"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.

"You could have waited until after I'd left."

"Since you aren't leaving, that wasn't possible, now was it?"

"My God, it's really true?" Richards interjected in a near shout of his own.

Jade glanced over her shoulder to frown at the director. "No," she snapped. "It isn't true."

"Yes," Caine countered. "It is."

"Damn it, Caine, don't you know how to keep a secret?" She didn't give him time to answer that

question but turned to leave.

"I told you to give them back, Jade."

"Why?"

"These men happen to be my friends," he answered. "That's why."

"Caine, if you can't rob from your friends, who can you rob?" she asked.

He didn't have a ready answer to that absurd question.

"You did say it was all right for me to continue my work," she reminded him. "Have you already gone back on your word?"

He couldn't believe she had the audacity to look so outraged. Caine didn't dare stand up, certain the urge to grab her and try to shake some sense into her would be too overwhelming to ignore.

Jade turned to look at Lyon. "When I give my word, I never break it," she stated.

Caine took a deep breath, then leaned back in his chair. He stared at Jade long and hard.

She glared back.

With the crook of his finger, he motioned her closer. When she'd reached his side, he said, "I meant

what I said. You may continue with your work."

She was totally perplexed. "Then why are you making such a fuss over…"

"You may continue to rob," he interrupted. "But every time you take something, I'm going to give it back."

Her gasp nearly knocked her over. "You won't."

"I will."

"But that's… ridiculous," she stammered. "Isn't it?"

He didn't answer her. Jade looked over at Lyon for help. His grin told her she wouldn't be getting any assistance from him. Sir Richards was still looking too flabbergasted to intervene.

She was on her own, she decided, just as she'd always been. "No."

"Yes."

She looked as though she wanted to weep. "Now give them their…"

"I switched them," she announced. "May I leave now?"

Caine nodded. He waited until Jade had reached the door, then called out, "Jade, you may leave this room, but don't you dare try to leave this house. I'll only come after you if you do. You wouldn't want

to inconvenience me again, now would you?"

She didn't answer that question. Caine knew she was furious with him, though. The door almost flew

off its hinges when she slammed it shut behind her.

"She's got a bit of a temper," Caine announced. His grin suggested he didn't mind that flaw much at all. "Have you recovered yet, Richards?" he asked then.

"I have," Richards agreed.

"But you never once considered…"

"No, no," Richards returned.

Caine nodded with satisfaction. "It's good to know my own superior was taken in. I do believe my pride has been fully restored."

Nathan and Colin walked into the library then. Colin used his cane and Nathan's arm for assistance.

"Quit treating me like an infant," Colin muttered, as Nathan helped him ease into a chair.

"You are an infant," Nathan drawled out. He pushed a footstool in front of the chair, then propped

Colin's foot on it.

Nathan stood to take his measure of the two men watching him. Caine made the introductions. He

shook their hands, then sat on the arm of Colin's chair.

"Jade wants me to ask you what time it is," Nathan stated then.

The director looked puzzled by that request, then shrugged. "I'd say it was going on nine, wouldn't you, Lyon?"

Lyon was more astute than his superior. He lifted the timepiece from his waist pocket. He laughed then,

a full booming sound that filled the room. "I believe this one is yours, Richards. You have mine. She did embrace both of us."

Richards was duly impressed. "I certainly misjudged her," he announced. "You saw her make the switch, didn't you, Caine. That's why you called her back."

Caine shook his head. "No, I didn't," he admitted. "But when she embraced each of your I knew she was up to something. She doesn't usually show such affection to strangers."

"No, she doesn't," Nathan agreed;

Caine looked at Lyon. "The woman has led me in circles. She's determined to make me a madman."

"I'd say she's already accomplished that goal," Nathan drawled out.

"This sounds familiar to me," Lyon said. He smiled, remembering the bizarre circumstances leading up

to his marriage. "I've been led in a few circles by Christina, too. Tell me this, Caine. What did you do while she was leading you?"

"Same thing you did," Caine answered. "I fell in love with her."