„Maybe she has a fondness for menageries and sideshows,“
Marinov said lazily. „I enjoy the circus myself.“
„She has a hired carriage waiting for her two blocks from
the school shortly after dark. She doesn’t come back until
three or four o’clock in the morning.“ Bentsen paused. „Carey
has seen her with several men on the circus grounds, but he
thinks it is Sebastien, the knife thrower, she goes to see.“
„You think this is of interest to me?“ Nicholas asked coldly.
„Why are you telling me this drivel?“
„It’s not drivel,“ Bentsen protested. „It might be a way to
make her tell you where her uncle is now. No lady wants her
reputation ruined by scandal.“
„Lady?“ The prince’s soft voice stung like a velvet lash. „A
bloodthirsty viper at fifteen who has developed into an
accomplished harlot at the ripe age of nineteen years? She
would laugh at a threat such as that.“
„Why don’t you let my man approach her and – “
„No!“ Savron met his gaze with sudden fierceness. „Do
nothing else. Your firm has blundered this business from start
to finish. I’ll handle the affair myself from now on.“
„But if you’ll give us the opportunity to – “
Savron made a slicing movement with the edge of his hand.
„No, it’s finished. Good day, Mr. Bentsen.“
At that moment Nicholas Savron was more imperial tsar
than landed prince, and Bentsen found himself bowing as he
backed away. „Good day, your highness, I’m sorry we – “ He
stopped. What the hell was he doing? He was an American,
dammit, and he didn’t bow to anyone. He straightened and
jammed on his hat. „We’ll expect your payment for services
rendered.“ He turned and walked away, his back straight and
the faintest hint of a swagger in his gait.
Marinov gave a low whistle. „I do believe you’ve been
subjected to lese-majeste, Nicky.“
„So it appears.“ A sudden reckless smile banished the
sternness from Nicholas’s expression. „These Americans have
no respect for a fellow’s consequence. Give a man a taste of
equality and he tries to march like a king over the face of the
earth.“
Marinov s expression sobered. „You’re safe enough here,
but a remark like that will get you sent into exile once we’re
home again. God knows I may have complained about this
heat, but I won’t promise to follow you to Siberia if the tsar
decides to curb that wild tongue of yours.“
Nicholas’s smile deepened. „It might be worth it. Siberia
could be a welcome change. St. Petersburg has been abysmally
boring of late. I used to be able to bear it when I knew I could
go back to the Kuban, but not…“He trailed off, his dark eyes
gazing brood-ingly down at the waters below him. „Maybe I’ll
pay a visit to court when this is all over.“
„Good God, why?“ Marinov asked, startled. „You hate life
at court.“
„I don’t know. It’s as good a place as any other in which to
be bored. Perhaps…“He shrugged impatiently. „But that’s in
the future. Now we have to find Dominic Delaney.“
„You think he’s to blame for Andre’s death?“
„Who knows?“ Nicholas said wearily. „But I’m here to find
out and I won’t go home until I do.“ His hand clenched
violently on the wooden rail. „Why the hell did he go to a
primitive place like Hell’s Bluff? What a fool he was.“
„But you loved him,“ Marinov said quietly.
„He was my cousin,“ Nicholas was silent a moment.
„Damn, he was as clumsy as a big puppy and I can’t remember
how many scrapes I had to get him out of, but he had a good
heart. He didn’t deserve to be hanged in a land so far from
home.“
„I take it we go to this St. Louis to question the young
woman? She doesn’t sound as if she would willingly tell you
anything.“ Valentin’s eyes twinkled. „Except the same advice
she gave Mr. Bentsen’s agent.“
„She’ll tell me.“ Nicholas turned away from the rail.
„Come along. Let’s go find Robert and inform him that he’s
going to get the opportunity to beat the Robert E. Lee’s record
to St. Louis. You recall how enthusiastic he was in the telling
of that tale. How long did he say it took? Four days?“
„A little less, I think.“ Valentin fell into step with him. „Our
celebration is over, I assume.“
„Why? I’m sure we’ll need amusement on the trip. We’ll
ask our guests to go along.“ Nicholas’s ebony eyes were
suddenly gleaming. „Don’t you think that’s a fine idea?“
„Lee Bassinger too?“
„You object? He’s not exactly charming, but he may
improve upon acquaintance.“
„You know damn well he’s a dangerous man. He’s a
vicious bastard, and he didn’t like losing this pleasure barge to
you. It was the pride of his fleet of river-boats.“
„All the more reason to invite him. It will make the journey
more interesting.“
Valentin slowly shook his head, but said nothing. There
was no use remonstrating with Nicholas when he was in such a
mood. The streak of wildness that had always been a part of
him had been growing steadily of late, and arguing only
triggered more extravagant behavior. „You realize the journey
could all be for nothing? What if Delaney’s niece refuses to
tell you where her uncle has gone?“
„There are always ways of handling vipers.“ Nicholas
suddenly threw back his head and laughed. He clapped
Valentin on the shoulder. „Stop frowning, my friend. She’s
young, a schoolgirl. It will take no time at all to get the
information from her. Silver Delaney will pose no problem for
me.“
2
Where in hell had the blasted girl gone?
Luke Carey carefully moved from the shadows of the high
stone wall to a beech tree closer to the three-story building that
housed Mrs. Alford’s Select Academy for Young Ladies, his
gaze searching the darkness.
She had to be somewhere on the grounds. He had caught a
fleeting glimpse of the Delaney girl as she had slipped from
the sill of her third-floor chamber to the branch of an oak tree
and begun her usual agile descent to the garden below. Then,
somehow, he had lost sight of her after she had reached the
ground. One moment she had been there, and the next she had
faded into the shadows. Maybe he should –
A strong arm encircled him from the rear and jerked his
neck back sharply. The sharp point of a dagger pricked his
throat.
„Don’t move!“ The voice behind him was low and fierce.
„Or I’ll slice your gullet like a chicken for Sunday dinner.“
Carey froze, his heart pounding so hard he could almost
hear it in the darkness. „I’m not moving,“ he said hoarsely. He
swallowed. „Will you shift that knife an inch or so? I’m scared
to breathe.“
„Soon.“ The knife remained pressed against the hollow of
his throat. „When you tell me what I want to know.“
It was the Delaney girl, he realized with amazement.
Though the tone was fierce, her voice held the same
melodious, bell-like womanliness as that of the schoolgirl who
had damned him to perdition three weeks ago in Mrs. Alford’s
prim parlor.
He found himself unconsciously relaxing. „Now, Miss
Delaney, you’re being a little hasty. You don’t want to – “ A
fresh ripple of fear surged through him as the dagger drew
blood.
„How do you know what I want to do? You know nothing
about me except what you’ve discovered by spying on me. Did
you think I didn’t realize you were following me?“ Her tone