An Agent for Opal

by P. Creeden

  Caleb frowned at her, but at the same time, Pearl set a plate in front of him. He shook his head, picked up his fork and stabbed it into the chunk of ham on his plate and aggressively took a huge bite of it. “Fine,” he said around his mouthful of food.

  With a decisive nod, Marianne straightened and then stepped toward the stove top to pour herself a cup of tea. Then she set up a tray with tea and several other items in perfect order before carrying the tray out of the room. The only person that Marianne served that way was Archie. Even though it wasn’t really Marianne’s job and Pearl could do it just as easily, Marianne seemed to enjoy serving the head of the Agency. If anyone should be getting married around here...

  He shook that thought from his head. It wasn’t any of his business. Shoving in another mouthful of food, he decided to clear his head as much as possible. It was the best way to cope with the new demands upon him. He’d learned a long time ago that when dealing with something he had no control over, it was best to push it aside rather than agonize over it. But the best he could do with this one was shove it down with the food he ate.

  Chapter Four

  Opal returned to the large home that housed the Pinkerton Detective Agency offices in Denver the very next morning, promptly at nine. Although butterflies fluttered about her stomach, she knocked on the door with as much courage as she could muster. A different young woman answered the door when she’d been expecting Marianne, herself. She bowed toward the new lady. “Hello. My name is Opal Cahill. I was given an application to become an agent yesterday from Miss Marianne.”

  The woman gave her a closed lip smile and nodded. “Come right in, Miss Cahill. Marianne is expecting you. I’m Pearl, by the way.”

  Miss Marianne had told Miss Pearl about her. That was a good sign. Excitement caused the butterflies in her stomach to double. When she got to Marianne’s desk, the older woman offered a wide smile and gestured for her to sit again in the same seat she’d taken the day before. “It’s good to see you again, Miss Cahill. You’ve finished filling out the resume, then?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Marianne took a fountain pen from her desk and wrote a note along the top. Opal couldn’t help but cast a glance at what she’d wrote. “Enthusiastic, punctual.”

  Opal chewed on her bottom lip to keep from smiling too widely. She needed to remain calm. Even if Miss Marianne liked her and would hire her, she wasn’t the only person in the Agency that Opal needed to impress.

  Marianne finished looking over the resume. “Very good. Stay here a moment and I’ll see if Mr. Gordon is able to see you right away. If not, we’ll make an appointment for later today or tomorrow. Will that be acceptable for you?”

  “Yes, very acceptable. Thank you.”

  After giving her a nod and another smile, Marianne stepped into the office at the end of the hall on the left, closing the door behind her. Opal was sorely tempted to draw closer to the door so she could hear what was going on, but she imagined the Agency probably looked down on eavesdropping, at least on people within the Pinkertons. Footsteps sounded behind her, heavier and more shuffling than Pearl’s had been. In response, she turned in her chair toward them. She met eyes with the same green-eyed gentleman from the day before. The man quenched the fire in her belly, making her much less nervous than she’d been before. She narrowed her eyes at him. “How do you do, Mr. Wade?”

  His brow furrowed. “You’re back, I see.”

  “Very astute of you, sir. Did you make another educated guess?” she smirked at him.

  He smiled and huffed a laugh, getting her sarcasm right away. He came around and leaned against the empty chair beside her, so she didn’t have to crane her neck as much to see him. He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry for what I said yesterday. Sometimes I don’t think before I speak.”

  It was her turn to huff. “So, you’re saying that if you had thought about it for a moment, you would have lied instead? Honestly, I’d prefer that you told me the truth, no matter how much it might hurt my feelings, over a lie to make me feel better.”

  Both his eyebrows raised. “Is that so?”

  She folded her hands in her lap. “It is. I’d rather not abide a flatter or liar.”

  “Then I will be sure to be myself around you and allow my tongue to slip into honesty about how I feel and think.”

  “Good,” she said, turning in her chair so that she was the picture of patience while waiting for Marianne to return.

  “Are you hear to submit your application, then?”

  She sighed. “Obviously.”

  For a while, there was a long moment of silence between the two of them. Perhaps Mr. Wade had run out of things to say? At least he wasn’t doing anything to insult her or all potential agents of the female persuasion.

  She bit on her lip and then wondered aloud without looking his direction. “When I found the stories about Mrs. Kate Warne, the great Pinkerton Agent, I grew excited about the possibilities for becoming one, myself. If you are against females becoming agents, what do you think of Mrs. Warne?”

  “I believe she was an exceptional woman, and it’s not that I’m against female agents. I just don’t believe that any lady can become an agent. Only the exceptional ones.”

  She turned a glare at him. “So, you think me common and incapable of being exceptional, then?”

  His brow furrowed. “That’s not what I meant. I don’t know you, so I’m not able to judge you as exceptional or common. I just wanted to warn you that becoming an agent is difficult. Being an agent is even more difficult. And remaining an agent...”

  “Let me guess; it’s difficult.”

  He nodded, his forehead smoothing a bit. “Exactly. If you’re looking for an easy fulfillment of your dreams, then being a Pinkerton isn’t the way to do it. Adventure comes with hardships and adversity. Don’t become an agent simply because you’re bored and want something to do.”

  Her frown deepened. “Is that the kind of person I look like to you?”

  “You’re young and pretty. You don’t look like you’ve had much hardship in your life.”

  She huffed a laugh. “Then appearances can be deceiving, can’t they?”

  The two of them just stared into each other’s eyes a long moment. Finally, he nodded to her. “You’re right. They can be deceiving. I’m sorry if I offended you.”

  She let out a slow breath and then went back to facing front while sitting in the chair, her hands folded in her lap. Forgiving him would be easy. Forgetting? Not so much. Besides, do people learn if you let them off too easily with a quick apology? Opal doubted it. Her anger slowly subsided. She wasn’t truly mad at him. He didn’t wait for an answer, though, but slipped away. She refused to turn toward him and watch him go, but still kept him in the corner of her vision.

  If she were honest with herself, there wasn’t much extraordinary about her. She’d been reminded of that fact while she filled out the application yesterday afternoon. A high school diploma was as far as her education had gotten. Not one foreign language moved past her lips. Outside of solving the cases based on clues given to her in a novel, she’d never been close enough to a crime to solve it. She could flirt and she could fight—one of the few perks of being raised with a group of male cousins. But would either of those two things be useful as a Pinkerton agent? Perhaps fighting, but she hoped she didn’t need to use that talent.

  “Miss Cahill.”

  She blinked and stood quickly. Until Marianne had said her name, Opal had gotten caught up in her thoughts and began dazing. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Marianne smiled widely. “Mr. Gordon will see you now.”

  Every butterfly that had been doused by the anger that Mr. Wade had produced in her returned with a fluttering vengeance. She clutched her bag and then stepped toward the door as Marianne stepped to the side and ushered her in. Once she was inside the doorway, Marianne gestured to the seat at the front of the desk that was twice the size and darker in wood tone than the one that sat just out
side the office for the secretary. A man with a straight spine and neatly coiffed hair stood, peering out the window. When he turned around, his eyes crinkled, and a smile made it through his neatly trimmed beard. “Miss Opal Cahill, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Archie Gordon,” he said in a distinct Scottish accent.

  “Thank you so much for seeing me, Mr. Gordon. The pleasure is truly mine,” she said, offering her hand. He took it in his cool hands for half a moment before gesturing for her to sit in the chair she stood before.

  He sat at the same time she did and then cleared his throat. “I’m going to be honest with you, Miss Cahill. Your credentials do not qualify you to be an agent with the Pinkertons.”

  Although her heart sank in her chest and her stomach turned cold, Opal tried her hardest to keep the smile fixed on her face. “Thank you for your honesty, sir. I’m sorry to have—”

  He held up a finger. “However, you’ve made an excellent impression on my secretary, Marianne, and your enthusiasm is endearing. I believe that you’ll have just the right influence on the case that was just presented to me by telegraph from a friend of mine this morning.”

  Her heart skipped a beat. Was she accepted?

  “I only have two questions for you, and I’d like to hear your answer to both,” he said, his fingers creating a steeple under his chin. “The first is two-fold. How did you make your way to Denver, and what troubles did you have, if any, between home and here?”

  Her eyes went wide. Did he know something about her past? He asked a very specific question—one that she wasn’t sure she should answer honestly. However, if she lied, and he knew something, she would fail this interview with him. She swallowed. “I’m going to be honest with you, Mr. Gordon.”

  He lifted a brow. “I should hope so.”

  She nodded. “My father died in November. He and my grandmother raised me, since my mother died in childbirth with me. I have several cousins, all of whom are male. They are like brothers to me and raised me like a boy—I climbed trees, played with lizards, and got into fist fights. I was especially close to my cousin, Dudley. When my father passed on, Dudley promised to take care of me for as long as I needed. I was distraught, in mourning, and had no means to make a living. So, I leaned on my cousin for a time, and he took care of me. Until two days ago. My cousin was a gambling man and, without my knowledge, had racked up a severe debt with a demon lender. The lender came to call on that debt and began taking it out of Dudley’s hide.”

  When Opal paused a moment to swallow and catch her breath, Mr. Gordon remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

  “My cousin got away, barely, and dug up what savings he had and split it with me. He said that we had to go separate ways. He’d go south, and I’d go west. He’d be in touch when things were safe again. But when we got to the train station, the ruffians caught up with him. I was supposed to pretend I didn’t know my cousin, but when they wouldn’t leave him be, and he was going to miss the train, I stepped in.” Opal reached into her bag and pulled out her billy club and derringer, setting them both upon the desk in front of her.

  Both Mr. Gordon’s eyebrows raised toward his hairline. “You used these things to subdue the lenders?”

  She nodded. “I did. I knocked two of them unconscious and threatened the third with the pistol. I’ve never shot a person before, but I believe I could have, given the circumstances.”

  Mr. Gordon sat back in his chair and placed his hands on the armrests. “So, you used the money your cousin had given you to come here.”

  “Yes, sir. To fulfill a dream that my cousins had previously laughed at.” She reached in her bag again and pulled out the dime store novel and the aged advertisement she used as a bookmark. “As a young girl, I would pretend to be Mrs. Kate Warne. I would daydream about all the possibilities for a strong, brave young woman out here in the west. And when I saw your advertisement in April, I wanted to answer immediately, but my cousin laughed at me. I had no money for train fare and, to be honest, I’d never traveled this far. So, I set my dream aside and named it what it was... a dream.”

  He nodded. “Until it became a reality.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Mr. Gordon leaned forward once more. “There’s more to you than meets the eye. That’s good. You’re easily underestimated, but resourceful, strong, and without a doubt, brave. I do believe you remind me of Mrs. Kate Warne.”

  Tears stung the backs of her eyes as her heart squeezed in her chest at his compliment. Her voice cracked as she said, “Thank you, sir.”

  He nodded again. “And now, for my second question.”

  Chapter Five

  Opal waited with bated breath for what the gentleman might say next.

  “If you agree to our terms, you will be on the first train out this afternoon for Ohio with your training agent. He is to teach you all you need to know to become an agent and will also assess your suitability for the job. If you succeed in impressing him as you have both Marianne and me, and he reports back that you were instrumental in solving the case, you will receive your status as full-fledged agent with the Pinkertons.”

  She swallowed down the squeal of excitement she felt rising up. “I will do my best, sir, but what are the terms?”

  He smiled. “Smart woman, you homed in on the most important detail.” Then his expression grew serious. “You are required to marry your training agent for propriety’s sake while you investigate your first case. You are free to get an annulment once you return. The marriage will be in name only.”

  The excitement that had been building up in her quickly quenched. She blinked at him and nearly asked him to repeat himself. But there was no point. She’d understood what he’d said fully. She let out a surprised breath as she thought a moment. She was barely nineteen. Although some of the ladies she’d known her age were married already, it had been the furthest thing from her mind. In fact, she’d wanted to become a Pinkerton Agent expressly because it would offer her independence from a man. However, Mr. Gordon had said it was a temporary situation, and she could endure her loss of freedom for a short while, couldn’t she? Slowly she nodded and then met eyes with Mr. Gordon. “Very well. I agree to your terms.”

  “Excellent.” A smile split Mr. Gordon’s face. Then he gestured toward her things on his desk. “Feel free to take all of your accessories with you on the journey.”

  Her cheeks heated as Opal grabbed the things she’d left on Mr. Gordon’s desk and returned them to her bag. A tinge of regret struck her for being so straightforward with her situation. Maybe she’d said too much? Then again, she passed her test by being honest. There was nothing to regret. Once everything was back in its place, she took a deep breath and met eyes with the Scottish gentleman once more. “When do I meet my new husband?”

  Caleb sat in the kitchen, eating a breakfast of poached eggs and toast when Marianne came rushing in. A smile landed on her face the moment she saw him. “Excellent, you’ve saved me from having to send for you in the bunk house.”

  He washed down his bite with a swig of coffee before lifting a brow at the secretary. “Whatever do you mean?”

  “Archie would like to see you, Caleb. He has a case that requires immediacy. I’m making travel arrangements right now for you to leave on the next train heading in the direction of your case.”

  At her words, Caleb’s stomach flipped. Nothing got him more excited than a new case. He stood, shoveling one last, huge bite into his mouth before washing it down with another swig of coffee. “I’m on my way to his office now.”

  “Good,” Marianne said with a smile that was a bit too wide. He eyed her for half a moment and got the distinct impression that she was hiding something.

  Regardless, he ducked out the door and headed for Archie’s office, eyeing the empty chair where Opal had sat a few moments ago, when he’d been on his way to the kitchen. He wished he’d been nicer to the girl, and at the same time, he wondered of she got the chance to become an agent. He stepped up to the offic
e door and knocked, waited for Archie’s gruff voice to say, “Come in,” before opening it and entering.

  There, in the middle of the office stood an angel. Light from the south-facing window poured in and created a halo around her silky brown curls. He swallowed for a moment and blinked, and then found Opal looking at him with a strained smile. He frowned. Why was she still here?

  “Marianne tells me that you’ve both met, albeit briefly,” Archie said. “But I shall introduce you once more. Caleb Wade, this is Opal Cahill, she’s a new agent-in-training, starting today. She will be accompanying you on the trip to Dayton, Ohio where a friend of mine has run into a bit of trouble.”

  Caleb swallowed, still unable to take his eyes off the woman who stood across from him. Her eyes were filled with worry, and he had the sudden feeling he wanted to comfort her. Instead he pulled his gaze away so he could look at Archie. “All right. Am I to train Miss Cahill?”

  Archie scratched his beard. “Yes. And in case you haven’t heard what that entails, I shall remind you. You and Miss Cahill are to be married before heading to the train station.”

  Like a southern woman, Caleb feared he’d just had an attack of the vapors. Black spots crowded his vision, and his knees buckled. He took hold of the back of the chair with one hand while his gaze darted to Miss Cahill and then back to Archie. “Married? Today?”