“Lie? When did I lie?”
“You accused me of being a Southern sympathizer, when this whole time you were working with Rose Greenhow to assist the Confederacy.” Saying the words out loud intensified my anger.
He just stared at me, dumbfounded. “What are you talking about?”
“This.” I motioned to the house. “I heard you were one of the first to visit Mrs. Greenhow today, taken into custody.” I had to swallow the revulsion that raced up my throat as the next question formed on my lips. “Are you in love with her?”
A slow smile spread across Gray’s face. “Are you jealous, Maggie?”
His question—and attitude—infuriated me. I hated myself for the truth, especially because he was the enemy, so I refused to answer. Instead, I crossed my arms and lifted my chin.
“I am not in love with Rose Greenhow,” he said quietly. “My heart is otherwise engaged.”
My bluster started to fade, though I tried desperately to hold on to my anger. “Then why would you help her?”
“I didn’t help Rose. I helped uncover her spy ring.” He took a step closer to me.
I backed up.
“I’m a Pinkerton agent, Maggie. I came to Washington as one of Lincoln’s guards, and I was placed in the War Department,undercover, to help identify rebels in the government. I was working the day you saw me at the Capitol Building” He took another step closer, and this time there was nowhere for me to go. My back was against the wall of Rose’s house. “I’ve been working day and night since Bull Run to find the spy who revealed our plans to the Confederate army. Pinkerton was put in charge of a secret service by President Lincoln, and he asked me to lead this investigation. I couldn’t tell you the truth, since I was undercover, but now that we’ve arrested Mrs. Greenhow, I can share this information with you. I was the first agent here today. I caught her trying to burn her papers.”
I blinked several times, unsure if I had heard him correctly.
“The night of Mrs. Greenhow’s dinner party,” he continued, “when you came across us in the dining room, I was attempting to uncover her lies. I knew I had hurt you, but I couldn’t risk telling you the truth—not yet.”
I swallowed, trying to make sense of everything he was saying. “Y-You weren’t dallying with Rose?”
This time, he was serious as he answered me. “No.”
My pulse had been pounding, but it suddenly started to beat a different rhythm. Gray wasn’t in love with Rose. His heart was otherwise engaged.
Did that mean...?
“I know you must have a hundred questions,” he said. “And believe me, I have wanted to tell you everything since Bull Run.” He stepped back and ran his hand over the back of his neck. “I worked my way from England to New York to Illinois, where I met Allan Pinkerton. He recognized in me an ability that I had always thought was a curse—to correctly read people and their intentions. He trained me to be one of his agents. I’ve been working for him for over a year now, and I can see why he recruited me. I was born for this work. I have a keen sense of perception, and I can recognize a person’s motives within minutes, just as I told you. It’s how I knew Rose was involvedin the spy ring very early on.” He crossed his arms and leaned back against the porch railing. “You are the only person who puzzles me, and it’s left me completely defenseless. For the life of me, I cannot figure out what you’re hiding. You wear your emotions on your sleeve, yet I’m baffled as to what they mean.”
“You’re a Pinkerton agent?”
He smiled. “That’s all you can say after I just admitted to you that I’m defenseless where you’re concerned?” He became serious, his voice low. “I’ve never been defenseless, Maggie. Never.”
I blinked a few times and put my hand to my throat. Gray wasn’t dallying with Rose, and he hadn’t been intentionally leading me on or standing me up. He’d been searching for a rebel spy.
He moved away from the railing and drew close to me, blocking me from the mist and the wind. He was much taller than me, and his shoulders were broad and confident.
My pulse thrummed at his nearness.
“I’m sorry you were disappointed in me,” he said, touching a tendril of hair that had fallen loose from my chignon. “But I loved seeing the fire in your eyes tonight when you thought I was a villain.” His hand gently grazed my cheek, sending a delicious chill down my spine. “I’m happy I am not the villain, however, because I would not want to be on the receiving end of your anger.”
I smiled, my fervor beginning to fade. “I told you I was not to be trifled with, Mr. Cooper.”
“I did not doubt you for a moment, Miss Wakefield.” He traced the curve of my jaw with his thumb, causing my lips to part in surprise.
He paused, studying me, his gaze intense.
“Thank you for telling me the truth,” I finally said, feeling breathless.
Gray lowered his hand, much to my disappointment. “I willalways tell you the truth, Maggie. No matter what it costs me—and that’s not a promise I make lightly.”
I wanted to promise him the same, but I could not. It was too dangerous.
