When she opened her eyes, she saw that perhaps a quarter of the original girls had left, and the ones who remained looked a bit dazed.
“I wasn’t planning to get married when I came in here,” Wilhelmina said.
“Me neither,” Lucy replied. “What are you going to do?”
Wilhelmina shrugged. “What else can I do? This is my dream, and sometimes we make sacrifices to get our dreams.”
She was right, and Lucy nodded. She could do this—and if her husband wasn’t good to her, she knew how to break his nose. She had learned a number of things in China, and not just embroidery.
***
Thirteen male agents stood in the parlor of the dormitory, all dressed in suits, each with a different expression on their faces. When Archie had finally gotten around to telling them the second part of his new plan, Bronco had nearly sent his knife sailing in a very unsafe direction. The men had held another meeting to discuss the situation, and while none of them were ready to quit yet, they certainly had their doubts about their boss’s sanity.
In the end, they’d all decided to go through with it, mostly so the women would have the protection of the marriage license to back them up. The word “annulment” kept ringing through Jed’s mind. He’d train his female partner, and then they’d get an annulment. He would then be free to marry someone of his own choosing and not Archie’s. Miss Haskell came to his mind immediately. Yes, he’d choose someone like her—someone who’d never even thought about becoming a private detective. One per family was enough.
“Time to head over to the office,” Warren said, and they filed out and walked across the lawn. Jed felt for all the world like he was walking to his own funeral.
The place had been decorated to the teeth, and Jed looked around with some amazement. This had to be Marianne’s doing—Marianne, and probably Victoria. Romantic notion for something that wasn’t going to be romantic in the slightest. This was a business arrangement and nothing more.
He and the other agents lined up in the library, where Archie had asked them to gather, and a moment later, the young women came in. He looked them over with interest. They were a pretty lot, nothing like he’d expected. He’d envisioned ladies with spectacles or crooked teeth, not this attractive group of well-dressed, well-groomed girls. Then his eyes fell on one in particular, and he couldn’t believe it.
Lucy Haskell had just walked into the Pinkerton office and was about to marry an agent.
He felt as though his head was about to explode. She was here? Applying to be an agent? How was this even happening?
He was staring at her, trying to work it out in his mind, when he caught her gaze, and her eyes widened. He could tell that she was having identical thoughts to his. What were the odds? And why was she here?
Archie was at the front of the room calling out names and telling the agents their new partnerships, but Jed could hardly concentrate on what was being said. He managed to pull himself into focus in time to realize that he couldn’t let Lucy marry one of these buffoons. Well, not all his fellow agents were buffoons, and he trusted each of them with his life, but none of them were right for Lucy. If she was called up front to marry someone else, he’d do the right thing and volunteer. It would for the best.
He blinked when he heard Archie call out his name, followed by Lucy’s, and a wave of relief washed over him. He took Lucy’s elbow as they both walked forward.
“It’s you,” she whispered.
“And it’s you,” he replied.
“We have a lot of talking to do.”
“Yes, but first, let’s get married.” He flashed her a smile, and she flashed him a look of annoyance.
Hmm. Interesting way to start off a marriage.
Chapter Seven
None of this could actually be happening—of that, Lucy was completely positive. First, she decides to become a detective. Then she finds out that she has to get married, and then . . . and then she sees Jed Green standing across the room, and he’s her intended husband. It was too ridiculous, too nonsensical. Someone was playing a trick on her, and any minute now, they’d confess it and they’d all have a good laugh.
It wasn’t that she had anything against Jed Green—he was just as nice-looking as she remembered, and if she had to marry a stranger on the spur of the moment, he was a good choice. It was the coincidence of it that was making it so difficult for her. Didn’t he say he was a clerk at a store or something? He’d said “a business downtown.” All right, this was a business downtown, but he was an agent, not a clerk. And his cast was gone—had he lied about having a broken arm, too?
The remainder of the agents were matched up, but there were a few ladies left over, so Agent Gordon promised they’d be included in the next training session. Lucy thought they looked relieved, almost like they’d been let off the hook, and for a split second, she envied them. But then she realized that if she wasn’t marrying Jed, one of them would be, and her feelings of envy turned to feelings of jealousy. Even though this was just a marriage of convenience and it would be over as soon as they found Mrs. Collins, she couldn’t imagine anyone else being married to Jed.
They all stood in front of Agent Gordon, and he uttered the words of the wedding ceremony. Lucy missed her father horribly in that moment. She’d always pictured him giving her away, but there just wasn’t time for such things now, and she wasn’t sure how he’d feel about this wedding anyway. He’d said he would support her in whatever she had to do if it meant helping the Collins’, but she suspected he didn’t mean that to include getting married to someone she barely knew.
At the conclusion of the brief ceremony, Agent Gordon invited the agents to kiss their brides. Lucy supposed that was better than inviting them to shake hands, but she wasn’t sure what to do. Jed didn’t hesitate, though. He leaned forward and gave her a sweet, gentle kiss on the cheek that couldn’t have lasted more than the flutter of a butterfly wing. It was perfect.
She glanced over just in time to see one of the other agents scoop up his bride for a real kiss, but his bride didn’t seem impressed. She pushed him away, and he stumbled into the agent behind him. Together, they tumbled into the table that held the beautiful wedding cake that had been set up just for them, and everything toppled over.
Everything burst into absolute pandemonium. Agents were throwing cake at each other, brides were getting hit instead, dresses were being ruined, and a woman Lucy assumed was the cook was crying in the corner. All that hard work, wasted. It was such a shame.
Just then, a large chunk of cake came flying across the room and hit Lucy on the shoulder. She had been determined not to get involved, but Jed seemed to take this as a personal attack and dove into the fray as well. She watched him go with a sigh. Boys did grow up to be men, but they still enjoyed things like food fights no matter how old they got. She scooped the cake off her shoulder and tasted it. It was absolutely delicious. Just the kind of thing she’d always wanted served at her wedding.
She’d just imagined it on plates, not flying through the air.
***
Agent Gordon had called an end to the fight and insisted that all those involved clean it up. Lucy was one of the lucky ones who didn’t need to change entirely—she just sponged off her shoulder. Jed, on the other hand, had to rinse frosting out of his hair, so she waited for him in the main building while he disappeared to take care of that.
While she waited, she tried to sort through everything that had just happened, but it wasn’t any more real to her now than it had been before. In fact, it was even harder to believe now because she was married . . . married. What an outrageous concept. She was someone’s wife.
“Mrs. Jed Green,” she said aloud, and goose bumps broke out on her arms. She liked the way it sounded, even though she hadn’t anticipated ever saying it.
“I can’t say I’m disappointed,” he said from behind her, and she whirled around.
“You aren’t?” She felt heat rise to her cheeks. She hadn’t thought
anyone would overhear her talking to herself.
“As soon as I saw you there—well, after I got over my initial surprise—I knew you were the one I wanted to marry.” He paused. “That is, if I had to marry someone, I’m glad it was you.”
She smiled, glad she wasn’t the only one feeling awkward about the situation. “Miss Chapman asked us to step in the office and get our assignment as soon as you were ready.”
Jed gave a little bow and motioned toward the office door, and she led the way.
Agent Gordon looked like he’d also changed and freshened up, and he was all business when they came in the room. “Briefly, because you need to be on your way, I’ll outline the situation. I’ve been contacted by a Mr. Abner Collins, whose wife has disappeared in Chinatown. The San Francisco Chinatown, that is, not Denver’s. From his telegram, I suspect an opium connection, and that’s why I paired the two of you together. Mr. Collins requested Miss Haskell’s . . . er, Mrs. Green’s . . . help on this case because she’s a close personal friend, and also because she has lived in China and speaks Chinese fluently.”
Jed nodded, and Lucy remembered that she’d told him about coming home recently.
“Agent Green here has just recently uncovered and helped to shut down an opium den here in Denver, and as we’ve spoken with officials since, we’ve learned that this den has definite connections to San Francisco. That’s why Agent Green has been assigned—he’d like to tie up all the loose ends on this case, and he also speaks Chinese.”
“Not fluently,” Jed added, and Lucy smiled.
Agent Gordon slid a folder across the desk. “Here’s the information we have so far, which isn’t much, but it will get you started. I’ve included the original telegram from Mr. Collins, as well as the follow-up he sent, which includes the name of the hotel where he’s staying and so forth. You’ll want to meet with him as soon as you arrive, of course, and go from there.”
Jed nodded. “Will do.”
Agent Gordon turned to Lucy. “Are you ready to go?”
“Absolutely. I’ve been ready ever since I first learned that Mrs. Collins had gone missing.”
“Excellent. Off you go, then.”
Lucy had expected somewhat more of a send-off, but she understood the rush, and she thanked Agent Gordon before they stepped out of his office.
“Where’s your bag?” Jed asked.
“Over here.” She motioned to a closet, and he retrieved her bag for her.
“Mine’s on the stoop,” he said. “Let’s go.”
Lucy didn’t see any of the other agents or their brides at the train station, and she wondered if some had chosen to overnight in Denver and leave later. That wasn’t a bad idea, actually, and would give her time to coordinate with Jed and figure out a plan, but gnawing in the back of her mind was Mrs. Collins and her plight, and Lucy knew they couldn’t wait. Cleaning up the cake mess and then meeting with Agent Gordon had already delayed them, and she didn’t want another minute to pass before they were on their way.
Except that it wasn’t quite time for the next train to California, and they were left sitting at the station for a little while anyway. Lucy couldn’t hold back any longer.
“So, you’re a clerk, are you?”
Jed turned to her with an apologetic smile. “I couldn’t tell you my true profession—I go undercover quite a bit, and only those the closest to me know what I actually do for a living.”
“Closest to you? Like your wife?”
He laughed. “Yes, exactly. I hope you’ll forgive my deception. I had been doing a lot of paperwork that day, though, so it wasn’t a complete lie.”
“I suppose I can forgive you, now that I’m in a similar boat.” She motioned to his arm. “No cast, I see.”
“No, thank goodness. I got it taken off the other day. I can’t do a lot with the arm yet, but I should be back to normal soon.”
“I wondered if it was part of your clerk disguise.”
He laughed again. “I wish it wasn’t real, but sadly, it was.” He glanced around, and so did she, noting that no one stood within listening distance. “I got roughed up a bit on my last case and it took me out of commission for a little while. The opium case, you see, so I have extra incentive to work on this one with you.”
She nodded. “Incentive is a good thing. So, Agent Gordon said something that caught me off guard—he said, not the Chinatown in Denver. What did he mean by that?”
Jed raised an eyebrow. “How long were you gone?”
“Four years.”
“Ah, that explains it. A couple of years ago, some Chinese immigrants moved in, and pretty soon, that area was known as Chinatown. The locals aren’t happy about it. Not only are they concerned that the Chinese will take all their jobs, they’re worried about the influence of the opium dens, and many of them are flat-out prejudiced against anyone who doesn’t look exactly like them. We’ve caught whiffs of it, and we’re predicting it won’t be too long before we’ve got some actual violence going on against the Chinese.”
Lucy shuddered. “That’s horrible. Any sort of prejudice is horrible. I loved the Chinese people—I made some very good friends while we were there.”
“I think everyone should be made to travel to a foreign land for at least six months while they’re young to root out any sort of prejudice they might be developing as they go into adulthood,” Jed replied. “There’s nothing like traveling and seeing different lands with your own eyes to expand your mind.”
Lucy looked at him with appreciation. “That’s exactly how I feel. Where have you traveled?”
“Not to China yet, although I’ve studied the language, like Archie was telling you. I’ve been to Spain, France, and Italy, and I spent quite a bit of time in Switzerland. China’s next on my list, I promise. I just need the opportunity to go.”
“If you really want to track opium to its source, a trip to China will be in order,” Lucy told him. “This case might give you that opportunity.”
“Let’s find your friend first,” Jed replied. “I don’t think she should have to wait for an ocean voyage before she’s rescued.”
“Agreed.” Lucy smoothed her skirt on her lap, trying to squelch the fear that had just risen in her stomach. “I’d like to look at the file Agent Gordon gave us, if you don’t mind—I want to see why he thinks Mrs. Collins is involved with opium. Mr. Collins didn’t say anything to me about that.”
Jed reached into his bag and pulled out the folder. “Here you go.”
Lucy flipped it open. Right on top was the first telegram Mr. Collins had sent the office. She picked it up eagerly—this was what she had most wanted to see.
URGENT HELP LOCATING WIFE STOP ACTING SLEEPY STOP LAST SEEN CHINATOWN STOP LUCY HASKELL WILL APPLY AT OFFICE STOP PLEASE ENLIST HER HELP STOP ABNER COLLINS
Lucy blinked. “I’m confused,” she said. “Agent Gordon said this telegram made him think Mrs. Collins had become caught up with opium. But there’s nothing about opium in this telegram.”
Jed took it from her and read it over. “Two things—she was acting sleepy, and she was in Chinatown. That’s good enough for me.”
Lucy thought about that for a minute. “Is being sleepy a sign of opium use?”
“An opium user is generally confused and out of touch with reality. Mr. Collins could have misinterpreted that for sleepiness. It was bad enough to bother him or he wouldn’t have mentioned it, and that makes me think it was bad enough that it might not have been sleepiness after all.” Jed gave the telegram back. “We’ll find her, even if it turns out that opium isn’t involved. It’s our most logical guess at this point, but if we discover we’re wrong, that doesn’t mean we’re giving up.” He met her eyes. “I know this means a lot to you, Lucy—it means a lot to me too. I’m not going to let you down.”
“Thank you,” she said, surprised at the sudden emotion she felt. She was so grateful to know that even if this didn’t turn out to be opium, which was his main interest, he would still pursue
this with her until the end.
At last their train was called, and they boarded. Once they were settled, Jed asked, “What else is in the folder?”
“Hmm? Oh.” She hadn’t realized she was still holding it—she’d been too distracted by everything else going on. She flipped it back open and found the second telegram from Mr. Collins, this one stating that he was staying at the Occidental Hotel and could be found there every morning until eleven, when he would leave to go wander the streets in search of his wife. There was nothing else in the folder except for a scribbled note that read, “Ask Agent L. Green to help Mr. Collins write up a dossier on his wife.”
“Oh, my,” Lucy said, stifling a laugh. “I’m Agent L. Green, am I?”
Jed chuckled. “Well, not quite yet, but almost. We need to complete a bit of training first. But you are L. Green.” He leaned forward and peered into her face with a grin. “You’re stuck with me for at least the time being.”
“I have a feeling we’ll survive it,” she replied. “Thank you for helping me find my friend. I can’t explain how grateful I am.”
“That’s the thing about this job,” he said as he settled back in his seat. “Sometimes it’s easy to forget that every case has real men and women involved, people for whom our success can mean the literal difference between life and death. When we spent our time studying facts and figures or doing paperwork, we can lose sight of that humanity. That’s why I so much prefer to be out in the field, where I can see the difference I’m making. It keeps me more centered than I would be otherwise.”
“I like that philosophy. I imagine that makes you a better agent, too.”
“It really does. Knowing that I’m helping someone’s daddy or grandmother keeps me motivated.” He paused. “Do the Collins’ have any children?”
An Agent for Lucy Page 5
