EIGHT
Women! How were men throughout the ages able to live with their wives without shooting them? They must all have better temperaments than Blake.
Although he’d charmed his fair share of women, he’d never allowed himself to fall in love. That would ruin his life for good, and he wasn’t about to do that. Growing up, his pa had moved from one harlot to the next, dragging his motherless son with him wherever he went. Blake had never known his mother since she’d died during childbirth. But his father seemed content without a permanent woman around, and Blake would be the same.
He sat by a pond, staring at the reflection of the clear blue sky in the water as he tried not to remember that Claudia’s eyes were the same blue. But when they had kissed last night, they’d turned a dreamier blue and he hadn’t wanted to look away. Thankfully, her sudden outburst had stopped him from becoming too sappy last night. Spending too much time with her had somehow made him soft.
Concentrating on his case was the only solution. With or without Claudia’s help, he was going to catch himself a thief. Unfortunately, catching Phillip would be easier with her help.
A twig snapped somewhere behind Blake, and he swung around, and in a split second, yanked out the hidden gun in his boot and pointed it toward the sound. When he saw his friend, he relaxed and tucked the pistol back in his boot. Breathing easier, he turned back toward the pond.
“You should have announced yourself,” Blake muttered. “I could have shot you.”
“I know you’re very fast, but I also know you have a keen eye.” Vincent Brooks lowered himself to the ground not far from Blake. “I hope you don’t mind some company. When I saw you out here daydreaming, I realized that was something I haven’t done for quite a while.”
Blake snorted a laugh. “Daydreaming? Are you addled? I’m not daydreaming.”
Vince chuckled. “Strange, because I was at dinner last night with you and Miss Cummings, and the twinkle in your eyes was undeniable... as was the heat between the two of you.”
Blake looked at his friend and rolled his eyes. “We were both pretending.”
“Ah,” Vince nodded, “in preparation for your make-believe marriage.”
“Yes, exactly.”
Shaking his head, Vince tsked and patted Blake’s shoulder. “Sadly enough, neither of you are great performers.”
Blake pulled back, eyeing his childhood friend with a scowl. “We’re not great performers, you say, and yet just a minute ago you accused me of daydreaming and having a twinkle in my eyes.”
Vincent arched an eyebrow. “You are not good performers at pretending to not like each other.” He looked toward the pond and threw a rock into the water. The water rippled. “Are you going to tell me what is really going on between you two?”
Sighing, Blake leaned back on his elbows, raising his gaze to the cloudless sky. “Our marriage will be in name only.” He shrugged. “I’m good with that, but you know me,” he glanced at his friend and winked. “You know I’m going to try and sneak in a kiss or two.”
“At the very least.” Vince nodded.
“Well, I finally confessed and told her who I really was. She seemed excited about me being a Pinkerton agent at first, but when I told her how Archie gives us a promotion when we marry and train a woman agent, Claudia suddenly become upset and threw me out of her bedroom.”
Gasping, Vincent swung toward him with wide surprised eyes. “You were in her bedroom?”
“Of course. That was the only place we could talk in private.”
Vince laughed and pushed his fingers through his thick, black hair. “Bentley, I swear, you will never understand women.”
“I understand them well enough.”
“I’m not talking about charming them out of a kiss – or two.” Vince shook his head. “Believe it or not my friend, she has feelings for you. I could see it, and so could her cousin, which was why he coerced her grandmother into letting him stay there. I half expect her grandmother could see it, as well.”
Blake snorted another laugh. “Well, I can tell you one thing... Claudia definitely didn’t see it, and neither did I.”
“But that’s the reason you upset her.” Vince picked up another rock and tossed it in the pond. “Should I assume one thing led to another and that you kissed her last night?”
“Yes, you can assume that happened,” Blake muttered.
“Do I need to ask if she was passionate?”
Without his control, Blake grinned, remembering how she answered his kisses like a student eager to learn something new. “No, you don’t need to ask. I’m sure you already know the answer.”
“And yet, you still told her that you were marrying her as a promotion.”
Staring at the rippling water, Blake let his friend’s words sink in. Perhaps he’d been too hasty to tell Claudia about the promotion he would receive for marrying and training a female agent. At least he knew exactly why Claudia wanted to marry him in name only. She’d felt sorry for him because he’d told her he was low on money and in debt. At the time, she probably thought that the offer of marriage was a good thing for him.
And yet, she now believed he wanted her because that was the only way to get ahead in his position at the agency. He’d have to try and convince her otherwise, and with any luck, he’d get to hold her and kiss her until she was also convinced that husbands and wives could take it a step further...
Releasing a heavy breath, he sat up and peered at his friend before playfully slugging him in the arm, tilting him slightly. “You are going to perform the wedding, aren’t you, Chaplain Brooks?” Blake grinned, knowing that his friend used the Chaplain identity as part of his undercover assignment as a Pinkerton agent.
“Of course. After all, you don’t really want a legal marriage.”
“Exactly. And by having it done that way, when Claudia’s beau finally returns to marry her, the divorce won’t take very long.”
“Because she won’t need one?” Vince arched an eyebrow.
Nodding, Blake grinned. “You are thinking like me now.”
Laughing, Vincent scrubbed his hands over his face. “That really worries me. I don’t know if I want to think like you do.”
Blake pushed his friend’s shoulder harder this time, knocking him to the side before Blake stood and brushed the grass off his trousers. “I suppose I should go make amends with Claudia.”
“Yes, that would be a good thing to do if you want to marry her.”
Blake straightened and studied his friend. Vincent was six years older and had been Blake’s best friend for several years. Both of their fathers had enlisted in the war, but neither man had returned. Vince’s father had been the Cavalry unit’s chaplain, which was where he’d gotten the idea for his undercover identity after he and Blake joined the Pinkerton Agency.
“How about you, Brooks? Are you going to take Archie up on his offer to train a female agent?” Blake asked.
Vince shook his head. “No. I don’t want to marry. My heart is still hurting from Abigail’s untimely death. It might take a few years before I can love again.”
Blake clapped his hand on his friend’s strong shoulder. “It’ll happen to you; I know it will. Whether you want to admit this or not, you have a romantic heart.”
Vince smiled but didn’t say a word as he and Blake wandered back toward the ranch where they’d been staying. Allan Pinkerton had properties all over the United States, which was another reason Blake loved being an agent. He never knew what city he’d be assigned to next. This was the perfect way to live.
And yet, it was a nice idea to share that with a woman. Vince had been very happily married until one day when he returned home to find his pregnant wife lying on the kitchen floor, shot in the head. Vince had joined the Pinkertons in hopes of finding his wife’s killer, but so far he’d had no luck.
“Are you going to find Claudia and apologize?” Vincent asked.
“Yes. I’ll head to her plantation now. Hopefully, she will
be in better spirits.”
“She will be, only when you grovel and beg forgiveness.”
Blake laughed. “Grovel? That’s never going to happen. Not in my lifetime.”
“One of these days, you’re going to figure out how to make a woman truly happy.” Vincent nodded. “And I hope I’m still alive when you’re ready.”
Blake flipped his hand through the air, silently dismissing his friend. Blake knew how to make women happy and groveling had nothing to do with it. As long as he could kiss Claudia again, he was sure that would do the trick.
NINE
She would never let Blake kiss her again!
Claudia thought she’d had her feelings under control until she’d allowed that womanizer to hold her so gently and passionately kiss her. And to think he’d made her cry last night. Augh! Only her one true love, Johnny Evans, was supposed to make her cry. So why had she allowed smooth-talking, handsome Blake Bentley with his knee-buckling grin to crawl into her heart?
Starting today, things were going to change, and she was going to take control of her feelings. After tossing and turning most of the night, she finally reached the decision that marrying Blake was indeed the right thing to do in order to get Phillip out of her life. She’d let Blake train her so that she could protect herself while trying to trap her cousin into giving away his criminal past. Her plantation was at stake, and she wouldn’t jeopardize it for anything in the world. Her father had entrusted her with its safekeeping, and she wouldn’t let him down.
She dressed in a violet gown trimmed with white lace. Today, she fixed her hair differently, only pulling back the sides and fastening them with her pearl-studded combs. The length of her hair cascaded down her back and over her shoulders, curling slightly at the ends. It had been awhile since she had worn her hair down like this, but she had a point to make and she wanted to dress the part. No longer was she the simpering daughter of a wealthy plantation owner. Instead, she was the owner. Men around town didn’t think she could do it, but she would prove them wrong.
Deciding to wear her wide-brimmed straw hat with lavender ribbons, she grabbed that along with her white wrist gloves. As she glided down the grand staircase, she pulled on her gloves.
Her butler was the first servant she saw this morning. “Toby, could you get my buggy ready? I’ll be taking it to check on the plantation first thing.”
“Yes, Miss Cummings.” The forty-three-year-old man nodded and quickly headed out the front door.
She stopped at one of the mirrors hanging on the wall as she placed her bonnet on her head and artfully tied the thick bow under her chin. Before moving away, she stared at her reflection. Thankfully, there was no trace of the tears she’d cried last night. Another good thing was that nobody could see the damage that her heart had gone through last night, either.
What a fool she’d been to let him reel her in with his sultry looks and tender touches. What a bigger fool she’d been to think that he actually cared about her feelings.
Lifting her chin and pulling back her shoulders, she strode out of the house, feeling like she could accomplish anything she set her mind to. Wouldn’t Pa be proud of her now?
Toby had the buggy pulled around and parked in front of the house. He took her hand and assisted her up onto the seat. She adjusted her thick skirts as she made herself comfortable.
“Miss Cummings?” Toby asked, handing her the reins. “Will you be taking someone with you?”
“Not this time.”
Concern registered on his face. “But Miss Cummings, it could be dangerous for you to go by yourself.”
She kept the determined emotion she’d built up inside her. “Thank you for thinking of my welfare, but I shall be just fine.”
“Especially,” came a deep masculine voice, “since I’ll be riding with her.”
Blake appeared out of nowhere and startled her. She snapped her head around as he walked up to the buggy, grinning like a cat that had eaten the canary. He gave Toby an assured nod.
“Don’t you worry none, Toby. I’ll make certain nothing happens to Miss Cummings.”
Poor confused Toby glanced back and forth between her and Blake. Her servant frowned.
“Um, Miss Cummings?”
Although she didn’t want Blake to come with her, perhaps it was time her servants saw them together more. At least then the announcement of their wedding wouldn’t be a complete surprise to everyone.
“Toby, it’s all right. Mr. Bentley can ride with me.”
When Blake’s cocky grin softened, she wanted to slap it right off his face. She also wanted to set him straight and let him know that he had not won this argument. However, that was probably best done in private.
But not too private, of course.
As Blake climbed into the buggy, she scooted over to give him room on the seat. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough, and he sat too close to her. He held out his hand and motioned toward the reins. Grumbling under her breath, she handed them to him. Why did men think she couldn’t guide her own horse and buggy?
After they were on their way, Blake glanced at her and winked. “Good morning, Claudia.”
“Good morning.”
“You look mighty pretty today. Do you usually dress up like this or is today a special occasion?”
She kept her back straight and tried to keep her attention on the road ahead. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”
He leaned toward her. “I’m giving you a compliment. I think you look quite lovely today.”
She refrained from smiling. “Thank you.” She took a quick glance at his attire. “And you look dashing in your gray coat and matching trousers.”
“Thank you, my love.”
She hitched a breath and threw him a glare. Why in heaven’s name was he using such a personal endearment when he obviously didn’t mean it – and he never would? “What did you say?”
His smile softened. “I said thank you, my love.”
She huffed and shook her head. “Please don’t call me that.”
“Why not?”
“Because you have no idea what love is.”
“And I suppose you do?”
“Of course, I do,” she snapped.
“But you don’t think I do?”
“Not at all.” She scowled at him. “If you remember correctly, I had a beau who went off to war. He knew the meaning of love, as do I. And you, Mr. Bentley, don’t have the slightest notion what that word means.”
A few silent minutes passed between them as they headed toward the plantations. She didn’t dare look at him. Her words hadn’t been very nice, but then, she didn’t think he deserved such pleasantries.
“I assume, you’re still vexed with me because of what happened last night,” he said in a low voice.
She peeked his way, but his gaze was toward the road. “I’m not bothered by it any longer. I know where you stand, and now I realize where I stand.”
He pulled the horse to a stop before turning toward her in his seat. “And where exactly do you stand, Claudia? I fear, your words are just as confusing today as they were last night.”
She toyed with the edges of her gloves, not wanting to look into his face. “I realized that I let my emotions get away with me. That weak woman you saw last night will not make an appearance ever again. From now on, I’m going to be in control. We will do things my way.”
“What are you talking about?”
His voice rose higher as he grasped her hands, pulling them toward him, which of course, forced her to look into his wounded expression. Inwardly, she groaned. She didn’t need to see his sorrowful hazel eyes right now, only because it made her heart wrench.
“Blake, please don’t touch me when we are alone. I promised you we’d marry, and I won’t back out on my promise. However, it will be in name only. As soon as you get your promotion – and we trap my cousin into revealing his double-life – we will get an annulment and go our separate ways. There is no reason for our hearts to
be involved at all.”
“Because... you don’t have a heart?” he asked.
Ohhh! Why was he making her feel like this was all her fault? “Actually, it’s because you don’t have one.”
Tilting her head, she studied him closer. He still held a confused expression, but she knew him well by now, and knew he’d give anything for her to swoon into his arms and let him kiss her. And yet, he’d do it just to please himself instead of trying to make her happy. When she’d kissed him last night, she wanted him to enjoy it just as much as she had.
His frown deepened, and the light in his eyes diminished. “You wound me, Claudia. How could you accuse me of something so cruel?”
He did it to her again! Why was she feeling guilty for hurting him? Had he even had one ounce of guilt when he’d hurt her last night? Doubtful.
“If I’m wrong, then I’ll apologize. But Blake, your actions last night proved that you don’t have a heart.”
He stared into her eyes for the longest time, and she wanted to see something in them – a glimmer of hope or appreciation – that would make her think he was going to change. Unfortunately, she didn’t see anything like that, even when he cupped the side of her face as his thumb stroked her cheek.
“I promise this right now,” he said slowly. “I will find a way to change your mind. I will prove to you that I do have a heart.”
She couldn’t believe him. She’d already been let down by one man’s promises, and she didn’t dare fall in that same trap again.
BLAKE DIDN’T TALK MUCH as he toured the plantation. At times, they would get out of the buggy and walk around, and when they did, Claudia always held onto his elbow and smiled as though she was pleased with her escort. Of course, Blake knew it was to show the field workers that she was in love.
Love? No, she loved him just as much as he loved her – which wasn’t at all. Her heart would always be with her dead soldier, which didn’t really bother Blake. But what upset him was her thinking he didn’t have a heart. If he didn’t have that particular organ, then why had her words hurt him so much?
An Agent for Claudia Page 6
