SNEAK PEEK - An Agent for Claudia

We all like sneak peeks, right? For those readers who are following the Pinkerton Matchmaker series, my book will be here in a few days!!

SNEAK PEEK...

A stone bench beckoned her, and she breathed an exhausted sigh as she sat down. She literally loathed these parties. All society wanted to do was create gossip and ruin people’s lives. Why couldn’t her neighbors leave her in peace and let her live the way she wanted without being so judgmental?

She prayed every night Johnny would return and save her from greedy men like Phillip. The whole time Johnny had been a soldier for their dear confederate land, she’d watched for the monthly list of casualties, but his name was never on it. He’d promised her that they’d marry right after the war ended. They were in love, and nothing would stop their dreams. But time passed quickly and threatened to squash her future plans.

Charleston’s heat nearly suffocated her, and she longed to pull apart the first two buttons on her bodice to allow air to cool her a bit. Instead, she adjusted the yellow skirt over her legs, careful not to disrupt the neatly laced shorter skirt around her waist. What a bother to have to wear all of these layers when it was much cooler to lounge in her chemise inside her room next to an open, shaded window.

A group of men’s jovial voices neared her secluded spot. She held her breath and stayed still, praying they would walk past and not bother her seclusion. Luckily, they were content to stand on the other side of the hedges and smoke their pipes and cigars. She whipped her fan out to wave the stench of their bad habits away from her face.

“Doesn’t Miss Tandy look lovely today? I don’t think I’ve seen her mother chasing after her as she usually does.”

The voice sounded like Frank Winslow, a man who was engaged to marry Bethlyn Mayweather, a good friend of Claudia’s. She rolled her eyes. Men. Sometimes they were worse than women with their gossip.

The men chuckled, and then their laughs quieted. “Actually, it is Miss Cummings I have my eye on.”

The voice was one she didn’t recognize, and she leaned closer to the hedges to hear what this particular man had to say about her. She would box his ears if he said something inappropriate.

“Indeed?” Adam Carlton asked. “I’m assuming you’ve not met the woman before.”

Claudia gnashed her teeth. Adam was very close to being reprimanded in front of his friends.

“No, I have not yet had the privilege,” the unrecognizable voice said.

The men laughed again, their humor grating on her already frazzled nerves.

“Ah, that explains it. She’s a scrumptious vision, to be sure, but once you get to know her, she’s as cold as ice.”

Fuming, she jumped to her feet, but her legs wouldn’t allow her to move any further. She’d teach that Frank Winslow to open his mouth and speak nonsense about her… if she could convince her feet to walk around the hedges first.

“She seems like such a charmin’ lady,” the strange voice replied.

“Oh, she is charming, but…”

Whatever happened during the silence made the men laugh. Anger coursed through her until she was ready to scream. But she remained still, listening.

“Winslow is right,” Henry Williams said. “Miss Cummings is as frigid as a glacier. Her family has money, plenty of it, but the little filly is not going to share. She’s half crazy, believing her dead soldier will suddenly come back into her life and marry her. She refuses to look at any other man. She’ll die an old maid, I’ll bet good money on it.”

A heavy pulse throbbed in her skull and brought tears to her eyes. How dare they talk about her as if… as if… She swallowed hard and placed her hand to her chest, reminding herself to breathe slower before her head exploded.

Although she hated to admit it, they were right about one thing. She wasn’t ready to look at another man until she learned what had really happened to Johnny. After all, he still held her heart and she would only marry the love of her life.

“That’s unfortunate,” the strange man was saying. “I think she’s a lovely woman with a warm smile.”

Taking a deep breath, she nodded. At least one man was on her side.

“Do you, by chance, have ideas about trying to steal her heart?” Henry chuckled.

“Perhaps.”

The men roared with laughter again. “I would certainly love to see you try,” Adam said. “In fact, I’m willing to place a bet on this.”

She gasped, quickly covering her hand over her mouth, hoping they hadn’t heard.

“A bet, you say?” the stranger asked.

“Yes.” Adam’s high-pitched laugh unnerved her greatly. “I bet you a month’s salary that you won’t be able to charm the Ice Queen.”

The other men gathered around voiced their agreement toward the bet. “I’m not sure,” said the stranger. “I’m low on funds as it is.”

“Ah, come now. You’re a handsome, strapping young man. I think you should at least give it a try. You never know, you might win.”

How she’d like to throttle her so-called friends right here and now. Yet a part of her wanted to side with the stranger, even though she knew he’d never win. But more than anything, she’d like to show those others that she was not an Ice Queen.

Then again, perhaps she was. She wanted only one man – her soldier.

The men’s laughter faded with their retreating footsteps. Good. They were gone. Now she could come out of hiding. She peeked around the edge to see how far they had walked. Frank, Henry, Adam, and the other man headed toward the river’s edge. She tiptoed from behind the hedges, keeping her eyes on them. Who was that man with them, anyway?

When the group laughed again, the stranger turned his head, allowing her to see his profile. She sucked in a quick breath. Mr. Bentley. He was the stranger Phillip had told her about. No wonder he’d studied her so intently during her dance with Phillip.

How very interesting.

As she watched them, she bunched her hands into fists. If only she could teach them a lesson for spreading false rumors and being so vicious.

Ideas swirled in her head and she grinned. She was not a malicious person by nature, but after what she’d overheard, she wanted to get back at them in some way. It might be the only way she could repair the damage done to her heart.

Coming to a decision, she grinned. She would have fun at their expense and perhaps make some money herself. That would be the perfect revenge.

 

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Excerpt - An Agent for Cecily

I can't wait for December 7th. My next release, a historical romance that's part of the multi-author series "The Pinkerton Matchmaker" - will be released. I've sent the story out to my advanced readers, and already they're letting me know how much they love this story and they 'can't put it down'. I love it when readers tell me that!!

So here's a little teaser from my upcoming story!

There’s only one way to escape Cecily Sheldon’s insane family – take on someone else’s identity. Along with this new identity comes a new job. Of course, to become a Pinkerton Agent, she must marry a male agent who will train her. Now she needs to keep her true identity hidden from Broderick Tanner for fear he’ll arrest her along with her father and brothers. Perhaps living a double life wasn’t a good choice after all.

Excerpt:

Cecily entered the Pinkerton Agency Office, and noticed several other ladies waiting in the lobby. They appeared as nervous as she was. And thankfully, none of them were dressed for a real wedding.

Mr. Gordon’s secretary, Marianne, moved from one woman to the other, whispering something in their ear and giving them a reassuring hug. When the woman reached Cecily, she smiled and squeezed Cecily’s hands.

“You are breathtaking, Miss Livingston,” Marianne said. Her bright eyes twinkled like emeralds.

“Thank you.”

It surprised Cecily how young Marianne looked. The woman was about the same height as Cecily, and her brownish-red hair made her porcelain skin even lovelier. Marianne’s smile even comforted Cecily.

“There’s no need to worry. Mr. Gordon has teamed you up with one of Pinkerton’s finest agents. He’s a kind man and will treat you well.”

Cecily didn’t know how to reply, only because she wondered if Marianne told this to all the other women. It didn’t ease Cecily’s anxiety, but it didn’t matter. She was determined to make this her new life.

Suddenly, the group of women moved. Another door had been opened and they were ushered into a spacious area. Several handsome men stood against the wall. Most of them wore dour expressions. Cecily suspected they were not thrilled about having to marry, just as the women weren’t.

It surprised Cecily to see the room was decorated nicely with flowers and ribbons. A long table stood on one side with a white tablecloth and a line of cakes on top. She also noticed a tray of meats and cheeses. Marianne must have fixed this up to make the women agents feel more comfortable about their wedding.

Mr. Gordon stood at the head of the room. Once everyone was quiet, he started reading names, pairing the couples together.

Shifting from one fancy boot to the other, Cecily wrung her hands against her middle, waiting for her name to be called.

“Miss Cecily Livingston, and Mr. Broderick Tanner.”

The beat of her heart quickened. She was thankful that she had instructed Mr. Gordon to use her name instead of Ruth’s. As she took her first steps toward her new husband, something in the back of her memory caused her to pause. She’d heard his name before… somewhere.

On shaky legs, she moved to the front of the room alongside the other couples. Her partner walked toward her, his gaze skimming over her attire. She also looked him over from the top of his sandy brown hair, down his handsome face, broad shoulders and wide chest, admiring the way he looked in his dark gray suit jacket and trousers, black waistcoat over a white shirt, and his necktie.

When he stopped beside her, she realized how tall he was, and she had to tilt her head back to look into his face.

He offered a polite smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Miss Livingston.” He bowed slightly.

She curtsied. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Tanner.”

That name! Where had she heard it before? But it was more than just his name. He looked so familiar.

As they stood side-by-side, she peeked at him out of the corner of her eye, assessing his face, slower this time. He didn’t meet her gaze, for which she was relieved. But until she figured out how she knew him, it would drive her mad.

Mr. Tanner’s attention finally landed on Cecily, and he caught her gawking at him. This time, he looked at her differently… as if he recognized her, too.

“Forgive me, Miss Livingston, but have we met before?” he asked.

Her memory finally opened and her heart made a panicked leap in her chest. They had met! He was the lawman who came to her house in January, looking for her father. He was the lawman she’d lied to.

Inwardly, she groaned. Had she told him her real name four months ago? Although she couldn’t remember their conversation word-for-word, she was sure she hadn’t told him her name, just the names of her mother’s parents.

Cecily had been filthy that morning. Soot had covered her from her head to her feet. Her hair had been ratted and in disarray, and she probably looked like she didn’t own a brush. She’d worn an ill-fitting dress that she had sewn together from dresses which didn’t fit her any longer.

So what part of her had he recognized now?

She forced herself to breathe slower, trying not to appear too rattled by his question. “No, Mr. Tanner. I think I would remember meeting someone so blindly attractive.”

Her mind stuttered to a halt. What did I just say?

She’d heard her father and brothers flirt so many times, the words just slipped out of her mouth. If there was a hole big enough to fit her, she’d climb in it right now.

Mr. Tanner’s eyes widened. His mouth started to pull into a grin, but seconds later, it turned back into a scowl.

“Um… Thank you, Miss Livingston.”

Heat rushed to her face and she turned toward Mr. Gordon. That was an awkward moment. Cecily surmised that Mr. Tanner probably thought she was a brazen woman. She was far from it. Then again, she wasn’t a Sheldon any longer. Perhaps living as Ruth Livingston would allow Cecily to act as she’d always wanted but hadn’t dared.

The possibilities were endless… and exciting. She couldn’t wait to experience this whole new life.