them for lunch or dinner with cream. They should be even
better that way.“
Mikhail and Valentin exchanged glances and then suddenly
broke into laughter.
„Why do you laugh?“ Silver asked in puzzlement. „Truly,
they’re very, very good.“
„I’m sure they are.“ Valentin said, trying to subdue his
laughter. „Let’s just say it wasn’t what we were anticipating.
When you jumped overboard last night and forced Nicholas to
pursue you, we didn’t think we’d find him meekly picking
raspberries at your command.“
„What did you expect?“
Valentin sobered. „To find Nicholas ready to strangle you.“
Mikhail spoke gently, his gaze searching her face. „You are
well?“
Sudden color rose to her cheeks. „Of course I’m well,“ she
answered, not looking at him. „Nicholas was very kind.“ She
turned away abruptly. „And he’s not as meek at this moment
as you may believe.“ She smiled over her shoulder. „He likes
raspberries too.“
Lee Bassinger moved back into the shadows of the boiler
deck and watched with no expression as Mikhail Kuzdief leapt
onto the deck from the rowboat and then leaned down to lift
Silver Delaney up beside him. So Savron had caught his little
captive, he thought as he observed Nicholas Savron and
Marinov climb onto the deck. Perhaps she had spoken the truth
and she wasn’t a whore after all. Whatever she was, she was
important to Nicholas Savron. No man jumped into a river to
pursue a female unless she held value for him.
He felt a surge of savage satisfaction. The key. She was
going to be the key just as he had thought when he had first
seen her. His hands tightened on the rail until his knuckles
turned white as he remembered his humiliation at that bitch’s
hands. Yes, he would use her to punish Savron and then he
would break her and throw her away.
He could make no move while on the Rose, but in another
day they should reach Memphis. They would have to stop to
take on coal and it should be no problem to arrange to have
Silver Delaney taken by his own men, particularly since she
appeared more than eager to escape Savron.
Anticipation was a sharp pain within him as he turned away
and began to stroll down the deck toward the saloon.
Tomorrow. This goddamn charade was almost over. He had
only to wait one more day.
8
„Why are we having dinner in the stateroom?“ Silver asked as
she sat down opposite Nicholas at the damask-covered table.
She spread her napkin on her lap and dropped her lashes to
veil the hint of mischief in her eyes. „Have you decided I’m
not presentable enough to mingle with your other guests?“
„I decided I didn’t want every man at the table ogling you
and remembering what you looked like with nothing but a
wisp of cloth covering your privates,“ he said tersely. „I
haven’t forgiven you for that, Silver.“
„I didn’t ask for your forgiveness.“ She smiled at him. „I
think you’re just being selfish and don’t want to share the
raspberries with them.“
His frown faded and a reluctant smile touched his lips.
„That too.“ He looked down at his plate. „Talk to me.“
„What?“
„Tell me about yourself.“
She looked at him in puzzlement. „What do you wish to
know? I ve already told you what is important.“
„You’ve told me only that you’re a half-breed,“ he said
with barely leashed violence. „For God’s sake, that’s not the
only thing you are. You have a mind and a soul.“
„People aren’t usually concerned with anything else,“ she
said simply. „I know what I am inside but they don’t want to
see. You didn’t want to see either. You wanted only my body.“
Nicholas felt a sharp pang. What she said was true. He had
been so captivated with the challenge she presented, he had
disregarded everything else. „Well, I want to see now. Did you
like it at Mrs. Alford’s?“
„No, I hated it. They thought me savage, and I thought
them stupid. Even the lessons were stupid. Finger-painting and
needlepoint and how to curtsy. Rising Star taught me much
more from her books than any of those girls learned at the
academy.“ Her face lit with a reminiscent smile. „Rising Star
knew so much, she had many books and she was always
reading. She was far more clever than Mrs. Alford.“
„Her husband must have been very proud of her.“
Her smile faded. „Joshua? Joshua was ashamed because
she was an Apache.“ Her lips tightened. „He killed her.“
Nicholas’s gaze rose swiftly to her face. „Murder?“
„She was with child and he told her he did not wish it. She
rode away from Killara and died when her child was born.“
Her voice lowered fiercely. „She was strong. If she had wanted
to live…“ Her gray eyes were suddenly glittering with tears.
„She was gentle and kind but it made no difference. Her skin
was not white and they killed her for it. She told me once that
the way to live in a white man’s world was to take on his ways
and and become what he wished you to be. She was wrong.
No matter what she did, the Delaneys would not accept her as
one of them.“
The pain was naked in her face and he was experiencing a
reflection of her agony within himself. He tried to think of
something to distract her from that poignant memory. He lifted
his wine goblet to his lips. „Did you like nothing about your
schooling?“
She didn’t answer immediately, and it was evident she was
trying to gather her composure. „I learned to play the piano. I
love music.“ She made a face. „When I was first learning I
was terrible, and Mrs. Alford would come in and try to make
me stop. She said the noise was disturbing the other students.“
„But you wouldn’t do it,“ Nicholas guessed. „I knew I
would get better and I needed it.“ Nicholas could understand
how she needed something of her own to shelter her from the
loneliness and prejudice surrounding her, even if it were only
music. „What type of music do you prefer?“ She smiled
eagerly. „Everything. I like everything from folk songs to
Beethoven. It’s wonderful how music makes everything take
on beauty and sparkle. Do you like music?“
„Very much. I’d like to hear you play sometime.“ He
should have known Silver would take delight in music.
Anyone so sensual would naturally be attuned ,to the pleasures
of sound. „We have some fine young composers in Russia
now. I think you’d enjoy hearing their music. There’s a young
man named Rimsky-Korsakoff who shows great promise.“ He
looked down into the ruby-red depths of his wineglass. „St.
Petersburg can be very gay. Concerts, ballets, balls – “
„You’re trying to persuade me to go to Russia,“ Silver said
bluntly. „I told you I wouldn’t go. I leave Mrs. Alford’s shortly
and I intend to continue my studies.“
„What studies?“ Nicholas asked impatiently. „You’ve
already said you know more than the other women at the
academy. Perhaps you wish to perfect your skill at
needlepoint?“
„I’m going to go to a university and study medicine.“
„You intend to be a nurse?“
She stiffened. „I’m going to be a doctor.“
„Women do not become doctors,“ Nicholas said flatly.
„They do now.“ Silver set her plate aside and reached for
the crystal dessert bowl in which the raspberries were
swimming in rich cream. „Why should I be a nurse when I can
be a better doctor than most I’ve seen in the profession. It’s not
reasonable.“