An Agent for Emily Read online

  Todd smiled. “I don’t think we have much to fear from a pistol-wielding corset wearer, but we do need to be careful, of course. We don’t have any current reason to suspect that Mr. Astor is physically dangerous, but assumptions should never be made.”

  “And if it’s not Mr. Astor after all? Will we have stirred up the bee’s nest by poking around?”

  “We certainly hope so. An agitated bee will make mistakes, and will be easier to find.” Todd leaned back and considered Miss Gray. He’d been told she was a beauty, and he wasn’t disappointed. Her features were classic and delicate, most certainly attention-getting. He also suspected that she wasn’t as helpless as she wanted them to believe. Why did she want to appear that way? Was she hoping to gain something from it? Whatever her reason, he didn’t believe her act. She could pretend at innocence, but she was an intelligent young woman, and he had no doubt she would show those colors before long.

  Miss Gray turned to Mrs. Mason. “So, you came to the house before breakfast, brought along the man who injured me more than anyone else on earth, proposed to put me in danger, and did it all in front of Mother and Father? Gracious, Anna. Are you trying to make Mother even more ill with that kind of surprise?”

  “I spoke with Mother and Father about it before we ever called you downstairs,” Mrs. Mason replied. “It wouldn’t have been fair otherwise.”

  “You asked them before you asked me? As though I’m some kind of child?”

  Mrs. Mason raised an eyebrow. “First you’re angry because you thought I surprised them, and now you’re angry that I told them first? And you wonder why I treat you like a child. Please decide what you’re angry about and then we’ll discuss it. I can’t keep up with you when you’re flip-flopping like a fish.”

  Todd had to press his lips together to keep from smiling. A glance at Liam told him that his friend was in much the same predicament.

  Miss Gray pulled in a long breath. “I merely find it frustrating that you didn’t come to me first. I would have liked to make my decision independent of their opinion.”

  “The decision was always yours to make, regardless of what they said,” her sister told her. “But I couldn’t march in and take you away without consulting them. You know how Father dotes on you.”

  “Yes, I do. I might even say that he does it overly much, but I confess, I enjoy it.”

  Mrs. Mason sighed. “I’ve noticed, dear sister. Now, while we’re out of Mr. Tobler’s hearing, I need you to be honest with me. Will you be able to pretend to have feelings for him while you’re around Mr. Astor and his friends? Can you put aside your disdain long enough to gather the evidence we need?”

  “Part of moving around in society is pretending to like people one doesn’t necessarily like,” Miss Gray replied. “I’ve been pretending for years, and I’ve done a rather good job of it. You can count on me.”

  “I’m very glad to hear it.”

  Just then, the carriage pulled to a stop, and Todd looked out the window to see that they had arrived at the Pinkerton office. The carriage door opened, and Mr. Tobler was there with his hand outstretched to help Miss Gray down to the ground. As soon as her skirts cleared the doorway, Todd turned to Liam and said in a low voice, “Are you sure about this?”

  Liam grinned. “She has you worried, does she?”

  “I’m not sure what I think. I suspect she has quite a clever brain under all that flaxen hair, and I also suspect that she’s quite cunning. No offense, Mrs. Mason. I know she’s your sister.”

  “You couldn’t possibly offend me by speaking the truth,” Mrs. Mason replied. “And it’s Anna, by the way. Liam has spoken so highly of you, I feel as though we ought to be good friends.”

  “And so we will be. Thank you, Anna.” He gave her a nod, then turned back to Liam. “I’ve trained my fair share of new agents, but this one seems . . . well, she seems to expect the world to operate on her terms and no one else’s.”

  “You’re not wrong. I think you’ll get it figured out, though—you’re one of the best trainers I’ve ever seen.” Liam clapped Todd on the shoulder, then alighted from the carriage, where Miss Gray was waiting for them. Rather impatiently waiting.

  “Well, here we are,” Todd said as he joined them. “Are you ready, Miss Gray?”

  “As I’m not sure what to expect, I can’t say whether I am or not,” she replied. “I’ll just assume that I am and we can go from there.”

  Anna gave her a quick hug. “Best of luck, and I’ll look forward to hearing all about it.”

  “Wait,” Miss Gray called out as her sister turned back toward the carriage. “What do you mean? Where are you going?”

  “We’ve delivered you to the Pinkerton office, as promised,” Anna told her. “Now it’s up to you and Todd.”

  “You’re not coming with us? You’re just leaving us here?” Miss Gray sounded a little panicked.

  “It’s all right, my dear,” Mr. Tobler said, coming to her side. “You’re in safe company.”

  She gave him a furious look. “I’m not concerned about my safety. I’m more concerned about yours if I’m left in your proximity.”

  “And that’s why I’m here,” Todd interjected, then paused. “Actually, no. I’m here to investigate a case, as I was hired to do by my client. Perhaps the two of you had better work out your differences before we arrive at the Astor party. Otherwise, we won’t have any success in convincing everyone that you’ve decided to patch things up.”

  “Yes, we should certainly do that,” Mr. Tobler said. “Will you have dinner with me tonight, Emily? We could talk about everything.”

  She looked at him like he was the mysterious substance she’d just scraped from the bottom of her shoe. “I suppose that would be all right,” she said after a long moment. “Now, why are we here? Shall we go inside and do . . . whatever it is we’re supposed to be doing here?”

  “Yes, we shall,” Todd said. He held out his arm in a sweeping motion, and his two new cohorts preceded him up the walk. If he didn’t lose his mind on this case, it would be a miracle.

  Chapter Two

  The redheaded man behind the desk came to his feet as Emily entered his office. “Miss Gray,” he said, holding out his hand. “You’ve no idea how many good things I’ve heard about you.”

  “You must be Agent Gordon,” she said, accepting his hand. “My sister has been full of compliments about you, too.”

  “This is Miss Marianne Chapman, my associate,” Agent Gordon continued, motioning to a pretty woman who sat to the side of his desk. “She was particularly glad to hear that you’d be working with us—she was quite impressed by Anna, and believes there’s something special about the Gray sisters.”

  “We are a rather special lot, but I’m sure you’ll find us quite different,” Emily replied. “Anna is the adventurous, outgoing one. I’m neither adventurous nor outgoing.”

  “I beg to differ,” Mr. Tobler said, speaking from behind her. “I find you quite outgoing.”

  “That’s in limited social circumstances,” she told him. Now wasn’t the time for him to be flattering her or complimenting her—it was annoying. There would be opportunity for all that later, although she couldn’t promise it would be any less annoying then.

  “Won’t you all have a seat?” Miss Chapman said. “I’m sure you’d be more comfortable.”

  Emily noticed that Mr. Tobler took a seat rather near her left elbow. Agent Wilcox sat to her right, but he gave that elbow a bit more of a respectable distance.

  Once they were settled, Agent Gordon pulled a file closer to him on the desk. “I see that you’re to attend the Astors’ house party this weekend,” he said. “You have suitable clothing for the event?” He glanced between the three of them.

  “Yes, I brought my evening clothes with me from New York,” Agent Wilcox said.

  “And I have any number of gowns at my disposal. Almost an embarrassment of them, really,” Emily said with a chuckle, although she wasn’t embarrassed by th
em at all. A young woman in society simply must have a generous assortment of gowns, even if she hadn’t gone out in several weeks. She should be ready for anything.

  “As do I. Er, suits, that is. Not gowns,” Mr. Tobler said, scrambling to correct himself.

  “Good, good,” Agent Gordon replied. “Miss Gray, you understand that Agent Wilcox is highly trained and knows what to do in any situation you might encounter. You are to do what he says without question, and under no circumstances are you to do anything that could be considered dangerous. You are not an agent, you will not be armed, and you do not have the authority to conduct or guide any portion of this investigation. Mr. Tobler, this applies to you as well. Have I made myself clear?”

  “Yes, sir,” Emily said, and she heard Mr. Tobler echo her.

  “Good. You see, we can’t have regular civilians thinking to play hero and running off and getting themselves in trouble. That causes a heap more problems than we started out with.” As Agent Gordon spoke, she picked up on a bit of a lilt in his voice, and she liked it. Scottish, she believed. “Just let those with the training handle anything tricky.”

  Emily nodded. She was more than all right with leaving the difficult tasks to Agent Wilcox. She was there as decoration, after all, and she believed that’s what she was best suited for anyway.

  “Agent Wilcox will be in charge in instructing you about the case,” Agent Gordon went on. “You’re to consider him your superior throughout the investigation. I’m overseeing things, of course, but all questions and concerns should be taken to him. Unless he’s your topic of concern, but that’s not expected, I’m sure.” Agent Gordon chuckled, as though amused by his joke, and Emily granted him a polite smile.

  “Agent Wilcox seems the perfect gentleman. I’m sure we’ll get along quite well.”

  “Excellent. Excellent. That will be important, you see.” Agent Gordon suddenly seemed uncomfortable. “There’s a stipulation we haven’t yet told you about, Miss Gray.”

  “Oh? What sort of stipulation?”

  He cleared his throat. “You, of course, are aware of the unusual circumstances surrounding your sister’s marriage.”

  “Yes. She and Liam married as part of their cover, and they chose to remain married at the close of the case.” Emily raised an eyebrow. “What does that have to do with me?”

  Agent Gordon glanced over at Miss Chapman, who chose to take up the narrative. “We’ve found that it’s more appropriate to send young ladies out into the field when they are married to their trainer,” she explained. “We couldn’t possibly ask you to spend so much close time with a man unless there were protections in place for your reputation.”

  Emily couldn’t understand what she was hearing. “You want me to marry Agent Wilcox? But he’s posing as my cousin, isn’t he? Wouldn’t it make more sense for me to marry Mr. Tobler?” She paused. “Oh, no. Gracious, no. I’m not marrying Mr. Tobler—I’m not marrying anyone. And this part of the arrangement should have been explained to me before I ever left home this morning.” She stood up. “I’m afraid you’ve all wasted your time. Mr. Tobler, best of luck—I’m sure you’ll find a way to get your money back. It was nice to meet you all, and I’ll be on my way now.”

  “Miss Gray, wait,” Agent Gordon said as she turned to stride out of the room. “Please, hear us out.”

  Emily swiveled back and gave the man a smile. “What I’m hearing is that you’d like me to marry a man I’ve known less than half an hour on behalf of another man who has been the cause of my utter public humiliation. Perhaps my natural selfishness is showing, Agent Gordon, but dare I ask, what’s in this for me? Why should I make this long list of sacrifices when there’s no benefit whatsoever to myself?”

  “The truth, Miss Gray, is that there aren’t many benefits for you in this situation,” Agent Gordon said. “As Pinkerton agents, we don’t receive public accolades or take home large bonuses at the end of the day. We do what we do because it’s the right thing. We could all tuck ourselves up in our homes and sigh about the state of the world while sipping our tea, but we choose to be the ones taking action and making the world a better place. The fewer criminals on the streets, the safer we all are, Miss Gray. Every one of us.”

  Emily sank back into her chair. “You’re trying to appeal to my sense of decency? Hasn’t it occurred to you, Agent Gordon, that I might not have one? I mentioned my natural selfishness—I wasn’t being humorous. I was speaking the truth.”

  “I find it hard to believe you could be that selfish,” Agent Gordon said with a chuckle.

  “Oh, I assure you, I’m not just being modest. I’ve never cooed over a newborn baby or felt sorry for a fallen bird or stopped my carriage to give a coin to a beggar—to be frank, I don’t even see them and they must be pointed out to me. My sister despairs of me every day because I’m not attuned with the suffering of the world the way she is. The nice thing about me is that I’m aware of it and I make no pretense about it.”

  “I do appreciate your honesty, Miss Gray. It does you credit.” Agent Gordon tapped the file with his finger, then glanced over at Miss Chapman. Emily didn’t know if some kind of silent communication passed between them, but when he turned back to face her, his eyes were solemn. “Thank you for your time this morning, Miss Gray. We’ll see to it that you’re returned safely to your home.”

  “I appreciate that. It was a pleasure to meet you.” Emily came to her feet again, grateful to be released from this most uncomfortable interview. “Mr. Tobler, Agent Wilcox.”

  Each man nodded in turn, and she stepped past them into the hallway.

  “May I get you anything, miss?” The maid who had welcomed them when they arrived was waiting by the front door as though she somehow knew Emily would be leaving.

  “I’m told a carriage can be arranged for me?”

  “Of course. Absolutely.” She paused. “It’s rather a shame that you’re leaving, though.”

  “Oh? Why is that?” Emily looked at the girl. “What was your name again?” She couldn’t remember if she’d ever heard it. Not that it mattered.

  “I’m Pearl, miss.”

  “Pearl, why is it a shame that I’m leaving?”

  “Because this is the best place in all the world, with the kindest people.”

  Emily shook her head. “I’m glad to hear that you’re so loyal to your employers, but I hardly think that can be true. They want me to marry Agent Wilcox to protect my reputation, although that makes no sense whatsoever when he’s supposed to be my cousin. That doesn’t seem like a kindness to me.”

  Pearl laughed. “Oh, I know it seems odd, miss, but several of our agents have gotten married now, and it seems to be working a charm. Cases are being solved much quicker with the men and women working together, and it’s doing wonders for everyone’s morale, too. Why, Agent Mason and his sweet new wife—she’s your sister, isn’t she? They seem very happy together.”

  “But that’s just the thing! I have no intention of being Mrs. Agent Wilcox. I intend to marry a wealthy man, Pearl, a man who owns a house even bigger than this one.” Emily waved her hand around to indicate the large building where they stood. “I could never live on an agent’s salary. It’s not possible.”

  “But you don’t have to stay married, miss. It’s just for the duration of your case. Agent Gordon and Miss Chapman have things all arranged with the judge so you can have a quick annulment as soon as you like.”

  “An annulment?” Hmm. “Just how many of these married agents have chosen to get an annulment?”

  Pearl looked uneasy. “Well, I don’t have the numbers in front of me right now, miss, so I couldn’t say for sure . . .”

  “I’m quite sure you could give me an estimate.”

  Pearl winced. “Everyone’s chosen to stay married so far, miss.”

  Emily took a step back. “Everyone? Surely you’re joking.”

  “There’s something romantic about solving a case together, miss. It’s undeniable.” Pearl looked a littl
e dreamy as she spoke.

  “I would most certainly deny it. Thank you for your help, Pearl. My decision is even more settled now.” Emily grasped the door handle. “Please let the driver know that I’m waiting out front.”

  “Yes, miss.”

  Emily stepped out onto the porch and pulled the door shut behind her. This might be a good day to go back to bed and have her meals brought up. She was definitely not feeling very robust at the moment, although she was angry in spades.

  Chapter Three

  “Well, that’s that,” Mr. Tobler said, coming to his feet. “Miss Gray has most definitely said no. I might as well cut my losses and try to move on with what I have remaining.”

  “You can’t mean to give up.” Todd shook his head incredulously. “Yes, bringing Miss Gray into the picture was a good idea, but it was just one idea of potentially dozens. You and I can still attend this party. I’ll be the no-good son of your late sister, and I’ll spend my time partially drunk wooing the ladies. We’ll get the information we need, Tobler. Mark my words.”

  “I confess, believing that Miss Gray would be with us gave me courage to move forward with this plan, but without her . . .” Mr. Tobler shook his head. “I’m sorry for wasting your time, everyone. Please bill me for the expenses you’ve incurred to date and I’ll pay you immediately.”

  “Nonsense.” Miss Chapman’s eyes flared, and she pointed to the chair Mr. Tobler had just vacated. “Please be seated, Mr. Tobler.”

  He sat back down, looking too intimidated to argue.

  “It’s ridiculous to think that one fly in the ointment is enough to call an end to the entire investigation,” Miss Chapman continued. “How did you manage to accumulate your wealth in the first place with such a fatalistic attitude? Surely you encountered difficulties before without crumbling.”

  “True, true. But I was a younger man then, with more hope . . .”

  “Gracious. I haven’t heard this much whining since the last time I visited the orphanage.” Miss Chapman looked thoroughly disgusted. “Agent Wilcox just presented a very good alternative plan, and if you don’t take him up on it, you’re a fool. Mr. Tobler, a man is only as great as the strength of his integrity and the mettle of his soul. Reach deep and find that mettle, sir. Otherwise, you’ve given your entire life’s work away for nothing more than a bad case of cowardice.”