Sunken Shadows

by Kathleen Brooks

  “Sure thing. We have tons of legends. Dinner tonight? Say at seven o’clock at the Lowcountry Smokehouse?”

  “See you there, Granger. I’m looking forward to talking to you.”

  Granger said his goodbyes and hung up. For a full two seconds, no one talked and then everyone spoke at once.

  “What will you do?”

  “We need to hide the emerald.”

  “What should Darcy be doing?”

  “Does she need protection?”

  “I’m her protection.”

  Granger held up his hands and quieted the crowd. “First, we’re going to get this emerald someplace safe. Second, Darcy is going to give me a series of questions to ask Hugo that will hold my cover. Third, at seven-thirty, Darcy will walk past Lowcountry’s windows so I can point her out. Kord will be close by at all times. Any questions?”

  “Sounds like a plan,” Darcy said, feeling pretty good about the trap they were setting. Right now she could see Hugo calling his cronies to tell them she’d found something in Shadows Landing. They’d all be speculating on whether it was something of value or not, and the only way to find out would be to find out in person. And the only person who would care that much would be the murderer who was afraid she’d find the treasure first.

  Harper took some pictures of the emerald and put it in the front pocket of her jeans. It bulged out, but she strode across the room and picked up an apron and wrapped it around her waist to hide it. “I’m off to see Reverend Winston. Darcy, when this is all over, you’ll have to tell me what to do with this thing.”

  Darcy hugged her tightly. “Of course. I’ll give you plenty of ideas. Thank you so much for trusting me and allowing me to find out if this emerald existed. Can you imagine? The last time this emerald was seen was three hundred years ago.”

  “I still don’t believe it,” Harper said, shaking her head.

  “I’ll go with you,” Granger told her as he moved to open the kitchen door for her.

  “I’ll get your kitchen put back the best I can,” Ridge called out as Harper headed out of the kitchen with Granger.

  “I’ll help and we’ll get it done in no time.”

  “Thanks, Ridge. Thanks, Trent!” Harper called over her shoulder.

  “Now what?” Wade asked.

  “Now we ask Miss Ruby to come over.”

  23

  Wade watched as Darcy paced along the front of his house. She kept her eyes out the windows the whole time. Miss Ruby and Miss Winnie were headed their way as soon as they finished with their ladies’ meeting at church.

  “How much longer?” Darcy asked him for the third time in two minutes.

  “Probably ten more minutes,” Wade said, patting his lap. He sat in a comfortable leather chair facing her. “Sit for a minute.”

  Darcy stopped pacing and walked over to him. She moved to sit gingerly but Wade grabbed her and pulled her down. She gave a little squeak of surprise and then laughed as Wade sat her on his lap. Her legs dangled over the side of the chair as he rested with one hand around her back and on her hip and the other on her knee.

  “Now,” Wade said as he smiled, “you’ve talked about all the things to do, but you need to take a minute to pat yourself on the back. You just found part of Black Law’s treasure right here in Shadows Landing. You made my cousin financially secure and changed her life. Plus you’ve brought a lot of excitement to our lives. Thank you for all of that. How are you feeling?”

  “I’m so excited I’m about to burst. It’s why I can’t sit still. All I can think about is finding the location of Black Law’s ship. I’ve always thought it was real. I’ve always had faith in my research. But the second I saw that emerald, I knew all the sacrifices and the years spent searching were worth it. I have to know—what happened to that ship? How did Timothy escape? How did the ship sink? As I get closer to finding out, I have more and more questions. I can barely contain myself,” she said at a rapid pace.

  Wade knew of only one way to get her to focus on something else, so he kissed her. Darcy’s lips were still moving as she was running through a thousand questions and scenarios, but when he gently nipped her bottom lip, she stopped talking.

  “You did it and I’m proud of you. You need to breathe or you’ll pass out. We’ll work together and find all the answers to your questions. But right now you need to bask in the accomplishment, even if it’s only for ten minutes.”

  Darcy smiled at him as she looped her arms around his neck. “There’s no one I’d rather celebrate with. Thank you for believing in me.” Darcy leaned forward and kissed him. Wade groaned into her mouth as she wiggled on his lap. He probably had ten minutes. It wouldn’t be as long as he wanted, but when Darcy dropped a hand to slide down his chest, he figured he could do a lot with ten minutes.

  Wade used his hands on Darcy’s waist to lift her slightly upward. She got the hint and moved to straddle him. He felt her pressing against him as she moved her hips and groaned again. He felt her legs on each side of his as he let her take the lead. There was a connection, a chemistry, a magic, between them. They seemed to be able to read each other’s every reaction. Darcy moved against him as she rose above him and deepened the kiss.

  Wade was running his hands under Darcy’s shirt when he heard something. He froze and pulled his lips from Darcy’s, who proceeded to kiss her way down his neck.

  “Young love,” Miss Ruby sighed.

  Darcy yelped in surprise and would have fallen off his lap if Wade hadn’t pinned her to him.

  “Do you suddenly have a craving for apple pie?” Miss Winnie asked Miss Ruby. Neither of the old women seemed apologetic for interrupting or for entering without knocking.

  Miss Ruby sighed. “I need some good apple pie. It always hits the spot.”

  “I’m glad you’re here,” Wade said, carefully untangling his body and Darcy’s. “But you could have knocked.”

  “Honey child, we knocked and rang the bell. Lord knows you were too busy to hear it,” Miss Ruby said as she looked pointedly at him. Wade no longer felt like a grown man, but a little boy who was now in trouble for not paying attention in class.

  “Sorry, ma’am.”

  “I’m just happy to see you with someone as wonderful as Miss Darcy here. I heard about what you did for Harper today. That was a beaut of an emerald!”

  “You saw it?” Darcy asked as she stood up and turned to Miss Ruby and Miss Winnie.

  “Harper even let us hold it,” Miss Winnie said with a nod of her head.

  “Where is it now?” Wade asked exactly what Darcy wanted to know.

  “We don’t know,” Miss Ruby said. “Harper and the reverend were still talking when we left. But now we’re here, so what was this about me playing the piano?”

  “I was hoping you could play this piece for me,” Darcy said sweetly. Wade got up as Darcy pulled out the old leather book from her purse. She unwrapped the flannel and carefully opened it to “He Loves Me So.”

  “That looks very old,” Miss Ruby said, moving forward to look at it. “Where did you get this?”

  “Skeeter,” Darcy tried to answer innocently enough. Miss Ruby looked up at her with an expression that set Darcy to immediately start rambling as if she were trying to talk herself out of getting caught with her hand in the cookie jar. “Skeeter and I were in the archives and found it. I thought it sounded lovely, but I can’t play the piano.”

  “No one likes a fibber, dear,” Miss Winnie clucked.

  Darcy looked to Wade for help and he took pity on her. Everyone else knew they might as well tell Miss Ruby and Miss Winnie. They’d been around long enough that maybe they’d heard stories that weren’t in the archives or common knowledge.

  “It’s part of a clue to help us find Black Law’s treasure,” Wade said as Darcy shot him an exasperated glare. He knew she didn’t like telling people about it, and she had told more people in the past three days than she had her whole life.

  “I’m good at riddles,” Miss Winnie
said as she rubbed her wrinkled hands together. “Ruby, you play it and let me see the clue.”

  “Miss Winnie, people have died over this,” Darcy tried to warn as she pulled out her phone. “Are you sure?”

  “Oh, honey, you don’t reach my age without taking risks. It’s the only way to achieve what others say is unachievable.” Miss Winnie patted Darcy’s arm and took the phone from her.

  “If I shall perish, it was Black Law who captured Samuel, William, and me. His ship rides low and lower shall it ride. No amount of gold, silver, or gems will save me. To my family, I shall miss thee, but I leave one last gift. As the snake’s tail sounds, you spin me like a dancing master. He Loves Me So. As I love you. Goodbye and Godspeed. Timothy Longworth,” Miss Winnie read out loud as Ruby sat at Wade’s mother’s piano in the corner of the living room and looked over the music.

  “We know it’s referencing the boat filled with something and that it’s sunk. We also know he’s talking about Rattlesnake Shoal and ‘He Loves Me So’ is the song we’d like Miss Ruby to play,” Wade said as he filled Miss Winnie in on the clues they’d figured out so far.

  “Play away, Ruby, and let me think,” Miss Winnie said as she set the phone down and pulled out an old #2 pencil and pad of paper from her purse.

  Wade went and slid his arm around Darcy as Miss Ruby began to play. Darcy closed her eyes and listened to the music. It was what she’d describe as a fun upbeat tune.

  “Well, child, that’s it,” Miss Ruby said a couple of minutes later. “This mark here at the end of the song indicates that the whole song should be repeated. Do you want me to play it again?”

  Darcy looked at him and Wade could see the failure in her eyes. The song didn’t mean anything to them. They were somehow missing the clue or there was none.

  “Does anything strike you about the song? Do the notes spell something out?” Darcy asked as hope faded from her voice.

  “I’m sorry, child, but it doesn’t spell anything out. I’ll play it again, though. Maybe we’ll catch something.”

  They didn’t. There was nothing there. It was just a toe-tapping song from three hundred years ago.

  “Anything?” Miss Ruby asked as she turned toward them on the piano bench.

  Wade shook his head. Darcy sat deflated next to him. Her head hung and her shoulders slumped. They’d had such a high today, finding the emerald, to then be crushed with the song not yielding any clue. She was emotionally exhausted.

  “It’s okay,” Wade said as he pulled her in for a comforting hug. “We won’t give up. We’ll figure it out.”

  “Ruby, do you remember in tenth-grade English class when we read Jane Austen?” Miss Winnie asked out of the blue.

  Miss Ruby motioned with her eyes to Wade and Darcy and then back to Winnie. “Not now, Win.”

  “Yes, now. Don’t you remember the class project when we finished Pride and Prejudice?”

  Miss Ruby looked annoyed but answered. “Yes. We all made historic British food and learned a couple of the dances they talked about in the book. Can we get back to Wade and Darcy’s problem?”

  “Do you remember how we learned the steps?” Miss Winnie asked, ignoring Ruby’s request to drop it.

  Darcy looked up at him and gave a weak smile. “I’m going to get some iced tea. Do you want any?”

  “Bring some for everyone if you don’t mind,” Wade said, kissing her forehead as Winnie and Ruby bickered.

  “Just say it, Ruby,” Miss Winnie snapped. “How did we learn the steps?”

  Darcy froze in surprise as did Wade. Miss Winnie never raised her voice.

  Miss Ruby looked annoyed at her old friend. She crossed her arms over her ample bosom and narrowed her eyes. “We used that book with the steps drawn in it. Now, why do you have your panties in a bunch about something we did in high school?”

  “As the snake’s tail sounds, you spin me like a dancing master. He Loves Me So,” Miss Winnie said excitedly.

  Wade looked at Darcy who shrugged.

  “The name of the book was The English Dancing Master and it not only had the music printed in it but also the steps for the dance,” Miss Winnie said triumphantly.

  Wade saw Darcy suck in a breath. She suddenly began to bounce side to side on the balls of her feet. “Spin me like a dancing master. He Loves Me So. We need to find that book!”

  “Wait, explain this to me,” Miss Ruby said as Wade began to grin. Miss Winnie had solved the last clue.

  Darcy was bouncing all around now as she put all the pieces together. “As the snake’s tail sounds means the starting point is Rattlesnake Shoal. You spin me like a dancing master. He Loves Me So. It means starting at the shoal, you follow the steps for the song in the book The English Dancing Master to lead to the sunken ship!”

  Darcy bounced over to Miss Winnie and Wade was afraid she’d break the old woman as she hugged her. “You did it, Miss Winnie!”

  “Now we just have to find that book,” Miss Winnie said as she blushed. Darcy was kissing her cheek and hugging her again.

  “Let’s get this music safely hidden, then I can take you to the Historical Society,” Wade said as he carefully wrapped the music book back in Skeeter’s flannel shirt.

  “Call Skeeter!” Darcy yelled as she bounced over to Miss Ruby to hug her, too.

  “And you better not think about leaving us behind,” Miss Winnie called out over Darcy’s excitement.

  “Let’s go!” Wade laughed as Darcy ran to the door, turned, and smiled broadly at him.

  “We have a sunken ship to find. Are you ready, ladies?”

  Wade held out an arm for both Miss Winnie and Miss Ruby.

  “This is just as exciting as the shootout at the church. Do you think we should grab a cutlass while we’re there?” Miss Winnie asked Miss Ruby.

  “Yes, and I’ll grab a boarding pike so I can leave my cane in the car.”

  Darcy looked back at Wade with wide eyes, and all Wade could do was shrug. This was Shadows Landing after all.

  24

  Darcy felt a shiver race down her spine as she climbed the steps to the church. She turned and Wade looked up at her questioningly as he helped Miss Ruby and Miss Winnie up the steps.

  “Something’s wrong,” she said quietly. Darcy slowly scanned the streets. She couldn’t put it into words. It was just her body telling her something was different.

  Wade looked around but shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t see anything. What did you see?”

  “I didn’t see anything. It’s a feeling.” Darcy took a step down and took hold of Miss Ruby’s arm. “Let’s get inside . . . fast.”

  “You never question a gut feeling,” Miss Ruby said as she moved faster up the steps.

  Darcy took hold of the women as Wade hurried ahead and opened the door. She felt crazy. There was nothing out of place, but something had the hair on the back of her neck standing up.

  “Thank you for not thinking I’m crazy,” Darcy said once safely behind the thick church doors.

  Miss Ruby patted her hand as Winnie teetered off toward the front of the church. “Honey child, in the South we never question crazy. We question when you’re not. Everyone has someone in their family tree with special feelings. They know when not to go out on the boat or where to fish or which piece of chicken not to eat. It’s a true gift.”

  “Hello!” Reverend Winston called out as he came from his office. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this meeting? Did you recruit some people to help with the clothing drive, Miss Winnie?”

  “We’re here on pirate matters,” Miss Winnie responded as she pulled at the bottom of a large candlestick only to have a dagger pop out.

  “I thought she was joking,” Darcy whispered.

  “I told you the church was founded by pirates,” Wade said with humor in his voice.

  “Is the church under attack again?” Reverend Winston asked as he looked to the door.

  “No, but we need to protect Darcy from harm so she can go after the trea
sure. She said it was dangerous.” Miss Winnie slashed the blade slowly through the air.

  “Miss Ruby! Put that down,” Darcy cried, scrambling over to where Miss Ruby was knocking a four-foot floor candlestick down. “You’ll break it. What is that?”

  Miss Ruby looked up from where she had pulled out a long pike that with a sharp arrow tip and pointy hook at the end of it. “I told you I was getting the boarding pike.”

  “Ladies,” Reverend Winston said calmly as Darcy moved closer to examine the pike. “I think we can put these away. They’re only to be used to protect the church and those inside of it.”

  Darcy’s eyes went wide as she verified what she thought she’d seen. “Can I?” she asked Miss Ruby, who handed over the pike. Darcy held it up to get a better look. “This is a William C. Smith.”

  “Yeah,” Miss Winnie said. “So’s this. Why is that important?”

  “William C. Smith was a blacksmith who came to the colonies from a small town in England to make a name for himself. He ended up becoming a premier weapons maker in the late 1600s and early 1700s before . . .” Darcy stopped talking and looked up at everyone who didn’t seem surprised to hear this story.

  “Before he became a privateer to test out some new weapons. He eventually developed what would become the grenade. Yes, we know. He donated that stained-glass window,” Reverend Winston said, pointing to one of the windows at the side of the church. “Along with all the weaponry. We have a bunch of his old inventions in the armory.”

  “The church has an armory?” Darcy asked, blinking her eyes as if she needed to wake up from a weird dream.

  “Well, it’s where I do marriage counseling . . .” Reverend Winston paused as he tapped a finger to his chin. “Maybe I should move marriage counseling to the Bible study room.”

  “This pike is probably worth more than fifteen thousand dollars,” Darcy said, bringing his attention back to the pike. “And you’re telling me you have tons of his stuff?”

  “Yes, but William is a part of the church family, so we’d never sell it. Anyway, is there anything else I can help you with?”