An Agent for Brutus

by Parker J Cole

  Did he take heed of the words Caesar had said when he promised to kill him? Or did he trust Caesar’s daughter when she’d said the opposite?

  ***

  “Who is your mother?”

  Tam paused in her knitting as she sat in restful solitude in the library. No need to wonder who it was that asked the question.

  “It’s polite to greet someone you haven’t seen in over a week.”

  She didn’t hear his footsteps, but the atmosphere of the room changed, electrified by his presence as he entered and came to stand before her. The hair at the back of her neck stood erect.

  “Pardon me. Good afternoon, Mademoiselle Floyd.”

  So, they were back to formality again? Well, she could play at the same game as well.

  “Good afternoon, Mr. Bradford, sir.”

  His left eye twitched and she was unable to suppress the small twitch at the corner of her mouth that teased at a smile.

  “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

  Her eyebrow arched. “Did you?”

  A flush of red stained his cheekbones visible above his beard.

  “I would say we’re even don’t you think so…Brutus?”

  Tam once again took in the broad shoulders and good looks. His vitality permeated the air. Dressed in a plain suit of a dull gray, he managed to elevate it simply because he wore it.

  “Now that that’s out of the way, Tam, let me repeat my question. Who is your mother?”

  She finished her last few stitches in quick succession and then poked the needles into the ball of yarn.

  “White Caesar’s mistress.”

  His jaw dropped. “Mistress?”

  “That is correct.” She steeled herself for his censure.

  “Caesar? A mistress? I can scarcely believe that.” A nonplussed look slackened his features.

  “Why is that so hard to believe?”

  His eyes widened. “Caesar once told me that he would never dishonor any woman by taking her as his mistress. It was against everything he believed in.”

  Tam shifted uneasily on the settee. “White Caesar said this?”

  “Oui. He was adamant about it.”

  Her eyes shifted away from his figure as she soaked in this new information. Could what Brutus said be true? If so, then why had he treated her mother so unfairly all these years? An instant later, she answered her own silent question.

  Roseline.

  Swiftly she sent her mind back to Brutus.

  “What does it matter who my mother is?”

  “I just—I’m not sure I even know why I asked it. Caesar certainly has changed if he has taken up with a mistress.”

  Tam said nothing in response to this. As far as she was concerned, Caesar had always been this way.

  Before she could ask the question plaguing her heart, Brutus sat across from her. “Tell me, Tam. Have you been on assignment yet?”

  She blinked. “I have.”

  “Would it be permissible to tell me some things about it? My daughters are not always forthcoming in their stories for obvious reasons.”

  Tam carefully cleared her throat. “I don’t suppose it would be a problem to share with you the details. It was a short assignment and not very much happened. Further, the owner of the shop is the relative of one of the local newspapermen here so it will be printed in the paper.”

  Brutus nodded. “Go on.”

  “There’s not too much to relate. A local shop owner suspected one of his employees was stealing from him. I posed as a maid of a wealthy patron with a large order. It took two days for the culprit to be discovered and relieved of his employment.”

  “Doesn’t seem as exciting as some of the other cases my daughters have shared with me.”

  Tam tugged her ear. “Not every case is glamorous. In Chicago, there is more variety.”

  She clasped her hands together. “Did you want to see me about anything else?”

  Had he decided if he would fall for her father’s trap?

  “Why do you refer to your father as White Caesar?”

  “Others have always called him that for as long as I can remember.”

  “Do you know the story behind the name?”

  She shook her head. “My father did not share many things about his past with me.”

  Except his utter hatred for you.

  Brutus gave a nod of understanding. “Caesar was always closed-mouthed about certain things.”

  Tam stared at the man that had been a part of her life for as long as she could remember. It had been a week since the last episode, but she knew she was on limited time. Doctor Peterson knew a man who would agree to perform the surgery on negros, but the fees were much higher.

  Other physicians had refused to even see her. None of that mattered though.

  She knew death would be a welcome release from an isolated existence made pleasant by her work and sustained by her belief in God. A wonderful Father when her own refused to care for her and a Mother when her own chose to keep her distance.

  There were no siblings to spar with. No close friends to console.

  If she died tomorrow, no one would be devastated by the event.

  At least I’d see Jesus and I’ll never have to drink from this cup of loneliness again.

  Despite that pragmatic attitude, a vulnerable part of herself screamed out against her placidity. It was this undernourished element of her spirit that held onto the miniature of Brutus and told him all her desires.

  “You’re staring, Tam.”

  A wave of heat burned her cheeks. “Forgive me.”

  “I won’t,” he answered gravely but there was a mischievous gleam in his eyes. “I was staring, too, colibri rouge.”

  “And what did you see?”

  Why had she asked that? What did she expect him to tell her? That he gazed upon a face more lovely than Nefertiti, more beautiful than…

  Roseline?

  “I saw—”

  “Have you decided if you are going to see my father?” she blurted out.

  Her face revealed nothing of her inner turmoil. How did she want Brutus to respond? By saying yes, she would be able to have the life-saving surgery. By saying yes, his life would be destroyed.

  Was it right to exchange this man’s life for her own?

  “I’ve not decided yet.” Those blue eyes peered into her own. “Is there any hurry?”

  “Of course not. I just wanted to know.”

  Picking up her needles she resumed her knitting. “Tell me something, Brutus. Are you afraid of my father?”

  “No,” he replied tersely. “Where does he live?”

  “He lives on a ranch on the outskirts of Wickwell Springs in Oregon.”

  That was all she offered. White Caesar instructed her to limit the information of himself she provided.

  “Brutus will come to his own conclusion based off what you tell him. Let his assumptions be the nails that pierce him.”

  “Oregon, huh?”

  “When you are ready to give me an answer, please let me know.”

  She hoped he’d take the hint and leave. Despite everything, she longed to be held close to that broad, hard chest again. Held in his arms. Caress her face and comfort her.

  But what of her life and the mission of her father? What was more important – her desires or her life?

  “I shall.” Brutus stood. “Is there something I can get for you?”

  His earlier wariness dissipated. Did that mean he was trusting her?

  “No. Thank you.”

  “Should you require anything…” He gave her a smile, one that lit up his entire face. It was the same smile in the miniature but this time in glorious reality.

  Tam had always hated Roseline for the impact the woman had on her life. In this moment, she could see why Brutus had such a hold on her heart. She could almost be forgiven for the upheaval she caused twenty years ago.

  Almost.

  “Oh, you’re here.” Marianne’s voice intruded and
Tam tore her eyes away from Brutus’s smile.

  “You wanted to see me, Marianne?”

  “I’d like to see both you. Well, not I, but Archie.”

  “Me?” Brutus’s brows raised up to his hairline.

  “Yes. I’m not sure what it is about. I’m sure you’ll find out in due course.”

  Tam’s lips compressed into a thin line as she got up and followed the woman.

  Why did those last words sound like a deadly omen?

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Tam jerked to her feet. “When did I agree to marry a recruit?” Her usual poise had evaporated the longer Archie Gordon continued to speak. It had disappeared altogether.

  “I must say, Monsieur Gordon. I never agreed to become a recruit.” Brutus’s face wore a thunderous expression. “My daughters and their children will provide me with all the excitement that I need to last for the rest of my life.”

  Archie held up his hands. “Please be calm, both of you. I wouldn’t ask this if I didn’t feel as if you were suited to the task.” He narrowed one of his green eyes at Tam. “I’ll admit I’m a bit surprised at your response, Tam. You agreed that the policy was a good one.”

  Her mouth fell open. “When did I say that?”

  “When we interviewed last week. Don’t you recall?” Marianne’s anxious eyes met hers. “You said it was a good policy.”

  Tam wracked her brain, trying to remember when she ever agreed to such a preposterous idea as to marry a recruit? When? When!

  Then, like a curtain being pulled to the side, she remembered vague parts of the conversation she had with Archie and Marianne. Indeed, she did say it was a good policy. Her mouth closed. How could she have agreed to something like this? There was no way on earth that in her right mind, she would have thought the idea of marrying a man she didn’t know be something she’d undertake.

  Even worse was to be married to Brutus Bradford, the enemy of her father.

  “I can tell from your expression that you remember now. That’s good, then.” Archie let out an audible sigh of relief. “I didn’t want there to be accusations that we agreed to your employment under false pretenses.”

  A brittle smile edged her mouth. “I do remember now.”

  “I’m glad that Mademoiselle Floyd has regained her memory. However, I am certain that I never gave any indication I would be interested in becoming a Pinkerton agent.”

  “That’s true, Brutus.”

  The man beside her stood and tugged on the edges of his coat. “Then I see no further reason to continue this discussion. Madame Gordon. Mademoiselle.” He bowed and turned away when Archie said, with a hard look at Tam. “It’s a request from your father.”

  Brutus’s back stiffened as if an invisible rod had been placed down his back. With agonizing slowness, he pivoted back around. “What did you say?”

  Archie fixed his eyes on Tam who sat, unable to move even if someone had yelled fire. “Yes. It was your father who telegrammed this request to us.”

  The sense of foreboding that settled in her stomach grew heavier. Father had grown impatient, which was unlike him. When she had left home to begin this mission, he had made it clear that she had all the time in the world to bring Brutus Bradford back. A mockery of her illness if there ever was one. They both knew that unless the lump from the back of her throat was removed, soon she would…

  “Can you share it with me?”

  “I’ll admit that I prefer that cases are handled by people who aren’t directly related to the client.” He gave her wry grin. “But I’ve broken my own rules before.”

  Brutus sat, his eyes narrowed on Tam. “I’m listening.”

  The contents of the communication from her father mentioned there had been a series of thefts in Wickwell Springs and the surrounding communities. The thefts ranged from animal flesh to valuable items within the home. The law officers in the area were not equipped and had not been able to discover who the culprits were.

  Tam believed that as much as she believed that men could fly. With this communique, her father had summoned her back home, demanding she have Brutus in tow.

  “I see. Well, due to the circumstances—”

  “Tam.”

  She glanced up into the sparkling green eyes of the head of the agency. There was a hard line about his features. “I’m going to be blunt. I don’t believe this is a real case, Tam.”

  Tam gave a violent start. How had he figured that out? “What makes you think that?”

  He fingered the paper. “Nothing about this rings true. Animal flesh and valuables from the houses in the area? What kind of thieves are we dealing with who carry away fine china while rustling up a bull or two?”

  What to do? If Archie had figured that so quickly, what hope did she have of—

  “You’re right, Archie,” she said quickly. She glanced at her hands. “I don’t believe my father really has a case for me to see to.” That much was true.

  Archie stroked his beard. “Do you want to start at the beginning, Tam?”

  The beginning? The beginning would have begun twenty years when Roseline—

  “My father and I have been estranged for some time, Archie.” It was better to tell some of the truth as opposed to a great lie. She’d remember the truth more accurately than a lie anyway. “He did not approve of me finding my own way in life. When he learned I’d become a Pinkerton agent, he washed his hands of me.”

  Marianne clutched at her stomach as if to protect the unborn babe from the harsh reality of her words.

  Besides her, Brutus sat in rapt attention, listening to every word she said.

  “A year ago, I decided to reach out to him to mend our relationship. When I returned home, he wanted me to stay, but I had made a life for myself as a Pinkerton agent. I’d no wish to change that.”

  “I take it your father did not accept your decision.”

  “That’s correct. I left again, vowing not to return home any time soon.”

  Tam rubbed her hands together. “I believe my father wants me to come home for a specific purpose.”

  Archie’s mouth hardened. “I don’t like to get caught in familial affairs, Tam. You, of all people should be aware of this.”

  “I am.”

  He tossed the telegram down. “If you want to go see your father, that is your business.” He then turned toward Brutus who still eyed her with a blue crystal gaze. “Do you know her father?”

  “Oui.”

  Archie waited to see if Brutus would say more but he didn’t. An exasperated breath blew out of his mouth. “Can you be more forthcoming than that? How does this relate to Tam?”

  Brutus finally dragged his gaze away to meet Archie’s. “Would it be permissible for me to view the telegram that was sent?”

  “Why?”

  His eyebrows drew inward. “I think there’s something more to this that what is on the service. Tam’s father and I used to have a sort of code that we used to communicate with each other whenever we wanted messages to be sent but weren’t sure who would view them.”

  Tam almost gasped at this new information. What else didn’t she know about her father?

  “What exactly did you and Tam’s father do together?” Marianne leaned forward.

  “We were privateers.” His response invited no more questions. “May I see it?”

  Archie did nothing for a few seconds and then he handed over the telegram to him. “Here it is.”

  “Merci.”

  Brutus eyed the telegram for a long moment. Tam studied the way he concentrated on the communique with such dedication. Was there a secret message hidden?

  After a few moments, Brutus looked up. “I do believe that Tam’s father is asking for us to come to him. But he doesn’t say anything other than as the telegram reads. I believe that he does want Tam to see him.”

  Archie nodded. “As I stated to Tam, she is more than welcome to visit her father.”

  “Thank you.” She stood. “I’ll get my things together and
see when the next train is available.”

  “Monsieur and Madame Gordon, I do need to speak with Mademoiselle Floyd alone. Will you allow that?”

  Her heart stopped and then rushed forward on the feet of a frightened rabbit. What did Brutus want. Would he decide to go with her then? But if he did, he’d—

  “Of course.”

  Brutus stood and held the door open so Tam could exit. She wanted to avoid this conversation with him but knew instinctively that it wouldn’t be the best course of action to take.

  They said nothing as they traveled down the hall until they came to the drawing room. Closing the door behind them, Brutus leaned against it. His icy blue gaze almost impaled her as he said, “You will explain yourself now, Tam. No more lies.”

  ***

  “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  Brutus pushed himself off the door and took measured steps to where Tam sat on the settee. A ray of sunshine landed on her hair. The white streak in the center of her head had an almost ethereal glow to it.

  “I’ll tell you what I mean,” he mocked with scorn. “The message from your father is a sure sign of a threat against you if I do not accompany you to this Wickwell Springs.”

  Tam’s mouth gaped. “You said that there wasn’t any message.”

  “I know what I said. I did not want to involve the Gordons.”

  As soon as he saw the contents, he’d seen the threat. “There is something going on between yourself and your father. He has made it clear that if I do not accompany you, it will not bode well for you.”

  Her cinnamon eyes darted away. “That’s not true.”

  Brutus pressed his lips together to keep the swear words that sought voice from leaving his mouth. He was in front of a lady and a man did not behave in a vulgar manner in front of a lady. But he must demand the truth from her.

  “No more lies, colibri rouge. What is wrong? Why is it so imperative that I come with you?”

  For a few moments, she said nothing. He watched as the struggle on her face revealed tantalizing glimpses of her thoughts. Fear was utmost but then also a sign of resignation. Her head made a subtle movement as she came to a decision.

  “I will tell you what I can.”