An Agent for Anna

by Amelia C. Adams

  She glanced away. “Of course.”

  He shook his head, trying to get his focus back on the task. “Thank you for meeting me out here. I have a lot to tell you—when Mr. Miller took me aside this morning, he told me about another aspect of the case. It seems that a kidnapping attempt was made on Veronica.”

  Anna tilted her head. “When?”

  “He said it happened last night. She was on her way home from a concert with some friends, and a buggy pulled up alongside them and a man jumped out. He threw his arms around her and tried to wrestle her into the buggy, but the escorts of the ladies were able to fight him off. He got away before they were able to identify him.”

  “That’s frightening.” Anna paused. “Why didn’t he tell Agent Gordon? Shouldn’t we have known about this ahead of time?”

  “He sent a telegram to the office and was surprised that we hadn’t received it yet. He feels that we should be even more alert—he fears the kidnapper may follow us and try again.”

  “What reason does he have to think that? Is it possible that he’s being overcautious at this point?”

  “It’s possible, but he’s asked us to be careful anyway. That’s why I had you follow her earlier.”

  Anna smiled. “I did think that was a little strange. Thank you for the explanation.”

  “Have you still got the pistol Agent Gordon gave you?”

  “Of course. Where would I have put it?”

  “Nowhere, I guess. I was just making sure.”

  Just then, the next door along the hallway opened, and an older woman stuck her head out. “Do you know what time it is? This is indecent, a man and a woman meeting in the dark in the middle of the night! You should both be ashamed of yourselves!”

  “I’m sorry if we disturbed you, ma’am,” Liam replied. “This young lady is actually my wife—everything’s fine.”

  “If she’s your wife, and if everything is fine, you should be in your room, not out in the hall!” She gave them a pointed look.

  “Quite right.” Liam took Anna’s hand, opened his door, and tugged her inside, closing the door again. He waited until he heard the answering click of his neighbor’s door, then turned to Anna and smiled. “Sorry about that.”

  “It couldn’t be helped, I suppose.” She turned and glanced around the room. “It looks comfortable in here.”

  “Yes, I imagine it is. I’ll find out in a few minutes, I hope.” He grinned, but then became serious again. “I saw you lock your door, right?”

  “Yes, it’s locked, and I have the key.”

  “Good. Listen—we need to keep Miss Miller in sight as much as possible until she’s safely delivered to her fiancé’s estate. When we get there, I’ll inform him of the situation, and he can decide how to handle it from there.”

  Anna looked skeptical. “Mr. Miller thinks the kidnapper would follow her all the way to England? That seems far-fetched, Liam.”

  “I agree, but that’s what we’ve been asked to do. I’d certainly rather take precautions than risks.”

  “As would I, but does Mr. Miller even have evidence for what he’s saying? What if this kidnapper was acting on a whim, and when he wasn’t successful, he decided to give up?”

  Liam reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled note. “He said this was delivered to the house just moments before they left for the train station this morning. It made him even more eager to get Veronica on her way.”

  Anna took the paper and unfolded it, then read aloud. “‘My dearest Veronica, my attempts at being reunited with you last night were foiled, but don’t worry. A man in love does not give up so easily. Soon, we’ll be together just as we should have been from the start.’” She looked up at Liam. “An old suitor? Someone she knows?”

  Liam nodded. “Sounds that way.”

  “Are you planning to talk to her about it? What if she can tell us his name, and we wire it back to Agent Gordon and apprehend the man?”

  “We do need to talk to her, but I’d hoped we could get to know her a bit better first and see if she knows more about it than she’s letting on.” Liam pressed his lips together. “You said she didn’t want this marriage. Is it possible that she asked this man to pretend to kidnap her so she wouldn’t have to go to London?”

  “Oh, no. She wouldn’t . . .” Anna paused. “I actually don’t know. The way she was talking just now, she did sound desperate, but then she talked about how she’d make the best of it. Gracious. I don’t know what to think.”

  Liam shook his head. “I just wish we’d known all this before you got involved. You haven’t had any training—we didn’t think this would be a dangerous case. We pictured you as more of a companion than anything.”

  “I wish I’d had a little more training too, but now that we’re in the situation, we’ll just have to do the best we can. I’m a smart girl—I’m sure you remember that. I’ll learn quickly.”

  “You’re definitely smart—I have no argument there. You ran circles around me in class.”

  “Why, yes, I did, didn’t I? And it was fun, too.”

  She pulled her shawl a little closer around her shoulders, and Liam realized that his room was a little chilly. He hadn’t added any wood to the small fire in the hearth since he arrived because he didn’t think it was necessary on a July night.

  “You must be freezing. Go back to bed and get warm—we can talk more later.”

  “But what are we going to do about Veronica? Are we going to question her?”

  “Let’s spend tomorrow getting to know her better. It sounds like the two of you got off to a good start just now—we’ll build on that. Then, when we feel we know her well enough to have a tricky conversation, we’ll ask her about the man and show her the note. If she does know anything, showing her the note should knock her off balance to where she’ll be more ready to talk.”

  Anna nodded. “That does make sense. Goodnight, Liam.”

  He didn’t want her to go, but he knew if he kept her any longer, it would become awkward, even though they were married. A few words spoken by an officiator weren’t enough to make awkwardness disappear. “Goodnight, Anna.”

  She opened the door and crept into the hall. He watched from his doorway as she used her key and went inside, and then he closed his door as well. He didn’t like thinking that she was all that stood between Miss Miller and a potential abduction—he didn’t want to think of Anna being in danger at all. But she’d said she was a good shot—otherwise, Agent Gordon wouldn’t have given her a pistol. And they didn’t know for sure that the would-be abductor had followed them.

  Liam shook his head and took off his suspenders. He’d better get some sleep and try not to let his swirling thoughts get the better of him. He’d need to be fresh for the next day, and fretting over things he couldn’t control wasn’t restful.

  Neither was thinking about Anna’s soft hair.

  He pushed that to the side and climbed beneath his covers. First things first—they’d make sure Veronica was safely delivered to her fiancé’s house. Then he’d worry about his developing feelings for his partner. Er, his wife.

  Chapter Six

  The next day was much the same as the first—the vibration of the train, the landscape drifting by the window, occasional stops to refill water and stretch. Anna did the best she could to keep the conversation going with Veronica and try to create a level of trust, but it was difficult to hold an actual chat on the train because of the noise, and Veronica seemed to have closed herself off again. Once she’d been shown that her trunks had indeed made it safely through the night, she’d become nearly silent.

  When the train pulled into the station in Chicago, Anna almost lost her balance when she stood up because her legs had become so rubbery. This was about the halfway point in the journey—she couldn’t be giving out yet. She still had two more days of train travel to go. She was so glad they’d have a chance to rest in New York before getting on the boat.

  “Are you sure my father recomme
nded this hotel?” Veronica said as they entered the lobby. “This doesn’t seem at all his sort of place.”

  “Yes, this is the one he chose,” Liam replied. “He wrote it down for me, if seeing it would help.”

  “No, I trust you,” she said, waving a dismissing hand. “I’m just surprised, that’s all.”

  “There’s a dining room through those doors,” the clerk informed them after they checked in. “Dinner will be served for thirty more minutes before we shut down for the night.”

  “Thirty minutes? That hardly gives us time to freshen up,” Veronica replied, a slight whine entering her voice.

  Anna noticed Liam’s lips press together, and she wondered how hard he was having to fight to maintain his calm. Veronica did have a way of using her voice to get under people’s skin. “We can do it. We’ll just be quick. Come on.”

  The two women washed their hands and faces in the basin in their room, then went back downstairs to meet up with Liam. Anna saw that he’d changed his shirt, and he looked much more comfortable than she felt. She wondered if there was such a thing as a bath to be had before the next leg of the journey.

  The meal was surprisingly good, and as they ate, Veronica loosened up a bit and actually became a bit chatty. Anna thought this was a good sign.

  “Veronica, may Liam and I speak with you for a few minutes?” she asked as they were returning to their rooms.

  “Of course. Is something the matter?”

  “We just need to clarify a few things. Is it all right if Liam comes in our room? I’d rather we talk in private rather than in the lobby.”

  “All right.” Veronica looked mystified, but didn’t have any objections.

  Liam followed them into their room and took a seat under the window. The two woman sat side by side on the bed.

  Anna waited for Liam to say something, but he gave her a slight nod, which she took as a go ahead.

  “Veronica, we understand that there was an unfortunate incident the night before last,” Anna said. “Can you tell us about that?”

  “I’m sure it was nothing,” Veronica replied. “Some friends and I were walking along the side of the road after a concert, and a man drove up and tried to force me into his buggy. He was likely drunk—my friends chased him off, and we had a good laugh about it.” She paused. “How did you hear about it?”

  “Your father told me before we got on the train,” Liam replied. “It seems that he’s taking it more seriously than you are.”

  “I was startled, but I didn’t feel as though I was in any actual danger. It was over with very quickly, and then we were on our way again.” She raised an eyebrow. “Is there more to this than I realize?”

  Liam pulled out the note he’d shown Anna and passed it over to Veronica. She read it, then read it again, confusion all over her face. “What is this?” she said at last. “Where did you get it?”

  “It was delivered to your house just before you left for the train station. Your father intercepted it and gave it to me.”

  “Do you know who sent it?” Anna asked.

  “You’re asking if I know who tried to abduct me? No, I don’t, and I don’t recognize this handwriting.” Veronica’s tone became a little more high-pitched. “Does this mean he’s going to try again?”

  “We’ve been on a train for two days, and I think it’s highly unlikely that he would have followed you this far,” Liam said. “We’re taking precautions just in case.”

  “We do need to ask you something, though, and it’s not easy for us,” Anna added.

  “You might as well just have out with it. You can’t very well protect me if we aren’t being open with each other,” Veronica said.

  “You’re right, and so I will. Did you arrange this kidnapping attempt with a friend as your accomplice so you wouldn’t have to marry Lord Westcott?”

  Veronica stared at Anna with wide eyes. “No, I didn’t, I swear.”

  “You just don’t seem as rattled as you should for someone who’s been through something like that,” Liam said.

  “I’m not sure how rattled I should be,” she retorted. “Is there some sort of scale or chart one follows in a case like that?”

  “I didn’t mean it that way,” he quickly amended. “I was just saying—”

  “Yes, yes, I understand.” Veronica sounded tired. “No, I did not arrange a kidnapping, even though that’s actually a rather brilliant idea and I do wish I’d thought of it. I don’t know who grabbed me, and I don’t know who sent the letter. I agree with you, Agent Mason, that he wouldn’t have followed us all this great distance, and I’m not going to worry about it any longer. You may, because it’s your job, but as for me, I’d just as soon go to bed and not think about it.”

  Liam glanced at Anna, and she wondered if he believed their client. She wasn’t sure what to think. If Veronica had arranged it, that would certainly be a nice, tidy explanation for it and they wouldn’t have to be so concerned, but if this man was a real threat . . .

  “Do you know of any reason why someone would want to kidnap you?” she asked.

  “My father’s a very wealthy man, and he’d pay a hefty ransom to get me back if something were to happen to me,” Veronica responded. “But the man on the street was alone, he didn’t seem very strong, and I saw no sign of a weapon—that’s why I didn’t take it seriously. I thought he was just out for a lark after getting drunk and wanted to meet a pretty girl.”

  “That does sound like a logical explanation,” Liam said. “If this was a genuine kidnapping attempt, he’d be more prepared, and I doubt he’d be alone.”

  “There you have it.” Veronica turned to Anna. “May we please go to sleep now? I can still hear the noise of the train in the back of my head—that’s how tired I am.”

  “Yes, please get some rest.” Liam stood up. “Thank you for answering our questions, Miss Miller. If you have any thoughts about who might have sent that note, please tell us right away—it might help us get to the bottom of this faster.”

  “Of course I will. Goodnight, Agent Mason.”

  He gave them each a nod as he stepped around the bed, and Veronica chuckled.

  “Gracious. That’s two evenings in a row you’ve left us without kissing your wife goodnight. It’s perfectly all right if you want to show each other some affection—I won’t be scandalized.”

  Liam grinned. “Are you sure? I just didn’t want to seem unprofessional.”

  “That’s ridiculous. You hereby have my permission to be in love with each other—not that you ever actually needed it.”

  “You don’t have to tell me twice.” Liam retraced his steps, bent down, and gave Anna a kiss—a long, sweet, tender kiss that made her head spin. Then he was gone before she had a chance to react in any way.

  “I hope someone looks at me like that someday,” Veronica said as the door closed behind Liam.

  “Hmm? Like what?” Anna asked, still befuddled.

  “The way your husband looks at you. It’s just so . . . romantic.” Veronica started pulling the pins out of her hair and tossing them on the dresser. “That’s what I want out of my relationship—not politeness.”

  “You don’t want your husband to be polite?”

  “Well, yes, but I don’t want that to be all he is. I want him to come in the door and sweep me up in his arms and tell me how much he missed me. Does Agent Mason ever do that?”

  “Um, yes,” Anna replied. “Almost every time we’re separated.” She hoped he would forgive her for lying about him.

  Veronica sighed. “See? That’s romantic. And that’s what I’m doomed to live without.”

  “I still think you have a very good chance of being happy with Lord Westcott,” Anna replied. “He was likely being polite because you’d just met, and he didn’t have any claim on you yet. Once you’re there and you’ve gotten to know him, I imagine there will be all sorts of sweeping up and whatnot.”

  “You’re very kind. But I just don’t think so.”

&nb
sp; They readied for bed quickly, and once the light was out, Anna grinned into her pillow, thinking about that kiss. It had been unexpected, tingly, and only done for the sake of keeping up appearances. It didn’t matter, though. For whatever reason, Liam had kissed her, and she’d never, ever forget it.

  ***

  By the time the train finally pulled into the station in New York City, Anna was almost crazed with boredom. She’d managed to pick up another novel at a stop along the way, but that only took her a few hours to read, and the endless sitting when she wanted to be moving around . . . it was maddening.

  “I don’t know how I’ll ever get back to Denver,” she said to Veronica as they waited for the baggage handlers to locate all the trunks. “The thought of getting back on a train actually makes me feel a little bit ill right now.”

  “Maybe you should move to England too,” Veronica replied. “I’m sure there are plenty of lovely homes there just looking for new tenants.”

  Anna laughed. “Somehow, I don’t think my husband would approve of that idea, although it does appeal to me. I’ve seen pictures of English cottages and gardens in magazines, and I think one would suit me well.”

  Liam had been standing near the train under the guise of supervising the trunk search, but Anna knew he was also looking around for anyone they could suspect of being the kidnapper. During the whole trip across the country, they’d never once felt they were being watched or followed, but he wasn’t going to let up on his surveillance or become lazy. He’d told Anna that he took great pride in doing his job to the very best of his ability, and she respected him for that. She respected him for a great many reasons, actually, and that list was growing longer every day.

  “All right, everything’s accounted for, and the stationmaster is arranging for your trunks to be sent on to the shipyard,” Liam reported when he returned to their side. “Except for the small one you’ll need while we’re here in New York, of course.”

  “I’ve decided that I’m going to need another one,” Veronica replied. “Surely I won’t be able to fit everything I’m planning to purchase in what I already have—gowns take up so much room, and I realized last night that I don’t have enough gowns suitable for the opera or the theater.”