paused. „God, I’m sorry, Valentin. I guess I am tired.“ He

rubbed the bunched muscles at the back of his neck to relieve

the tension. „Since I can’t find her, I’ll have to try to guess her

destination, then reach it before she does. We’ll take the boat

back upriver to St. Louis.“

„Mrs. Alford’s Academy?“

Nicholas shook his head. „The circus. When we first took

her, she appeared to be most worried that she couldn’t get back

to the circus. She told me later that she has friends there. It

would be natural for her to go to them for help.“

„It’s over three hundred miles back to St. Louis. That’s a

terrible trip for a woman alone. Do you think she’ll be able to

make it safely?“

Nicholas’s hands tightened on the rail. That was the

question he’d been asking himself. „She’ll make it.“

Valentin looked away from Nicholas to gaze at the glowing

lanterns hanging by the gangplank. „You could forget about

trying to find her. She’s not going to tell you where Dominic

Delaney is, Nicky.“

Nicholas didn’t answer.

„But then, that’s not the reason you tore Memphis apart

looking for her, is it?“ Valentin asked softly. „Delaney might

have started all this, but he’s not the crux of the matter now.“

„I’ll find Silver and then go after her uncle,“ Nicholas said

grimly. „I’ll have them both.“

„But if you have to kill Delaney, you may find that Silver

will object to your plans for her. Perhaps to the extent of

sticking her little knife in you.“ Valentin paused. „You’re

going to have to decide which is most important to you.“

„First I have to find her.“ Nicholas turned away. „I’m going

to get something to eat and then ride out. I’ve told Mikhail if

he learns anything to come to your cabin with the information.

I’ll check with you when I come back.“

„Very well.“ Valentin gazed after him until he disappeared

into the saloon. Slowly he turned and rested his arms on the

rail, staring thoughtfully into the dark water. The situation in

which Nicholas was embroiled was no longer amusing, and

Valentin was beginning to feel uneasy. Nicholas’s passion for

Silver was rapidly becoming an obsession and seemed to

contain the seeds of tragedy.

He knew Nicholas had little trust in women. Who could

blame him with a bitch like Natalya for a mother? And Silver

was even more wary than Nicholas and every bit as wild.

Perhaps it would be better if Nicholas searched in vain for her.

„Good evening, Count Marinov, no news of Miss

Delaney?“

Valentin turned to see Lee Bassinger strolling toward him.

„Not yet.“

Bassinger smiled. „Nicholas must be truly worried by now.

I feel called upon to render assistance.“

„Assistance?“

„I’m well known in this city. I’m going ashore to see if I

can obtain information from my manager here on the wharf.

He has his ear to the ground and perhaps he’ll know someone

who has seen her.“

„I’m sure Nicholas will appreciate your concern,“ Valentin

said dryly. What was the bastard up to? Bassinger had lounged

around the Rose for the last two days observing all their efforts

with that meaningless smile. Now, out of nowhere, he had

decided to help. „But he thinks Silver may have left Memphis

and gone back north. The Rose leaves for St. Louis at dawn.“

Bassinger’s smile stayed in place. „Perhaps Nicholas is

wrong. I’ll endeavor to find out for him.“ He put on his high

silk hat, pulled on his kidskin gloves, and turned toward the

gangplank. „I’ll be back shortly.“

„What do you mean, she’s not here?“ Bassinger’s light

green eyes were narrowed with rage. „I told you to hold her

here in this warehouse until I came.“

The two men standing before him exchanged uneasy

glances. Then the taller of the two took a deep breath and burst

out, „She got away from us.“

„What!“ A flush of rage mantled Bassinger’s cheeks. „You

fools! How could she get away? There were two of you.“

„She damn near killed me,“ the shorter one, who had a

scraggly beard, said testily. „She kicked me in the balls and

pushed Steve here into the river. Then she took off running and

was gone before we knew it.“

Bassinger’s palm cracked against the bearded cheek of the

man called Landon. „I may kill you myself.“ Bassinger’s eyes

were blazing with fury. „How long ago, Landon?“

Landon’s hand went to his cheek and his face turned ugly.

If the crazy son of a bitch didn’t pay so good, he’d –

„How long?“ Bassinger demanded impatiently.

„Only an hour or so after we took her,“ admitted the taller

man, called Steve by Landon. „We went ashore upriver just

like you said and told her we’d take her someplace safe to

hide. She didn’t want to come with us, so we tried to scare her

a little!“ He went on defensively. „It’s not our fault. She was

suspicious from the time she got into the rowboat.“

„Not your fault?“ Bassinger began to curse viciously. „Why

didn’t you come to me with this information?“

„You told us to stay away from the Rose and from you,“

Landon said quickly.

„That was because I didn’t want suspicion to fall on me,

you idiot.“ And because he’d wanted to linger and savor

Savron’s frustration and worry for as long as possible before

he revealed that he was in possession of what Savron wanted.

He’d enjoyed these last two days enormously, thinking he held

a secret power over that damn Russian, and now to find he had

nothing. Nothing! „Did you search for her?“

Both men nodded quickly.

Of course they had searched, Bassinger realized with fury.

So had Savron and his friends. The damn bitch had escaped

from all of them. He whirled and strode toward the door. „I’ll

make damn sure you never find work on this wharf again.“ He

slammed the door behind him and strode down the street.

She was gone. The key was gone. Those stupid sons of

bitches had let her get away. He had to get control of himself.

He was so enraged, he couldn’t think, and he needed to plan

his next move.

Silver Delaney was gone, but Savron suspected she had

returned to St. Louis, Bassinger thought. Perhaps he was right.

But even if Savron didn’t find the woman, Bassinger’s best

move would be to stay close to him. If one key had been lost,

perhaps another could be found.

He could see the lanterns of the Rose in the distance and

quickened his steps. He would be on the Rose when it sailed

for St. Louis at dawn.

9

„God, you look tired.“ Khadil’s pink eyes were concerned as

her gaze ran over Silver’s sweat-stained, dusty and torn

shirtwaist and skirt. „And those clothes look as if they’ve been

dragged through bramble bushes.“

„They have.“ Silver sat down on Khadil’s brass-studded

leather trunk, trying to ignore the weariness that plagued every

muscle. „Among other shrubbery. I’ve been traveling for

nearly two weeks, most of it on foot. How is Etaine?“

„Well.“ Khadil’s expression was reproachful. „But she was

worried when you didn’t come. Sebastien even went to your

school but they would tell him nothing except that you had

gone on a short trip.“

So Mrs. Alford had believed the note Nicholas had sent,

Silver thought. Well, it should have come as no surprise. The

woman had always regarded Indian women only one step

above prostitutes. No, it wasn’t surprise she was feeling, but

the same depression that had been nagging at her since the