An Agent for Clenna
Page 3
The woman’s eyes went wide, and Ben met gazes with the redhead to gauge her reaction. The woman cultivated a bored expression. Inwardly, Ben laughed at himself. Had he been trying to impress her? Well, that hadn’t worked. Either it had failed miserably or the woman had a great poker face. Either way, Ben was beginning to think he might like to see more of that face.
Then, Billy’s stomach growled, making everyone look down at it. The sound of it broke the moment of tension and everyone began to laugh. Using this moment as an opportunity to leave, Ben grabbed Billy by the arm and pulled him toward the kitchen. Ben nodded to the ladies in the receiving area. “We’ll go ahead and make our way toward the kitchen and take care of that. Lovely to see you ladies.”
But even as he pushed open the swinging door to the kitchen, he couldn’t help but wonder what the two women were doing at the agency and if he’d get another chance to see the redhead after they ate.
Chapter 4
Clenna
The tall, broad-shouldered man with the square jaw and long eyelashes had given Clenna a look that made her heart skip in her chest. That was a first. Clenna had done her best not to let boys distract her. She’d hated young men in general, growing up. They liked to make fun of her freckles and her red hair and often made sport of her. Her cousins were barely any help. Declan and James often joined in, forcing her to defend herself. She didn’t need a man in her life telling her what to do again. When he met eyes with her the second time, Clenna had already decided to be indifferent to him, yet her heart skipped again when he winked at her just before leaving for the kitchen.
Josie returned to her side in the front of Marianne’s desk, and Clenna wondered why Josie had never mentioned that she knew a Pinkerton. She placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “So, you know one of the agents then?”
Blinking, Josie shook her head and then nodded. “Seems that I do.”
Clenna lifted a brow. Maybe the two of them didn’t know each other well. The whole incident seemed strange. Marianne cleared her throat, getting both of their attention as she held the papers in her hand that Josie and Clenna had just given her. “If you’ll both follow me, we’ll do a joint interview with Mr. Gordon. He’s ready to see you now.”
Now?
Clenna’s heart squeezed in her chest for a new reason this time. This was it. Fears and doubts began to plague Clenna with each step she made as she followed the Pinkerton secretary. What if Mr. Gordon, the head of the agency, didn’t like her? What if they didn’t hire Irish, like the railroad? What if she went into the room and said something foolish, ruining her chances of becoming an agent? Stars began to spot in her vision, and she realized she was holding her breath. She forced herself to breathe as she entered the office where Mr. Gordon sat on the other side of the large, dark wooden desk.
He stood as they entered the room and gave them a bow, his eyes sparkling with mirth as Marianne leaned over and whispered a few things to him. Afterward, he nodded to them and gestured for both Clenna and Josie to sit in the chairs across the desk from him. The door clicked as Marianne left the room, and the sound of it agitated Clenna’s last nerve. She thought for a moment that she might scream.
“I’ve read through both of your qualifications. Miss Murphy, you are not only well-educated, but you worked with your father on steam engines?” Mr. Gordon asked, lifting a brow at Clenna.
“Yes, sir.” Clenna leaned forward a bit, her stomach clenching with nerves. “My father was not only a conductor but worked closely with the machinists who created and repaired the engines to the modern locomotive. He taught both me and my younger brother everything he knew about machine work and engines.”
Mr. Gordon nodded. “That’s very interesting. Not many men know about such things, and fewer ladies. Quite impressive.”
Clenna’s cheeks reddened. “Thank you for noticing, sir.”
When Mr. Gordon turned his attention to Josie, Clenna’s stomach began to relax. The Scottish gentleman was nothing like the one who worked in the factory who was sweet on Clenna. This man had manners, morals, and didn’t look at them as though he were a wolf. And as he agreed with Clenna about it being the people in Wyoming’s loss that they rejected her friend, Josie, Clenna really began to feel as if this was exactly the place she belonged.
Then Mr. Gordon unsteepled his hands from under his chin and met eyes with Clenna, which made her focus again on what he was saying. “Okay, we just need to ask you both two more additional questions. First, are you committed to being a Pinkerton agent through thick and thin? Being a detective at our agency is much like being married. You’ll take vows of a kind, and you’ll be committed to staying with the case, no matter what might befall you or what dangers are present. Are you ready for such endeavors?”
Clenna piped up immediately. “Yes, sir. I am.”
Without question, this job was exactly what Clenna wanted. Being married to her job was precisely what Clenna wanted. Her gaze shot to Josie. Slowly, Josie nodded. “I will be committed as an agent, sir. I’ve never been one to back down from a fight.”
A slow smile formed on Mr. Gordon’s lips. “Excellent. Now for the second question.”
He paused, leaving both ladies sitting on the edge of their seats.
“Each of you will be assigned a training agent who will show you what it means to be a Pinkerton Detective. These men have been agents for several years and know about the dedication and work it takes to do the job well. They will instruct you and evaluate the job that you’re doing to be sure that you’re ready to work on your own after the first case.”
Excitement built in Clenna’s stomach as she listened. She was going to be a real Pinkerton Agent. Her dream was finally coming true. “Understood.”
Mr. Gordon nodded. “Excellent. There is one other stipulation. To keep your reputation and to make you less vulnerable while in training and working with a male partner, we require that you get a marriage certificate before leaving for your first case. Judge Hotchkiss is ready to annul the marriage upon your return, should you wish to do so. Are you prepared to follow through with this stipulation?”
For a moment, Clenna couldn’t breathe. She blinked, unsure she heard him right. But there was no mistaking it. There was no way. They couldn’t possibly. Clenna jumped to her feet. “Marriage? How can that be possible? I’m Catholic. I don’t take the sanctity of marriage lightly.”
Mr. Gordon cleared his throat, frowning. “Of course, Miss Murphy. We don’t take the sanctity of the institution lightly either. I assure you that the marriage is on paper only and easily annulled upon your return.”
Clenna’s hands formed into fists at her sides as her face heated. “Surely you must be joking. There have been several female agents out of this office in the past year. Are you telling me that all of them have been married to their training partners?”
Nodding slowly, Mr. Gordon pointedly met gazes with both her and Josie. “Yes, I am. Every female agent out of this office for the past year has been married to their training partners. Not one of them was allowed on their first case without a marriage certificate.”
A small squeal escaped Clenna as she fell back into her seat almost as quickly as she had stood. She chewed her bottom lip, her eyes filling with tears as she met gazes with Josie. How could they ask them to do this? This was not at all what Clenna had expected.
Josie cleared her throat, and then said, “This is just a contract, on paper only, then. We are not expected to perform wifely duties?”
Clenna’s gaze darted between the two of them, while blood drained from her face. She felt light-headed. This couldn’t be happening. How could Josie even think well enough to ask such a question?
Mr. Gordon frowned. “Absolutely not. I assure you that all detectives in our agency are gentlemanly. They would never act untoward to a lady. They understand that their responsibility to you is to train and protect you. Your responsibility is to learn and stay dedicated to their instruction. Nothing more.”
“I’ve already promised to be committed to the agency, Mr. Gordon. And I don’t go back on my promises, either,” Josie finally said, to Clenna’s surprise. She blinked at them both as they shook hands.
Slowly, Clenna drew herself up to her feet as well, though her knees felt weak. But she needed to say something, to do something to keep this dream from slipping away. She needed time. “If you don’t mind, Mr. Gordon, I’d like to consult with my priest and pray about this. I hadn’t considered that this would be a stipulation to my becoming an agent. I want to say yes, but I want to be sure that I’m not committing a mortal sin.”
Mr. Gordon tilted his head slightly. “Of course, Miss Murphy. That’s perfectly reasonable. Please see Marianne if you decide that becoming an agent and all that goes with it is right for you.”
Her shoulders relaxed. “Thank you so much, sir.”
Josie and Mr. Gordon made arrangements quickly for Josie to gather her things and return to the agency. Clenna’s heart broke in her chest. How could this be happening? She was losing her friend, and in the worst way possible. This had been Clenna’s dream since childhood, and Josie’s snap decision. How was Josie leaving the office a Pinkerton Detective and not Clenna?
Ben
After watching Billy and the mousy girl, Dr. Roth, say their vows, Ben couldn’t help but feel a bit of jealousy. The way that Billy looked at the girl told him that his former partner had feelings for the woman. And though the girl might not yet feel the same about the lumbering former fireman, her demeanor and gestures toward the man showed that she’d be open to the possibility of them developing. Envy wasn’t a feeling Ben was familiar with, and for some reason, he remembered a pair of emerald green eyes and wavy red hair. The taller woman that had been with Billy’s partner flickered through his mind and he wondered what had happened to her. Frowning, he pushed that thought aside.
After wishing the two luck and shaking Billy’s hand in congratulations, Ben let out a deep breath and watched them make their way to the wagon waiting outside to take them to the train station. Ben had dodged a bullet again. When Billy and Archer had brought the woman in to choose who would be her partner, Ben’s heart had nearly stopped in his chest. It reminded him again why he didn’t want to have to marry a woman just to remain a Pinkerton agent. As he headed back toward the bunkhouse, he stopped in the kitchen to visit with Pearl.
“Do you happen to have any more of that cobbler you’d made after dinner last night? My sweet tooth is aching.”
Pearl shook her head and rolled her eyes at him. “I just so happen to have a bit. Sit down and I’ll serve you a bowl if you don’t mind it cold?”
“As long as it’s sweet, I don’t mind the cold,” he answered and settled down at the table while he waited for Pearl to get him his treat. At about the same time as Pearl set the bowl of cobbler down in front of him, Marianne waltzed into the room.
“Hello there, Ben. Getting something to spoil your dinner later?”
He shrugged. “Well, I am a growing boy.”
A smirk pulled up one side of her lip. “Of a kind, I suppose. What did you think about the doctor and Billy Hogge? They make a fine couple, do they not?”
He shrugged and shoved a mouthful of the cobbler into his mouth. For some reason the sweetness of the cobbler wasn’t quite taking away the sour taste that the wedding had left in his mouth. He chewed slowly and swallowed it down while Marianne had a seat at the table across from him, eyeing him expectantly. Finally, he said, “I suppose they do. It seems like they were happy with the arrangement.”
“And what did you think of the other girl who was with Josie when she came, Clenna?”
He blinked at her. Clenna was the redhead’s name. His gaze dropped toward his cobbler once more as he filled a spoonful. Just before putting the spoon into his mouth, he said, “She seems feisty.”
After a moment of chewing and no answer from Marianne, Ben slowly lifted his gaze to meet hers. She had an eyebrow raised toward her hairline and studied him a moment before nodding and then slowly standing once more. She waved at him to stay down when he started to follow her. “No need to get up on my account. Enjoy the cobbler.”
Enjoy the cobbler? He’d never had something so sweet be so tasteless in all his life. Nothing seemed to be getting the sour taste out of his mouth, and Marianne’s strange line of questioning left his heart quickened and his stomach clenched. Exactly what did she have in mind? And why was she asking him questions about the redheaded young woman, Clenna?
Chapter 5
Clenna
Just as she’d told Mr. Gordon at the Pinkerton offices, Clenna had talked to a priest about the situation. It seemed that the priest was in agreement with the fact that the marriage would be on paper only, provided that they did not consummate the marriage. Clenna’s hands gripped each other as she walked past the agency for the sixth time in the past two days. She’d been living alone in the boarding house again, though the matron of the building had discussed with her that morning about matching her with a new roommate soon—if she needed one. Which she shouldn’t, if she just walked through the door to the Pinkerton offices and let Marianne and Mr. Gordon know that she was ready to become an agent.
But was she truly ready?
She gripped her hands tighter together. As if it could stop her stomach from clenching or her body from trembling. She didn’t want to get married. Even if it was just on paper. Each step she made on the dirt road outside the building hammered the very thought through her head. Marriage was slavery for a woman. And she had thought that becoming a Pinkerton Agent would finally mean her freedom. But no, it had been another trap, dangling freedom in front of her like bait. She shook her head, walked passed the agency and back to the boarding house, stomping up the steps of the building. Maybe she should just give up. Maybe she could go on back to New York and see about finding work that would suit her. She could learn to sew. She could become a seamstress. She was well educated; maybe she could be a nanny. None of those options made her happy. None of them promised freedom. And none of them gave her a bright outlook on the future. Maybe she could just join the nunnery.
“Miss Murphy,” the matron of the boarding house called as Clenna started for the stairway.
She stopped, mid-step and turned toward the blond woman who always had her hair kept in a severe bun. The matron held a stack of folded linens and was heading toward the stairs herself. Clenna cleared her throat. “Yes?”
“A messenger came for you. He’s waiting in the parlor.”
Clenna blinked. “A messenger?”
“See for yourself,” the woman said as she gestured toward the parlor as she started up the stairs past Clenna.
Slowly, Clenna returned down the steps and approached the parlor. There she found a young man, probably five years or more her junior. His tweed cap and slacks reminded her of James, her younger brother when they were young and he delivered messages around New York. His hands fisted on his cap and he had a slightly panicked look in his wide eyes when he met eyes with her. “Are you Miss Clenna Murphy?”
She nodded. “You have a message for me?”
Relief lowered the boy’s shoulders and relaxed the tight lines in his face. “I do. Mr. Gordon of the Pinkerton Detective Agency requests a meeting with you. As soon as you are able, he’d like to see you.”
Clenna’s heart leapt into her throat and she gasped. “See me?”
He started toward her and nodded as he passed her through the parlor door. “That’s the message. Thank you, miss.”
The boy couldn’t seem to get out of the parlor and toward the door fast enough. Clenna stood there, blinking after him. Mr. Gordon wanted to see her? What could it possibly have been for? Fear gripped her heart, and she suddenly realized she’d been holding her breath when dark spots sparked in her vision. After grabbing hold of the back of a c
hair to steady herself, she closed her eyes and took several deep breaths to keep from fainting.
Maybe he’d seen her walking past the agency several times in the last two days. Maybe he was going to tell her that she needed to either become an agent or leave the agency be. Would passing by on the street be considered trespassing? Was she in trouble? The tension she’d had in her shoulders returned, and she began wringing her hands once more. She stood, staring at nothing, next to the fireplace, frozen. What was she going to do?
“Is everything all right?” the matron asked, setting a hand on Clenna’s shoulder.
A tremble ran through Clenna’s body and she jumped a little away from the matron’s hand. Then she blinked, bowed her head a bit and apologized, “I’m sorry. If you’ll please excuse me.”
She rushed toward the foyer, and when she got there, she started to turn left, up the staircase and to her room. Maybe she could just pack all her things and leave on the next train. Maybe she could just avoid the whole thing and not have to face whatever it might be that Mr. Gordon wanted from her. She made it halfway up the steps before she stopped herself. Her heart raced in her chest and a lump formed in her throat. How far would she have to run? If the Pinkertons felt that she’d done something wrong, she’d be making it worse on herself to run. They could send someone after her and whatever anger she might have invoked before could become much worse. Then a rational voice broke through all the irrational ones in her head. You don’t know what he wants, so why are you jumping to all the worst conclusions? Isn’t it best just to find out what he wants?
Slowly, Clenna breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth. That voice was right, and she clung to what it said, but it still didn’t stop her from trembling or her heart from racing. She forced herself to turn around. Even though her feet felt heavy, she kept putting one foot in front of the other, focusing on just moving forward—out the door and down the street along a path she knew very well. All the way to the Pinkerton Detective Agency.