A Proper Pursuit (55 page)

“So that’s how you were able to find my mother. You’re a detective!”

“A pretty good one, eh?” He couldn’t help grinning.

“What about the night at the casino, with Nelson? Were you working then?”

“The fair administrators knew about the gambling and suspected a scam, but the room was rented privately. Admission was by invitation only, so they couldn’t gather any proof. Thanks to your friend, we were able to get inside and check it out for them.”

“I understand the dealers were all arrested. I read about it in the paper.” When I saw his look of surprise, I added, “I read the newspaper every day now. My aunt Matt is right. You can learn a lot about the world that way.”

“Well, thanks to you and your gambling friend, I got a nice bonus from the fair’s administrators for my night’s work.”

“Does that mean you won’t have to sell Dr. Dean’s Blood Builder anymore?”

“That’s right—and it’s a shame too, because our specially patented formula is made from the highest quality beef extract, fortified with iron and celery root. If you’re suffering from extreme exhaustion, brain fatigue, debility of any kind, blood disorders, or anemia, our blood builder will enrich your blood and help your body throw off accumulated humors of all kinds. You should try it, Miss Hayes. It’s guaranteed to stimulate digestion and improve your blood flow or we’ll give you your money back.”

I laughed and laughed—so hard that I could no longer sit up straight. Silas laughed with me. It was a wonderful sound.

“May I ask you a question?” I said when we finally paused for breath. “When you comforted my Aunt Birdie and you talked about heaven and Jesus … do you … are you… ?”

“I’m a believer, Violet. My saintly mother made sure of that.”

“I see.” I couldn’t stop smiling. “Me too. And one more question? What does the
A
on your monogrammed handkerchief stand for?”

“It’s an
A
for agent. It’s so we can recognize each other when we’re working undercover. It’s less obvious than
P
for Pinkerton’s.”

“But suppose there’s an innocent bystander whose name just happens to begin with an
A
and he—?”

“You’ve asked enough questions,” he said, putting his fingers over my lips. “Now it’s my turn. Tell me, if you loved someone, and you had never fallen in love before, and you couldn’t stop thinking about her day and night, would you let her walk out of your life or would you follow her to the ends of the earth and fight to win her hand?”

I didn’t think my heart could pound any harder or faster but it did. “I-I’d fight to win her hand.”

“I was hoping you would say that.” He grinned and took my hand in his, twining our fingers together. “Okay, now it’s your turn to ask me one. I love your questions, you know.”

I was so rattled I couldn’t think. I asked the first one that came to mind. “If you could choose, would you rather be a butterfly or a firefly?”

“I’d rather be a moth.”

“Ugh!” I shuddered. “I hate moths.”

He leaned his head back and smiled. “Now that’s a mystery I’ll never understand. A moth is just a butterfly without the fancy clothes, isn’t it? But if a moth flutters around your head, you women scream and shoo it away like it was some kind of monster. If a butterfly does the same thing, you’re entranced. You say, ‘Oh, how lovely!’ and you stick out your finger and try to get it to land there. It’s the same insect, isn’t it? Except for the color?”

“Yes, I suppose it is,” I said with a smile. “So why would you choose to be a moth?”

“Because I’d like to make my way in life without all the fancy colors and be judged by who I am, not by what I look like from the outside.”

“You’re right,” I said, grinning as broadly as he did. “One should never judge someone by outward appearances. I’ll remember that the next time an elixir salesman in a baggy plaid suit boards my train.”

And that, dear reader, was how I solved my first
True Crime
and found
True Romance
in …

The End