Tempest(62)
“I don’t understand.” Raking a hand through his black hair, he stared at the erstwhile walking stick that had been sharpened to a point. “It doesn’t make sense.”
“Do you mean it has moved? How could that happen?”
“I haven’t the faintest idea.” His eyes scanned the clifftops as he thought. “It doesn’t really matter, since I know where the thing was and we can work from that point. I just don’t like this.”
Cathy watched him carry his tricorne hat and the lantern to the water’s edge, facing in the direction of the Golden Eagle. He lifted the light and passed the tricorne in front of it twice, then paused and repeated the motion. After a few moments, there was a signal from the ship. Her heart began to pound harder. “Do you think we are in danger?”
“No.” Raveneau flashed a reassuring smile. “Not a bit. But I believe in caution, especially when you are involved. Now then, let’s get back to work. You take the lantern and keep the map open so that I can see it.”
And so they began. He took a compass from the pouch, studied the map and the other papers, oriented himself where the peg had originally been, and began to walk in measured steps.
“One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.” He stopped. “Bring the map and the lantern.”
As she approached, Cathy said, “The number on the map is three, Adam. Why are you walking seven steps?”
“Trust me.” Smiling, he cupped her chin, kissed her briefly, and groaned. “When this is over...”
“You’re going to kiss me some more?”
“You have become quite the temptress! Indeed, that is my intention. Would you welcome such a plan?”
Cathy cheeks warmed under his suggestive gaze. “I might be persuaded,” she murmured. “You are a wickedly handsome pirate.”
Raveneau’s hand fit itself to the curve of her waist, and he brought her flush against him just long enough to let her feel the proof of his desire. “It must wait until we’ve found this treasure. Now stand back so I can think!”
She held the lantern as he used the compass, turned, and walked again, counting off three more steps. Another turn directed him back toward the cliffs, and he measured off nine steps until he was inside the cave. Then, after setting the compass down to mark the spot, Adam got the shovel and beckoned to Cathy.
“This should be it.” His voice was low, and he laid a finger over her lips. “Let’s be very quiet, all right? Just in case...”
Broken clouds streamed across the night sky, and the moon was revealed again, slanting white light into the cave. Cathy stood to one side, holding the lantern as Raveneau dug the hole, deeper and deeper. At length there was a sharp noise as the shovel struck something hard, and he looked up from the waist-deep hole and grinned.
“Success!”
Soon he had widened the pit so that the entire chest came into view. It was a brass-bound rectangular iron box with a handle at each end and a great lock on the front. Without an invitation, Cathy jumped down beside him and stared in wonder.
“I can hardly believe it,” she whispered.
“Nearly two hundred years after Bonnet put it here...” Adam reflected. “I would say the time has come, wouldn’t you?”
“But that lock is enormous! How in the world will we open it?”
“One thing at a time, Cath. Let’s bring it out first.”
Together they got the heavy chest up onto the floor of the cave. Then, he reached into the leather pouch and brought out a large, ornate key. “I have a feeling this is going to fit.”
And it did.
When Raveneau turned the rusty key and lifted the lid, the sight that met their eyes was more wondrous than either of them could have imagined.
Chapter 34
Nestled in a golden cloth was a mass of silver and gold coins, gleaming in the moonlight and mixed chaotically with jewels of every description. There were necklaces and bracelets of rubies and sapphires, rings and trinkets set with sparkling gems ranging from amethysts to diamonds, and small leather bags that held dozens of uncut emeralds.
“I can hardly believe my eyes,” Cathy whispered. “What are those coins? I’ve never seen anything like them!”
Adam held a few up to the flickering lantern. “The silver ones are ‘pieces of eight,’ and the others are gold Spanish doubloons. They’re worth a small fortune, I’ll wager. It’s amazing to think what stories are connected to the contents of this chest, stories we can only imagine.”
As he returned the coins to the chest, he noticed a black cloth wedged into one side. Removing it and shaking it open, Adam made a low sound of wonder. “Look at this. It’s Bonnet’s own flag, the same one I found the drawing of in Bridgetown. That flag flying on the Golden Eagle is just a replica I had made, but this is the real thing. It’s our proof that this chest was buried by Stede Bonnet.”
Before Cathy could reply, a loud howling sound startled them both. “What was that? An animal?” she exclaimed.
“Devil if I know.” Immediately, he closed the chest, locked it, and buried the key. “Wait here. Don’t move; do you understand?”
No sooner had he stepped out of the cave, sword drawn, than the howling commenced again, followed this time by an eerie voice calling, “Leeeave my treasure! Leeeave my treasure!”
“Who’s there?” Raveneau demanded.
“I am Steeeede Bonnnnet! I demand that you leeeeave my treasure!”
“Ah, I see. Are you a ghost, Major Bonnet?”
“Yesssss!”
“Well then, I’m not worried. If you’re only a spirit, you can’t harm us.” With that, he turned and went back into the cave. Reaching Cathy’s side, he touched a fingertip to his mouth and shook his dark head. “Shh. Wait.”
There was a long silence, then the howling commenced again, this time seeming to be closer. Raveneau went to look outside the cave again.
“You’re becoming a bore, Major Bonnet. Since you clearly have no earthly use for your treasure, and it is on my land, I suggest that you go back where you came from.”
“I willlll not!” cried the voice.
Looking overhead, Adam side-stepped as a tall figure came leaping down from high up the steps that were carved into the cliff. The intruder, who was elaborately dressed as a pirate captain, nearly fell forward, but managed to recover and hastily drew his own sword. His tightly-curled gray wig and tricorne hat were askew, and he wore a black silk mask with large holes cut for his eyes.
“Why, you’re not a ghost at all, but quite human,” Adam remarked in mock surprise. Stepping effortlessly into the en garde position, he leaned forward and flicked at a gold button on the intruder’s velvet coat. “Put down your sword, sir, and save your own life.”
“Never! That treasure is mine! En garde!”
Glancing over, Adam saw that Cathy had flattened herself against the cave wall. And over his opponent’s shoulder, he spied Byron rowing toward them from the Golden Eagle in response to the lantern signal he had sent.
As they circled each other on the moonlit beach, Adam’s practiced eyes picked out clues to the attacker’s identity. “What right have you to the treasure? Clearly you are not Bonnet’s ghost.”
The man made a clumsy attempt to advance and lunge, but Raveneau easily deflected his blade. “I am the heir!” he screamed in frustration.
“I don’t want to kill you, but you are leaving me no choice.” He circled again until his opponent’s back was to the cave. Quickly then, Raveneau’s blade glided over the other sword until, in a split-second movement, he flicked at the man’s velvet coat sleeve. Moments later, the torn velvet was crimson with blood.
“Urgh! How dare you?” He gaped at the sight of his own blood. “How dare you?”
“How? Quite easily, or do you need another demonstration?” Laughing, Adam effortlessly parried and riposted but stopped short of drawing more blood, his blade merely resting against his opponent’s throat. “It’s Lightfoot, isn’t it? Perhaps you didn’t know that I was one of the founding members of the fencing club at Oxford.”
Cathy was suddenly next to them, brandishing the shovel like a weapon. “Do as my husband says and drop your sword.”
Sweat dripped down his face as he obeyed. When Raveneau stepped forward and pulled down the black silk mask, he discovered Basil Lightfoot on the verge of tears.
“You have wounded me, my lord! I shall visit the magistrate and see to it that you are charged!”
“Indeed? I would remind you that you attacked me. I could have killed you in self-defense.” Using the black scarf, he tied Lightfoot’s wrists together in front of him. “Besides, you aren’t really hurt. I just grazed you. Ah, here comes Byron to take you to the ship, where you won’t be able to disrupt our night any further. But first, tell me what the devil you have been up to with this ill-conceived charade!”
He sniffed and looked away. “I was the heir to Crowe’s Nest, as you know. That map was a legend in our family. It belonged to my great-great uncle Xavier and should never have fallen into the hands of the Raveneaus! I always knew that once you returned to Barbados, you would eventually track down the treasure for me, so I’ve just waited for this day.”