Judkins’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed nervously. “You don’t scare me. You’re nothing but an Apache squaw. Shamus was right to bundle you back to those other heathens. I would have done the same.”

Silver’s eyes widened until they seemed to hold winter sunlight in their depths. “Do you wish to see my knife too, white man?” she asked softly. “An Apache squaw knows well how to use one. Perhaps you have heard stories? They give prisoners to us women first so that we may teach them the meaning of pain before they learn of death.”

Judkins moistened his suddenly dry lips. “This is my hotel and if I say you go-” He edged toward the door, his gaze fixed warily on Silver. “You go! I have friends in this town. If you’re not out of this room by tomorrow morning, we’ll maybe form a little party and see how you like being run out of town.” He glanced at Elspeth. “None of this is my fault and I won’t lose money because Dominic is afraid Rina will be jealous if he sets you up over at her place, where you belong.” His lips pursed and his voice rose righteously. “You can’t expect to have it both ways, the wages of sin are-”

“Get out.” Silver took a step toward him. “Now.”

He took one look at her face and bolted out the door.

“The wages of sin,” Silver repeated in disgust. “Everyone in town knows he spends every Saturday night over at Rina’s.” Elspeth’s bewildered expression caused Silver to frown. “Did his words hurt you?” She crossed the room and set the tray on the nightstand beside the bed before she turned to face Elspeth. “He’s a fool and a coward. He dared to speak to you in that way because he knew Dominic would be at the Nugget all afternoon. He probably hopes you will not tell Dominic of his rudeness to you.” She smiled with infinite pleasure as she plucked the napkin from the tray. “I will enjoy very much watching Dominic kill him.”

“No!” Elspeth’s eyes widened in horror. “He wouldn’t!”

Silver gazed at her in surprise. “Of course he will. You are his woman.” She tucked the napkin into the collar of Elspeth’s white cotton nightgown and handed her the small bowl of stew and a spoon. “Now eat and forget about the stupid man.”

“I feel shamed.” Elspeth smiled shakily. “I didn’t think I’d feel this way. It shouldn’t matter what other people think of me. I thought I was strong enough to ignore…” She blinked rapidly to rid her eyes of tears that were welling helplessly. “I suppose this means I’m a fallen woman now, at least in the opinion of everyone in Hell’s Bluff. I wish I were like you, Silver. It would be easier if I could just ignore this.”

Silver shook her head. “You never learn to ignore it,” she said softly. “You do learn to accept and to deal with it. In many ways you are luckier than I, because you can go away and no one will know what happened here. I am what I am, wherever I go.” She lifted her head proudly. “And I would not change it. I am Silver Dove Delaney. I will show the world that a half-breed can be the best of both worlds. You will see.”

“I see now,” Elspeth said gently. “I admire you very much, Silver. I wish you could share a little of your bravery with me.”

“You need none of my courage. You grow stronger and braver every day.” She tapped the bowl with her index finger. “Now eat and forget that fool. Dominic will tend to him when he returns.”

Elspeth obediently took a bite of the rabbit stew. “I don’t want you to speak to Dominic about this. I’ll not have blood spilled because of me.”

Silver frowned. “But Dominic should-”

“No, Silver.” Elspeth’s voice rang with firmness. “I won’t have it.”

Silver stared at her determined face for a moment before lowering her eyes. “No blood will be spilled, I promise you. Now, eat your stew, Dominic shot the rabbit and I cooked it. Your duty is only to eat.”

Elspeth smiled. “You’ve both been very good to me. I’m sorry I’ve been so slow in recovering. I’m usually very healthy.”

“You will be well soon.” A sudden grin lit Silver’s face. “Your voice is already much stronger. I heard you shouting at that fool, Judkins, halfway down the stairs.” She looked at the flower pattern of the patchwork quilt covering Elspeth’s lap and murmured, “Thank you.”

“For what?”

Silver didn’t take her gaze from the blanket and her voice was low. “For defending me, for saying I am kind. I am not kind, you know.”

Elspeth felt a quick rush of affection. “You’ve been very good to me. How can you say you’re not kind?”

“I cared for you first because I wished to please Patrick and Dominic. In spite of what the old man says, they are my blood.” Her index finger began tracing the pattern of the quilt. “And then it was pride. I wanted you well so that I could point at you and say ‘I did that. Apache or Delaney, I am the one who healed her.’ ”

“And now?”

“I think we are friends,” she said shyly. “I’ve never had a friend besides Rising Star. It feels very strange.”

“Yes.” It felt strange to Elspeth as well. She, too, had suffered an isolated and lonely childhood, and friendship was as foreign to her as to this wild child who was stubbornly refusing now to look at her. Yet this companionable warmth and affection must be friendship. “Yes, I believe you’re right. I think we are friends, Silver.”

Silver released her breath, and Elspeth only then realized the younger girl had been holding it. She glanced up and smiled with a brilliance that lit her dark face with warmth, and Elspeth received a small shock. Why, Silver was beautiful! She had always been aware of the vitality and intensity that swirled around the Indian girl like tempest-driven clouds, but she had never realized that Silver was also quite lovely.

“Now, I had better leave and let you eat.” Silver stood up. “I must not have my friend fading away from lack of nourishment. Who knows when I will find another one?”

She didn’t wait for an answer but glided from the room. The door closed softly behind her.

Elspeth slowly finished the stew and put the bowl and spoon back on the tray on the nightstand. Then she lay back wearily on the pillows and closed her eyes. How foolish that she should feel so weak when only this morning she had been sure she was almost well. Each of Judkins’s words had been like separate blows, robbing her of strength. It made no difference if he thought she was a hetaera like the lovely brown-haired Rina, who had peered over the banisters the morning that now seemed so long ago. She was a scholar and explorer, and what the world thought had no meaning for her. When she was a little stronger, she would ask Silver to get Dominic to come and see her. They would talk. She would soon bring him around, and they would be on their way to Kantalan.

She hadn’t seen him since the night he had brought her back to Hell’s Bluff, but Silver had made a point of telling her he was staying at the hotel instead of at Rina’s. For some reason that knowledge had given her an odd sense of relief. Not that it mattered to her where he slept, she assured herself quickly. Silver had said he had been the one to comfort her during the time when her mind had been clouded with feverish dreams and visions. So perhaps because of that she felt safer with him close at hand.

Yes, that must be it. She breathed a sigh of relief at being able to find such a satisfactory explanation. She settled down for her afternoon nap, being very careful not to recall that she had never once, since the moment she had met Dominic Delaney, felt either safe or secure in his presence.

“The hypocritical son of a bitch.” Dominic’s lips thinned grimly. “I should have known he would try to sneak up and worry her. He’s been whining and caterwaulling since the night I brought Elspeth here.” He started to turn away. “I’ll take care of it.”

“You will do nothing.”

Dominic’s gaze flashed back to Silver. “The hell I won’t. I promised her she would be safe and comfortable here. I’ve already broken my promise by letting that bastard get to her with his mealy-mouthed preachings. I’m going to make damn certain it won’t happen again.”

“I promised her no blood would be spilled.” She smiled faintly. “However, I did not promise not to tell you the man is becoming a problem. If you add your threats to mine, it should be enough to stop him from speaking to her again. In a few days she will be stronger and we can move her to a place where she will not have to face these insults.”

“And where is that?” Dominic asked bitterly. “Nowhere in Hell’s Bluff.”

“We will worry about that when the time comes.” Silver paused. “She asked to see you. She will no doubt tell you she wishes to leave.”

“No doubt at all.” Dominic could feel the tension stiffening the muscles of his shoulders and neck. He didn’t want to see her. He had been in a fever for her since the night he had brought her here, and he had no desire to feed his madness. He had not touched her that night, but he might just as well have done so. His imagery had been so clear and detailed, he felt as if he had taken her in a hundred exotic and erotic ways, and, dammit, he wanted to do it again and again, until reality and imagination became one fiery entity of satiation. What the hell kind of satyr did that make him? It was his fault she was both wounded and helpless, and yet he wanted to take advantage of her weakness. He had tried desperately to revive the tenderness and pity he had known when she was lying ill, but all he could remember was the feel of her. She was no longer his child, she was a woman and he could think of her in no other guise.

“Well?” Silver was looking at him inquiringly. “Will you see her? She is very determined. I think she will come to you if you do not go to her.”

“It would be better if I didn’t.”

Silver’s brow arched. “You fear to blacken her reputation? She has none. You have seen to that.”