An Agent for Penelope

by Christine Sterling

  Archie leaned back in his chair. “It seems to me that your sister simply ran off to be married.” He twirled the end of his mustache. “There isn’t any reason to worry. If she is married, she is with her husband.”

  “She hadn’t married when she wrote the letter. And this man is very compelling. I truthfully don’t know if she left of her own accord. We don’t know if she is married, or …,” Penny took a deep breath, “ruined.”

  “Why don’t you tell us everything you know,” Angus gently prodded. He listened as Penny relayed everything, from the moment she first met Silas Benson to Penny heading to Denver to find Marianne.

  When she was done speaking, Archie sat still for a few moments, his fingers steepled in front of his mouth. Finally, he placed his hands back on the desk and leaned forward.

  “Miss Chapman,” Archie said. “We will help you find your sister. In fact, I know someone going to San Francisco in the morning.”

  “You do?” she said excitedly.

  “Yes,” he said, pointing to Angus. “Mr. Hightower is headed there tomorrow for Pinkerton business and I’m sure he can make some discreet inquiries while he is out there.”

  Angus nodded. He would do anything to help Marianne, and now her sister Penny. And even though Marianne didn’t know her youngest sister was missing, yet, Angus hoped he would be able to relay good news shortly after arriving in San Francisco.

  “Aye, lass.” Angus nodded. “I’ll send word back as soon as I get there and know something.”

  “Don’t you think I should go with you? You don’t know what Alice or Mr. Benson look like.”

  Angus shook his head. “Nay, lass. You stay here and I’ll send word. Or better still, head home and I can send word there.”

  Penny shook her head. “I need to help. I wouldn’t feel right having you go out there by yourself. It could be dangerous.”

  Angus gave a laugh. “I’ll be fine, lassie. N’aer you worry about me none; besides, the only way you could go would be if you were a detective ye’self.”

  Penny’s eyes flew open wide and she leaned forward in the chair. “What an excellent idea!” she exclaimed. “I have always wanted to go on an adventure.” She looked eagerly at Archie. “How do I go about doing this, Mr. Gordon?”

  “Gordon…,” Angus warned. He didn’t want to get caught in one of Archie’s matchmaking schemes.

  Penny blinked her eyes a few times. She reminded Angus of an owl. Archie placed his hands back in a praying position, his fingers resting on his chin.

  “Miss Chapman…”

  “Penny.” She coughed, leaning back in her chair. “Or Penelope.”

  Angus could see Archie take a deep breath underneath his mustache. “Penelope,” he started again. “That isn’t a good idea.”

  “Why ever not?” She rose from the chair and tapped her fingers against the desk. “I’m perfectly capable of helping.”

  “It isn’t that…” Archie said. “We don’t hire female agents.”

  “What? Why ever not?” she repeated. “I thought Marianne was helping with the Female Detective Bureau.” Her eyes narrowed as she looked from Archie to Angus and back again. She started nodding her head. “Ah… I understand now. You think that a woman can’t do a man’s job. Well let me tell you something, mister, I most certainly can. And I will find my sister with or without you.”

  She stood and swished her skirt as she headed towards the door, and when she got there she turned back to the men. “And I would advise, Mr. Gordon, that you relay to my sister the sentiments you shared with me earlier today. They would be more well received if they came from you, as opposed to my take on the situation. Good evening, gentlemen.” She nodded and removed herself from the room.

  Angus’ eyes followed her trim figure as she stopped in front of Marianne’s desk and leaned over to pick up a piece of paper. She gave him one last glance over her shoulder and flounced out of view.

  As soon as Angus heard the front door close and the sound of Penny’s footsteps on the porch, he turned back to his employer. Archie leaned on his desk with his fingers pressing against his temples.

  “Headache?” Angus asked.

  Archie nodded and reached inside his drawer to pull out a bottle and two glasses. He poured a dram of dark liquid in each glass and used the bottle to push the glass towards Angus. There must be something else going on if Archie pulled out his finest bottle of scotch whiskey.

  Angus lifted the glass and swallowed the bitter brew in one gulp. It burned on its way down and he felt the contents hit his stomach. Archie downed his drink and put the bottle back in the drawer. “Leave the glass there, I’ll take them to the kitchen in a bit.”

  “What’s on your mind, boss?”

  Archie looked at Angus as he twirled the empty glass in his hand. He dropped the glass to his desk with a thud. “Heaven help me, Angus; I didn’t know there were two of them.”

  “Makes the world a more interesting place,” Angus laughed. Yes, he adored Marianne, but now meeting her sister, his curiosity was piqued. They looked the same, but Angus felt that was where the similarities ended.

  Angus laughed. “So, what’s the plan now?”

  “Miss Chapman?”

  Penny looked up. Mrs. Hawthorne had come into the library where Penny was sitting looking at the telegram Marianne had sent to the Pinkerton headquarters. She was just thinking of what she would write her sister to let her know about Alice, Penny’s trip to Denver and her encounter with Mr. Gordon.

  She could see why Marianne was smitten with her employer. Archie Gordon was a very handsome man. Granted, his hair was a little too long for Penny’s liking, but if that was the only fault she could find, so be it.

  Knowing that he loved her sister softened any contempt she may have had for him breaking Marianne’s heart many years ago.

  Penny folded up the telegram and placed it in the pocket of her pinafore. “Good evening, Mrs. Hawthorne, what can I do for you?”

  “Miss Chapman,” the owner of the boarding house said in hushed tones. “There is a man waiting for you in the foyer. A man, Miss Chapman.” Mrs. Hawthorne pressed her lips in disapproval. “I don’t know how things are where you come from, but I run a respectable establishment.”

  “Mrs. Hawthorne, I don’t know who could be calling. I’ve not been in town long enough to know anyone.” Her thoughts immediately strayed to the two Pinkerton agents she met the previous day, but she dismissed it.

  Mr. Gordon would be well known, so Mrs. Hawthorne would have known who he was. As for Mr. Hightower … Penny tried to dismiss the handsome man from her mind… he was leaving that morning for San Francisco, so she knew he wouldn’t be stopping by. Besides, neither of them knew where she was staying.

  “Well, he is out there,” the older woman said, pointing to the foyer. “And he asked for you by name.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Hawthorne,” Penny replied and went to see who her visitor might be. She stopped short when she saw the man, she had just been thinking about staring intently at a painting on the wall.

  Angus must have heard her enter as he turned and gave her a smile that stopped her breath. She might change her stance on facial hair, she thought. It certainly did look dashing on the Scotsman.

  “Mr. Hightower,” Penny said, walking forward. She reached out her hand. Angus paused a moment before clasping her delicate fingers in his brawny grip. Penny tried to ignore the currents sweeping up her arm. She yanked her hand back, regretting instantly that the connection was lost. “What brings you by this afternoon?”

  “I thought you said you didn’t know him?” Mrs. Hawthorne replied. She looked at Penny and Angus through narrowed eyes.

  “We met yesterday, ma’am. When Miss Chapman came to seek the services of my employer, Mr. Gordon. I came to finish the conversation from yesterday.”

  Mrs. Hawthorne visibly relaxed. “Ah. Quite fine, young man. Mr. Gordon is a pillar of the community.”

  Angus rolled his hat brim in his ha
nds. “Yes ma’am.” He turned to Penny. “Do you have a place where we might talk?”

  Penny turned and looked back towards the library. She was about to suggest they go in there, but two of the boarders beat her to it as they entered the library.

  “I guess I don’t, Mr. Hightower.”

  “Call me Angus.”

  “Alright, Angus. I don’t have a place here where we can meet. It would be inappropriate for me to take you to my room.” She said the last part loud enough for Mrs. Hawthorne to hear. The woman had left them, but Penny could see her peeking around the corner.

  Angus gave her a devilish grin. “As much as I would like the pleasure of your company, Miss Chapman, this is business.”

  “Oh,” Penny said. She jumped and clenched her hands. “You are a cad, Mr. Hightower.”

  Angus laughed. “And you are extremely prim. Nothing at all like your sister.”

  “Are you calling my sister a loose woman?”

  Angus put his hands up in mock surrender. “Not at all. She is just a little more … free spirited than you are.”

  “What do you want, Mr. Hightower?”

  “Well, Miss Chapman,” he emphasized her last name, glancing over her shoulder. Penny turned and Mrs. Hawthorne quickly pulled her head from around the corner. “I was wondering if I might have the pleasure of your company at dinner tonight?”

  “Dinner?”

  Angus nodded. “Yes, dinner. My trip was delayed until tomorrow, so I thought I might find out some more specifics about your request.”

  “Oh…” Penny noticed they were drawing the attention of the other boarders in the house. Mrs. Hawthorne must be very strict if the arrival of one man was enough to cause a stir. She turned back to Angus. “It would be my pleasure, Mr. Hightower. Shall I meet you?”

  He nodded. “We will have dinner at the house. Pearl serves dinner at 6 o’clock.”

  “Alright. I’ll be by just before 6 o’clock.”

  Angus gave her a little bow before turning on his heel and heading out the door. As soon as the door latched the women that had been gathered in the library and the stairwell erupted into giggles.

  “Oh my, isn’t he handsome?”

  “Did you see those whiskers?”

  “I’ve never seen whiskers like that on any man.”

  “What do you suppose they call them?”

  “Muttonchops,” Penny replied softly. “They are called muttonchops.”

  “Miss Chapman,” Mrs. Hawthorne’s voice rose above the fray. “Did he say you were to meet him at his house?”

  “No…”

  “That is what I heard him say. I am sorry, Miss Chapman, but I can’t have your type of woman here. I run a respectable boarding establishment. Take your bags with you when you go.”

  Penny was flabbergasted. “You are asking me to leave?”

  Mrs. Hawthorne nodded. She then started to gather up the women and direct them to the dining room of the boarding house. “How about I make us some coffee?” she said, disappearing into the room.

  Penny slowly walked to her room and gathered up her few items, placing them in her carpetbag. She wasn’t going to wait. If Mrs. Hawthorne wanted her gone, then she’d make haste.

  When she was done gathering up her belongings, she latched the bag and donned her wrap. She left the boarding house and headed towards the Pinkerton office. She would figure out what to do once she was there, but a sense of excitement filled her as she thought about seeing the handsome agent once more.

  Chapter 5

  If Penny had been expecting a quiet dinner with just Angus, she was sorely disappointed. There were five agents, including Angus; a young lady that Penny hadn’t seen the day before, and Pearl.

  Pearl, she found out, had a condition called albinism. It ran in her family, having an uncle that suffered from the lack of skin pigmentation as well. It didn’t affect her daily life, but it made it practically impossible to spend any amount of time out in the sun.

  The young lady, she discovered, was apprenticing with Marianne to take over the duties of the office. Her name was Jacqueline, and although she dreamed of becoming an agent, she just wasn’t prepared to make that commitment.

  They had just finished a delightful dinner of roasted chicken with potatoes and green beans. Pearl disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a tall cake covered in fluffy cocoa icing.

  “Pearl makes the best cakes,” one of the agents said. Penny couldn’t remember his name. She was terrible with names.

  “Dinner was absolutely delicious. I’ll have to share the secret of putting rosemary under the chicken skin with my mother. It gave it such a wonderful flavor.” Penny watched as Pearl sliced through the cake and placed large pieces on the plates stacked in front of her. “I’m sure the cake will be just as delightful.”

  “I can’t believe that Mrs. Hawthorne just kicked you out,” Pearl said passing a plate to an agent called Henry and motioned with the knife for him to pass it down.

  “I’m sure I can find somewhere else to stay,” Penny responded.

  “There isn’t anywhere else in town,” another agent replied.

  “What about the boarding house on the other side of town?”

  Penny’s ears perked up. “Where is that?”

  “It’s full,” the agent called Robert said.

  “Oh. I guess I can find a hotel.”

  “Hotels cost money, lass,” Angus said.

  Penny felt the pangs of disappointment as she watched the cake move around the table until a piece landed in front of her. “I guess I don’t know what I’ll do then.”

  They couldn’t believe that Marianne had a twin sister. They asked so many questions about what Marianne was like growing up that Penny found her head spinning at the end of them all.

  It was finally Angus who put a stop to their questioning. She loved talking about her sister, but it was a little overwhelming to have one questions after another sent towards her. However, Penny was so happy her sister found a place where she was loved and respected. The affection was apparent when the agents mentioned Marianne.

  Not many women worked in Nebraska unless it was by the side of their husband tending a field or in the barn taking care of the animals. Anything else was ridiculed and the women labeled as jezebels. Maybe that was why Marianne never returned home. She didn’t want to engage the naysayers that belittled her for choosing to work instead of raising a family.

  “I know what you should do,” Pearl said, sitting down with a piece of cake in front of her. “You should stay here.”

  “That’s brilliant.”

  “Of course, why didn’t we think of that?”

  “Think of what?”

  Penny turned and saw Archie standing by the door.

  “Penny needs a place to stay,” Pearl said. “I suggested she stay in Marianne’s room.”

  Penny watched as Archie’s face turned red. If it was feasible, she would swear steam could have come from his ears. “Of course,” Penny said. “If it is an inconvenience I surely understand.”

  She noticed Archie give a glance to Angus before turning to Penny. “Of course not. We would be delighted to have you stay with us.” He turned on his heel and disappeared into his office. Penny heard him close the door and soon the soft strains of the Victrola could be heard through the house.

  Penny lost her appetite for the chocolate cake in front of her. “I’m sorry, Pearl. I’m sure it is delicious,” she said, pushing her plate to the center of the table.

  “I don’t know why that man doesn’t just go to Chicago,” Pearl said.

  The other agents chimed in their agreement.

  “I have a good mind to go there myself and propose to her,” Robert said. “No one deserves to be treated that way.” Penny didn’t say anything. She put her hands in her lap and bowed her head to look at them.

  “You’ll do no such thing Rob, m’boy,” Angus said. “He needs to work though this on his own.”

  Penny flashed
a glance at Angus. His blue eyes met hers and Penny thought he could see all her innermost thoughts.

  “Well since Marianne has a twin sister, maybe I can court you instead? What do you say, Miss Chapman?”

  Penny was flummoxed. She didn’t expect this conversation when she agreed to have dinner at the office that evening.

  “You’ll do no such thing, Robert Muldoon,” Angus repeated, not shifting his gaze from Penny. “Do I make myself clear?”

  “Whatever you say, Hightower.” Robert pushed himself away from the table. He gave a mock bow to Penny. “It has been…,” he paused looking at Angus, “interesting to say the least. I hope you grace us with your presence again.”

  Penny watched the young agent give Pearl a kiss on the forehead and head through the kitchen. She heard a door slam, then she turned her attention to the agents left at the table.

  “We’ve got some business to attend to, m’boys,” Angus said, looking at each one until they shifted in their seat.

  One by one they bade their goodnight, with Henry telling Pearl to fetch him when she was ready to head home.

  “I noticed Angus walked you home last night,” Penny said.

  Pearl finished her coffee then stood, gathering up the dirty dishes. “They take turns walking me home every night.”

  “Maybe you should stay here,” Penny offered.

  “No, I need to get home. My parents are expecting me.”

  “Can I help you with the dishes?”

  Pearl shook her head. “No, thank you. I know you and Angus needed to talk.” Pearl picked up the dishes and disappeared into the kitchen. She returned a moment later with a fresh pot of coffee that she placed on the table. “Put that in the sink when you’re done, Angus,” she said before disappearing again.

  Angus picked up the pot and poured the dark brew in Penny’s cup. She preferred tea. Coffee reminded her of soup that had been left on the stove too long to cook. No amount of sugar or cream could make it palatable to her.

  She took the cup and inhaled the earthy scent. Adding a bit of cream and a lot of sugar she took a sip and grimaced at the bitter taste. Angus laughed.