as if she'd forgotten the topic. She turned to Caine for assistance. "Explain Nathan's wonderful qualities to Sara."

"You explain them," Caine replied as he reached for another sweet biscuit.

That statement earned him another kick under the table. He glared at his wife, then said, "Nathan's trustworthy."

"He might be trustworthy, but he certainly doesn't trust anyone else," Sara said. She started to fold her napkin.

"The boy's got courage," Jimbo blurted out. He grinned, too, for he was inordinately pleased to have come up with something.

"He's remarkably… tidy," Jade said. Even as she gave that bit of praise she wondered if she was right,

Sara neither agreed nor disagreed. Caine decided they were taking the wrong approach. His hand covered Jade's, and when she looked over at him he gave her a conspiratorial wink. "Nathan's probably the most stubborn man I've ever known."

"He might be a little stubborn," Sara immediately countered, "but that certainly isn't a sin." She turned her gaze to Jade. "Your brother reminds me of a beautifully sculptured statue. On the outside he's so handsome, so perfect, but inside his heart is as cold as marble."

Jade smiled. "I never considered Nathan beautiful," she said.

"Sara can't possibly consider him beautiful." Caine squeezed his wife's hand before adding, "Nathan's an ugly bastard, and everyone knows it. His back is covered with scars, for God's sake."

Sara let out a loud gasp, but Caine held his grin. At last they were getting her to show a little emotion.

"It was a woman who scarred Nathan's back," Sara cried out. "And it was this same woman who scarred his heart."

She tossed her napkin on the table and stood up. "Nathan isn't ugly, sir. He's incredibly handsome. I think it's dreadful that his own brother-in-law would say such insulting things about him. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to go upstairs."

Jimbo frowned at Caine for upsetting Sara, then chased after her to make certain she did in fact go back above the stairs.

"Caine, you've upset her to the point where you're going to have to apologize," Jade told her husband.

Just then, Jimbo came rushing back into the dining room. "Sara's looking in on the little mite now," he said. "Tell me why you snatched her letter out of my hands. You weren't thinking I'd actually deliver the thing, were you?"

"The letter's in my pocket," Caine said. "I took it from you because I wanted to read it."

"Caine that's an invasion… what did it say?" Jade asked.

"Just what Sara told us she'd written," Caine answered. "She requests an audience to discuss the contract."

"I'm assuming the boy's put together some sort of plan," Jimbo interjected.

"Yes," Caine answered.

"What did Sara mean when she said it was a woman who scarred Nathan's back? Who planted that misinformation in her mind? It was the fire that trapped him inside the prison."

"But wasn't Ariah responsible for having him locked up?"

"She was," Jimbo admitted. "It happened so many years ago, I doubt Nathan even holds a grudge. He came through it seasoned, to my way of thinking, and we didn't leave the island without a full booty to share amongst ourselves."

Caine stood up. "I've got a couple of details of my own to see about. I won't be home until late, Jade. Sir Richards and I have a little business to discuss."

"Why do you need to talk to the director of the War Department?" she asked. She couldn't hide her fear. "Caine, you haven't started back doing secret work for our government without discussing the matter with me first, have you? You promised—"

"Hush, love," Caine soothed. "I'm helping Nathan sort out a little matter, that's all. I'm fully retired and have no desire to return to the cloak-and-dagger days."

Jade looked relieved. Caine leaned down and kissed her. "I love you," he whispered before he started for the doorway.

"Just one minute," Jade called out. "You still haven't explained to me why you deliberately riled Sara up. Caine, we already know she loves him. All you have to do is look at her face to know that."

"Yes, we know she loves him," Caine said. "I just wanted to remind her," he continued. His grin turned devilish. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've just thought of a few more endearments, and I want to write them down before I leave."

He left Jimbo and Jade staring after him.

For the first time that day Sara was able to stop thinking about Nathan. Little Olivia took her full attention. She was a beautiful infant. One minute she was smiling and drooling, and the next she was bellowing like an opera singer.

Olivia had her mother's green eyes. The sprinkle of dark hair on her crown looked like it might curl just like her father's. Sterns hovered by Sara's side the entire time she held the baby.

"I fear my little love has inherited her Uncle Nathan's inclination to bellow. She can be as loud as he is," Sterns confessed with a smile. "Olivia's wanting immediate gratification," he explained when the babe began to fret in earnest.

He took Olivia back into his arms and held her close. "Shall we go and find your mama, my little angel?" he crooned to the infant.

Sara was reluctant to go back to her room. It was lonely there, and she knew her problems would once again overpower her.

She went to bed early that night, and because she was so emotionally distraught she slept the full night through. She vaguely remembered cuddling up against her husband, knew he had slept next to her, for his side of the bed was still warm, and she came to the sorry conclusion that Nathan was still too angry with her to bother waking her up. He must still believe she'd betrayed him, she thought to herself.

Needless to say, that possibility infuriated her all over again. She worked herself into a rage by the time she'd finished her bath. Even though she'd rested long, uninterrupted hours she felt as refreshed as an old, wrung-out hag. She thought she looked like one, too.

There were dark half circles under her eyes, and her hair was as limp as her spirits. Sara wanted to look her best when she went to plead with the prince regent. She fretted over which gown to wear, just to take her mind off the real issue at hand, and finally settled on a conservative, high-necked pink walking dress.