however, to be looking right at her.
“Forgive me for abandoning you?”
Anna looked down at Charlotte, who gave her a pleading look.
“Go,” Anna said smiling, “and enjoy your evening.”
Charlotte giggled. “And you enjoy Uncle Edwin.”
As the girl skipped off, Anna looked for the man in the shadows only to find he’d disappeared.
“Did I hear my name?”
Anna jumped. Edwin Beck stood beside her.
He offered a courtly bow. “Might I have this dance, Miss Finch?”
“Dance?” She looked up into his green eyes, and her feet refused to move.
“A waltz, to be precise. Surely you’ve heard of it.” Daniel’s brother placed his hand against her back and moved Anna toward the dance floor. “If not, I’ll be happy to offer instruction.”
As Edwin led her to the center of the dance floor, Anna spotted the strange man again. He still watched, still moved on the edge of the room. A woman paused to speak to him, and he leaned toward her. She smiled, and he nodded.
“After you,” Edwin Beck said. With his persistent push, Anna found herself in the midst of the crowd and no longer able to see the stranger. “We’ll have to begin dancing now, Miss Finch, or the others will run us over.”
“What? Oh yes, of course.” She stepped into the waltz and found Edwin to be a delightful dance partner. After a few moments, she was even able to relax and enjoy the music and the elegant flow of the dance.
Until Edwin whirled her around, and she came face to face with the stranger. And saw the familiar scar.
It seems that this quiet state of affairs was but the calm that precedes the storm …
—
Tombstone Epitaph, October 27, 1881
(the day after the gunfight at the OK Corral)
Jeb moved away from the dance floor and into the shadows at the edge of the room before he got too close to Anna Finch again. Until he decided his plan, there would be no contact with the subject. At least she hadn’t recognized him, though he had certainly recognized her.
He stole another glance at her. There was no doubt the woman gliding around the dance floor wearing the latest in Paris fashion began the previous day wearing oversized trousers and a working man’s shirt. Working
boy
, Jeb amended as he assessed her size, remembering he’d already held her against him twice.
And not at a safe distance, as Beck’s brother did now.
“Not a bad assignment compared to some, eh?” a voice at his side said.
Jeb barely took his eyes off the woman he was being paid to shadow long enough to acknowledge Daniel’s presence. “Think so?”
“Sure beats passing as a miner or taking fire from train robbers.” Daniel nudged him. “I see you’ve noticed she’s pleasing to the eye.”
Jeb might have nodded. He wasn’t completely sure. “But dangerous when armed.”
“I’m sorry?”
He spared Daniel a moment’s attention. “Don’t be. As you said, I’ve handled worse.”
“You say you’re following Anna until an announcement of her marriage is given?” When Jeb grunted, Daniel continued. “Perhaps the assignment will be brief, then. I think my new chief of security is besotted.”
Jeb thought of how Hank had trailed the Finch woman through the party. If he hadn’t known Hank Thompson to be among the best men that Mr. Pinkerton ever handed a badge, he would have sworn his fellow agent was nothing but a lovesick schoolboy.
Rubbing his palm against his freshly shaven chin, Jeb contemplated how to proceed. Hiding in plain sight would only work if the woman and Doc had no idea he was a Pinkerton. He’d stared into Doc’s eyes and not been recognized, but any time that passed might change this.
It wasn’t too late to find a disguise, though the idea of spending the next few weeks—or more—pretending to be someone else sounded like a lot of trouble.
Another look at Anna Finch told him he was in for trouble either way.
“Worried about something?” Daniel asked.
Jeb shrugged. “Just
“Forgive me for abandoning you?”
Anna looked down at Charlotte, who gave her a pleading look.
“Go,” Anna said smiling, “and enjoy your evening.”
Charlotte giggled. “And you enjoy Uncle Edwin.”
As the girl skipped off, Anna looked for the man in the shadows only to find he’d disappeared.
“Did I hear my name?”
Anna jumped. Edwin Beck stood beside her.
He offered a courtly bow. “Might I have this dance, Miss Finch?”
“Dance?” She looked up into his green eyes, and her feet refused to move.
“A waltz, to be precise. Surely you’ve heard of it.” Daniel’s brother placed his hand against her back and moved Anna toward the dance floor. “If not, I’ll be happy to offer instruction.”
As Edwin led her to the center of the dance floor, Anna spotted the strange man again. He still watched, still moved on the edge of the room. A woman paused to speak to him, and he leaned toward her. She smiled, and he nodded.
“After you,” Edwin Beck said. With his persistent push, Anna found herself in the midst of the crowd and no longer able to see the stranger. “We’ll have to begin dancing now, Miss Finch, or the others will run us over.”
“What? Oh yes, of course.” She stepped into the waltz and found Edwin to be a delightful dance partner. After a few moments, she was even able to relax and enjoy the music and the elegant flow of the dance.
Until Edwin whirled her around, and she came face to face with the stranger. And saw the familiar scar.
It seems that this quiet state of affairs was but the calm that precedes the storm …
—
Tombstone Epitaph, October 27, 1881
(the day after the gunfight at the OK Corral)
Jeb moved away from the dance floor and into the shadows at the edge of the room before he got too close to Anna Finch again. Until he decided his plan, there would be no contact with the subject. At least she hadn’t recognized him, though he had certainly recognized her.
He stole another glance at her. There was no doubt the woman gliding around the dance floor wearing the latest in Paris fashion began the previous day wearing oversized trousers and a working man’s shirt. Working
boy
, Jeb amended as he assessed her size, remembering he’d already held her against him twice.
And not at a safe distance, as Beck’s brother did now.
“Not a bad assignment compared to some, eh?” a voice at his side said.
Jeb barely took his eyes off the woman he was being paid to shadow long enough to acknowledge Daniel’s presence. “Think so?”
“Sure beats passing as a miner or taking fire from train robbers.” Daniel nudged him. “I see you’ve noticed she’s pleasing to the eye.”
Jeb might have nodded. He wasn’t completely sure. “But dangerous when armed.”
“I’m sorry?”
He spared Daniel a moment’s attention. “Don’t be. As you said, I’ve handled worse.”
“You say you’re following Anna until an announcement of her marriage is given?” When Jeb grunted, Daniel continued. “Perhaps the assignment will be brief, then. I think my new chief of security is besotted.”
Jeb thought of how Hank had trailed the Finch woman through the party. If he hadn’t known Hank Thompson to be among the best men that Mr. Pinkerton ever handed a badge, he would have sworn his fellow agent was nothing but a lovesick schoolboy.
Rubbing his palm against his freshly shaven chin, Jeb contemplated how to proceed. Hiding in plain sight would only work if the woman and Doc had no idea he was a Pinkerton. He’d stared into Doc’s eyes and not been recognized, but any time that passed might change this.
It wasn’t too late to find a disguise, though the idea of spending the next few weeks—or more—pretending to be someone else sounded like a lot of trouble.
Another look at Anna Finch told him he was in for trouble either way.
“Worried about something?” Daniel asked.
Jeb shrugged. “Just
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