Undercover Bride (39 page)

She smiled, and this time she sat without further ado. “Did Rikker put you up to this?” she asked, holding the doll on her lap.

“No, but he helped me put my plan together.”

The corners of her mouth tugged upward. “Why chess?”

“I can think better with a chessboard in front of me. The game brings out my best,” he replied.

“That’s good because I’m going to need your patience. I’m afraid I’ve forgotten all the moves.”

“Ah. Then you’ll be happy about my new rule.”

She arched a delicately shaped eyebrow. “Which is?”

“The loser has to grant the winner one wish,” he said.

She leveled her clear, observant eyes at him. “Since I’m only a beginner that puts me at a disadvantage.”

“Not if we share the same wish.”

She studied him. “My wish is that you forgive me.”

That wasn’t the wish he had in mind, but it would do. For now. “Black or white?”

M
aggie stood perfectly still while Aunt Hetty pinned the garland of flowers on her head and fussed with the veil. Staring at herself in the mirror, Maggie couldn’t stop smiling.

So much had happened this past week it was hard to believe any of it real. Incredible as it seemed, she was about to become Mrs. Garrett Thomas.
Please, God, if I’m dreaming, please don’t wake me.

She would miss Rikker, of course, but her work here was cut out for her. Not only did she intend to be the best wife and mother possible, she planned to open a home for orphans and other at-risk children. Reverend Holly and the church agreed to help, and already a “multitude of counselors” as mentioned in the Bible, had volunteered.

She would no longer be chasing down bad guys. That was Rikker’s department. Hers was to try and nip potential criminals in the bud. She could never make up for all the pain her father had caused, but maybe, just maybe, she could put a stop to future hurts.

She still didn’t forgive him, but she now had a better understanding of how his early trauma had affected him. That, at least, was a start.

Stepping back, Aunt Hetty clasped her hands and sighed. “You look beautiful.”

Maggie smiled at her. Aunt Hetty had been so busy with lastminute preparations she’d quite forgotten to complain about her aches and pains.

“Thank you for everything,” Maggie said. Aunt Hetty had fussed over her like her own mother never had. For the first time in her life Maggie felt like she belonged to a real family.

Just then Elise and Toby ran into the room.

Elise looked adorable in her pink ruffled dress. Her hat was decorated with silk rosebuds, and her hair cascaded down her back in long shiny curls.

“You look so pretty,” Maggie said, bringing a smile to the child’s sweet face. “And you, young man, look mighty handsome and so grown up.” Toby’s lopsided grin was identical to his father’s, and Maggie felt a tug inside.

Aunt Hetty lifted Toby’s thinking cap off his head and tackled his cowlick. She then tucked in his shirt and straightened his bow tie—for perhaps the hundredth time that day.

A knock sounded, and Aunt Hetty opened the door an inch. Seeing Rikker, she flung it open the rest of the way.

He strolled into the room and stopped short upon seeing Maggie. “You clean up real nice, Duffy,” he said. Despite his casual remark, a suspicious gleam shone in his eyes.

“You’re not so bad yourself,” Maggie said. He had borrowed a dark formal suit from Mr. Dinwiddie and even got his hair trimmed for the occasion. But it wasn’t just his clothes and hair that looked different. He seemed more relaxed, with none of his impatient frowns and constant checking of his watch.

“I’ll go see if they’re ready for us,” Aunt Hetty said. She set her hairbrush down and left the room.

“Did Allan give you a bad time about giving up the New Orlean’s job?” Maggie asked.

“No. It was the other way around.”

“How do you mean?”

“I told him that I quit.”

She stared at him. “What?”

“Allan wasn’t happy about losing his two best detectives, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it.” He grinned. “Meet the new tinker apprentice.”

“You? You’re working for Garrett?”

He shrugged. “You didn’t think I was going to let my adopted
daughter
stay in Furnace Creek without me, did you?”

With a whoop of joy, she flung her arms around his neck.

The door flew open and Aunt Hetty reappeared. Sensing her distress, Maggie pulled out of Rikker’s arms.

“What’s wrong?” she asked. Did Garrett have a change of heart?

“I don’t understand,” Aunt Hetty said, wringing her hands. “None of the guests have arrived.”

“None?”

“Just Linc and his grandmother.” Garrett had asked Linc to be an usher. “It makes no sense. The invitations—”

A horrifying realization struck Maggie, and her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh no! In all the excitement I forgot to mail the invitations.” Far as she knew, they were still in the back of the wagon where she’d tossed them.

Aunt Hetty looked aghast. “Oh my! And we have all this cake and—”

“I’ll be happy to eat the cake,” Rikker said.

“This is no time to joke,” Maggie said. She felt awful. Aunt Hetty had gone to so much work. She looked at Rikker, hoping he’d come up with one of his brilliant plans but then suddenly thought of an idea of her own.

She turned to Toby. “Go and fetch Linc,” she said. “Tell him we need his help. And hurry!”

Less than forty minutes later, Aunt Hetty peered through the door. “Our guests have arrived,” she said, smiling.

Maggie smiled, too. Linc had raced up and down the street yelling in his loudest newspaper voice for everyone to get to the church posthaste. Amazingly enough, her plan worked.

People dropped whatever they were doing and ran down the street to the church, some dragging young children by the hand. Half-shaven men deserted barber chairs and ran to join the throng. Housewives set their brooms aside and bank tellers left their cages. Farmers abandoned wagons and clerks closed up shop.

All thought another miracle was about to take place—and they were right.

God had worked through a maze of seemingly unrelated events to bring Garrett and Maggie together. That didn’t compare to the swinging cross, but it was still a miracle.

Organ music rose from the sanctuary, and Rikker crooked his elbow. “Ready, Duffy?”

She tucked her arm in his and smiled. “Ready, Papa.”

He reared back in surprise and then looked pleased. “Well, now.”

R
everend Holly closed the Book of Order. “I now pronounce you husband and wife,” he said. “You may kiss the bride.”

Garrett turned to her, and his eyes brimmed with tenderness. Ever so gently he lifted the veil from her face and took her in his arms. With a whispered “
I love you
” he kissed her, his lips warm and sweet on hers.

“I love you, too,” she said between kisses, and her heart swelled with happiness. The truth was she had always loved him, but only now was she able to do it freely and without worry or guilt.

Guests jumped to their feet and applauded. Outside, the bells rang, announcing the happy occasion to the world.

He pulled back with a grin, leaving a delicious tingling sensation on her mouth. “Checkmate,” he whispered.

She smiled. This was one time she didn’t mind being captured.

Her hand in his, they turned toward their guests.

“Ladies and gentleman,” Reverend Holly said, “I present Mr. and Mrs. Garrett Thomas.” Hearing her new name said aloud, Maggie’s heart leaped with joy.

More applause followed as Garrett and Maggie acknowledge their guests with happy smiles.

Garrett tucked her arm in his, and together they walked down the aisle—their first journey as husband and wife. Maggie felt like she was floating on air.

They’d only made it halfway to the back of the church when Dinwiddie rose from a pew and stopped them.

“Since everyone is already here. I hope you don’t mind if I make a couple of announcements,” he said.

Maggie glanced at Garrett, but he looked as puzzled as she was.

Without waiting for consent, Dinwiddie continued. “As you’re all aware, our new courthouse is almost complete.” Applause greeted his announcement, and no one clapped louder than the judge.

Dinwiddie waited for the ovation to die down. “I’m happy to say that pink monstrosity of a courthouse will now be put to better use.” He turned to Maggie and handed her an envelope. “I’m a bit embarrassed to admit this, but I’m its legal owner.”

She stared at him. “You are?” She always knew Dinwiddie was hiding something. But a former bordello? Even Aunt Hetty looked shocked.

He spread his hand in a shrug. “What can I say? We can’t always choose our family members, and I inherited it from my grandfather. It gives me great pleasure to turn the deed over to you as a wedding present.”

Maggie fingered the envelope. “I… I don’t know what to say.” Her eyes filled with tears, and Garrett slipped an arm around her waist to steady her.

“What’s she going to do with that pink bread box?” someone called out.

Maggie brushed her hand over her damp cheeks. “I know exactly what I’m going to do with it.” She glanced at Garrett, and he nodded. “What
we
are going to do with it. We’re turning it into a home for troubled youth.”

Dinwiddie couldn’t have looked more pleased. “That’s exactly what I hoped you’d say.” He ran a finger across his mustache.

“Of course,” Maggie said. She just hoped his next request didn’t involve naming the home Dinwiddie. “What is your other announcement?”

“I would like to turn this into a double wedding. I wish to make Hetty my wife.”

Garrett glanced at Maggie. “I have no objection.”

“Nor do I,” Maggie said.

Dinwiddie grinned. “Very well, then. Garrett, if you would do me the favor of being my best man, we’ll get started.”

“It would be my pleasure.”

Dinwiddie held out his hand to help Aunt Hetty to her feet. “Be careful of my back,” she moaned.

“Watch my foot,” Dinwiddie countered. “My gout’s acting up.”

“Oh dear, my hip…”

Together they hobbled to the front of the church and took their place in front of Reverend Holly.

After exchanging vows and symptoms, Aunt Hetty and Oswald Dinwiddie were joined together in holy wedlock.

As the guests adjourned to the reception hall for cake and lemonade, Garrett held Maggie back with an arm around her waist. “According to the rules of chess, this is called a touch and move law,” he whispered in her ear.

She smiled up at him. Never did she think it was possible to be so completely and insanely happy. “Does this mean you’re going to move me?”

“Absolutely.” And with that he took her by the hand and quickly led her out of the church and into a waiting carriage.

You might be interested to know that the Whistle-Stop train robbery was inspired by a robbery that took place at Union City, Tennessee, on October 21, 1871. After the passengers and crew disembarked for a supper break, two men were seen springing aboard the train. When the train began backing up, a porter ran to the station to give the alarm.

The conductor, engineer, and others gave chase on foot, but by the time they reached the train, the safe was empty and the thieves gone. The Pinkerton National Detective Agency was hired, and after many wrong leads, false starts, and some good old-fashioned sleuthing, William Pinkerton finally captured the gang of robbers.

Maggie’s way of solving the crime is all her own, though she does use a method or two employed by Pinkerton detectives in those early years.

Crime-solving in the nineteenth century wasn’t easy. It’s hard to believe, but the Federal Bureau of Investigation didn’t get its first forensics crime lab until 1932. It’s no wonder that Pinkerton operatives resorted to imaginative tricks (including the mailbox ploy Rikker and Maggie used in the story) to solve crimes. You have to give those early detectives credit. They didn’t have fingerprints or DNA back then, but they almost always got their man.

I hope you enjoyed Maggie and Garrett’s story. If you haven’t read book one in my Undercover Ladies series,
Petticoat Detective
can be ordered from your favorite bookstore or online. Each book stands alone so they can be read out of order.

I love hearing from readers, and you can contact me through my website
www.margaret-brownley.com
. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Until next time,
Margaret

1. The Bible states that a multitude of counselors provides safety. Maggie credits a kindly minister and Christian orphanage for helping her stay on a godly path. Name a person or persons in your life who provided you with wise counsel or godly guidance in a time of need.

2. Do you think Maggie’s reasons for becoming a Pinkerton detective were valid? Why or why not?

3. Which character, if any, did you most identify with and why?

4. The Furnace Creek church had become lax and failed to reach out to those in need. The congregation got a wake-up call in the form of an unexpected “miracle.” In what ways did this impact the town?