“Do you have a photograph of them?” the other man asked.
“No.” The irony wasn’t lost on Isaac. Here Addie’s job was to photograph everyone she could, but there was nothing to show the Pinkertons regarding what the two men looked like.
“We can get a photo from the prison.” The Pinkerton looked to his partner.
“For the time being,” Isaac said, “I just want her guarded so that no one comes to bother her unless they have permission. I can give you a good description of what they looked like last time I saw them.”
“Good. Let’s go ahead with that,” the man replied.
Isaac nodded. “Hiram is older and bigger. He’s probably six three and two hundred fifty pounds. He has brown hair—dark. Blue eyes and may or may not be sporting a beardand mustache. He wore them in the Yukon because shaving wasn’t convenient and in the colder weather it offered some protection. Shep is six foot or so and probably only around one hundred ninety pounds. He’s not very smart, and I think he relies heavily on whatever Hiram tells him to do. For instance, he’d never come up with doing all this on his own. He’s mainly someone to come alongside and offer muscle.”
“Any distinguishing marks?”
Isaac thought for a moment. “I know Hiram had a long scar down his right forearm. Got that in a knife fight. At least that’s what he boasted. Otherwise, I can’t recall anything in particular.”
“We’ll get right over to the hospital and put men in place. It’s not going to be without expense, though.”
“I don’t care what it costs. I want to know that she’s safe. I don’t want any further harm to come to her. I want her to be able to rest knowing that she won’t wake up to find one of her brothers at her bedside.”
“Well, we can certainly guarantee that.” The man closed his notebook and looked at Isaac. “We’ll see this through, Dr. Hanson.”
“You have our guarantee,” the other agent offered.
Isaac showed the men to the door and had just headed back to the library when Mina and Lena showed up.
“Are those men going to help you save Princess Addie?” Lena asked, hugging her arms around Isaac’s waist.
“Yes, they are. Those men work for a company called the Pinkerton National Detective Agency. They are very good at offering people protection.”
“So they’re going to stay with Addie and keep her safe?” Mina questioned.
“That’s the plan. I asked for two men to be with her at all times. That way if Addie’s brothers show up to cause her harm, there will be more than one man helping to keep her safe.”
“That’s very smart to do,” Mina replied. “If there was just one man and he had to run after one of her brothers, that would leave her alone for the other brother to do as he pleased.”
Isaac nodded. “You really are much too smart for just being ten.”
She smiled. “I learn a lot from you, Uncle Isaac. I wish you were my teacher.”
“Well, while I’m here, I’ll do what I can to help you with your learning.” He hugged them both close.
“I should have known that I’d find you girls wherever I found my brother. Girls, you were very naughty to escape your nanny. She was frantically looking for you,” Isaac’s sister admonished her offspring.
“Don’t be too hard on them, Lizzy, they are just trying to help Addie.”
She gave them a sympathetic nod. “Very well, but for now you need to get back up in the nursery.”
They moaned a bit at this, but after Isaac assured the girls he’d come to see them later, they finally went without further protest.
“Whenever I can’t find them, I have only to look for you, brother dear.”
“Like I said, don’t be too hard on them. They really adore Addie and want to see her safe.”
“How did they find out about her being in the hospital?” Elizabeth asked.
Isaac shrugged. “It wasn’t me. I would guess they were eavesdropping and got most of their information that way. Those two are quite good at ferreting out whatever information they want.”
Elizabeth took a seat on the red leather sofa in the library. She had been such a great source of comfort and encouragement to Isaac and when she motioned for him to join her, Isaac did so.
