Jade repeated her vows first, a breach from tradition Caine had insisted upon. He stared at his bride while he repeated each of his vows. He let her keep her gaze downcast until he reached the end of the litany. Then he tilted her chin up and forced her to look at him.

She looked so scared, so vulnerable. Her eyes glistened with tears. He loved her so much. He wanted to give her the world. But first he had to gain her trust in him.

The minister closed his book, opened the sheet of paper in his hand, and began to read. "Do you promise to stay with your wife for as long as you shall live? Do you give your word before God and these witnesses that you will never leave her until death do you part?"

Her eyes had widened during the minister's questions. She turned and saw the paper he was holding.

"I do," Caine whispered when Jade turned back to him. "And now the last," Caine directed the minister.

"This is highly irregular," the minister whispered. He turned to address Jade. "And do you promise to tell your husband you love him before this day is out?"

Her smile was radiant. "I do," she promised.

"You may kiss the bride," the minister announced.

Caine happily obliged. When he lifted his head, he said, "You're mine now."

He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. "I never make the same mistake twice, sweetheart,"

he whispered.

"I don't understand, Caine," she replied. She was still on the verge of tears and was desperately trying to maintain her composure. "Then why didn't you have the minister make me promise not to leave you? Don't you believe I'd honor my vows?"

"Once you give your word, I know you won't break it," he answered her. "But you have to give it freely. When you're ready, you'll tell me."

He wasn't given any more time to talk to her, for the crowd of well-wishers moved in on them to offer their congratulations.

Harry stood in the corner with his men, dabbing at his eyes with the edge of his sash. Caine's mother seemed genuinely happy to have Jade in the family. Of course she didn't know her new daughter-in-law was a common thief, Jade reminded herself.

"Will your uncle be visiting you often?" Gweneth asked after giving Harry a quick glance.

"He lives a fair distance from England," Jade explained. "He'll probably come just once a year."

Caine heard the last of Jade's explanation, saw his mother's quick relief, and started to laugh.

"My mother's a little nervous around your uncle," he said.

"Oh, you shouldn't be," Jade countered. "Harry is really a very kind man. Perhaps if you got to know

him better…"

Caine's mother looked absolutely appalled by that suggestion. Jade didn't know what to make of that. "That was Harry's idea a while back," Caine explained. "He wanted to get to know my mother a whole

lot better."

Since Jade hadn't witnessed Harry trying to drag the Duchess out the front door, she didn't understand why his mother was looking so horrified. She didn't understand Caine's amusement, either.

"Now, son, this isn't the time…"

"You called him son," Jade blurted out. "And you called her mother, didn't you?"

"He is my son," Gweneth announced. "What else would I call him, dear? I have his permission."

Jade was so pleased, she couldn't quit smiling. "Oh, I misunderstood," she whispered. "I thought he only called you madam, and that you never, ever called him son. I wanted him to belong… yes, I was mistaken."

Neither Caine nor his mother set her straight. They smiled at each other.

"Where's Henry?" Gweneth suddenly asked. "Harry's coming over here."

The Duchess picked up her skirts and went running toward her husband before Caine or Jade could

stop her.

"You were worried I didn't belong?" he whispered.

She looked embarrassed. "Everyone should belong to someone, Caine, even you."

Harry shoved the bouquet of roses in her hands. "These will be the last roses Jimbo's going to fetch for you, girl, so you might as well enjoy them." He thought his announcement might have sounded surly, so he gave her a kiss on her forehead. Then he turned to Caine. "I need to give you the telling about the fire we got planned for the ship," he said. "The painting should be done by tomorrow."

"If you'll excuse me, I want to talk to Nathan," Jade said. She noticed her brother standing all alone on

the terrace.

Caine listened to Harry as he outlined his plans, but he kept his gaze directed on his bride all the while. Jade faced her brother and spoke to him a long time. Nathan nodded several times. His expression was serious. He looked startled, too, when Jade pulled one of the roses from her cluster and held it out to him.

He shook his head. She nodded.

And then he smiled at his sister, accepted the rose, and pulled her into his arms.

For the first time since Caine had met Nathan, he was seeing the real man. He was completely unguarded now. The look on his face as he held his sister close was filled with love.

Caine didn't intrude. He waited until Jade moved away from Nathan and walked back to his side.

Harry and his men were all watching Nathan now. When Jade's brother lifted the rose in the air, a resounding cheer went up. The men immediately went to Nathan. Both Jimbo and Matthew pounded

him on his back.

"What is that all about?" Caine asked Jade. He put his arm around her and pulled her into his side.

"I gave Nathan a wedding present," she told him.

Her eyes sparkled with merriment. He was sidetracked by the sudden desire to kiss her. "Well?" she asked when he just stared down at her so intently. "Don't you want to know what I gave him?"

"A rose," he whispered. He leaned down and kissed her brow. "Love, let's go upstairs for a few minutes."

The urgency in his voice, added to the look on his face, left her breathless. "We can't," she whispered. "We have guests. And we have to go to London," she added with a nod.

Caine let out a long sigh. "Then quit looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you want to go upstairs, too," he growled.

She smiled. "But I do want to go upstairs."

He kissed her then, just the way he wanted to, using his tongue in erotic love play, pretending for just a moment that they were really all alone.