A Love All Her Own

by Janet Lee Barton

  From what Jacob had told him, Marcus had a feeling Miss Connors was quite independent and, if he wasn’t mistaken, quite a bit spoiled. Still, she was Jacob’s daughter, and he was going to do all he could to keep her safe and out of trouble during her stay in Hot Springs.

  With most of his agents on assignment or on much-needed leave, Marcus had assigned Luke Monroe, a young man whom he’d been able to clear of a crime he didn’t commit but had served time in prison for, to see that Miss Connors reached Hot Springs safely.

  At twenty, Luke had no living relatives and no place to call home. Marcus had found he just couldn’t let the young man fend for himself. Although his name had been cleared, Luke would have a hard time finding a job, and Marcus had wanted to help.

  When he’d asked Luke if he wanted to join the Wellington Agency and learn the business from desk clerk up, Luke hadn’t hesitated a moment. “Oh, yes, sir! I’d love to help somebody one day the way you helped me,” he’d said.

  That was all it took. Marcus owned the building that housed his office and his own apartment, and he happened to have a vacancy and a need for a building manager. He offered the apartment as part of Luke’s pay, along with a salary. In the meantime, he’d train the young man to be a good agent.

  When he offered Luke the position, he’d thought he’d seen the sheen of tears in the young man’s eyes. “Sir,” Luke had said, “I’ll never make you sorry for helping me. I promise you. I want to be one of the best agents you have, and I’ll work hard to become just that.”

  “I can’t ask for more than that, Luke. You can move in the apartment today—it’s furnished. And you can start work tomorrow.”

  That had been six months ago, and although this was Luke’s first real assignment, Marcus didn’t have one doubt that Luke would do all he could to do the job right, to see that Abigail Connors got on the right trains and that she was not bothered by anyone on her way, all without her knowing she was being watched.

  Marcus had sent Luke to Eureka Springs two days before Abigail was to leave. Jacob had met him, and they’d arranged for him to be at the train station when Jacob and his wife took Abigail to catch her train so that he would know exactly who it was he’d been hired to keep safe.

  Afterward, Jacob had sent Marcus a telegram letting him know that Abigail and the agent were on their way. All Marcus had to do was meet her train when it came in that afternoon.

  Normally, Luke did a lot of the mail and telegram sorting from the desk across the room. Then he’d give it to Marcus in order of importance. Marcus had gotten used to the young man sharing the office with him but knew that since he’d put him in the field, the young man would be wanting another outside assignment soon. Marcus read the other telegrams he’d received that morning and decided what needed to be answered right away, keeping an eye on the clock so that he wouldn’t be late to meet the train. When his telephone rang one quick and two sharp rings, he jumped and hurried over to the wall where it was installed. He still wasn’t used to the modern convenience, but his parents had convinced him that if he was planning to expand his business, he really should have one put in at his office. It stood silent most of the time, and when it did ring, most times it was his mother—making sure it worked.

  Marcus wasn’t the least bit surprised to hear her voice on the line now. “Marcus dear, what time is it that Jacob and Georgette’s daughter arrives today?”

  “She’s coming in on the afternoon train, Mother.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to bring her by this afternoon, dear?”

  “Jacob said she would most likely be tired from travel and that she would probably want to get settled into the hotel.”

  “I do wish he’d just have sent her here. We have plenty of room and—”

  “Maybe you can convince her to stay with you and Papa once she gets to know you, Mother.”

  “Perhaps. When your father telegraphed Jacob, though, it sounded as if he thought she’d want to stay in the hotel. But we’ll see what we can do to change her mind.”

  Marcus smiled, knowing that his mother would do just that. “I’m sure you will, Mother. I’ll bring her by tomorrow as planned, all right?”

  “That will be fine, son. I have a nice dinner planned. Will you be over for dinner tonight?”

  “Not this evening, Mother, but thank you. I need to make sure the arrangements I’ve made for Miss Connors will work out.”

  “All right then, son. I’ll see you tomorrow. I am so glad you had a telephone put in.”

  Marcus couldn’t contain his chuckle. “Yes, I know. I am, too, Mother.” He replaced the receiver and looked at the clock. He’d finish the schedules he made each week for his agents and then head down to the depot. He was anxious to meet Abigail Connors and try to figure out what he’d be requiring the agents he assigned to her to do. He prayed that she wouldn’t be too much of a handful, but in reading between the lines of Jacob’s correspondence, Marcus had a feeling she would be.

  ❧

  Abigail stood at the bottom of the steps for only a minute or two before a man whose size alone was slightly intimidating approached her. He was broad shouldered and dressed impeccably. . .and he towered over her. He took his hat off and addressed her.

  “Miss Connors? Abigail Connors?” He looked down at her with a smile that brought out a dimple in his cheek and made her catch her breath.

  He must be the man her father had arranged to meet her, Abigail thought. She found herself looking into the bluest eyes she’d ever seen, and they seemed to be looking right into her soul. “Yes, I’m Abigail Connors.”

  “I’m Marcus Wellington of Wellington Agency. Your father—”

  “Yes, I’m aware that my father hired you to watch over me. I tried to tell him that your services weren’t needed, but he insisted.”

  “He just wants to make sure you are safe while you are here.”

  “Yes, well, I’m sure I will be.”

  Marcus chuckled. “I know you will be as long as I’m responsible for seeing that you are.”

  How dare he laugh at her! “You are quite confident of yourself, aren’t you, Mr. Wellington?”

  He irritated her even further by grinning at her. A dimple appeared near his mouth. But his tone was serious when he answered, “My business depends on me being able to do what I say I will, Miss Connors. And I’ve promised your father that you will be safe while under my agency’s watchfulness. Now, let’s get your bags, and I’ll see you to your hotel.”

  It appeared Mr. Wellington was as bossy as he was confident. There was no point, however, in arguing with the man. Her father had hired his agency, and she really couldn’t do anything about that. Besides, he was the son of good friends of her parents, and she’d given her parents enough to go through lately. She would put up with him if she had to, but she didn’t like his cockiness one bit—even if he did try to cover it with the most beautiful smile she’d ever seen.

  Marcus led her into the train depot, where they waited for her baggage to be unloaded from the train. Once it was brought over and he saw the trunk and bags she said were hers, Marcus arranged for the luggage to be sent over to the Arlington Hotel, where she would be staying. Then he hired a hackney to take them to the hotel. That he knew how to take charge couldn’t be disputed—he seemed to command respect without demanding it.

  He helped her into the cab and then took a seat beside her. “I do hope you enjoy your visit to our city, Miss Connors. Your father said you would be taking care of some business for him while you are here.”

  Dear Papa. “Yes. He’s thinking of investing in a bathhouse venture and wants me to look into the ones here in Hot Springs.”

  “The hotel where you are staying is on what we call Bathhouse Row. You’ll see that there are a few new bathhouses under construction. You do have them in Eureka Springs, don’t you?”

  “Just a few, although our hotels are built near the springs for the guests’ convenience.” Abigail glanced about as they rode throu
gh downtown and noticed that Hot Springs seemed to be way ahead of her hometown in some ways. The boardwalks that were only talked about in Eureka Springs were a reality here and were uniformly wide. Her mother would love them. She’d be sure and write her parents about it. Perhaps they could nudge the city leaders to move a little faster.

  Mr. Wellington pointed to the buildings they were passing by. “Here are the bathhouses. There is the Palace Bathhouse, and the one right next to it is the Independent. Then there is the Hale Bathhouse and the Big Iron.”

  As he pointed them all out, Abigail was impressed with how nice they looked standing in a row with magnolia trees lining the street that ran in front of them. The huge white blossoms of the magnolias smelled wonderful. Pine trees grew up the mountain behind them, yet on the mountain behind the buildings across the street, there seemed to be mostly oak and hickory trees, leafy and green. It really was a beautiful setting, and Abigail looked forward to visiting each bathhouse to see what it offered.

  “Here we are,” Mr. Wellington said as the hackney pulled up in front of a very nice hotel. “I think you’ll enjoy your stay at the Arlington. It’s one of the nicest in town. The Hays will be even nicer once they get through remodeling, but it isn’t due to open until next year. For now, you are staying at one of the best hotels in town.”

  He paid the driver and helped her down from the cab. Abigail didn’t offer to reimburse him—she supposed it would be included in what her father paid the man. He did see her into the hotel, and she was impressed by the lovely interior. The desk clerk was very nice when she registered, and a bellboy came immediately to show her to her room.

  “Her bags will be sent over from the train depot. Please see that she gets them as soon as they arrive,” Marcus said to the man at the desk.

  “Certainly, Mr. Wellington.”

  Marcus Wellington followed her and the bellboy up the stairs to the second-floor rooms she’d been given. When she looked at him questioningly, he bent and whispered in her ear, “I make it a practice to check out the rooms of my clients to make sure there are no surprises.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Just to make sure your windows lock, the door locks properly, that kind of thing.”

  “Oh, all right. Thank you.”

  The bellboy stopped outside a door just two away from the main staircase, and Mr. Wellington waited until the boy unlocked and opened it for Abigail. They entered a small sitting room with a bedroom off to the side. While the bellboy was explaining where everything was, Marcus made sure the locks on the windows were secure. He took the key from the young man and made sure that the door did lock, and then he handed it to Abigail.

  The bellboy left, promising to bring up Abigail’s bags when they arrived, and Marcus stood just outside the door. “Is there anything I can get you, Miss Connors? Would you like company for dinner?”

  “No, thank you. I’ll eat here at the hotel and have an early evening. I’m rather tired from the travel.”

  “I’ve promised your father and my parents that I will bring you over tomorrow to meet them.”

  Abigail had also promised her father that she would meet the Wellingtons and check in with them from time to time, so she agreed. “What time will be best for your mother?”

  “She thought you might take tea with them in the afternoon, if that appeals to you.”

  “Yes, that will be nice. What time?”

  “I’ll pick you up about three o’clock, if that is acceptable.”

  “That will be fine.”

  Marcus turned just in time to see the bellboy and another young man bringing up a trunk. “Is that for Miss Connors?”

  “Yes, sir. There are several more pieces, too.”

  Marcus waited until the trunk and two more bags had been delivered to Abigail’s room. She had to admit she was glad he was there. She wasn’t used to strange men handling her things. She tipped the young men when the last bag was set down. ‘‘Thank you. Will you please ask the desk clerk to send someone up to help me unpack?”

  “I’ll be glad to. Thank you, ma’am,” the first young man answered. They both smiled as they turned to go back downstairs.

  “Everything is here?” Marcus asked her.

  “Yes, I believe so. I’ll let you know if I find anything missing.”

  He nodded. ‘‘Good. I’ll see you tomorrow then. And Miss Connors. . .”

  “Yes?”

  “Be assured that you’ll be safe here.” He tipped his hat and turned to leave.

  Abigail still wasn’t sure how she felt about all her comings and goings being watched, but her father had insisted. “Thank you. I’m sure my father will be pleased.”

  “Have a good evening.” Mr. Wellington tipped his hat to her and turned to go back downstairs.

  Abigail closed her door and locked it. Then she crossed over to the windows that looked down on the street below. She wondered what was taking so long, but she watched until Mr. Wellington finally came out of the hotel. He was with several other men, and Abigail wondered if they would be some of the men he assigned to her. When he got to the street, he looked up toward her window, and Abigail quickly moved behind the drapes so that he wouldn’t know she saw him. He pulled out his pocket watch and looked at it then turned. He did not use one of the hackneys lined up outside, taking off on foot, instead. He crossed the street and headed back in the direction of the train depot. She wondered where his offices were. And she couldn’t help but wonder who he’d have watching over her. What surprised her most, however, was that although she didn’t like his cockiness one bit, she couldn’t deny that it made her feel better knowing he was in charge of making sure she was safe.

  ❧

  Almost as soon as he’d met Miss Connors, Marcus had decided to make some changes in the assignments he’d given his men. Once downstairs in the lobby, he met with the agents he’d assigned to watch over Abigail Connors during her stay. His free agents had been there, reading papers when he brought her in so they could see what she looked like.

  Now he handed out assignments on what days and times they’d be responsible for watching her—with one change. “Benson, I’m going to take over the responsibility of escorting her wherever she needs to go, and it has nothing to do with your capabilities. I have a feeling Miss Connors could be slightly demanding, and since she is the daughter of the man who helped me get this business started, I feel I’m the one who should deal with all that. I’ll have you assigned to watch her while she’s here during the day. Nelson, you have evening duty for this week. You can leave at midnight. Morgan, you’re in charge of days this weekend. Ross, you’ll take the evenings. If anything changes or I think we need to make adjustments, I’ll let you know. I’d like a report on my desk from you all an hour after your shift is finished.” They each nodded their agreement, and then, Marcus and all but Benson headed outside.

  He stopped outside and looked up to the window of Abigail Connors’s room. Marcus had had many a client stay in the same hotel and knew right where to look. He and his men were all going in different directions, and Marcus’s long strides took him straight to the telegraph office, where he sent a telegram to Jacob Connors to let him know his daughter had arrived in Hot Springs and settled in her hotel safely. All this would be much easier if there were long-distance lines between the two cities—but Eureka Springs didn’t even have phone service yet.

  After meeting Abigail Connors in person, Marcus could certainly see why Jacob wanted someone to watch over her. On first meeting, she seemed quite confident and independent, but looking into her eyes, Marcus could see a sadness and vulnerability that told him there was much more to her than first appeared. He fought the urge to go back and check on her; she would be safe with Benson. Instead, he went back to his office and looked over the telegrams he’d just picked up. Evidently, Luke was back in town because the agent reports had been sorted and put on his desk. Marcus looked them over and studied his scheduling for the rest of the week. Abigail Co
nnors wasn’t the only client he was responsible for, and he needed to check in with other agents before he could call it a night.

  Through it all, in the back of his mind, he kept thinking about the beautiful woman in his care, and he couldn’t help but wonder just who broke the engagement and why.

  Three

  Abigail wasn’t quite sure what to do with herself once Marcus Wellington left. She liked the rooms she’d been given. The small sitting room had a settee in front of a fireplace and a writing desk by the window. A nice round table sat in the center of the room, with two chairs on either side of it, where she supposed she could have breakfast if she didn’t want to go to the dining room downstairs. The room was beautifully decorated in different shades of blues and greens and felt soothing to her.

  Abigail went into the bedroom to find the same colors on the drapes at the windows and on the bed. It was a very nice room. She spotted her trunk and bags at the end of the bed and quickly realized that the desk clerk had not sent anyone up to help her yet. She found the electric bell that she’d been told rang through to the office about the time a knock sounded on the sitting room door.

  It was the maid come to help her. The young woman smiled. “Good evening, ma’am. I’ve been sent to help you get settled in.”

  “Good. I’d just rung the bell to remind the clerk.” Before Abigail could let her in and shut the door, the bellboy who’d brought her things was there. “You rang, ma’am?”