by Nerys Leigh
Belle yawned as the train pulled away from the station, covering her mouth with one gloved hand.
“Tired?”
She moved her gaze from the window to Val. “I suppose I am. I didn’t realize being an agent would be so exhausting.”
“Has it been everything you thought it would be?”
“It’s been different.” She smiled. “Certainly not dull.”
“So do you still want to be a Pinkerton agent?” He hoped her answer was yes. She would make a great agent. And maybe he’d get to see her around the office if she stayed.
“Oh yes, maybe even more so now. I’ve enjoyed myself.”
He released the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. He’d kept her safe, taught her everything he knew about being an agent, and hadn’t put her off becoming one. All in all, he was going to call that a success, for her at least.
For himself, he suspected it was going to take him a long, long time to recover from the effects of this case. All because of the woman sitting beside him.
After a while, her eyes began to droop and she rested her head against his shoulder. Releasing a deep sigh, she relaxed against him, her breathing becoming deep and regular as she fell asleep.
His heart beat so loudly he was amazed it didn’t wake her. His arms itched to wrap around her, but he didn’t want to risk disturbing her and lose the intoxicating feeling of having her so close. So he simply filled his lungs with her familiar scent, his eyes closing in bliss.
“Newlyweds?”
His eyes snapped open again to find the woman sitting opposite them smiling. “How did you know?”
“Because you have the look.”
“The look?”
Was this something about marriage he didn’t know? He was hardly an expert. If he was honest, he’d always avoided the subject.
The woman nodded at Belle. “You look at her as if she’s the most important person in the world to you. No mistaking that look; it’s love, pure and simple.”
He looked down at Belle’s slumbering face. Was he in love?
Oh, who was he fooling? He was absolutely, completely, head over heels in love.
“You’re a very observant woman, ma’am. You could be a detective.”
She laughed. “A lady detective? Whoever would think of such a thing?”
As she returned to her knitting, Val looked out the window at the scenery rushing past without seeing it. He was in love with Belle. She had crashed into his life, turned it upside down, and spun him in circles until he was dizzy, and he wanted to hate that he seemed to have lost all control over his emotions. But try as he might, he couldn’t seem to bring himself to dislike it at all.
And he had no idea what he was supposed to do with that.
Chapter Seventeen
Belle didn’t know she’d fallen asleep until the sudden ceasing of the movement of the train roused her. It was only then that she realized her head was resting against Val’s shoulder.
She didn’t move for a few moments, taking this last chance to breathe in his scent and feel him close. The knowledge that within a couple of hours she would lose him tore at her heart, but she tried to deny it.
This was what she wanted. She would have her freedom, her independence. Finally there would be no more pressure on her to tie herself to a man. That was what she wanted.
Wasn’t it?
“Belle?”
Reluctantly lifting her head from his shoulder, she smiled at his impossibly handsome face. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep. You should have woken me.”
One side of his mouth quirked up. “Why would I want to do that?”
She rolled her eyes and smiled and wished he wouldn’t tease her.
It made this all so much harder.
~ ~ ~
From the station they went directly to the Pinkerton offices to give their reports on the burlesque case.
As the final part of her training, Val had Belle give hers first, and she read the details she’d written out somewhat nervously while Mr. Gordon sat behind his desk, stroking his moustache and gazing at nothing in particular.
“And we found out afterwards that John worked at the train depot, which is how he was able to drug the guards and get into the strong room where the safe was being kept,” she said to finish.
Mr. Gordon nodded, said, “Very good,” and looked at Val. “Do you have anything to add?”
Val’s smile was filled with pride as he gazed at her. “Not a thing. She got everything down perfectly.”
“I have your report on Mrs. Stevens’ performance. Is there anything else you’d like to add?”
His eyes returned to Mr. Gordon. “Just that it’s been a privilege to work this case with her. She’s intelligent, determined, observant, fearless, and is of the highest moral fiber.” He smiled. “She can also throw a very impressive punch and defend herself as well as any man. It’s my opinion that she will make the finest of Pinkerton agents.”
Her breath hitched at his words. Did he truly think that of her? Maybe she hadn’t been as useless during the investigation as she’d feared. She was grateful he hadn’t mentioned how afraid she’d been of performing on stage.
Mr. Gordon nodded and smiled at Belle. “I have to say, having read Val’s reports and heard about everything you did in Cheyenne, I agree wholeheartedly with his conclusions, and I don’t need to think any more about it.” He opened a drawer in his desk, withdrew a badge, and held it out to her. “Welcome to the Pinkerton detective agency, Agent Isabelle Stevens.”
Her hand trembled as she took the brand new badge and ran her fingers across the shiny surface in awe. “So… I’m a proper Pinkerton agent now?”
“You sure are,” Val said, grinning. “And it’s well deserved.”
Tears rose unbidden to her eyes and she blinked rapidly, lowering her face under the pretense of studying the badge to hide her emotion. To finally realize her dream of controlling her own destiny was more than a little overwhelming, but it wouldn’t do for a Pinkerton agent to be bursting into tears.
“Thank you,” she said, raising her eyes to Mr. Gordon when she was sure she wouldn’t start crying at any moment. “This means so much to me. I won’t let you or the agency down.”
“I’m sure you won’t, lassie,” he said with a grin.
She was so happy to finally be a true Pinkerton agent that she didn’t even scold him for the moniker.
“Now, since that’s all done,” he said, “I’m sure the two of you want to get over to the courthouse to get the marriage annulled. I’ve made all the arrangements so the judge is expecting you.”
Her joy at becoming an agent vanished in an instant. She looked at Val, but his expression was unreadable. He didn’t appear relieved, but he didn’t seem sad either. Maria had obviously been wrong, but what had Belle expected? He had no romantic interest in her. He wasn’t the type of man who would give up his single life for a woman he barely knew.
“I suppose we should get right over there then,” she said, placing the badge into her bag. “Don’t you think?” She looked at him again, silently urging him to disagree and hating herself for it.
“I guess so.”
She kept her face carefully expressionless as her heart fell. It didn’t matter, she told herself. She didn’t want to be married. She’d come here specifically so she wouldn’t have to marry. This was a good thing. It was.
They took a cab to the courthouse, the ride uncomfortably silent between them. Val seemed distracted as he kept his gaze on the street outside the window and Belle didn’t know what to say.
She kept her hand wrapped around her bag, drawing comfort from the shape of her Pinkerton badge pressing through the material. It was all she had to hang on to.
On arriving at the courthouse, they were shown into an empty waiting room. Silently, they sat side by side.
“I enjoyed working with you,” Val said after a minute or so.
Belle started at the unexpected interruption
of the pervading quiet. “I enjoyed working with you too.” She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. He was staring at the wall on the far side of the room. “Is it possible we’ll get to work together again?”
“It’s possible.” A small smile tugged at his lips. “I guess being married wasn’t so bad after all.”
“I guess not.”
They lapsed into silence again. She wanted so badly to throw herself into his arms, tell him how she felt and beg him to give their marriage a chance to be real, but she couldn’t help thinking he’d laugh at her. Or look at her like she’d lost her mind. Or even worse, gently explain to her why he had no romantic interest in her whatsoever.
“Belle, I…” The door opened, interrupting whatever he’d been about to say.
“Judge Hotchkiss is ready for you, Mr. and Mrs. Stevens,” the clerk said.
Belle almost begged his pardon, just to hear him call her Mrs. Stevens again, foolish as that was. Maybe it was good they were getting the annulment done now, so she could get all her tears over with and start living her life. A life without Valentine Stevens.
He stood and offered her his arm. Her heart breaking, she slipped her hand around his elbow and followed the clerk along the corridor and into another room, this one an office dominated by a large desk with an equally large man behind it.
He looked up from a smattering of papers on the desktop. “Good afternoon, I’m Judge Hotchkiss. Mr. Gordon informed me you’d be coming. I have the annulment papers right here.” He pushed two official-looking identical pieces of paper across the desk towards them. “Just sign at the bottom.”
Val picked them both up, handed one to Belle, and began to read.
She looked at her own document without seeing it, wiping one hand across her eyes to clear her suddenly blurry vision.
“Seems straightforward enough,” he said, placing his piece of paper back onto the desk and picking up the pen beside it.
Leaning down, he moved the pen to the line at the foot of the page.
For what seemed like an age, his hand hovered over the paper, unmoving. At first Belle thought her emotions had somehow distorted her perception of time, until she realized the pen truly wasn’t moving. She looked at Val’s face and saw his eyes were squeezed shut.
“Tell me you feel the same way about me as I feel about you and I won’t sign,” he said softly.
Her heart surged against her ribcage. Was he saying what she thought he was saying?
“I… I don’t know how you feel about me.”
Opening his eyes, he straightened and turned to face her. “You’re a good detective. I think you know.”
Did she? All the time they’d spent together, all the easy conversation and frequent laughter. All the seemingly accidental touches and the way his eyes were so often on her. The smiles that lit up his face and shone in his eyes when he looked at her. That kiss.
Now she truly considered it, she knew. And she felt every bit the same.
But… “I still want to be a Pinkerton agent.”
The uncertainty in his eyes faded, replaced with the hint of a smile. “I’m glad to hear it.”
“And I still won’t promise to do what you tell me. Unless I want to, that is.”
His smile grew. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
She bit her lower lip. “Are you sure?”
He raised one hand and touched his fingers to her cheek, sending a thrill through her skin. “More sure than I’ve ever been of anything in my life. Are you?”
Was it possible that years of looking for a way to avoid her parents’ desire for her to marry well could vanish in less than two weeks with Val? But then maybe what she’d really wanted all along was simply to follow her heart. And her heart had no doubts about what it wanted.
She stepped in close, rested her hands on his chest, and said, “I’m sure.”
He slid his arms around her waist and tilted his head towards her, his eyes going to her lips. “Good.”
A throat clearing startled them apart.
The judge watched them from behind his desk, eyebrows raised. “Am I to take it that you will not be annulling the marriage today?”
Val stepped back and slipped his hand around hers. “No, we won’t be annulling our marriage.” He smiled at her. “Ever.”
The judge reached across his desk and gathered up the annulment papers. “Well then, I wish you all the best. You can leave now. I have other things that need my attention.” He nodded pointedly at the door.
Belle felt her cheeks heat. She’d almost kissed Val in front of a judge. She had to smother a giggle at the idea that that would make it official.
“Thank you, Your Honor,” Val said, tugging her towards the door.
“Yes, thank you,” she called as he pulled her out into the corridor.
“We need to find somewhere private,” he said, looking around at the people walking past.
“What for?”
He glanced at her, his gaze heated. “Because I’m going to explode if I don’t get to kiss you soon.”
Her heart rate shot up. “Oh.”
His hand firmly around hers, he hurried them along the corridor towards the front entrance. Ahead of them, a janitor stepped out of a room and locked the door. Val increased his speed, practically running with Belle in tow up to the man.
He released her hand to dig in his pocket and pull out his badge. “Is that room empty?”
The janitor squinted at the shiny silver badge. “Yup. Is that real?”
“Yes, it’s real. We need to get in there. Official Pinkerton business.”
The janitor nodded, still peering at the badge. “You know, my wife says I’d make a real good detective, on account of me being so good at finding things.”
“Is that so? Well, you should go down to the office here in Denver and apply. We’re always on the look out for good men.” He glanced at Belle. “And women.”
The janitor pursed his lips. “I just might do that. Is the pay good?”
“It’s fair. Could you open that door?”
“Oh. Sure thing.” He took an overloaded key ring from his belt and unlocked the door.
Val clapped him on the shoulder. “Good man. You’ll make a great agent.”
He grasped Belle’s hand again, ushered her into the room, which turned out to be an office of some sort, and pushed the door shut in the mildly startled janitor’s face.
“Finally,” he said, sliding his arms around her waist and leaning towards her, “I get to kiss my wife.”
His nose bumped into the hand she held up in front of her face. His eyes crossed to look at it. “What’s wrong?”
“Ask me,” she said, stepping back out of his embrace.
He frowned in confusion. “Ask you what?”
“Ask me to marry you.”
“But we’re already married.”
He took a step towards her and she pushed her palm into his chest to stop him. Why could even the smartest men be so utterly clueless?
“A woman likes to be asked. I want a proper proposal.”
A smile sauntered onto his face. “I see. I think I can do that.”
Taking hold of the hand she’d evidently forgotten to remove from his chest, he lowered to one knee and gazed up at her. His usual faintly amused expression was replaced with a look of utter seriousness that squeezed at Belle’s heart.
“Isabelle Wood Stevens, I always thought marriage would be a prison sentence for someone like me, until I met you. Now all I can think about is how much I want to be your husband and spend my life with you. I love you and I don’t want to spend another day apart from you. Will you marry me? Will you be my wife for real?”
Utter joy swept through her at his words. Being Val’s wife was truly what she wanted. “I will, for real. And good proposal, by the way. Very well done.”
His smile returned as he rose to his feet and slipped his arms around her waist again. “Completely off the top of my head.”
&
nbsp; “Really? Impressive.”
He tilted his face to meet hers. “I thought so.”
Now that all her doubts were gone, she knew she’d been longing for his touch since that first time in the basement, when a demonstration of how he didn’t kiss like a fish had turned into the most intense experience of her life. Unlike on that occasion, however, this time he started slow, teasing her with a spark-laden graze of skin on skin, once, twice, three times, each time moving to a different part of her mouth. Until finally she got tired of waiting and grasped his head to pull him closer. His body vibrated with his chuckle for a moment, and then the union spiraled into a heated, all-consuming kiss that seemed to last forever and left her standing on nothing but air. One hand wrapped around her back, pinning her against him, while the other cradled her head, and by the time they parted her knees felt so insubstantial that she was sure she would have crumpled into a quivering heap at his feet if he hadn’t been holding onto her.
He leaned his forehead against hers, his chest rising and falling in deep breaths. “I love you, Mrs. Stevens.”
“I love you too, Mr. Stevens.” She gave him a breathless smile. “And I think you’re right, that had to be better than a wet haddock.”
He buried his face against her neck and laughed. “I should hope so.”
Chapter Eighteen
Three hundred and fifty-seven days later.
Belle lifted her chin, smiling as Val’s lips brushed hers.
The fledgling kiss was interrupted by a bullet clipping the corner of the pillar behind her, making her jump.
Val’s chest rose and fell against her in a heavy sigh. “Mr. Foster, there’s nowhere for you to go. How about you just give up? It’ll be easier on all of us.”
She ran her hands up his chest and slid them around to the back of his neck, pulling him back towards her. He angled his head to the side, his nose brushed hers, her lips parted…
“You’ll never take me alive,” Mr. Foster’s shaky voice said from beyond the pillar.
Val dropped his forehead to her shoulder, shaking his head with a soft groan. She knew just how he felt. They weren’t meant to be here. It was supposed to be their day off.
