An Agent for Audrey

by Laura Beers

  “Oh my,” Audrey gasped, bringing her hand up to her mouth. “Is it safe to walk outside?”

  Sheriff Walker chuckled. “I assure you it is. During the week, things are pretty calm with just the town folk walking around, and children going to school.”

  Audrey allowed her hand to relax onto her lap. Warren had to admit that she played the role of a simpering woman quite well. She spoke softly as she confessed, “Between the stories of counterfeiting and the gunfighters, I must admit I was afraid to travel to Wyoming.”

  “Counterfeiting?” the sheriff asked as a bowl was placed before him. “What is being said about counterfeiting?”

  Warren shot her a warning look, but the foolish woman wouldn’t look at him.

  Leaning to the side to accept the bowl of venison chili, Audrey shared, “Surely, you have heard that a large number of counterfeit dollar notes has made its way from Wyoming to several eastern cities. It has been in all the newspapers.”

  Mayor Brown bobbed his head while he wiped his mouth with a linen napkin. “That is not surprising. I’ve heard that the Secret Service was created specifically to suppress currency counterfeiting. It is rumored that around one-third to one-half of the money in the United States is counterfeit.”

  Mr. Douglas frowned. “Before 1865, private banks could issue their own currency. With so many different types of notes in circulation, there’s been plenty of opportunity for counterfeiting. Unfortunately, if a bank has an influx of these counterfeit bills, it could collapse.”

  “If I recall, it was the passage of the National Banking Act which established national banks throughout the United States, barring private banks from issuing their own currency. Is that correct?” Audrey asked before taking a sip of her drink.

  Mr. Douglas gave her a look of admiration. “That is correct. I’m impressed you know that, Mrs. Kimball.”

  Audrey waved her hand in front of her, dismissing his praise. “Sometimes I tire of reading the society pages and venture further into the newspaper. I may have muddled the facts.”

  “Sadly, you are quite accurate.” Reaching for his glass, Mr. Douglas sighed. “Our town’s bank has taken a hit because of the excessive number of counterfeit bills in circulation.”

  “My deputy and I have been looking into this matter without much success,” the sheriff stated regretfully before taking a sip of his soup. “That is why I encouraged Mr. Douglas to notify the Secret Service about our situation in Hickory Creek.”

  Mayor Brown cleared his throat. “Gentlemen, we are attempting to woo the Kimballs into investing in our fine town,” he paused, lifting his glass up, “not discourage them by talking about counterfeiters.”

  Deciding to change tactics on the conversation, Warren quickly asked the group, “Do you get many visitors in Hickory Creek?”

  The mayor shook his head. “We have cowboys, miners, and lumberjacks traveling through, but we don’t get a lot of visitors; especially those thinking about staying.”

  “Is the town growing?” he pressed.

  Mr. Douglas nodded. “The town started with a few hundred people, and now we have a little more than two thousand citizens. Plus, we just got word that a doctor is planning to set up a practice in town. I understand his wife is trained as a midwife as well.”

  “That is wonderful,” Audrey said after wiping her mouth with her napkin. “I would love to take a tour of your charming little town.”

  “I would be happy to take you,” Ruth spoke up, smiling. “Tomorrow, we have our sewing circle. I would love for you to join us.”

  Audrey’s smile faded a little. “I should confess that I have never been to a sewing circle before.”

  The mayor laughed loudly. “Don’t let my wife fool you. It is more of an opportunity for the women of the town to sit around and gossip.”

  With a huff, Ruth declared, “There you go again, dispensing lies. It is a chance for the women to come together, since there are so few of us.”

  “Don’t you attend church together?” Audrey asked.

  A sad smile crossed Ruth’s face. “Sadly, our church is much too small for our town to meet as one. We really need to build a larger one. Our sewing circle makes quilts, which we hope to sell and put that money toward the church fund.”

  “That is a worthy cause,” Warren acknowledged.

  Mayor Brown bobbed his head. “By building a larger church, we hope to attract a pastor to our town. Currently, we only have a roaming pastor that comes into town once a month.”

  Ruth placed her hand on Audrey’s sleeve. “It’s settled then. While the men are out touring the mines, I will take you on a tour of our modest town before you participate in your first sewing circle.”

  Stifling a smile, Warren watched as Audrey schooled her features and replied, “Sounds lovely.”

  Apparently, Audrey did not enjoy sewing. Regardless, that would keep her busy while he was out learning more about the town from the banker and sheriff.

  Audrey waited patiently while Warren unlocked the door to their room. She was tired and anxious to get out of her corset. As the door swung open, Warren stepped back to allow her to enter. Before she could even step into the room, an awful odor assaulted her nose.

  “What is that horrible smell?” she asked as she covered her nose and mouth with her gloved hand.

  Warren sniffed and made a face. “What did you do with those boots you had on earlier? The ones covered in manure?”

  Audrey’s eyes widened as she stepped into the room and looked in the corner where she’d thrown them. “Oh, my!”

  Shaking his head, Warren covered his nose and retrieved the offending boots. “You need to clean these off, now.”

  “But…” Audrey started to protest.

  Before she could finish the sentence, Warren rolled his eyes. “I suppose you have no idea how to clean kid boots, do you?”

  She shook her head. “I’m sorry. If you’ll tell me how…”

  Dismissing her offer, Warren interrupted. “Never mind. Do you have other boots?”

  Audrey nodded.

  “Good. Then I’ll just get rid of these. Why don’t you get ready for bed while I’m gone? I’m assuming you don’t want me to stay and help you out of your corset?” He waggled his eyebrows.

  Feeling her cheeks flush, she shook her head. “No, thank you. And thank you for taking care of my boots.”

  Warren just grunted and left, carrying the boots as far away from his body as possible.

  Audrey had just finished putting on her nightgown when she heard a knock on the door, and Warren asking, “Are you changed?”

  “Yes,” she answered as she ran over to the bed and covered herself up with the quilt.

  Warren walked into the room and latched the door before asking incredulously, “How long does it take you to change into night clothes?”

  “Undressing is quite an arduous process,” she informed him.

  Warren grinned impishly. “I believe I offered to help you.”

  She gave him an exasperated look. “And I believe I explained to you, again, that we are not truly married, so that would be quite inappropriate.”

  He chuckled. “You are too concerned about propriety.”

  “And you are not a gentleman,” she countered.

  He sat on the chair and started to remove his boots. “I never claimed to be a fancy, pretentious gentleman from the east. If you recall, I used to work as a bounty hunter, and I spent many nights sleeping under the stars.”

  “Why did you stop working as a bounty hunter?”

  His expression grew wistful as he held a boot in his hand. “My sister was killed by outlaws because I arrested their leader. I suppose I didn’t want that life anymore.”

  “I am sorry for your loss,” she murmured.

  Blinking rapidly, he turned his face away as he tossed his boot to the side. “In the end, I watched all those men get strung up, but it didn’t change the fact that I was alone in the world.”

  “I am
alone, too,” she admitted reluctantly.

  “You are?”

  She nodded. “I have a few family friends that look after me, but I don’t have any family or friends my age.”

  Warren removed his vest and draped it onto the back of the chair. “Why is that?” He untucked his shirt and removed his necktie.

  “Because I was more interested in solving crimes than attending parties and making house calls.”

  Warren sat back in the chair and removed his socks.

  “Do you intend to take off any more articles of clothing?” she asked, trying hard not to blush.

  He tucked his socks into his boots. “I hadn’t planned on it. Would you like me to?” he asked, smirking.

  Shifting her gaze toward the quilt, she wasn’t quite sure how to respond. She knew he was goading her, and it made her uncomfortable. Perhaps she should sleep on the ground?

  He stood. “Your virtue is safe with me, wife. I plan to sleep in my denim and shirt.”

  “Thank you,” she mumbled softly.

  “You may not have had friends because you were busy solving crimes, but I don’t have friends by choice,” he admitted, walking to his side of the bed and sitting down. “Now that my family is gone, the only person that the outlaws can seek retribution on is me.”

  “That is a lonely way to live,” she remarked.

  Warren rested his back against the iron frame and placed his feet on the bed. “It’s a practical way.”

  Curious to know more about this man, she asked, “How did your parents die?”

  He looked thoughtful, then answered, “I grew up in Texas where my father was hired to guard a wealthy cattle rancher and watch over his animals. One day, my sister and I were swimming in the creek when we heard several shots, followed by a long, eerie silence.” He clenched his jaw tightly. “I made my sister climb a tree, and I went to investigate.”

  His eyes filled with pain as he continued. “When I arrived back at the homestead, there were dead bodies all over the yard, including my father, and the barn was on fire. I rushed to our small cottage and found my mother dead with a bullet hole in her chest.”

  Audrey felt his sadness, but she did not have the words to comfort him. “How old were you?”

  “Fifteen,” he revealed. “My sister was twelve.” His face grew solemn. “We drifted from place to place. The only thing I was good at was shooting my gun. In order to survive, I would shoot coins in the air and kill jackrabbits to trade.”

  Warren sighed. “Once Sarah turned seventeen, I knew we couldn’t continue sleeping in caves or on the ground. We landed in New Mexico, and I started working with the local law enforcement to round up outlaws. After I got some money, I bought a small farm near town, but sometimes I would be gone for weeks as I tracked down the criminals.” He lowered his haunted gaze to the red quilt. “My sister assured me that she was fine alone, but I should have taken better precautions… I should have…” His words trailed off as his voice filled with emotion.

  Audrey placed her hand on his sleeve. “You were providing for your sister in the best way you knew how.”

  Looking down at her hand, Warren murmured, “You’re wrong. I got sloppy. I arrested the leader of the Ridgemont gang, but I didn’t round up the whole gang fast enough. When I went home to check on Sarah, I found her laying in the dirt with a rifle next to her.”

  “That must have been awful for you!” she exclaimed as a tear rolled down her cheek.

  “When Mr. Pinkerton heard about how I brought down the entire Ridgemont gang, he sent a wire and offered me a job as a Pinkerton agent.” He brought his gaze up and looked at her. “Working as an agent is not a passing whim for me; it’s my whole life.”

  Audrey’s heart filled with compassion for her temporary husband. “You must have more in your life than just bringing outlaws to justice.”

  “Why?” he asked sharply.

  She smiled, finding his bristled tone a bit humorous. “What do you do for fun?”

  His eyes grew solemn. “I work.”

  “We need to change that,” she resolved.

  “No, we don’t,” he stated gruffly.

  Running her hand along the quilt, Audrey started thinking of all the ways she could get Warren to relax and have fun. She peeked at him, wondering if he would enjoy going riding or having a picnic by a stream.

  She was startled out of her thoughts when Warren demanded, “Stop. Just stop.”

  “What?” she asked, turning to look at him.

  Warren sighed deeply. “I can tell precisely what you are thinking by the way your emotions flitter across your face. You need to start schooling your features, or you will give yourself away.”

  “There is no way you could presume to know what I was…”

  He cut her off. “You are trying to plan fun activities for us to do.”

  Her mouth parted in surprise, and she was speechless. How did he know that?

  Warren chuckled. “And now you want to know how I did that?” He turned his gaze toward the window as drunken shouting came from down the street. “I know exactly the type of person you are. You are a kind, compassionate person and want to help people around you.”

  She furrowed her brow at his gruff tone. “You say that like it is a bad thing.”

  He brought his solemn gaze back toward her. “It is. Compassion, kindness… those traits will get you killed as a Pinkerton agent.” He shifted his body toward her. “We are asked to do difficult things, and we need to act without letting our emotions be involved.”

  “I disagree,” she stated, earning a deep scowl from Warren. “Rather than sacrificing who we truly are to be an agent, we should play to our strengths.”

  Exasperated, Warren sighed and shifted away from her. “This is why women should not be agents. You are going to get yourself killed.”

  “You are wrong,” she contended. “Kate Warne was a woman, and she was one of the best agents that the Pinkerton Detective Agency has ever had.”

  “Yes, but…” His voice trailed off.

  Tugging at the white sleeves of her nightgown, she revealed softly, “I met her once.”

  Warren brought his gaze back toward her. “And?” he prodded gently.

  “And she was perfect,” Audrey admitted, attempting to hide her growing emotions. She felt tears burn the backs of her eyes. “I need to use the privy, I will be right back.” She was relieved that her voice sounded so calm.

  As she started to put her legs over the edge of the bed, Warren put his hand on her sleeve. “What is wrong?”

  “Nothing,” she replied vaguely.

  “It is not nothing,” he remarked with concern in his voice.

  Audrey bit her lower lip, debating about how much she should reveal. “My father hired Allan Pinkerton when he discovered that someone was embezzling from his company, and Mrs. Warne came along with him.” She hesitated, before adding, “In no time, the embezzler was caught and sent to jail.” She started to put her boots on. “Now, if you will excuse me.”

  “There is more to the story, isn’t there?” Warren attempted to pry.

  “Not really.”

  “Now you have me intrigued,” he responded in a teasing voice.

  “Perhaps another time.” Audrey started to rise, eager to end this conversation. She hated feeling vulnerable, and it petrified her that Warren could read her so well.

  As she took her first step, she was not prepared for Warren’s arm to reach around her waist and pull her back onto the bed. Landing on her back, she was surprised when he hovered over her and said, “I’m not going to let you go until you tell me what has you so unnerved.”

  Rolling her eyes, she attempted to rise, but he easily pushed her back onto the bed. “Do you mind?” she asked defiantly.

  He grinned lopsidedly. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to sleep unless you finish my bedtime story.”

  Never had she been in such an intimate position with a man, and she found it surprisingly enjoyable. Warren may
be dominating, annoying, and exasperating at times, but she had no reason to fear him. The smell of leather and musk reached her nose as she took in the dark stubble on the outline of his strong jaw. What would he do if she brought her hand up and ran her fingers along his stubble?

  Attempting to make light of the situation, she smirked. “Is this one of your interrogation tactics, Mr. Rockwell?”

  “I have never tried this one before,” he said, returning her smile. “I guess time will tell if it works.”

  “Are you used to getting your way all the time?” she asked, her eyes gazing deep into his.

  His eyes roamed her face but repeatedly focused on her lips. “Yes,” he replied, his voice hoarse.

  “Interesting,” she mused, knowing now how she could gain the upper hand. “It appears that we have something in common after all.”

  “We do?”

  She ran her fingers along his tense jaw until she stopped at his chin. Expecting to take control back from Warren, she did not expect to see desire in his eyes. Or at least, she hoped that was desire. Apparently, now she was the one under his spell.

  “Audrey,” he breathed out.

  He was so close to her. His face was only inches away, and she realized she was holding her breath. Slowly, her gaze drifted and settled on his lips, her own lips parting slightly.

  Warren was now watching her, his eyes warm, inviting. “Tell me what happened,” he whispered with a slight tremor.

  A terrible thought crossed her mind and she closed her eyes, feeling anger rage inside of her. This was just a game to him. He was manipulating her to share her story. Frowning, she placed her hands on Warren’s chest and shoved him off of her while simultaneously jumping off the bed.

  “How dare you!” she started to exclaim. Glancing up, she lowered her voice so the occupants of the neighboring rooms would not hear through the thin walls. “I am not some woman that you can bend to your will at your whim.”

  He stared back at her with a baffled expression. “What are you talking about? I don’t understand.”