“Excuse me, ma’am. It appears you’ve dropped your handkerchief.”
Handkerchief? All Willow was carrying was her bride’s bouquet as she and Graham made their way to the private railroad car that would be their home for their transcontinental honeymoon. Her trunks, filled with a new trousseau and sentimental items from home, had been loaded for her, but she recognized her cousin’s voice and tugged on Graham’s arm before he boarded the train.
“Thank you.” Willow took the finely embroidered handkerchief, although she’d never seen it before. Noticing several eyes following her cousin, she mimicked the polite disinterest that Calista displayed and kept her words low. “I had hoped to see you before we left. Everyone missed you at the wedding.”
“I was at the wedding,” Calista said. “You might not have seen me, but I was there, and it was beautiful.” She shaded her eyes as she smiled up at Graham. “I want to thank your family for employing me. I hope the agency lived up to its standard.”
“Above and beyond.” Graham cut Willow a side glance that set her heart galloping. “I’d say that the result was very satisfactory.”
“Are you headed home?” Willow asked.
“I’m Chicago-bound to get my next assignment. I don’t know what it is yet, but that’s how the Pinkerton office prefers it.” Her eyes embraced Willow, even though she didn’t move an inch closer. “Take care, Mrs. Buchanan. Perhaps our paths will cross, but I might be working in disguise and not be free to acknowledge you.”
“I understand. You be careful.”
“What fun would that be?” Calista dipped her head and strolled across the platform to another train.
“I hope she knows what she’s getting into,” Willow said as Graham escorted her into their car.
“Do any of us know what we’re getting into?” He dismissed the steward as they entered their living quarters. Taking her bouquet, he dropped it in a pitcher of water before joining her before the picture window. “I came to catch a smuggler. Instead I caught a wife.”
From the window, she could see the Harvey House. Inside, Billie and Etta Mae would be clearing the tables as the customers boarded the train. They might even be faced with a tall stack of dishes to handle until they could hire another busboy.
“Don’t worry,” Graham said. “If you miss the restaurant, we can always work at this one or another. Maybe tour our way across the country to see the opening of new Harvey Houses? We could wash dishes and serve dessert if they’re shorthanded.”
“That sounds like an adventure.” After a childhood of duty and cares, she couldn’t believe the turn her life had taken. But duties weren’t always tiresome, and she’d continue to do her duty no matter the circumstance. “I’m ready to follow you anywhere,” she said.
The train swayed beneath her feet. The restaurant passed out of view, but Graham was with her. Life with him would be a challenge. Along with her new husband came a new society, new rules, and new expectations.
But Willow was up to the task. Give her a chance, and she’d outperform everyone’s expectations. Even her own.