“Then I need to follow him and discover what’s going on.” Blake whipped back around toward Claudia, almost knocking her over, but he grasped her upper arms to keep her from falling. Her eyes were wide as she stared at him, and he bent and briefly kissed her lips.
“I’ll be back,” he said. “Don’t miss me too much.”
Her chest rose and fell quickly, evidenced by the power he invoked from just a tender gesture of affection. He grinned, loving the power it gave him. She must like him a bit more than she let on...
Then again, he definitely liked her more, too.
THIRTEEN
Claudia stood breathlessly watching Blake hurry to the stable to saddle a horse mere moments after Phillip rode away. She licked her dry lips and swallowed to add moisture to her throat. With her hand on her bosom, she made her way toward the house. Her heartbeat still hammered out of control, and yet the kiss she’d shared with Blake had been over for several minutes already.
Taking a deep breath, she tried to focus on something else, but she couldn’t. What had she done, allowing him to affect her in such a way? But with toe-curling, knee-weakening kisses of the kind Blake gave, it was no wonder he had her feeling in such a dither afterward.
Entering the house, she was reluctantly brought back to the current events - Phillip’s swift departure. What could have possibly upset him this badly? But more importantly, did it have anything to do with the fact that the sheriff hadn’t found the jewels in the cabin and could not arrest her?
Slowly, she climbed the stairs, her mind replaying everything that had happened in the last hour. Needless to say, Grandmama had been shocked and speechless when Sheriff Burton had tossed around his false accusations, and yet Phillip had stood back against the wall, looking almost pleased with the turn of events. Indeed, her cousin was responsible. She was just relieved that Blake had had the sense to hide the jewels.
She exhaled and shook her head. This game Phillip played with her life needed to stop. Now. She couldn’t go from day to day wondering what he would do next to make her look like the jewel thief.
Immediately, her thoughts came to a halt, as did her feet on the steps. With him out of the house, she could snoop through his room, and if luck was on her side, she’d find some incriminating evidence they could use against him.
She spun around and headed for his room. Her heartbeat hammered in an entirely different rhythm this time and determination surged through her. Blake had told her that he’d train her to be a Pinkerton agent. At the time, she thought it was ridiculous, but now... She’d make Blake proud of her.
When she reached the guest room where Phillip had been staying, she found it locked. Grumbling under her breath, she tried to remember where the keys were kept. One name popped into her head – Georgia, the housekeeper.
Although Claudia should find the woman who was old enough to be her mother, Claudia didn’t want to waste time. Especially since she didn’t know what time Phillip might return.
A book she’d read not too long ago came to mind. There was a scene where the protagonist in the story picked a lock by using a woman’s hairpin. Immediately, Claudia fished through her hair and found one. Since she’d never done this before, it might try her patience, but at least it was worth the try.
As she knelt in front of the door, she twisted her hairpin around in the keyhole, but nothing was working. She grumbled louder and tried again. She couldn’t give up.
“Um, Miss?”
The woman’s voice startled Claudia and she fell backward, landing on her bustle, looking up into the face of her maid. “Oh, Frances. I... um, I didn’t know you were there.”
Frances grinned and her eyes twinkled deviously. “I could show you how to pick a lock.” She waggled her eyebrows.
Claudia smiled as her maid helped her stand. She handed the hairpin to the servant. “Please, show me.”
Frances knelt in front of the door and slid the pin inside. “You need to feel around for the bolt,” she said. “Once you’ve found it, you’ll need to use the hairpin by pushing it away from the doorframe.”
Within seconds, the lock clicked. Frances’ grin grew wider as she stood and handed the pin back to Claudia.
“I... I don’t know how to thank you,” Claudia muttered in appreciation and amazement.
“Well, Miss Cummings, if you’re doing what I think you’re doing, I hope you find something quickly.”
Claudia arched an eyebrow. “So, you dislike my cousin, too?”
“I can’t stand the man.” Frances’ face tightened. “And if you need me to be your lookout, I’ll gladly help.”
Chuckling with delight, Claudia gave her maid a hug. “Yes. I’ll need you to be my lookout, please.”
Frances nodded. “I’ll knock twice on the door to warn you if he’s coming.”
Claudia winked. “Good plan.”
She hurried inside his room and closed the door.
The afternoon sun shone through the window, making it easier for her to see. The first place she went to was the desk. Letters and telegrams were spread open, and some were wrinkled as if Phillip had wadded up the parchments. She skimmed one of the letters that were freshly written in Phillip’s handwriting. It was addressed to a Hank Gates in Mobile, Alabama.
I appreciate your assistance when I visited you last month. There has been a slight impediment to our plans, but nothing I cannot handle. However, if you will send me more money soon, I’ll be able to repair the damage done.
Claudia frowned. Indeed, her cousin was up to something, but this didn’t tell her much of anything. She pushed the letter aside and picked up a telegram from Louisiana.
More men have been gathered. STOP. We await your instructions. STOP. Have you obtained the plantation? STOP.
She fisted her hands. It was obvious what Phillip’s goal was, but it still wasn’t detailed enough. But as she read some of the other missives and telegrams, the subject was very similar. Men were waiting for Phillip to tell them what to do.
Panic welled inside of her, making her want to marry Blake tomorrow just so her cousin couldn’t get his hands on her plantation. She didn’t even care what kind of gossip would be spread. Those who talked about her behind her back didn’t know about her life, anyway.
As she continued to search, she realized there was nothing to connect him to the jewels. By the time she was finished, her head throbbed. Although she wanted to go lie down and take a nap as her grandmother was doing, there was still too much that needed to be done.
First things first... Find Chaplain Brooks and see how soon he could get them a marriage license.
BLAKE THOUGHT FOR SURE Phillip knew he was being followed, but the man was obviously in his own world because not once did Claudia’s cousin look back. Of course, Blake tried to stay hidden, even though he was on a horse. But Phillip led him right into town and to one of the banks. If Blake wasn’t mistaken, this was the bank Phillip had cautioned Claudia about that had apparently, started the rumor about a woman not being able to run a plantation.
Once Phillip stormed up the stairs of the building and went inside, Blake jumped off his horse and tied the animal to a post. He snuck around the building, peeking in windows until he saw Phillip. Claudia’s deceitful cousin was in the office with the bank manager.
Blake crept close to the window. As luck would have it, the window was open to let the afternoon breeze waft inside the room. Blake flattened himself against the wall of the building, just under the window and listened.
“It’s not working, I tell you!” Phillip’s voice was loud enough to hear down the street. “The little minx stops me at every turn.”
“Would you lower your voice?” The bank manager said. “I don’t want the people in the lobby to hear you.”
Loud footsteps pounded on the wooden floor, and soon Blake detected Phillip’s presence by the window. He steadied his breathing and kept dead still.
“Jeffrey, you don’t understand. I need her plantation. We need he
r plantation. It’s the only one accessible to the river. I tried to get Thomas to arrest her today, but even that fell through.”
From further inside the room, Jeffrey grumbled. “Keep thinking. There must be a way.” Silence lasted a few seconds. “Have you thought about forcing yourself on her so that she has to marry you?”
Blake gritted his teeth and fisted his hands. Now was not the time to lose his temper. There would be another time to pound his fist into Phillip’s face...
“Oh, I’ve definitely considered it, but she wouldn’t marry me even then. And of course, now she’s engaged to some stranger.”
“What?” Meyer’s voice rose. “She’s engaged? How did that happen? I thought she was devoted to Johnny Evans.”
“Yeah, well... somehow this man from Texas has changed her mind. She goes everywhere with him, and she has somehow convinced her grandmother to let him stay at the house.”
“Do you need me to get one of my boys to come over tonight and take care of the Texan?”
“Although that is a good idea, I fear Claudia will suspect it was me. No matter what I do, I cannot make her trust me.”
“Well, she’s definitely a problem.” Jeffrey Meyer mumbled. “Perhaps we’ll need to take care of her, instead?”
Blake held his breath. His heartbeat quickened in worry. This wasn’t just a case of stolen jewels. These men were talking about murder. What exactly was going on here?
Phillip released a noisy sigh. His footsteps moved away from the window. “At this point, I’m willing to consider it. We need that plantation whether she lives there or not.”
“Then let me contact my man. He’s been trying to stay hidden for several years, but perhaps it’s time he came out. He’s the only one I trust to do the job. He’ll make it look like an accident, just as he made Miss Cumming’s father’s death look like an accident.”
Blake gasped, but then quickly closed his mouth. He had definitely stumbled into the devil’s lair with this case. And his first plan of action would be to teach Claudia how to protect herself, and how to shoot a gun.
“Then do it,” Phillip said. “The quicker I can take over the plantation, the faster we can get our men gathered and start shipping out weapons.” Phillip belted out an evil laugh. “I can see it now... The South will rise again!”
As Meyer and Phillip laughed in victory, Blake decided he’d heard enough. He snuck away from the building and hurried to his horse. He needed to send a telegram to Archie Gordon about the new development in this case. And Blake needed to convince Brooks to assist him with this problem. Not only did Blake have to keep Claudia from being killed, but he needed to stop what he assumed would start the Civil War – part two.
FOURTEEN
Claudia paced the floor in her bedroom, twisting her hands against her middle. The throbbing pain in her head had intensified, but she couldn’t stop worrying – especially when the sun dipped in the horizon, bringing hazy shadows, and there was no sign of Blake. She’d sent a missive to Chaplain Brooks, but he hadn’t responded either.
The scent from tonight’s roast dinner cooking wafted through the air, but she wasn’t hungry. Apprehension had created a twisted knot in her stomach, and she couldn’t relax until she knew Blake was all right. If he didn’t come home in the next thirty minutes, she’d go out and hunt him down herself.
She stopped at the window and peered outside for the hundredth time in fifteen minutes. She muttered a prayer that he was safe and that he’d return to her quickly.
Something familiar struck a chord in her head and her frown deepened. She’d said prayers like this for Johnny Evans many times before, too. Fate wouldn’t take away another man in her life, would it?
Suddenly, her doorknob shook, and she swung around. Slowly, the door opened. She held her breath, praying that it wasn’t Phillip. But when she saw Blake’s face, she released her pent-up breath and ran toward him.
When he looked her way, he hurried inside the door and closed the door. Tears of relief filled her eyes as she rushed into his open arms. She buried her face against his muscular chest, not wanting him to see her crying. His comforting hands stroked her back as he pulled her closer.
“Where have you been?” she asked in a cracked voice.
“You won’t believe what I discovered,” he said softly and kissed the top of her head.
She pulled back and looked into his eyes. “I, too, have discovered something.”
His gaze relaxed as it skimmed over every inch of her face before resting on her mouth. He cupped her face as his thumbs caressed her wet cheeks.
“Why are you crying?”
She swallowed the lump of emotion stuck in her throat. “Because... I was worried about you.”
“Why?”
“You’d taken off after Phillip hours ago, and I worried... I worried...” She licked her dry lips. “Fate has taken away men from my life that I cared deeply for. I didn’t want another man taken away from me.”
He smiled, tenderly. “You care deeply for me?”
Although she wanted to deny it, she couldn’t. The way he stared into her eyes right now filled her with such love and appreciation she could hardly handle the feeling. Why did he look at her as if he shared her feelings?
“Yes,” she whispered. “I have come to care for you—”
His mouth covering hers stopped her from saying any more. The kiss was far different from the others they’d shared before. This kiss was urgent, but in a gentle sort of way.
Claudia wrapped her arms around his waist and answered his passionate kiss. She tried to let him know through the kiss exactly what she was feeling at this very moment. And if she wasn’t mistaken, she detected that he felt the same way.
“Claudia,” he whispered deeply as his kisses trailed to her neck. “What is this enchantment you have put me under?”
Tilting her head to give him better access, she smiled. “I believe you have that backward. Because it is you that has put me under a spell.”
He chuckled and lifted his head to look into her eyes. “Perhaps we should stop before other things happen. The way my heart is bursting with this strange feeling in my chest, I fear I might say and do things that have never happened to me before.”
She leaned up and kissed his lips. “Then we are sharing that strange feeling, but I’d rather explore these new sensations rippling through me.”
He groaned and turned the kiss wilder and definitely more passionate. The kiss made her dizzy as if she was floating on air. But it wasn’t until she felt herself being lowered on the bed when she realized that he had picked her up and carried her.
There was only one reason he’d bring her to the bed... The idea wasn’t that farfetched, and she figured this glorious act of love would eventually happen after they were married, but now was perhaps the wrong time.
“Blake?” she whispered in between kisses.
“Yes, my love.”
Her heartbeat skipped with happiness. “As much as I want this to happen, maybe we should wait a bit first.”
His kisses slowed before he lifted his head to gaze down at her. “You want this to happen, too?”
She nodded. “I believe our relationship has been building up to it. Don’t you?”
One corner of his mouth lifted higher than the other when he grinned. “I’ve definitely been thinking that, and I’m relieved that you feel the same.”
She caressed the side of his handsome face. “But now is not a good time. We need to stop Phillip first.”
Taking a deep breath, Blake rolled off her and lay beside her on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. “Yes. We need to stop him.”
She rolled onto her side and cuddled up next to him, resting her hand on his chest. “After you left, I snooped through his room. I found some letters and telegrams.” He turned his head and looked at her. “Blake, there’s something else going on besides stealing jewels.”
“Indeed, there is. The conversation I overheard between him and Mr. Mey
er at the bank led me to believe the two of them – and many others – are gathering weapons. From what I understood, they want to use your plantation because it’s close to the river so they can ship guns to their men in other southern states.”
She lifted on her elbow, still holding his concerned hazel gaze. “Why would they want to ship weapons to other states?”
“I believe they want to start another Civil War. Phillip mentioned that the South will rise again.”
“Oh, dear.” A different kind of panic filled her. “We cannot let that happen.”
“No, we can’t. I’ve enlisted Chaplain Brooks’ help in the matter, and I’ve telegraphed my supervisor, Archie Gordon. He might have to send more agents to assist. But in the meantime,” Blake caressed the lock of hair hanging over her shoulder, “I’m going to teach you a few skills on how to protect yourself. And I’m going to teach you how to shoot a gun.”
She loved how tender he was with her, but mostly, she loved that he cared enough about her to train her. “I’d like that. However, I do know how to shoot a gun. I was a tomboy when I was younger, and my pa taught me many things.”
“That’s my girl.” His grin widened as he wrapped his arms around her body and pulled her on top of him. He captured her mouth again, and this time, she really didn’t want to stop. And yet, she knew it was wrong. Becoming his wife – in the Biblical sense – couldn’t happen until after they were married.
She allowed the kiss to continue until his hands started wandering, and that’s when she broke the kiss and rolled off him. “Blake Bentley, your kisses could melt an iceberg, but unfortunately, we have work to be done, so that will have to happen later.”
He laughed and scooted off the bed, pulling her with him as they stood. “My lovely Claudia. Thank you for putting work before passion. Right now, that is more important. Between the two of us, we are going to stop your cousin and his men from starting another war.” He sighed and nodded. “Are you ready to become a Pinkerton agent?”
An Agent for Claudia Page 9
