that tight, empty smile, his cold eyes reptilian, and he was far
too pleased with himself. There was something that wasn’t
right. Yet it was perfectly in character for Bassinger to want to
hurt Nicholas in any way he could. Perhaps she was being too
suspicious.
She turned away. „Good-bye.“
„No thank-you?“ Bassinger asked silkily.
She glanced back over her shoulder and slowly shook her
head. „I believe I’ll wait to see if there’s something to be
thankful for.“
Then she was gone, hurrying toward the back stairs which
led to the boiler deck.
„Face it, Nicky, there’s no sign of her,“ Valentin said
quietly. „We’ve queried everyone on the wharfs, searched the
streets, inquired at the livery stables. You even rode twenty
miles north to see if she had taken off on foot.“ He leaned
against the rail and looked out at the moonlit river. „If she’s
still in Memphis, she’s found a damned good hiding place.“
„I don’t think she is in Memphis,“ Nicholas said tersely.
„She’s more accustomed to wild country than cities. She grew
up in a hell of a lot more dangerous land than this. The farther
away from the Rose she traveled, the more secure she’d feel.“
„Then you think she’s somewhere in the forest or on the
road?“
„I don’t know,“ Nicholas said wearily. „I can only guess
what Silver would do. I’m going to ride out and try the main
road going south to make sure she didn’t go that way. Mikhail
is making a round of the taverns on the wharf to see if he can
pick up any information.“
„You need to rest, Nicky.“ Valentin gazed at him worriedly.
Nicholas had not slept for nearly forty-eight hours, and he
looked it. His skin was drawn tightly over the broad bones of
his cheeks, and dark circles were imprinted beneath his eyes.
„Wouldn’t tomorrow do as well? It’s after midnight.“
„I must find her tonight. The Rose is leaving Memphis at
dawn tomorrow.“
Valentin’s eyes widened. „You’re giving up the search?“
„Don’t be a fool. Of course I’m not giving up.“ Nicholas
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