Guardian Angel - Garwood Julie - Страница 59

"How did you meet Nathan?" Caine asked.

"Almost a year after I'd started working for Willburn. We were paired together then. He was recruited in much the same way I was. Eventually Nathan and I became good friends." He paused to smile at his friend. "Nathan's a hard man to like."

"I've noticed," Caine said.

"Get on with it, Colin," Nathan ordered.

"It took a long time to win Nathan's trust, almost another full year working together as a matter of fact. He didn't confide in me in all that time. Then, on a trip back from France, he told me about the letters Pagan had found."

Colin shifted positions, grimacing in pain. Nathan caught the expression before anyone else did and immediately righted the stool for his friend. With a gentleness surprising in such a large man, he lifted Colin's injured leg, slipped a cushion under the heel, then asked, "It's better now?"

"Yes, thank you," Colin answered. "Now where was I?"

Caine was watching Nathan. He could still see the concern in Nathan's eyes. He suddenly realized he couldn't hate the man after all.

That revelation was one hell of a disappointment. Caine wanted to hate him. The bastard had deserted

his own sister, left her on her own to fend for herself. He was the reason Jade had so many shields guarding her heart, the reason she had had so much pain.

Yet Colin was alive.

"Caine?" Colin asked, drawing his brother back to the discussion. "Do you believe it's possible for a government to operate within a government?"

"Anything is possible," Caine answered.

"Have you ever heard of the Tribunal?" Colin asked. His voice had dropped to a whisper.

Both Colin and Nathan exchanged a nod. They were prepared to hear Caine's denial. Then they were going to knock the breath out of him with the facts they'd uncovered.

"Yes, I've heard of the Tribunal."

Colin was astonished. "You have?"

"When?" Nathan demanded. "How?"

"There was an investigation immediately after your father's death, Nathan. The Earl was linked to all

sorts of subversive activities. His lands were confiscated, his children left in poverty…"

"How do you know all this?" Nathan asked.

Caine looked at Jade before answering. "When she told me who her father was, I asked Lyon to make some inquiries."

"Who is this Lyon?" Nathan asked.

"Our friend," Colin answered.

"Can he be trusted?" Nathan asked.

"He can," Colin answered before his brother could. "Caine, that was a safe bet. Lyon wouldn't ask the wrong people the way I did."

Jade's back started aching from her uncomfortable position. She eased her hand away from Caine's, somewhat surprised when he gave her her freedom. She knew better than to try to leave, though. If

Caine was anything, he was reliable. He would embarrass her just as he threatened.

She moved to the chair Harry had vacated, and sat down.

"Lyon didn't ask anyone any questions," Caine explained. "He simply looked the information up in the files."

"He couldn't have," Jade interjected. "My father's file was missing."

Caine raised an eyebrow over that telling remark. "And how would you know if it was missing or not?"

She daintily shrugged. "Because I took it," she admitted.

"You what?"

"Caine, the file isn't the issue now," she rushed out, hoping to placate his rising temper.

"Then how did Lyon…" Nathan began.

Caine continued to frown at Jade when he answered her brother. "Richards was Lyon's director as well

as mine. He had his own records. Lyon read those files."

"Was my father vindicated after the investigation?" Nathan asked.

"No," Caine answered. "He wasn't condemned either, Nathan. There wasn't enough proof."

"There is now," Jade whispered.

"Proof to vindicate your father?" Caine asked.

"No, proof to condemn him. I read Papa's letters."

The sadness in her voice tore at his heart. Caine still wanted to throttle her for deceiving him, but he also wanted to be kissing her at the same time.

"Caine, how can you be smiling now?" Colin asked. "This isn't…"

"Sorry," Caine answered, unaware he had been smiling. "I was sidetracked."

He stared at Jade while he made that admission. She stared at her hands.

"Continue, Colin," Caine ordered then, turning his attention back to his brother.

"Right after their father's funeral, Pagan… I mean, Jade, left with Black Harry. The Earl trusted Harry completely."

"That's difficult to believe," Caine interjected.

"Harry's a good man," Jade said. "He has a pure heart."

"I'm sure he does," Caine agreed. "However, you mentioned that there was another close friend, a woman by the name of Lady Briars, who would have been more than willing to take you and Nathan

into her home. I just don't understand why your father would have chosen a thief over…"

"It was a question of trust," Nathan explained. "My father had turned his heart against England, Caine.

He didn't think either one of us would be safe here. Harry was our best bet."

"Why didn't he think you'd be safe?"

"The letters," Colin answered. "The Earl kept all the ones he received from the other two. Nathan's father's operative name was Fox, and he was one of the three in the Tribunal. The other two were called Ice and Prince."

"My father was a very idealistic man," Nathan interjected. "In the beginning, I think he saved all the letters for future generations. He believed he was doing something… heroic for England. Things soured fast, though. Soon enough it became only for the good of the Tribunal. Anything was just, as long as it furthered the scope of their power."

"It was a slow metamorphosis," Colin said. "The first letters were signed with the closing, 'for the good

of England.' Then after the tenth, or perhaps the eleventh letter, the closing changed."

"To what?" Caine asked.

"They started using the phrase, 'for the good of the Tribunal,'" he answered. "Ice was the first to sign