To Love a Scoundrel (46 page)

"Humph. I'm quite sure you do know, princess, but we'll discuss that later. Has the scoundrel told you that he loves you?"

Not quite meeting his gaze, she nodded.

"Perhaps you shouldn't be too flattered by that," Harry said with a lilt in his voice. "Many a young man will say those words in the heat of the moment, or even just hoping to get to the heat of the moment, but rarely do they mean them. To say 'I love you' is just another way—"

"Brent meant it, Dad," she cut in, defensive and distraught all at once. "I've had my share of beaux, and I've heard enough declarations of love to know the truth from a lie. Brent loves me." She raised her chin and looked into her father's eyes. "And I love him."

"Ah, quite so," Harry murmured, not in the least surprised.

"Quite so," Jewel echoed, curiously relieved.

Smiling across the short distance, again Harry leaned forward, this time taking her hands in his. "So what is your problem, dear? Go to him and tell him of your love, but be sure to explain also that you're probably giving up a title and more money than a gambler such as he will ever see in his lifetime."

In spite of her fears, Jewel laughed, "Thanks for the advice, Dad, but you don't understand. I said and did some dreadful things the last day on board the
Dawn.
I threw Brent's love back in his face and slammed the door to any future we might have had. I'm sure he doesn't ever want to see me again."

"Balderdash." Harry said. "If your heart is set on this young fellow, and I suspect that it is, nothing will stop you from getting him. You are, remember, a Benton. And I intend to see to it that my little girl gets everything she wants."

Harry straightened his jacket sleeve and looked down his nose at the smears of blood staining the fabric. Grimacing, he turned from the sight and went on. "Mr. Connors hasn't got a prayer against two Bentons. Surely by the time we return to the steamship, we'll have thought of a way to get back in his good graces. Now then, is there anything else troubling you?"

Grinning as she listened to him, warming at his unwavering optimism, Jewel tried to think of a gentle way to remind him of her professional obligations. Taking a deep breath, she said, "There's just one more thing. Allan Pinkerton and my responsibilities to him and to the agency. I still have a lot of explaining to do. He trusted me to do my job. I even wired him from New Orleans and told him I would bring you in within the week."

"Oh, goodness me," Harry muttered as he pressed his fingertips against his mustache. "I take it working for Mr. Pinkerton has been more than a simple job to you."

"Much more," she softly replied. "Although I didn't realize it, I know now that I have allowed Allan to act as a sort of father to me. I can't disappoint him like this without some kind of explanation."

"I see," Harry said, working to ignore a tiny stab of jealousy at the thought of another man guiding his daughter's career, her life's decisions. "But I have run out of ideas, princess. I haven't a clue as to how you might assuage the man's ire if you don't bring me in—and you no longer plan to do so. Correct?"

"Correct." She laughed as the image of Harry, his hands over his head, marching up the brick pathway to Allan's home, suddenly took form in her mind. Sobering again, she slowly shook her head and sighed. "I do have to report to him though. I do have to tell him at least a part of what's happened between you and me. After that I don't know what he'll do. He may even bring charges against me."

"Utterly ridiculous." Harry snapped. "I simply won't have it. Why, from the little I do know about you, I'm quite certain you must be a valued employee of the..." Harry scowled, then lowered his voice as he said, "The Pinkerton Agency."

Chuckling again, Jewel gave him a short nod and a gratified smile. "Allan says I am one of his best operatives, male or female. One of my famous captures was that of Cole Jennings. I brought him in single-handed."

Harry whistled at the mention of one of his more accomplished peers. "Very impressive, princess. Jennings, while not endowed with my considerable talent, was truly a plum in your basket. That alone should be enough to inspire your employer to overlook this one little misstep."

"I don't think so, Dad. There's also the matter of the stolen necklace. I was an accomplice in that caper. If I don't turn you in, how can I justify my participation in the robbery?"

"Robbery?" Harry sniffed. "If it was that, it was a robbery worthy of Robin Hood himself. I can't believe Mr. Pinkerton is as shortsighted as all that."

"I really don't know what he'll do or how he'll feel," Jewel said, wringing her hands. "How am I going to explain all this to him?"

* * *

The following afternoon Jewel stood staring out the window of the dusty Chicago streets below.

Deep in thought, Allan Pinkerton slowly circled his desk, his normally pleasant features drawn and morose. After several long minutes he propped his hip against his desk and cleared his throat. "These are serious charges you've brought against yourself, Jewel. I'm not sure how I should go about investigating them. I'm not even sure an investigation is warranted."

Jewel whirled around, the tight skirt of her day dress twisting around her knees. After adjusting the material, she marched over to Allan. "Not warranted? I just walked in here and told you that I had Harry Benton in my hands and I turned him loose. If that's not enough, I also opted to stay with Harry while Jesse James robbed the train. I didn't make any attempt to stop or apprehend the James gang, and Harry is busy plotting his escape to Europe. Just what evidence do you need to call an investigation, Allan—a photograph of the outlaws laughing at us?"

"Now, Jewel," Allan said, "I hardly think you're relating the story exactly as it happened, but no, I do not see a need for an investigation. For one thing, I have always been aware of your attachment to Harry."

Jewel gasped and pressed her fingertips to her mouth.

"Why are you so surprised? I am a master detective, after all."

"But if you thought Harry might mean something to me, why did you let me follow up on his leads?"

"Would you have given up the search if I forbade it?"

Jewel shook her head and averted her gaze. "I'm sorry, but with all due respect to you and the agency, I have to say no."

Allan turned his palms up and grinned. "I rest my case."

Giving in to his attempts at dollery despite her feelings of guilt, Jewel smiled back at him. "How long have you known Harry was my father?"

"I never knew for sure. I went as far as looking up a copy of your birth certificate, but—''

"I know. Grandfather Flannery hated Harry Benton so much that he let me live my life as 'Jewel Flannery, Father Unknown,' rather than have the man's name on a legal document tying him to our very proper family."

Allan raised one bushy eyebrow, then shook his head in disbelief. "Your Grandfather must have been a real prince."

"No more talk about Lemuel Flannery. I've heard his name often enough over the last few weeks to last me a lifetime." She took a few more steps toward Allan, then perched on the edge of the chair directly in front of him. "Even if you understand why I was so obsessed with Harry, how can you ever forgive me for turning him loose? For tending his wounds when I should have been confronting the James gang?"

"First of all, Jewel," Allan said, his voice authoritative and stern, "I did not expect you to confront the entire James gang while they cleaned out the baggage compartment. You should know better than that."

Jewel inched back in the chair until her spine touched the padded cushion. "Of course, sir, I do understand procedure. What I mean to say is that, at the very least, I should have gone back there to see if there was any way I could thwart or—"

"Please," he interrupted, "spare me a reading of the manual on such occurrences. The only thing you may have to answer for is your deliberate release of Handsome Harry Benton, a man who has been skirting the fine edge of the law for years. That is a more serious offense and one you and I shall have to find a way to deal with."

"Yes, sir, I know that. That is why I'm here. Unless you intend to fire me, I want you to know that as of this morning, my resignation is official."

"Over my dead body." Allan pushed himself off the edge of the desk and shook a finger at her. "I remind you that I am in charge here. I have chosen to disregard any neglect of your duty that may have occurred where the James gang is concerned, but I will not accept your resignation over this Harry Benton thing. The Pinkerton Agency is not without a heart, you know."

"But, Allan, I only meant—"

"Please let me finish. The way I see it, you really had no choice. I was foolish to think you would handle your job and confront Harry at the same time. We're both at fault here, so I suggest that instead of resigning, you accept a temporary leave of absence."

"A leave? But I don't understand."

Allan's smile was warm and fatherly as he gazed down at her. "You need some time off, Jewel. As you know, we really have only one woman who may come forward as a witness against Harry, and she's doubtful. Perhaps if your father made some kind of restitution along with a promise to end his career?''

"He's retired," she said. "He promised me he'd never do anything remotely illegal again."

"I'm sure he won't," Allan said with a smirk. "Whatever he does or doesn't do is going to be your problem over the next few weeks. I also heard a few things in your explanation you probably didn't expect me to catch. Maybe you'd also like to use some of your free time to go back downriver and clear up the troubles you seem to have had with your young man."

Jewel blushed and looked away. With a tiny shrug, she said, "It's true I could use a few extra days to try to explain a couple of things to Mr. Connors. He deserves much more than the lies I threw at him the last time we met."

"I'm sure Mr. Connors deserves at least that much, Jewel. All I know is that it's time you allowed yourself some happiness. Take several weeks, or a couple of months if necessary, but I would like to see you back in here on the job someday soon. You're still the best damn female operative I've got. I'll miss you."

Perilously close to those newfound tears, Jewel blinked them back and took several deep breaths before she could say "Thank you, Allan. From the bottom of my heart, thank you."

"You can thank me," he said, reaching for her hand to pull her to her feet, "by finding a way to smooth things out between yourself and Brent Connors. Don't think I didn't notice the spark between you two. A match like that is too rare to ignore."

"Even if it's made in hell?" She laughed.

"Especially if it's made in hell," he countered. "All the better to keep you two warm at night."

Smiling broadly as she walked to the door, Jewel linked her hand through Allan's arm and said, "Dad and I worked on my getting back into Brent's good graces during the train ride to Chicago. He came up with some pretty wild ideas and one absolutely insane suggestion that might even work."

"Listen to him," Allan suggested with a knowing grin. "Harry's about the best in the business when it comes to matters of the heart."

Chuckling to herself as she thought of her father's remarkable prowess with women, she turned to Allan and gripped his hand. "I'll do that. I'm sure whatever Harry decides will be the best course of action."

Allan raised an eyebrow. "Whatever he decides, Jewel? I thought he was on his way back to Europe."

She shrugged. "Well, that's about right, Allan. The last time I saw him, I'm quite sure he was pointed in the direction of England or France."

Allan nodded. "One other thing, Jewel. While I don't expect you to bring your own father to justice, I cannot condone his methods of operation. Should I find he's back in business, I will instruct my operatives to hunt him down. For Harry's safety and your new sense of family, I hope that he has packed off for parts unknown."

Jewel smiled at her employer, then impulsively threw her arms around his neck and gave him a heartfelt hug. When she released him, she stepped back, murmuring, "Thank you again, Allan. Thank you for everything. I'll let you know when I plan to return."

"See that you do," he said, waving as she walked through the door to the outer office. Misty-eyed, thinking himself too old for such nonsense, he prepared to return to his desk when he suddenly stopped and called to her just before she passed through the outer door. "Jewel? Speaking of your beau and his steamboat on the Mississippi... did I tell you that I was arrested as I was leaving the
Delta Dawn
in New Madrid?"

She whirled around, her eyes wide. "Arrested? What on earth for?"

"Oh, never mind. It's a long story. I'll tell you some other time," he chuckled. "Just remember the moral of that story: Think twice before you borrow the costume of a stranger. I wasn't in jail for long, but frankly, now that I think about it, it was a rather interesting experience."

Waving good-bye, he gave her a final order. "Go on, now. Find your young man and be happy. And be sure," he added with a wink, "to say hello to your father for me."

Chapter 22