TT Barbara Donlon Bradley A Portrait in Time

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Chapter 29 412
that Mrs. Beauchamp went to visit her sister in Kentucky and had to have one."
"You always seem to have that juicy tidbit that no one else has." Alex smiled. "How is
that?"
Elizabeth opened her fan. It slowly moved up and down, causing loose tendrils of hair to
float around her face. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Alex laughed. "Yes, you do. Somehow, you always know the newest gossip just before
anyone else does. It's almost like you make it up as you go along except it's always turns
out true."
"Alexandra Dalton! Really!" said Beth. She fanned herself vigorously for a second
before she spoke again. "Which reminds me. Did I tell you that a whole bunch of them
Pinkerton men came into town? They're a fine sight."
She paled a little. "The Pinkerton Agency? Why are they here?"
"Don't know. Hear tell they're looking for a spy."
Alex gaze slid from Beth to Beau. "Really? How exciting. Who is the spy?"
Beth tapped her fan on her left cheek. "I heard the name, but I don't remember. Not a
name I'd recognize. Wouldn't it be absolutely famous to have a spy in our mist?"
"As if he'd seek out our friendship." Alex tried to sound noncommittal.
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"But would it not be fun? Imagine, the two of us involved with a wanted criminal."
"Are you crazy? We could be killed."
Beth turned in the seat toward Alex a little. "Oh, no. Most spies are gentlemen."
"What book did you get that one out of?"
A slight blush filled Beth's cheeks. "A pulp. Please don't tell father. He'd be so mad."
Alex arched a brow. She thought the dime novel normally featured a cowboy. Knowing
that her friend read them made her like the woman a little more. Her gaze moved across the
area they rode through. She noticed a small farmhouse in the distance. "Who lives there?"
"No one now. The LeBlanc's built that for their son and his bride before the war but he
didn't return. The bride-to-be moved west about a year ago."
Beau pulled the coach up to the front porch.
"We're stopping?" asked Elizabeth.
"Yes," he said.
"But Father..." Beth stared hard at the gun that appeared in Beau's hand.
"Now, Ladies. You need to cooperate with me. Inside, now."
The two women's eyes locked for a second before lifting their skirts enough to climb
down from the carriage without landing on their faces.
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Alex wanted to reason with him. "Beau, why are you bringing Miss Elizabeth in this?
She has nothing to do with this."
"Oh, but she does." He gestured for them to enter the abandoned house. "Leroux is sweet
on her."
"He is?" asked Elizabeth. A slow blush filled her cheeks again.
Once inside, Alex placed herself between Beau and Elizabeth. "What does Mr. Leroux
have to do with this?"
Beau smiled as he fingered his mustache. "Because Andrew Leroux works for the
Pinkerton Agency."
Alex's eyes widened.
"Don't look so surprised. He slammed the bar to block the door into place. Did you think
I was stupid?"
She flinched at the sound. "Of course not."
"It was easy to figure out," Beau said. "He showed up too many times in too many places
for it to be a coincidence. That's why I came back to Jennings. I knew Andrew would
follow and I could kill two birds with one stone."
Beth tapped her on the shoulder.
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"Not now," she whispered to her friend.
"And you two ladies will draw them in for me." Beau leaned against the wall, keeping
the gun aimed in their direction. "You don't know how surprised I was to find a pretty
woman in Trey's home. I knew I'd driven all the local women away from him. The very
first time I met you I knew he felt something for you, Alexandra. I watched how he
behaved around you. His eyes followed you across a room at his house. At the parties he
never left your side. It was like he was afraid you'd disappear on him. And he hated it if
another man even looked at you. He's in love with you."
"It was perfect for my plan. I made sure that as his feeling for you deepened, his hatred
for Andrew would grow." Beau laughed. "You should have seen his face when he tore the
cover off of the portrait. He tried to tear it with his bare hands."
"How did you have that portrait made?"
"You met the painter at your wedding. He was the shorter gentleman who accompanied
me."
Alex thought the man had stared at her too much, now she knew why.
"He was so struck by your beauty that he begged me to introduce you. He wanted to do
your portrait. So I commissioned him. I attained a copy of your photograph from your
Chapter 29 416
wedding and one of Andrew. I gave them to him. When the portrait was done I held it until
the proper moment," he said. "It was perfect. He went charging into the night to tear
Andrew limb from limb, giving me the chance to prepare for our departure."
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