by Laura Beers
He chuckled. “You can make the most uneventful story sound exciting.”
She swatted at his leg. “I need you to focus.”
He moved to lean his back against the wall. “It does sound like something is going on at that school, but it doesn’t sound criminal.”
“It’s more than that,” she insisted. “I saw armed guards walking the perimeter of the fence. No finishing school that I’ve ever heard of has armed guards!”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Perhaps the school has the right to be overprotective about the girls’ safety. You were attacked in town, during daylight hours,” he pointed out.
She nodded, but still looked unconvinced. “True. Still, I think we need to get a look inside the structure on the property.”
“I agree,” he stated. “Let’s do it tonight.”
Audrey looked over at him in surprise. “Did you just agree with something I said?”
He chuckled. “I don’t know why you are acting so surprised. We agreed to trust each other as partners.”
A smile graced her lips. “Yes, but I didn’t think it would happen so fast.”
“You are incorrigible, Mrs. Kimball,” he joked.
Her smile faded. “How difficult is it to obtain an annulment?”
Warren shrugged, puzzled at her sudden change of topic. “Archie said it was a pretty easy process. Why?”
“No reason,” she replied hastily. “Just curious, that’s all.” Looking down at the quilt, her smile vanished completely.
Strange how that made the room appear darker, he thought.
Leaning forward, he gently prodded, “What is it?”
Audrey reluctantly looked up. “Even though we have our differences, I have enjoyed not being alone these past few days.”
“Don’t you have a mansion full of people to entertain you?” he asked lightly.
“I live in a large townhouse, and while I have around twenty people on my household staff…” she hesitated, and her frowned deepened, “it can be very lonely at times.”
“Is that why you worked at the Cincinnati Police Station?”
She smiled. “You said ‘worked’.”
Returning her smile, he admitted, “I did. I was hoping to be rewarded with a smile.”
Audrey ran her fingers over the quilt, tracing the stitched pattern.
Warren took a moment to admire the delicacy of her hands.
After a moment, she admitted, “Despite my upbringing, I don’t enjoy high society and the frivolous gatherings they indulge in. Even as a child, I was more interested in chemistry, physics, and solving puzzles.”
Hoping to lift her spirits, he changed the subject again. “Will you now finish your story about Mr. Pinkerton and Mrs. Warne?” He held his breath, hoping that she would answer.
Shifting her gaze to the window, Audrey didn’t speak for a long moment. When she finally spoke, her voice was soft and shaky. “After they caught the embezzler, all my father could talk about was Mrs. Warne and how clever she was. Once, when I was home for the holidays, my father told me that he hoped I would become half the woman that Mrs. Warne was.”
Warren raised his eyebrows but remained silent.
“After that, I followed Mrs. Warne’s career in the newspapers until her death in 1868. I was determined to become like her, so I wanted to know everything. Over the years, I discovered that I had a knack for investigative work. If not for that, I would probably be dead right now.” Her voice trailed off, but she continued to stare out the window.
Uncrossing his arms, Warren straightened himself against the wall. “If I am following the story correctly, your whole purpose for becoming a Pinkerton agent was to earn your father’s love?”
She looked at him and scrunched her nose. “It may have started that way, but along the way, my priorities changed.” Sadness crept into her eyes. “After my parents were murdered, I locked myself in my townhouse and grieved their losses deeply. I was twenty-one, an heiress, and alone in the world. After a few weeks, I decided that I should put my intellect to good use and went to work at the police station.”
Audrey lowered her gaze as she shared, “I may never be a great detective like Kate Warne, but I can still make a difference in the lives of others.”
“I have no doubt that you have, and you will,” he stated.
A gunshot from the street startled them. It was followed by riotous shouting. By the time Warren reached the window to investigate, Sheriff Walker and Deputy Harper were already at the saloon and had the situation under control.
Turning back toward Audrey, he asked, “Wouldn’t you prefer to run your company rather than be a Lady Pinkerton?”
She leaned back on the bed, her hands holding her up. “I attend board meetings and read the quarterly reports, but I trust the man running my company. He was second in command when my father was alive, and he is a good, honest man.” She met his gaze. “I am grateful for all the luxuries I have been afforded because of my company, but carriages aren’t really my passion.”
“Carriages… wait, are you referring to Hardwick Carriages?” he asked, disappointed in himself. It shouldn’t have taken him that long to make the connection.
“It’s not something I like to talk about,” she answered.
He shook his head. “I can see why. Hardwick Carriages is one of the most luxurious carriage brands in the world.” Suddenly, her previous words came back to him. “That is why you told me at our wedding that I would not be entitled to any percentage of your company.”
She didn’t respond, but her back stiffened, and she looked down at her lap. She appeared uncomfortable, so Warren decided to change the subject.
“I didn’t discover any camps around Hickory Creek. I did discover there is a squirrel epidemic, but that is no surprise here with all the pine trees.”
“Squirrel epidemic?” She looked up at him, and the light was back in her eyes.
He nodded, his expression serious. “There are a lot of squirrels in the forest.”
Smiling gratefully, she asked, “When should we investigate the school?”
He looked back at the window. “It will be best if we wait for a few hours until the streets are quieter.”
“What should we do until then?”
“This is the perfect time for some more training.” He walked back to the bed and sat next to her. “I am going to say outlandish things, and I want you to keep your expression neutral when you respond.”
Her gaze flickered with amusement. She sat tall on the bed. “I’m ready.”
His eyes roamed her face, slowly, admiring her beautiful, unique features. When Audrey’s cheeks blushed pink, he realized he’d been staring at her too long. “Take a moment to consciously relax your eyes, mouth, cheeks, jaw, and forehead. Then, check that all the muscles in your face are completely relaxed,” he instructed her.
He watched her close her eyes and take a deep breath. When she opened her eyes, her face was expressionless.
Speaking slowly and deliberately, he started with, “Goddard buggies are better than Hardwick carriages.”
Audrey attempted to stifle a laugh but failed miserably. Shaking her hands, she swallowed, closed her eyes, and relaxed her face once more. “Let’s try again.”
He grinned. “That was a pretty pathetic attempt, but I am willing to give you another try.” He schooled his features before laying on a thick English accent. “Governor, do you have a spot of tea?”
Her lips quirked, but she quickly pressed them back into a thin line.
“Better,” he admitted.
“Your English accent is horrible.” She laughed. After a moment, she composed herself, and her face became neutral again. “I am ready.”
Leaning closer until their faces were only a few inches apart, his eyes darted to her lips. “I think we should kiss.” Why was his voice so hoarse?
Except for the tiniest crinkles in the corner of her eyes, her face remained stoic. She stared at him for a moment, then asked, “Was th
at a question or a statement?”
Finding it nearly impossible to tear his gaze away from her, he whispered, “Whatever you want it to be.” He had initially meant to test her, but once the words came out of his mouth, he realized how badly he wanted to kiss her.
Warren watched for any signs of fear or discomfort, but she was doing a good job of keeping her emotions tucked away. Blazes! She was too good! As she met his gaze, her lips parted, and he held his breath, hardly daring to hope that she might consent to his proposal.
“I think,” she whispered back, “it would be…”
A knock caused them both to jump and reach for their pistols.
“I have fresh towels for you,” Mrs. Henderson’s cheerful voice came from the other side of the door.
Audrey stifled a giggle as she walked to the door, opened it, and accepted the towels. “Thank you, Mrs. Henderson.”
The proprietress smiled. “You are welcome, dearie. Have a good night.”
Closing the door, Audrey put the towels by the basin of water. She turned and hesitated before rejoining Warren on the bed.
“It might be best if we got a few hours of sleep before we visit the finishing school.”
With great reluctance, Warren nodded. “Why don’t you sleep? I will go arrange for the horses. I will wake you up when it is time.”
“Thank you.” She avoided looking at him as she laid down and closed her eyes.
Leaning his head back against the wall, the last thing Warren wanted to do was sleep right now. All he could think about was what Audrey was about to say before they were interrupted. Would she have said yes?
Shaking his head, he stood and walked to the basin of water. After he tossed cold water onto his face, he picked up one of the fresh towels. “Curse clean linens,” he muttered under his breath.
“Did you say something?” Audrey asked, lifting her head from the pillow to look at him.
“Nope,” he assured her with a smile. “Enjoy your rest.”
Wearing men’s clothing, Audrey crept silently along the fence that surrounded Mrs. Tucker’s school. The darkened windows seemed darker because of the full moon casting a silvery light on the building. She counted two armed guards on the porch. One had his arms crossed, leaning against a post, and the other sat on the ground with his hat covering his eyes. Obviously, these men did not expect trouble.
She scanned the property. She couldn’t see any additional guards near the front of the school. Silently, she hurried back to where their horses were stashed in the trees. An owl hooted from a tree near her before she heard rustling up ahead. Someone was coming. She retrieved her weapon, pointing it in the direction of the noise.
To her surprise, she heard Warren’s teasing voice behind her. “What are you pointing at, darling?”
“I heard rustling up ahead,” she admitted, lowering her pistol.
“That was me. Next lesson, if you cause a distraction, it allows you time to circle back around and take your suspect by surprise.”
She faced him and tucked the derringer into her belt. “There are two guards on the front porch. Both appear to be shirking their responsibility.”
All trace of humor left Warren’s face, and his eyes grew alert. “There were two guards along the back fence, but I took care of them.”
“By took care, you mean…” She intentionally let her words trail off.
A flicker of annoyance crossed his face before he explained, “I didn’t kill them, if that is what you are asking. I merely knocked them out.” He turned toward the direction of the school. “If we go along the back, we can sneak up to the structure without the guards in the front even realizing we’re there.”
“Sounds like a plan,” she replied. When he took a step, she called him back. “Warren, I am sorry.”
He looked over his shoulder and declared, “Pinkerton agents abide by the law. We only kill when we are left with no other choice.” Without saying another word, he started walking back through the trees, and she had to hurry to catch up to him.
After trailing behind Warren for what seemed like hours but was probably only ten minutes, he took a sharp left, leaving the cover of the trees. He crouched and rushed toward the fence, placing his back up against it. Waving at her to join him, he removed his revolver and kept it in his right hand. “I am going to go first, and I want you to cover me.”
The double post-and-rail fence was five feet high with saplings evenly spaced along it. Warren had no trouble climbing over and dropping down on the other side. Once his feet were on solid ground, he turned back. “Your turn.”
She scaled the fence just fine, but when she started to climb down the other side, Warren grabbed her waist and lifted her off the railing. Leaning in, he teased, “We need to work on your climbing speed.”
Audrey removed her pistol from her belt, glanced at Warren, then shifted her grip to hold it in two hands like he did. Together, they raced across the grounds until they came to the wooden structure she had seen from the window. Approaching the door, she saw it had an iron lock on it. This could be a problem.
“Do you know how to pick a lock?” Warren asked, his warm breath tickling against her ear.
She shook her head. He sighed softly. “Neither do I.”
Not ready to give up, Audrey walked around the little building looking for another way in. On the far side, she saw a small, dirty window, with broken panes of glass opened just a crack. Waving Warren over, she pointed at the window. “I need a boost up.”
He gave her an exasperated look. “There is no way you can fit through that opening.”
“I can, and I will,” she declared smugly.
Warren just shook his head as he leaned down and clasped his hands together.
Without hesitation, she placed her right booted foot in his hands, one hand on his shoulder and one on the wall. He lifted her up until she was eye level with the window. Using both hands, she pushed until it was fully open, then put her head through the opening. Inside, there was a dingy white sheet draped over something large.
She looked up and grabbed the top of the frame on the inside, twisted her body, and while Warren pushed up, she pulled her body through the opening until she was sitting on the window sill. After a bit of maneuvering, she slid her legs in and dropped to the floor.
Now that she was inside, it took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkened room. Fortunately, the full moon streamed through the cracks offering a bit of light. When she could see, she stepped over and removed the sheet, revealing a hand-cranked printing press. There was a table along the back wall stacked with supplies.
Walking closer, she saw stacks of paper, metal templates, and a bucket of dark liquid. She breathed in the familiar but faint smell of coffee. It was hard to be sure in the dark, but it looked like there were splotches of color on the table. Some sort of dye was most likely in this room, as well. She couldn’t be sure in the dark, but as she ran her fingers over the templates, she thought they could be for printing one-dollar notes. They were the right size, anyway.
Audrey grabbed the sheet and tossed it back over the printing press, being careful to shuffle her feet to avoid leaving footprints. Next step, she needed to find a way out. In a dark corner, she saw a collection of crates and the outline of a crude ladder. The ladder is a better option, she decided.
She placed the ladder against the wall next to the window and climbed up. She held onto the edge of the window frame and reversed the process she’d used to get in. When her head was out, she glanced down to see Warren watching her. Audrey smiled at him, then kicked the ladder over and was satisfied to hear it land on the floor. If luck was with her, no one would notice the ladder had been moved right away. Continuing her exit, she turned and wriggled her body out, grabbing the window frame on the outside. It took only a few moments before her legs were out, and she dropped to the ground.
Warren gave her an expectant look. Taking pity on him, she whispered, “I’ll fill you in later, but everything a c
ounterfeiter would need is in that structure.”
He smiled. “We did it, Mrs. Rockwell.”
She pointed at the window. “I need to put the window down.” He nodded and put his hands together again. As before, he lifted her up so she could reach the window. She quickly closed it, ensuring it was left just as she found it.
From the front porch, a man’s voice shouted, “Trespassers!”
They reached for their guns. “I suggest we run for it,” Warren urged.
As they ran toward the fence, bullets whizzed by them, and Audrey did not dare stop. Once she reached the fence, she put her first foot onto the rail but gasped as Warren put his hands on her backside, shoving her over the top. She landed in a heap on the other side. As she started to stand, Warren grabbed her forearm and pulled her to her feet. He held her hand as they ran into the woods, bullets peppering the trees around them.
They quickly retrieved their horses, mounted and kicked them into a run. Audrey followed Warren’s example and rode low in the saddle, not daring to look back until they reached the livery. Wordlessly, they untacked the horses, brushed them down, and placed them in their appointed stalls.
After closing the large, wooden door of the livery, they started to cross the street toward their hotel when Audrey heard pounding horse hooves. Warren grabbed her hand and yanked her into the shadows of an alley behind the livery stable.
As the horses entered town, they slowed, and Audrey saw four armed men scanning the buildings and side streets. She had no doubt that these men were looking for them, and they had nowhere to hide.
Warren muttered an expletive under his breath. “I’m sorry about this,” Warren whispered before he yanked her shirt up out of her trousers and unbuttoned the top buttons of her shirt, showing off the top of her undergarments.
Shoving away his hands, she tried to step back, but his hands held her waist, tugging her close. “Just trust me… please.” He yanked out his own shirt, unbuttoned it, and was tousling his hair as he ordered, “Remove the pins from your hair.”
Quickly, she did as he instructed and let her brown hair flow down her back. Wrapping his arms around her, he gave her an apologetic look before he swung her around until she was braced against the livery wall, and he was pressing up against her. Opening her mouth to protest, he crushed his mouth against hers.
