„My name is Silver. May I call you Valentin?“

„I am honored,“ he said warily. „I think. You aren’t, by any

chance, attempting to seduce me, are you?“

„No,“ she said, looking at him in surprise. „I don’t know

how to do that either.“

„No? I understood that – “ He broke off. She was gazing at

him with clear-eyed honesty that was as guileless as it was

bewildering. There was something wrong here. The girl before

him was like no other he had ever met, and he did not

understand her. Boldness and innocence did not usually walk

hand in hand in his experience, but he had seen both qualities

in Silver Delaney. „Perhaps a small walk would do no harm.“

„Where is she?“ Nicholas asked tersely as he strode down

the deck toward Valentin. „For God’s sake, I didn’t tell you to

give her the run of the boat.“

„She wanted to take a walk,“ Valentin protested innocently.

„And as you weren’t stirring, I decided someone should escort

her.“

„And then you promptly let her wander off by herself.“

„You malign me.“ Valentin shook his head mournfully.

„She isn’t by herself and I know exactly where she is.“

Nicholas gritted his teeth and immediately regretted it as

the aching throb in his head tripled its tempo. „Valentin…“ He

spaced each word carefully. „Where is she?“

„The last I saw of her she was up in the pilot house steering

the Rose.“

„What!“

„Not by herself,“ Valentin said soothingly. „Robert is with

her, of course. He appears to be quite proud of her progress.

He told her she’d make a fine pilot given a year or two on the

Mississippi.“

„I didn’t bring her aboard the Rose for her to apprentice as

a riverboat pilot.“ Nicholas looked up at the pilot house

perched like a tiny gingerbread cottage on the Texas deck.

„And how the hell did she get Robert to let her invade his

sacred domain? He doesn’t let anyone up there.“

„I’m aware you have another apprenticeship in mind for

her,“ Valentin murmured, his gaze following Nicholas’s to the

pilot house. „And I’m sure that any of Madam LaRue’s ladies

would be a fitting tutor for the occupation you’ve chosen for

her.“

There was an edge to Valentin’s voice that caused Nicholas

to look at him sharply. „What is that supposed to mean?“

Valentin’s gaze remained on the pilot house. „It means I

think you should limit your vengeance to Dominic Delaney.

Silver told me a few things about herself, and her life hasn’t

been easy. Did you know she was left on the Delaneys’

doorstep at Killara and they rejected her and sent her back to

her mother’s tribe? Isn’t it possible to let her go?“

„No.“

Valentin’s expression was troubled. „There’s something

wrong, Nicky. She’s not…“ He shrugged helplessly as he

searched for words. „What I expected.“

„She’s not what I expected either,“ Nicholas said tightly.

„But that doesn’t mean – “ His fist suddenly crashed down on

the wooden rail. „What is there about her that’s making all of

you turn soft as bonbons? First Mikhail, then you, and now – “

„You?“ Valentin eyed him shrewdly.

„I assure you I’m feeling not at all soft toward Silver

Delaney.“

„No assurance necessary,“ Valentin chuckled. „Your

‘hardness’ toward her is more than obvious.“

Nicholas cast him a quelling glance. „I was referring to

Robert. How did she mesmerize our young river pilot?“

„Why don’t you go see for yourself?“ Valentin asked softly.

He straightened away from the rail. „In fact, I believe I’ll go

with you. I told Silver I’d be back in an hour anyway.“

„I’m sure you wouldn’t want to renege on your promise,“

Nicholas said caustically as he turned toward the stairs leading

to the Texas deck. „She seems to inspire an amazing degree of

devotion.“

„Perhaps because she doesn’t try to be anything but what

she is,“ Valentin said. „I find that very refreshing.“

When Nicholas opened the door of the pilot house it was

quickly obvious that Robert Danfold found Silver equally

refreshing. The two were so absorbed that neither realized

Nicholas and Valentin had arrived.

Robert’s face was alight with enthusiasm as he stood

behind Silver at the wheel, watching with razor-sharp eyes

every move she made. „That’s right, now a little to the

starboard. See those lines and circles on that slick water? That

means it’s shoaling up and that’s a danger.“

„What about that slanting mark on the water downriver?“

Silver asked, her brow wrinkled in concentration.

Danfold grinned. „You have a good eye. There’s a bluff

reef under the surface there that could wreck any riverboat that

comes too near.“

„So many dangers.“ Silver shook her head. „The river

looks lazy and peaceful and yet every mile poses another

threat.“

„Not only the river,“ Robert Danfold said. „Half the boats

on the river are miserable scows manned by pilots who don’t

know a sandbar from a clear channel. Before I got the job on

the Rose I was a pilot on another of Mr. Bassinger’s boats, the

Mary L.“ He shook his head. „Her boilers should have been

replaced five years ago. Someday they’re going to blow the

Mary L clear to Hades, just like the Sultana.“

„The Sultana?“ Silver asked.

„Watch that floating log,“ Robert warned crisply. „The

Sultana was carrying Yankee soldiers up north back in April of

sixty-five. After midnight one night the boilers blew. Over

fifteen hundred men, women, and children died from fire and

drowning before dawn.“

„How terrible,“ Silver whispered, her gaze flying to

Robert’s face.

He nodded. „I told Mr. Bassinger it could happen to the

Mary L, but he wouldn’t listen to me.“ He smiled comfortingly

at Silver. „Don’t you worry though. The boilers on the Rose

are sound as a dollar. She’s the best boat on the river.“

Silver nodded. „Yes, and she’s beautiful, too, Robert. I can

see why you’re so proud of her.“

They exchanged a companionable smile that was full of

mutual respect.

Nicholas felt a surge of hot irritation that was beginning to

be uncomfortably familiar. He took a step forward. „She won’t

stay the best boat on the river if you continue to leave her fate

in the hands of novices.“

Robert and Silver both looked over their shoulders and

Robert grinned. „Oh, hello, Nicky. Don’t worry about the

Rose. Silver is doing a fine job. Better than me when I was a

cub pilot.“

„I’m sure that’s true.“ Nicholas looked squarely at Silver.

„She’s already demonstrated a talent for negotiating through

very dangerous waters. However, even the best pilot can run

aground. Don’t you agree, Robert?“

„Maybe.“ Robert shifted uneasily. The emotions vibrating

between Silver and Nicholas were charging the air of the pilot

house with unrest and he didn’t like it one bit. The river was

enough of a challenge for a man, and no decent river pilot

could concentrate on anything else when he was at the wheel.

„You’d better run along, Silver.“

She smiled warmly at him. „Thank you for teaching. me,

Robert. It was very interesting. May I come back?“

Robert glanced at Nicholas’s taut face and then shook his

head. „I reckon you’d better not.“ He turned back to the river

with a feeling of relief. He’d a hell of a lot rather face a hidden

reef than Nicholas Savron at this moment.

„We’re disturbing Robert,“ Nicholas said. „I think it’s time