Her heart fluttered with happiness. “Ready, willing, and able.”
FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS, Blake demonstrated some fighting techniques for Claudia to use. They laughed together several times and kissed a few more times, but he was happy that she was such a quick learner. The more things she learned, the prouder he became. He loved seeing the twinkle in her eyes when she accomplished something, and he especially loved the way she accepted his reward of kisses.
During this time, he tried not to think about the different feelings rushing through him. Was he falling in love? It was hard to tell since this had never happened to him before. And yet, the feelings expanding his heart made him happy – so much more than he’d ever been. If this indeed was love, he’d gladly accept it into his life.
He didn’t dare tell her that Phillip and Mr. Meyer were planning on killing her. Blake didn’t want her frightened of everything and everyone. But he was determined to save her, even if he had to stay by her side every minute of every day until they were married.
When he thought about their business arrangement – marriage in name only – he realized that wasn’t what he wanted anymore. Being with Claudia and laughing with her – and kissing her to distraction - were what he wanted now. No other woman would be able to hold his interest now that he was under Claudia’s spell. Sometimes, he could even imagine them with two or three children, making a home and family together.
Phillip had not returned to the house, which was fine with Blake. But at least it gave him more time to teach Claudia how to defend herself. They stayed in her room for a little while and then moved to his room for more training. Tomorrow he’d see just how much she knew about shooting a pistol. He couldn’t wait to teach her everything he knew about being an agent... and during their wedding night, of course.
They finally took a break around midnight, going into the kitchen to see what was in the icebox. Thankfully, the cook had saved them some of the food left over from the supper they’d missed.
Blake sat by Claudia and they teased each other as they munched on their cold food. Another thing he loved doing was gazing into her lovely eyes and admiring her pretty face. He loved watching her mouth when she talked, but it was difficult to keep his thoughts on the conversation when all he wanted to do was kiss her.
When she paused, he leaned over and briefly kissed her lips. She sucked in a quick breath and her eyes widened.
“What was that for?” she asked.
“Because I realized I haven’t kissed you for at least an hour, so I rectified that problem.”
Sighing, she leaned against his shoulder. “Blake? I think we need to talk about... us.”
He caressed the side of her face. “What is it that we need to talk about?”
“Our marriage.”
He grinned, loving how she’d been reading his mind a lot lately. “And what have you decided?”
“I don’t want a marriage in name only.”
His heart burst with happiness and he turned and wrapped his arms around her, staring into her pretty eyes. “I don’t want that, either.”
“You don’t?”
Hope shone on her face. “I don’t. I want to be a real husband. I want to love you until we are old and gray.”
Tears filled her eyes. “You don’t want me to be your promotion any longer?”
He shook his head. “No. I want to make you happy for the rest of our lives.”
“Oh, Blake.” She threw her arms around his neck and rested her face on his chest. “That’s what I want, too.”
“But... what if your soldier returns and wants to marry you?” he asked the question that had been in the back of his mind since he heard about Johnny Evans.
She chuckled and lifted her head, meeting his gaze. “Johnny never made me feel the way I do when I’m with you.”
Once again, his heart swelled with love. “I want you to be sure.”
“I am.” She caressed his hair as her gaze moved over his face. “I thought I knew what love was, but after meeting you, I realized how wrong I’ve been to pine away for a dead man. I had been infatuated with Johnny because he was the first man who asked me to marry him. But my heart never beat as fast, and my knees had never weakened whenever he kissed me. I’d never wanted a man so much until I met you.”
His heart was overflowing with joy, and he loved the feeling. “Claudia, I love you. I’ve never said those words to any woman before.”
“Thank you, Blake. I love you, too.”
The kiss they shared while sitting at the table, would be branded in his mind forever, because he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Claudia was the only woman for him. And if she decided now was a good time to start their wedding night, he certainly wouldn’t turn her down.
But the clicking of a pistol disturbed the air around them, snapping Blake out of his dream-like state. He jumped and jerked toward the threat in the room. In the shadows, he could see the outline of a man with his gun pointed toward Claudia. Blake’s heart sank. This wasn’t Phillip. The man’s frame was lean and not bulky.
Instinct took over, and Blake moved in front of Claudia, trying to block her from a bullet that would inevitably come from that gun. She gasped and clung to his shirt.
Silence filled the room as he waited for the other man to speak. Since the table stood between the mercenary, Blake and Claudia, he hoped to reach down his leg and snatch his derringer hidden in his boot without the other man’s knowledge.
“Are you going to let us see our killer before you do the deed?” Blake asked sarcastically.
The man stepped closer until he came into the light. Claudia gasped again, but it sounded more shocked than fearful.
“Oh, my...” Her voice shook. “Johnny? Is that really you?”
FIFTEEN
Claudia was seeing things. There was no other explanation to why she was looking at a ghost. A ghost with a gun pointed toward her and Blake.
But was that really Johnny? She didn’t recall him having a shaggy beard or having long hair that hung to his shoulders. However, his eyes she remembered. Except now, there was no emotion in them. Whatever had happened to him during the war had turned him into a monster.
Strangely enough, the feelings she’d once had for him were gone. All she could feel for him now was pity. And anger. Why would he want to shoot her? “Johnny? Why are you doing this?”
His hand was steady as he pointed the pistol her way. Over the years, his heart had somehow turned cold – and murderous.
“Don’t take it personally,” he said in a monotone voice. “I’m getting paid good money to kill you and your fiancé.”
“But... why?” Her voice broke. Why would anyone want her dead? Unless... “Is it Phillip? Because if he paid you, you’d better make sure you get your money first. He’s a deceitful man, and I can promise you, he’ll find some excuse to why he can’t pay you.”
Johnny shook his head. “Matthews didn’t pay me. Meyer did.”
Another surprise ripped through her. “Why would the banker want you to kill us?”
“Because he knows I can make it look like an accident.”
Blake’s body stiffened. “Just like you did when you killed Claudia’s father, right?”
Johnny nodded.
Her head pounded as her heart twisted in agony. “You... killed my father?”
“He was mostly gone, anyway.” Johnny shrugged. “I was putting the old man out of his misery.”
A sob tore from her throat and tears streamed down her face. “All because Phillip wants this plantation, right?”
“Yep. It’s the only one that has the resources we need to store and ship weapons.”
“Oh, Johnny,” she cried. “What has happened to you?”
He stepped closer and his glare pierced right through her. “The foolish war happened to me – a war that should never have even started.”
“And yet,” Blake said as his shoulders relaxed slightly, “you and your comrades are willing to start ano
ther war, and this time, it’ll be worse.”
“No,” Johnny snapped, his pistol hand slightly lowering. “Because the Northern sympathizers won’t suspect a thing. They’ll be dead before they know what’s hit them.”
“Let it go, Johnny.” Claudia sniffed back another sob. Thinking she might be able to reason with him better if she was standing in front of him, she tried to pull away from Blake, but he wouldn’t budge. “The war is over. It’s time to get on with your life and forget the past.”
“This cause is my life now, Claudia. I’m sorry I never came back for you, but I’ve been trying to fight a different kind of war now. When the South finally wins, then – and only then – can I get on with my life.”
“But killing people is wrong!” she grumbled angrily.
He squared his shoulders. “It’s called war for a reason.”
“No, Johnny. The war is over, and yet you’re still killing people. And because you are trying to kill us, that makes you more evil than I could ever imagine.”
“Yeah, well... I don’t care. It’s all about money and power now.” He pointed his gun at Blake. “I was well paid to kill you and your fiancé, and I never back down from an assignment.”
Suddenly, Blake’s body jerked, and out of nowhere, his hand flew forward as he pointed a derringer at Johnny and fired. In a flash, Johnny’s body jerked as blood stained the front of his shirt. Seconds later, he fell to the ground.
Sobbing, Claudia tore away from Blake and rushed to the man she’d once loved, kneeling by his side. This wasn’t the man she’d known, but at least he wasn’t alive to kill any more people.
“Claudia, my love.” Blake touched her shoulder. “Please forgive me. I had to shoot him. I couldn’t let him harm you.”
She shook her head, stood, and moved against him. His arms encircled her. She cried against his chest, relieved that the man she loved had saved her.
“Oh, Blake. I don’t blame you for doing your job.” She raised her head and looked into his eyes. “You did what you had to. I’m crying because I’m grateful we are still alive.” She glanced at the dead body in her house. “We should contact Sheriff Burton—”
“No,” Blake said quickly. “He’s one of Phillip’s men.”
She groaned in helplessness. “I should have known that. So, then what are we going to do with Johnny?”
“I’ll take care of his body. Archie Gordon will be coming here soon with reinforcements. Until this town has a sheriff we can trust, the Pinkerton agents need to be the law. President Ulysses S. Grant would agree.”
Fast footsteps pounded in the hallway mere moments before Claudia’s maid entered the room. When Frances saw Johnny’s body, she came to a halt and gasped loudly. Claudia rushed to her maid and took the shocked woman in her arms.
“He tried to kill us,” Claudia explained. “Blake saved us.”
Frances looked up at Claudia. “What can I do to help?”
Blake stepped to them, touching Claudia’s arm. “Do you know where your pa kept his guns?”
“Yes.”
“Get a couple and load them.” He looked at Frances. “Go with Miss Cummings to her room and stay there until you hear from me.”
Panic surged through Claudia, once again. “But what about Grandmama?”
“She’s asleep in her room, so she should be all right. If she wakes up, take her into your room, too.” He glanced at the dead body and shook his head. “I’m going to need a blanket to roll him in.”
“I’ll fetch one,” Frances said before hurrying out of the room.
On shaky legs, Claudia moved to Blake. He held her tightly against his chest and kissed her forehead.
“Blake, tell me everything is going to be all right, and that we will be married soon, and all of this will be over.”
He smiled, but she could tell he didn’t fully believe it. “I assure you that by this time next week, we’ll be married and on our honeymoon.”
Closing her eyes, she rested her head against his chest again. If only she could believe him. The odds against them did not look promising.
THAT NIGHT WAS THE longest Blake had ever endured. He had to trust that Claudia knew how to use a gun and that she would be safe while he was out burying a dead body.
He’d fetched Vincent Brooks to come help him, and while they dug a shallow grave, the sun started to make its appearance. Blake knew they had to get the body buried before the light of day.
He explained to Vincent what had happened so far. His friend appeared just as worried as Blake felt. With only two Pinkerton agents, how could they control the mob Phillip had gathered? And... how many men were there?
“I’m glad you stumbled across this conspiracy,” Vincent said, wiping the back of his gloved hand across his sweaty brow. “But what does this have to do with the stolen jewels?”
Blake rested against the shovel. “I haven’t figured that part out, yet. Unless, Phillip was stealing the jewels as a means to fund their project.”
“But Phillip hasn’t tried to sell the jewels. From what you could tell, they were all accounted for, right?”
Blake nodded. “That and more I didn’t even know about.”
“This is all so confusing.”
“It is, and it’s frustrating that I can’t fit the puzzle pieces together this time. After all, I do have a knack for that kind of thing.”
“Maybe your distraction is because you’ve fallen in love?”
Releasing a heavy sigh, Blake smiled. “Yes, I’ll admit it. I’ve fallen in love. And, I’ll have you know, it’s not because I groveled, either.”
Vincent laughed. “That’s good to know.”
They finished the grave and deposited the dead body before covering it up. Vincent found two pieces of wood and some nails and made a cross to mark the grave. He stood and solemnly looked at the pile of dirt. Blake moved beside him and said a silent prayer that the Lord would help the Pinkerton agents. That was the only way they’d be able to stop this war before it was started.
Together, they walked away from the grave and toward the house. Blake looked up toward Claudia’s window. More light from the sun showed them the way and made objects around them clearer. But through the window, Blake noticed shadows dancing. The hairs on the back of his head stood, and his gut told him that something was dreadfully wrong.
SIXTEEN
Clutching the pistol behind her, Claudia glared at Phillip as he inched closer toward her with a malicious gleam in his eyes. Fear caused her body to tremble, and she worried she wouldn’t be able to shoot him. Although her father had taught her how to use a gun, she’d never had to actually shoot another person before.
She took a quick glance at Frances lying unconscious on the floor. Claudia’s gut twisted. Phillip’s entry into her room had come as a surprise. Claudia and Frances had been chatting about the men in their lives, and the ones they’d fallen in love with, and out of nowhere, Phillip had burst into the room and immediately knocked Frances unconscious.
But now, Claudia was with her crazed cousin all by herself. She’d been dodging out of his grasp while holding the pistol hidden in the folds of her skirt, but she knew he’d eventually overpower her. And, if he realized she had a gun, she knew he’d struggle with her to take control of the weapon.
“You’re not going to win,” she told him, trying to keep her voice from shaking. “We have already removed the man you and Mr. Meyer sent to kill us.”
Phillip paused momentarily, arching an eyebrow. “Removed?”
“Yes. Blake killed him.”
Phillip’s laugh made her ears hurt.
“How ironic, don’t you think, that your current beau killed your former beau?”
“That’s not ironic at all, you imbecile. Johnny was trying to kill us. Blake stopped him. It’s heroic if you ask me.”
“Well, my dear cousin. Where is your hero now?” He laughed harder. “And the question is, will he be able to save you?”
“What are you going
to do to me?”
“Well, first I’ll have my way with you, and then I’ll wrap my hands around your scrawny neck and break it in two. Then I’ll finally be able to claim the plantation.”
She shook her head. “No, you won’t. It will go to my grandmother.”
Grinning, he scratched his neck as his disgusting gaze roamed over her dress. She wanted to vomit, but she held it back. In due time...
“Yes, I’m sure it will go to your grandmother. However, she will be more than happy to have me living here and running the plantation after you’re dead. You see, your grandmother and I have the same hopes and dreams for these southern states. We’re tired of the North running things their way, and we’re going to take back what is ours!”
Claudia shook her head, not believing a word coming from his mouth. “You’re wrong, Phillip. Grandmama is glad the war is over, and she’s happy with the way things are now.”
“That’s what she tells you, but it’s not how she feels.” He came closer, so Claudia scrambled away from him again. “You see,” he continued, “Aunt Ruth is helping me collect the funding needed for our war.” He stopped and folded his arms across his chest, giving her a pathetic grin. “Remember yesterday when Sheriff Burton came to arrest you for stealing jewels?”
Claudia’s heart clenched. She had a feeling where he was going with this, and she didn’t want to hear any of his lies.
“The jewels your grandmother had stolen were purposely placed in your father’s log cabin so that you could get arrested. I’m assuming your fiancé was the one who hid them, right?”
Tears filled her eyes quickly, and she blinked, trying to keep him in focus. But her tears blurred everything. “I don’t believe you, Phillip. You’ve always lied.”
He shrugged, slowly inching his way toward her. “Yes, I lie about a lot of things, but this is one that I’m not lying about. In fact, if you think back, you’ll remember those times once a month when your grandmother went on a trip to visit some of her relatives? She was only gone for a few days. I was with her and we attended parties during those times. She was the one who stole the jewels.”
An Agent for Claudia Page 10
