pressed.“
„Anything else?“
„I want to go for a walk.“
He frowned. „I don’t know. Nicky – “
„Is not here.“
„True. But when he does make his appearance, he’ll
probably have a head as big as a paddle wheel.“ He grimaced.
„He was drinking wine as if it were water last night.“
„Then he deserves to suffer.“
„But I don’t, and he has a tongue that can sting like
frostbite when he’s displeased.“ He bent to gather her
discarded clothing from the padded bench at the foot of the
bed. „I’ll take these and give them to a servant to clean, and
arrange for a hip bath to be brought to you, but we’ll have to
see about your little promenade.“
„There’s no reason – “
„No,“ he said with surprising firmness. „My dear Miss
Delaney, you will please quit pushing me where I don’t wish
to go. I get more than enough of that from Nicky.“
She studied him with amusement and the beginning of
respect. Marinov was stronger than she had first thought. Then
the amusement vanished as she realized that this meant
Nicholas must also be stronger to merit Marinov’s loyalty.
„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