An Agent for Clementine Page 3

  “Oh no,” he said quickly holding up his hands in a defensive manner. “It’s not that at all. I am on my way to Denver to pick up my first assignment. Archibald Gordon hired me three weeks ago but I had some matters to attend to that suddenly cropped up. He gave me the opportunity to get a few things settled back home before heading out.”

  “You’ve met with Mr. Gordon? What is he like?” Clementine’s heart pumped nervously in her chest. This man knew the person that ran the Agency. If anyone could give her tips or suggestions – it would be her new friend, Jerry. It wouldn’t be blindly going into an interview anymore, but rather it would give her an edge when she finally got to meet the enigmatic man made famous in the newspapers.

  “Very businesslike and professional. A true gentleman with fantastic ideals. I was very inspired meeting with him and talking to him,” Jericho admitted. “It’s part of the appeal of being a Pinkerton. Doing the right thing – because it’s right. I like the idea of upholding the law much better than doing figures all day in an office. What made you want to be an agent?”

  “My independence,” she said wistfully and turned to look out the window as the world flew by.

  Clementine slept fitfully in her seat, regretting that she didn’t spring for the more expensive ticket allowing her the use of a sleeper car. She would nod off and begin to dream, only to be jerked awake as the train hit a bump. She was keenly aware that Jerry had not slept well either, as both kept fidgeting in their seats. They hadn’t said much to each other and it was evident he was trying to give her space. In the morning, he’d purchased a pot of coffee and a large breakfast. She’d skipped her dinner trying to save money but now her stomach growled noisily. Placing her hand over her stomach, she tried to muffle the sound. She knew that eating might make her queasy again.

  As a makeshift table was set up nearby, she looked over curiously. Her mouth began to water as she saw the plate piled high with scrambled eggs, two thick slices of ham, and a bowl of fruit. It looked to be enough to feed an army. She watched as Jerry began to shovel a bit of eggs and fruit onto a plate. He topped it with the ham precariously and looked at her. At his warm smile, she felt something unravel in her. He held out the plate to her. Stunned, she saw him nod encouragingly.

  “You haven’t eaten much,” he explained. “You might feel a bit better on a full stomach.”

  “What if I get ill?”

  “Don’t think like that. What if you feel better and can get a nap because of it? I know we both slept awful. This car seems to be bearing the brunt of the rough rails. I’m hungry and if you are- you are welcome to it.”

  He was truly handsome – both inside and out. A genuinely nice person that she had the opportunity to befriend along the way. He could be an ally in gaining her independence too. Perhaps if she was careful, he could put in a good word for her with Archibald Gordon.

  “Thank you,” she said gratefully and accepted the plate. She watched as he got up, stretched tall, almost touching the ceiling of the rail car and then tried to maneuver the tiny table between the two of them. When his own plate tipped precariously, she yelped in alarm.

  “Jerry! Stop! I don’t need a table- besides- I am grateful for you sharing this at all. Let’s eat while its hot,” she offered, putting the plate onto her lap and trying to balance it. She prayed for a smooth stretch of road and managed to eat most of her meal quickly without spilling anything on her.

  She watched him eat from the corner of her eyes, half expecting him to wolf it down. Instead, he used a fork and knife elegantly, showing that he’d had etiquette lessons at some point. It was the way he held the utensils, positioning them, and cutting his meat that gave him away.

  Jerry was dressed in a simple cotton shirt and twill trousers. Nothing extraordinary. He didn’t wear a blazer or hat, no suspenders or cufflinks, to give him away. He dressed the part of a plain and normal man. He might pretend to be just another guy, but she was willing to bet that he was from an upper echelon of society. She’d seen workers in town. Sunburned, scarred, or deeply tanned skin, or even stained fingernails from work conditions. She expected to see heavily callused fingers or scuff marks on his boots – but there was none of it.

  The food, while it looked exceptional –was passable and filling. She’d been hungry and wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth. He was utterly polite and spoke easily as they finished their meals.

  “Thank you again for sharing with me. It was quite unexpected.”

  “Truthfully,” he began quietly, his blue eyes watching her. The room suddenly seemed to get much warmer as she noticed a flicker of something in his eyes. “I am fortunate to have met such a lovely woman. You mentioned a betrothal earlier – I hope he realizes what a lucky man he is.”

  Oh yes! Her temperature was rising! Fanning herself with a napkin, she dabbed at her forehead politely and looked away. It was ridiculous to be attracted to a man she barely knew – she who was promised to another! Glancing back at Jerry, she sat frozen for a moment unable to focus. His beautiful blue eyes had flecks of gray in them, surrounded by thick blonde lashes. His aquiline nose looked like something you’d see on a statue in a museum. He wasn’t just tall; the man was broad and muscular- something she was keenly aware of the more she looked at him.

  “What did you say?” she whispered, incoherently- shaking her head.

  “I said, I hope your betrothed knows what a lucky man he is,” he repeated with a soft smile. His finger brushed her cheek softly and touched a stray hair that had been bothering her all morning long.

  “We don’t know each other,” she admitted, staring into Jerry’s eyes. “We’ve never even met nor seen one another.”

  Her heart pounded in her chest as he leaned towards her. The din of the people talking around her faded away to nothingness as she stared at his lips. He hesitated for the briefest of moments, giving her mind enough time to absorb what was happening.

  “We shouldn’t do this – I shouldn’t!” Clementine whispered softly, staring up at him. She felt torn. Everything in her wanted to know what it would be like to kiss a man. She’d never done so and the feelings that were swirling in her were so very new. She wanted to savor them, analyze them, and fondly remember how she responded to a simple show of affection.

  “I am to be married,” she explained as an apology. “Another time, another place and… I…” Clementine stammered nervously, unable to finish her sentence. Instead of Jerry being upset or angry at the dismissal, he looked disappointed, almost sad. His hand dropped from her cheek and he took her hand in his.

  “You are right,” Jerry admitted. “Brilliant and beautiful- a deadly combination. We’ll focus on being friends since there is a chance we may see each other if we are both to be Pinkertons in the near future.”

  “I’d like that and could sincerely use a friend to talk to.”

  “Then you have one, Miss Liberty – and if your betrothal falls through,” he said suddenly with a roguish wink. “Let me know that too. Until then, I think we could both use a nap since things seem to be going smoothly.”

  Clementine laughed lightly and squeezed his hand before releasing it. A nap was a wonderful idea. Her belly was full and he was right. The rails did seem to be running a bit smoother and wasn’t as jarring to the senses. Leaning back, she tried to get comfortable in the chair. Jerry cleared his throat loudly, causing her to crack open one eye and stare at him.

  “My lovely friend,” he said quietly. “Would you like to lean on my shoulder and rest so you don’t end up with a pain in your neck? You might sleep better.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “With all these people around us, nothing improper will happen.”

  “Says the man who almost kissed me a moment ago?”

  “I thought you almost kissed me,” he retorted with a wink. “Not the other way around.”

  “You’re incorrigible.”

  “And offering to make you more comfortable.”

  She hesitated fo
r a moment and looked around. Several others were busy talking amongst themselves. She and Jerry were seated at the back of the car and no one was paying attention. Leaning towards him, she tucked her head on his upper arm since his shoulder was just out of reach.

  “Don’t try anything,” she reminded him.

  “Not unless you ask me to,” he whispered, but Clementine had already begun to drift off. She wasn’t going to respond to a phrase she was pretty sure she imagined. She was truly worn out and this was the most comfortable she’d been in almost twenty-four hours.

  5

  Clementine felt her entire world turned upside down – literally. A horrifying, metallic screech jarred her from slumber just in time to be thrown against the wall of the passenger car. Her body smacked heavily into the metal siding and the pane of glass that was the window she’d looked out of earlier this morning. The glass shattered with a resounding pop that sounded like gunfire. The breath was knocked out of her when Jerry’s large form suddenly landed directly on top of her.

  “Liberty! Hang on!” he shouted seconds before she felt everything turn once again. She wanted to take a breath of his cologne and felt his words against her cheek – but instead of comfort, it brought anxiety and fear. She could hear it in his voice as bodies flew around wildly around her in the air. Grabbing at anything around her, she tried to do as Jerry instructed.

  Problem was – there was nothing to hang on to!

  As the car toppled again, flinging them bodily onto the roof of the passenger car, Clementine’s body roared with pain. The train car tipped precariously once again, tossing the riders onto the opposite side of the wall. This time, Jerry grabbed at her. His hands took possession of her, almost indelicately, and if had been during any other moment- she’d have slapped his hands away. Instead, she grabbed his shirt front to hang on for dear life. Jerry covered her body with his own in a protective cocoon, taking the brunt of the impact from other riders who were being tossed about.

  “What is happening?” she yelped, hearing him grunt in pain. He held firmly to her as the car flipped one more time, coming to a rest finally. Dazed, she looked up at him in shock. He pushed a piece of a small wooden table away from her and yanked several other loose objects away from them with ferocity. He carefully smoothed her cheek, his eyes racing over her skin. Immediately, his hand cupped her chin as he looked at her nodding.

  “Are you okay?” he asked quickly.

  “A bit shaken and tossed about,” she replied, putting her own hand upon his. “What has happened?”

  “I think we’ve derailed.”

  At that moment, they both heard shouts mingled with tearful crying. Their eyes locked in alarm as screams of horror came from nearby. Not everyone was as well off as they were. When she’d hit the window pane, the first thing she’d pictured was her body flying through it and landing outside of the train car. Then when the car flipped again, she was almost certain that she would break her neck. Instead, Jerry grabbed her against him and his own body took the brunt of the impact.

  “You protected me,” she whispered amazed and surprised at the man before her. He’d cradled her against him as much as humanly possible. She’d felt him clench and the impact each time he hit something. The only thing that she’d hit after the initial lurch was Jerry.

  “I couldn’t let you get hurt.”

  “Those other people,” she suddenly exclaimed, hearing yelling again. “They must be really injured or dying. We have to help them.” As Clementine got to her feet, wobbling from the shock of it all, her head was still reeling from being tossed about like a marble in a tin can. Steadying herself, she heard something that made her blood run cold.

  “Well, well… what do we have here?”

  Glancing at Jerry, she saw his face was frozen in a restrained mask. His demeanor was eerily calm, yet his eyes were hard – concerned. Clementine took that moment to look away from him and glanced slowly over her shoulder to see a man standing not far from where she was.

  Pointing a gun directly at her.

  Clementine didn’t move an inch. She had no idea where her bag that held her knives had landed, nor did she think they would be of any use against a gun. She issued a silent prayer that no one in the passenger car had been harmed from her bag being tossed about. She didn’t know how she could handle the guilt of unknowingly injuring someone.

  Hearing an explosion, she ducked involuntarily as she realized that someone had just been shot in another train car. The screaming and crying that she’d heard a few moments ago started up again, grating on her already frazzled nerves. It wasn’t just any derailment! The train was being held up!

  “Miss, maybe you might have a bit more information as to where the safe is located on this train?” the tall man nearby asked her quietly. His voice made her keenly aware that he was dangerous – it wasn’t just the gun. There was something about his stance that told her he’d done this before. He looked almost bored – like he was itching for something to amuse or occupy him.

  “Or what? You’ll shoot me too?” Clementine said bravely in the silence. She heard Jerry’s breath catch and nearly groaned aloud at her runaway mouth. If she got killed for that stupid comment, St. Peter would surely swat her knuckles at the pearly gates. Ironically, the thief laughed snidely and waved the gun at her, indicating her to step to the side.

  “I like you, little spitfire,” he said lightly, walking closer to where Clementine was. “But that doesn’t mean the rest of these fellers can get away with talking to me like that too. No one talks to Jesse James like that and lives very long. Ya get me woman?”

  Jerry got to his feet slowly and pushed Clementine behind him. The outlaw’s expression got awfully dark as he glared at Jerry. The two men sized each other up quietly. Her heart was pounding nervously as another pop from the other train car echoed in the silence.

  “You her husband?” Jesse said snidely, waving the gun at Clementine as she peered around Jerry’s shoulder.

  “Yes, and she’s always had a tart mouth on her. The safe was in the other train car,” Jerry said quickly and Clementine almost stomped on his foot in retaliation for him claiming she had a smart mouth – and the fact that he claimed she was his wife!

  “It’s a right pretty mouth and you are a smart man. I’d marry a feisty one too – they are a lot more fun behind closed doors,” Jesse said with a wink at Jerry as if they were in cahoots.

  “Well, I…” Clementine gasped, scandalized, only to have Jerry’s hand clamp down over her mouth. He spun her around, pulled her closer, and tightened his grip around her. Muffled sounds escaped her as she wanted to order Jerry to release her.

  “Jesse! We found it! But it ain’t got no seventy-grand inside. It looks near plumb empty!” a heavily accented voice called out from the other car. A face leaned in, looking at the outlaw that held the gun. “Whatcha want to do?”

  “We’ll be relieving these poor folks of their valuables and heading out. If any of them argue or put up a fuss – shoot ‘em. Be quick about it, Frank, and let’s get out of here.”

  “You got it, Jesse.”

  Shocked, the other man yanked a crushed hat off the ground and held it out, upside down. Several people began to empty their pockets and removed jewelry from their person. As he walked over, Jerry’s eyes stared at her harshly.

  “I’m going to remove my hand- don’t say a word, Liberty. Got it?”

  She nodded and took a deep breath as she was freed of his grasp. Jerry removed his pocket watch and chain, dropping it into the hat. He then gently tapped at her earbobs and nodded. Reaching up, Clementine quickly removed them from her earlobes and dropped them into the hat.

  “Any of you got a wallet or coin purse?”

  “I’m not sure where it went during the derailment,” she answered honestly and Jerry quickly nodded.

  “Hurry it up, Frank! We gotta go!”

  “I’m movin’ Jessie. Sheesh!”

  The two men headed out of the doorway. She could
see them leaving the scene carrying a few heavily laden bags over their shoulders to horses nearby. The broken panes of glass and twisted metal of the train made an eerie frame around their departure. Numbly, Clementine surveyed the chaos around them. People sat staring at each other among broken wreckage. Some had limbs laying at odd angles, and a few people looked as if they were sleeping, knocked out, or worse. The scenery blurred strangely as she felt her world collapsing around her. She’d just survived a train derailment and armed robbery. She couldn’t contain the ragged gasp that escaped her as her bottom lip trembled nervously.

  “Halloooo!” Clementine heard called out nearby and saw a conductor’s face appear in the distance. “Everyone please stay put and we’ll ascertain the damages. Is anyone in medical need?”

  Several cries rose up around her, making Clementine search for something to support her before she collapsed in shock. Her hand made contact with something warm and she stared at the tanned hand holding her own. Slowly, she followed the arm to see that Jerry had laced his fingers with hers. He pulled her to him, wrapping her in a hug as she let out a ragged sob as the reality of what had just happened hit her.

  “Sir! Is your wife alright? Is she injured?”

  “She’s traumatized by what has happened,” Jerry quickly explained, holding tightly to Clementine’s body. She could feel herself trembling involuntarily against him. “I’d like to get her outside for some fresh air. Do you know how they stopped the train?”

  He pulled her towards the doorway, stepping over debris and making room for others to get much needed aide. Glancing up, she saw that he had several scratches on his face as well as a spot that was swelling up on his temple where he’d hit his head.

  “Are you okay?” she asked in alarm.

  “I’m fine,” he told her gently, smoothing her hair back. He leaned down and kissed her forehead where her hairline was. Clementine didn’t even balk at this, rather she took comfort in the simplistic show of affection.