An Agent for Anna (The Pinkerton Matchmaker Book 13)

  An Agent for Anna

  The Pinkerton Matchmaker

  Book Thirteen

  by Amelia C. Adams

  With thanks to my beta readers—Barbara, Caryn, Cheryl, Joseph, and Mary.

  And with special thanks to Christine

  Sterling, who wrote the prologue.

  Cover design © Virginia McKevitt

  Have you missed any of the preceding books in the Pinkerton Matchmaker series?

  The Pinkerton Matchmaker

  An Agent for Lucy

  An Agent for Wilhelmina

  An Agent for Regina

  An Agent for Claudette

  An Agent for Audrey

  An Agent for Victoria

  An Agent for Elizabeth

  An Agent for Cecily

  An Agent for Charity

  An Agent for Diana

  An Agent for Belle

  An Agent for Arielle

  Table of Contents:

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Prologue

  by Christine Sterling

  Marianne heard the footsteps coming up the porch of the Denver Pinkerton office before she heard the knock on the door. She scrambled to slide the papers inside the envelope on her desk and opened the door just as the figure on the other side was lifting her hand to knock.

  “Yes?” she asked the young lady on the other side of the door. “How can I help you?”

  “Good afternoon. My name is Marcella Francis,” the lady said, and waved to two companions who were hiding behind the bush at the bottom of the stairs. They giggled and walked up the steps to join her. “These are my sisters, Mary and Frances.”

  “Frances Francis?” Marianne asked, trying not to laugh.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Marcella replied.

  “Well, Misses Francis, what can I do for you today?”

  “Well, you see . . .” Marcelle paused as if thinking about what to say next.

  “We need husbands,” Frances Francis announced.

  “Excuse me?” Marianne took a step backwards, placing her fingers up to her throat. I wasn’t expecting that.

  “What she means,” the one called Mary Francis chimed in, “is that we heard the Pinkerton office was the place to get a husband.”

  Marianne stepped out on the porch and closed the door behind her. “I’m not sure what you’ve heard, but I think you are mistaken.”

  “Oh, no mistake,” Frances said.

  “It’s all over town,” Marcella volunteered. “Can I get a dashing one?”

  “One what?” Marianne asked.

  “A husband. There are so many handsome men coming into this building,” Mary said.

  “Yes, it’s all over town,” Marcella repeated.

  “What is?”

  “That this is the place for a woman to get a husband,” Marcella replied. “I watch them whenever I can.”

  “You do?”

  “So, can you help us?” Frances asked.

  “Oh, dear.” Marianne tilted her head and looked at the women in front of her. They were fresh-faced, with nary a line between them. She knew they weren’t a day over nineteen. “I hate to disappoint you, but we aren’t in the business of getting husbands for young ladies. We are hiring female agents. Do any of you have experience?” A look of disappointment passed across the ladies’ faces. “You don’t, do you?”

  They shook their heads in unison. “But we can learn,” Frances said.

  Marianne took Mary by the shoulders and walked her to the steps. Patting her on the back, she tried to offer some words of comfort. “We really need to have agents with experience. I tell you what. Give it a few years and then come back and reapply if you really want to be an agent. The Female Detective Bureau will always be looking for seasoned agents.”

  Marianne watched the ladies walk down the path chattering among themselves. She shook her head, her red curls bobbing as she returned to her desk. She needed to speak to Archie. Not only did she have the agents’ case files to go through, but she needed to tell him of the rumors in town. This is going to require a lot of tea.

  Marianne asked Pearl to prepare a tray and she went to Archie’s office, rapping on the door twice.

  “Come in,” Archie called. He peered over his glasses and waved to Marianne, beckoning her to come in.

  Marianne dropped the envelopes on his desk and took a seat on the chair across from his desk. “The reports are ready for review and then I’ll send them on to Chicago.”

  “Is there anything I should be aware of in these?” He pointed to the papers she just gave him.

  Marianne shook her head. “No, all the agents were thorough in their reports. Some even expressed appreciation for their, uh, partners.”

  Archie smiled. “It was rather brilliant, wasn’t it?”

  Before Marianne could answer, Pearl came in with the tea tray. She put it on the corner of Archie’s desk and poured two cups before leaving. Marianne picked up her cup and blew on the hot liquid before taking a tiny sip.

  “I should probably tell you what happened today,” she said between sips.

  Archie raised an eyebrow and put his cup back on the desk. “I’m listening.”

  Marianne told him about the three sisters who came to the door and the news that women believed they could find husbands at the Pinkerton office. Archie’s face turned from his pale freckled skin to the color of a cooked beet. It clashed against his carrot-red hair. Marianne was worried that he was suffocating.

  “Hotchkiss,” he finally exclaimed. “Hotchkiss must have said something. That is the only way it could have gotten out.”

  “You forget, Archie, that there were several women who went running out of here like the devil himself was after them.”

  Archie appeared to calm down, and soon his color returned to normal. “We have new women arriving weekly. How should we handle this the next go-around? I doubt I’ll be able to get everyone in another mass ceremony. We need to send the agents out almost as soon as they arrive back from the field.”

  Marianne drained her cup and refilled it from the pot. “Why don’t you just match them up as the new agents come into the agency? That way, you don’t have to keep them out of the field until they are assigned a partner. Plus, you can be a bit more discriminating about the type of agents we hire.”

  “True. We aren’t in a rush, since we gained ten new women to the Female Detective Bureau. Kate should be pleased.” He was referring, of course, to Kate Warne, the first female detective.

  “Yes. It is a shame, though, that we did lose a few good agents. It won’t be the same around here without their shenanigans going on.”

  “Perhaps the next group won’t feel the need to partake in those shenanigans. We can get down to the business of solving cases.”

  Marianne sipped her tea. “Of course, Archie. Whatever you say.”

  Chapter One

  Denver, Colorado

  1871

  Liam Mason took a deep breath as he approached the doors of the Pinkerton Detective Agency, Denver office. It didn’t look a thing like the office back in New York, but that was all right—he was after a fresh start, and he wouldn’t get one if his circumstances didn’t change. He’d told his mother that he’d likely be in less danger working out of the Denver office, and while that eased her mind, deep in his heart he hoped that wouldn’t be so. He needed excitement—he needed the thrill of the hunt. Denver had better not turn out to be a desk job—if it did, he might as well leave the agency and become an accountant or a librarian.

  He was ushered into the house by a pert woman who introduced herself as Pearl, and he didn’t have long to wait before she showed him into the main office, the one belonging to the special agent in charge.

  “Thanks for meeting with me, Agent Mason,” Archibald Gordon said, coming to his feet behind his desk and holding out his hand. “We’re glad to welcome you to the Denver office. I know we’re lucky to have you.”

  Liam Mason accepted the handshake and gave a nod to the pretty auburn-haired lady who stood off to the side, next to the window. “Ma’am.”

  “This is Marianne Chapman, my associate,” Agent Gordon said. “Have a seat, Mason.”

  Liam held out a hand. “Miss Chapman?”

  “Well now, aren’t you a gentleman?” She gave him a smile. “You see, Archie, this is how a man should treat a lady—offering her a seat before he takes his own.”

  Liam glanced at Agent Gordon, wondering what had taken place in the room before he entered. Agent Gordon looked implacable, and Miss Chapman turned back to Liam. “Thank you for your kind offer, but I’m quite well.”

  He gave her another nod, then sat.

  Continuing to ignore his associate, Agent Gordon focused his attention on Liam. “What brings you here, Mason?”

  “To be honest, I should have started out in Denver,” Liam replied. “I grew up here, but for some reason, I thought I should stretch my wings somewhere new. I’m glad to be back home.” That was mostly true. It was true for all the reasons that mattered.

  Agent Gordon picked up a telegram from his desk. “Your New York sup
ervisor was Harold Hanks?”

  “That’s right, sir.”

  “Well, he certainly recommended you highly. Said he was sorry to lose you. So, just what brings you back to Denver? Family, I suppose?”

  Liam nodded. “My parents are getting on, and I realized I didn’t want to miss their golden years. I got my wanderlust out of my system, and I’m ready to settle down and be a better son.” He still wasn’t sure to what extent that was possible.

  Agent Gordon raised an eyebrow. “Being a Pinkerton agent is settling down?”

  Liam laughed. “Well, it’s about the only thing I know. I’ll do the work you have for me, whatever it is.”

  “I’m glad to hear that, but the case I’m offering you requires travel. Now that you’re home, are you all right with leaving again?”

  “I am, sir.”

  “Very good. I’ve been contacted by Wilbur Miller—perhaps you know him.”

  “I know of him. I doubt there are many in Denver who don’t.”

  Agent Gordon nodded. “Indeed. He certainly owns enough real estate around here to make him a common topic of discussion. As it turns out, his oldest daughter, Veronica, is set to be married to one of his business associates, a British gentleman who’s about to receive a title of some sort, a duke or an earl. We’ve been asked to escort the young lady safely to the man’s London home so they can prepare for the wedding. Mr. Miller will follow in a few weeks for the ceremony. Mrs. Miller, as you might know, passed away a few years ago.”

  Liam tilted his head to the side. “Why isn’t the family traveling together? It seems odd to send the daughter ahead by herself.”

  Agent Gordon shrugged. “I don’t know the details—just what I was sent in the letter. Are you willing to take on this task?”

  “Of course, sir. I’m glad to help however I can.”

  “I’m glad to hear it. I understand from Hanks that you’re quite experienced with escorting persons of note.”

  “I am, and I enjoy the task.”

  “There is another thing,” Agent Gordon said, now speaking more slowly. “In order to protect Miss Miller’s reputation, it would be best if you took a female agent along with you—someone who would act as a buffer, if you will.”

  “That’s why I was surprised that she’s traveling alone, sir. It’s strange to me that she doesn’t have a companion or maid coming along.”

  “Well, you can ask her about that yourself when you meet her. I’m sure there will be plenty of time to get to know each other as you travel. Now, as far as the female agent is concerned.” Agent Gordon leaned back and steepled his fingers on his chest. “Not only are we worried about protecting Miss Miller’s reputation, but we also have a duty to our female agents, and we’ve found with certain cases in the recent past that it’s best if male and female agents are married.”

  Liam raised an eyebrow. “To each other?”

  “Yes, to each other. Avoiding awkward situations and all that.”

  Liam blinked. “And being married to a total stranger isn’t an awkward situation?”

  “It does present certain difficulties, but it prevents a great many others,” Miss Chapman said from her spot by the window. Liam had almost forgotten she was there—this was her first contribution to the discussion. “And we have everything in place to facilitate an annulment at the end of the case.”

  “I can’t imagine marrying some woman I’ve just met, and doing it for the sake of a job,” Liam protested. “My parents raised me to think of marriage as a sacred contract and to take it seriously.” He shook his head. “I’ve never had a problem keeping my hands to myself—no woman in my company or in my care need ever worry about that.”

  “We trust your integrity implicitly,” Miss Chapman said. “It’s a matter of avoiding the appearance of evil, so to speak.”

  Liam leaned back. “Have you had many agents agree to these . . . unusual terms?”

  “A good handful, and to be honest, many of them had the same reservations,” Agent Gordon said. “We realize we’re asking a lot, but we’re also trying to prevent a lot—and we’ve done some real good. Lives have been saved, property has been returned, and criminals have been caught by our male/female agent teams.” He glanced at Miss Chapman. “And as it turns out, we successfully matched them as spouses, not just partners.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “From the first batch of agent teams we sent out, none of them chose to annul their marriages. So you see, Mason, we aren’t taking it as lightly as it might appear.”

  “They stayed married?” Liam couldn’t wrap his head around that. “They married as strangers, and stayed married?”

  “Having common goals is one way to bring two people together,” Miss Chapman said. “We can’t explain it—we just know that when given the chance, none of the couples chose to annul. Of course, that’s not a guaranteed outcome for every agent, and I don’t imagine they should all want to stay married. Sometimes people work well together in business situations, but would never suit as a married couple.”

  Again, Liam picked up on something floating in the air, but knew it wasn’t his to explore.

  Agent Gordon cleared his throat. “Moving on. If marrying a female agent isn’t an option for you, I can give this assignment to someone else and give you something you can do on your own. I don’t have anything at the moment, but I’d call on you when something came up.”

  That was disheartening. Liam had been hoping to get to work as soon as possible.

  “Or there might be another option,” Miss Chapman said. “If your objection is to marrying a stranger, what if the girl of your choice were to become an agent?”

  Liam blinked. “You’d like me to choose a girl and then invite her to be an agent?”

  “It’s just a suggestion.” Miss Chapman lifted a shoulder. “I was hoping to get you into the field sooner rather than later.”

  Liam pulled in a breath. He didn’t have his eye on any young woman in particular—he’d been focused on his work while in New York, and now that he was back in Denver, he’d imagined that he’d be dividing his time between his parents and his new assignment. Marriage was something he’d figured would wait until he was ready for it. “May I think on it overnight?” he said at last. “When is Miss Miller set to leave Denver?”

  “In three days,” Agent Gordon replied. “So, yes, you may think about it, but not overly long.”

  “Will you be staying here at the agents’ dormitory?” Miss Chapman asked.

  “I thought I’d stay with my parents for a bit and finish up some repairs. Then I’ll decide from there,” Liam replied. He had no idea how long that would take—things were in much worse condition than he’d expected when he arrived home, including some needed patching on the roof. Why hadn’t they said anything to him? Weren’t they aware of how bad things had gotten, or had they been trying not to worry him?

  “Excellent. Just let us know your plans—we always have room.”

  “Thank you.” Liam came to his feet. “I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon with my answer, if that suits. Will that give someone else enough warning about taking the assignment if I decide against it?”

  “We’ll get it figured out,” Agent Gordon said. “You’re our first choice because of your extensive experience with this sort of thing, but we’ll find someone else if that becomes necessary.”

  “Thank you. I’ll be back tomorrow.” Liam gave Agent Gordon a handshake and Miss Chapman a nod, collected his hat from Pearl, and stepped outside. He paused for a moment after pulling the door closed, taking a deep breath. That hadn’t gone at all how he’d anticipated. Marriage? To a total stranger? What sort of job requirement was that?

  Two men were coming up the walk just then, and Liam straightened his shoulders. “Good morning.”

  “Morning,” the first replied. “Are you the agent from New York?”

  “I am. Liam Mason.” He held out his hand.

  “Porter Shaw,” the man said, accepting the shake, “and this is Jack Davis. Welcome to Denver.”

  “Thank you. I’m glad to know you.” Liam paused, wondering if he should ask these men about the marriage stipulation, but decided against it. That was something he’d have to work through on his own—no one could make that decision for him. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”