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immediately, even if it’s the middle of the night.”
    “It’s not right.”
    He knew what she referred to. “Funerals are depressing things, Jocelyn. No purpose can be served by your attending mine, other than to ruin all I’ve done to see you safe. Promise me?”
    She nodded, if reluctantly. He was making it so real, her imminent departure. She had tried not to think of it, as if ignoring it could keep him with her longer. That wasn’t possible anymore.
    “I sent a copy of your will to Maurice.” On seeing her widened eyes, he explained. “I hope it will stay his hand from anything drastic. I am also hoping that once he realizes you’ve left the country, he will let the matter go and be satisfied with the entailed properties that will come to him. Eaton is rich enough to support him and his large family.” She didn’t need to stay for the reading of the will, since he had already transferred everything else he owned to her name.
    “If you had just given him all of it—”
    “Never! I would give it to charity before I let that…Jocelyn, I want you to have it, all of it. That’s one of the reasons I married you. I want to know that you will never lack for anything. And I have seen to your safety. The men I have obtained for your guard are the best available. Once you leave England, Maurice will be unable to manipulate the courts against you. And after you come of age, or if you should marry—”
    “Don’t mention marriage now, Eddie…not now,” she said brokenly.
    “I’m sorry, my dear, but you’re so young. The day will come when—”
    “Eddie, please!”
    “Very well. But you do know that I just want you to be happy?”
    He shouldn’t have said so much to her. He was tired now; he could barely keep his eyes open. And yet there was so much more he wanted to say.
    “The world is yours…to enjoy.”
    “I will, Eddie, I promise. I’ll make it an adventure, just as you’ve said. I’ll see it all, do it all.” She was speaking rapidly now, because he seemed to be fading right before her eyes. She squeezed his hand tighter until his eyes focused on her again. “I’ll ride camels and elephants, hunt lions in Africa, climb the pyramids in Egypt.”
    “Don’t forget…your stud farm.”
    “I won’t. I’ll produce the finest Thoroughbreds inthe…Eddie?” His eyes had closed, his fingers gone slack. “Eddie?”
    “I love…you…Jocelyn.”
    “Eddie!”

Chapter Three
    Arizona Territory, 1881
    I t was not a road so much as a mule trail, so narrow at points that several times the lead coach had gotten wedged, once between the ridge of the mountain and immovable boulders, another time between two high, rocky slopes. Each time a good many hours were wasted in widening the path with shovels and picks, tools fortunate enough to have been included in the supplies. Not many miles had been covered this hot morning in October.
    Hot. It was that, but Mexico had been worse, much worse, especially in July, an unfortunate time of year to enter that particular country. The cavalcade of coaches and wagons had crossed the Mexican border last night, and that was when their guide had disappeared—the reason they were not on a decent road now. They were lost, in the middle of mountain ranges that seemed to go on forever, though the trail they followed surely must end somewhere.
    They were on their way to Bisbee. Or was it Benson? They really did need a guide for this area. The Mexican they had hired several months ago had donean admirable job of getting them over the border without incident, but he obviously had lied about his knowledge of this North American region, or he wouldn’t have run off and left them without warning.
    Of course, there was no hurry to get anywhere. They had supplies enough to last a month, gold enough to replenish the stores when they did finally reach Bisbee, or Benson, whichever came first. Any town would do, actually. It didn’t really matter.
    There had been a lot of coin