Eastover Treasures

by Dawn Brotherton

  “Well, more like a small rectangle of silver with a picture in it. It’s hard to make it out, but the folks from the college would like your permission to try to clean it up.”

  “Absolutely,” Scott said. “Why would it be with the skeleton?”

  “Could be she was carrying it. It was wrapped in oilskin, which preserved the leather case. The photo was under glass. That’s the only thing that kept it from being totally destroyed. We don’t know much more than that.”

  “That would fit with the time period of the diary. Scott, this is so exciting.” Aury couldn’t contain her enthusiasm.

  Scott laughed at her. “I’ll grab that diary for you,” he told the detective.

  Aury’s mind raced. Why would Mary be buried at one of the sites of her treasure hunt? Who was in the picture?

  Returning from the cabin, Scott handed two journals to Hanson. “Will I get the photo back as well?”

  “Of course. It’s your property. We appreciate the support. The college folks are enjoying solving a mystery that falls within their areas of expertise. I’d be surprised if someone doesn’t write a paper on the find for their senior thesis.”

  Scott smiled. “Glad something good is coming out of all this.”

  Hanson shook hands with Scott, then Aury. “We won’t be too much longer. The professor is still sniffing around.”

  After he left, Aury and Scott stood silently, taking in all the information.

  “When can we start looking for the next clue?” Aury said.

  “Let’s go see what they’re doing at the site,” Scott suggested.

  After a short ride to the tree line, they parked next to two other vehicles. At the water’s edge, the area was roped off with sticks holding barricade tape.

  “At least it doesn’t say crime scene,” Scott said.

  Four people were digging around the hole; two of them in their early twenties wore William and Mary T-shirts. Aury guessed they were college students. An older, dark-skinned woman spotted them and headed their way.

  “I’m Doctor Vinson from the Anthropology Department at the college.”

  The three shook hands. “Garrett and Beth are two of my grad students,” she said. Hearing their names, the younger members of the group acknowledged Scott and Aury with a quick wave. “Robert is from the sheriff’s office.” The fourth in the party gave a nod as he continued his effort.

  “Thanks for coming out,” Scott said.

  “Thank you for letting us. This is a rare find and a wonderful hands-on opportunity for our students.”

  “I would think it’s unusual to find a body buried in the middle of nowhere,” Scott said.

  “Well, that in and of itself isn’t unusual. In the old days, people buried their dead anywhere they had space. They didn’t have specific rules about graveyards.”

  “What are they doing now?” Aury asked, watching the students bag items.

  “They’re collecting anything that might have significance to this finding. They place it in bags and mark where it was found, how deep, and the like. Anything that can help us determine a date for your skeleton.”

  Vinson turned to Beth. “Bring me that tin box you found.”

  An unspoken question passed between Scott and Aury.

  “I thought this was odd because it was buried under the body. I guess it could have been trash washed up by the river, but in the 1800s, things like this were usually reused, not discarded so easily.”

  Beth handed the bag to Scott. “Did you open it?” he asked.

  “No. We don’t do that until we get everything to the lab,” Beth said.

  “Is there a reason? Can I open it now?”

  Vinson shrugged. “It belongs to you. It isn’t historically significant. The tin looks common place. What are you expecting to find?”

  Aury explained their treasurer hunt. Vinson was intrigued.

  “Sounds like fun. Have you found anything valuable so far?”

  “No. We were digging for the treasure here, but I think we may have just found the next clue instead,” Aury said.

  “Do you need me to wear gloves or anything?” Scott asked the sheriff’s deputy.

  “It’s been buried quite a while. There’s nothing of significance about it,” he answered.

  Scott opened the bag and pulled out the tin. He tapped it against the heel of his shoe to loosen the rust. Prying it open, he found a tile of wood. He flipped it over, tilting it one way, then the other to catch the right light.

  “There’s something there, but it’s too faint to see.” Scott handed it to Aury. “Can you make it out?”

  “We’ll have to check under the magnifying glass.”

  “I’ll do you one better. Why don’t you come by the lab, and we’ll look at it under the microscope?” Vinson offered.

  “Really? That would be great,” Aury said. She put the tile in the tin. “When can we go?”

  Vinson laughed. “How about meeting up with us next week? We still have some work to do here. We’ve searched about one hundred yards in each direction, except for the water, of course. Did you know there used to be a building here? We found something similar to stone footings.”

  “My grandmother thinks it might have been a springhouse,” Aury said.

  “What I can’t figure out is why someone would bury a body near where food was stored. It’s not logical,” Scott said.

  “Maybe it wasn’t buried. Could be the person just died there and was left. Especially if it was during the war,” Dr. Vinson said.

  “You have maps from here?” Beth asked.

  “Aury found some in the library archives,” Scott said.

  “That will save us a lot of time if you’re willing to share with us,” the professor said.

  “Of course. I’ll bring them when we visit.”

  They set a date and location, and Scott and Aury left the researchers to their work.

  Chapter 32

  May 21, 1862

  Mary stepped out of the wagon, pleasantly surprised to find four shining faces there to greet her. “What are you doing here?”

  The kids ran to their mother and wrapped their arms around her. She kissed them all in turn and held them tight.

  The driver unloaded a basket of provisions from the wagon, placing them behind the huddled group.

  “Let me look at you.” Mary pretended to be sizing them up. She scooped Emily into her arms. “Oh, you are getting so big!” Emily squealed in delight.

  “Sarah, you must be feeding them well. Look how tall the boys are growing!”

  Two beaming smiles answered her.

  “We will carry the basket for you, Mother,” Thomas said. He and Frederick each grabbed a handle.

  Mary slipped her free arm around Sarah’s shoulders as they walked. “I know this is hard on you. You are doing well, though. I’m very proud.”

  Sarah leaned into her mother’s side. “It’s tiring. I’m sorry for all the trouble I caused you growing up.”

  Mary laughed. “You aren’t trouble. It’s part of being a mother, and I love every minute of it. I wouldn’t be the same without all of you.”

  “Are Father and Noah ever coming home?” Sarah whispered so the boys wouldn’t overhear. Emily’s face turned expectantly to her mother at the mention of her father.

  Contemplating the best answer, Mary took her time. Finally, she resorted to the truth without a sugar coating. “I don’t think so.”

  Sarah nodded slightly. Wiping her tears away, she put on a brave face. “Thanks for being honest with me. I won’t tell the boys.”

  “It isn’t that he wouldn’t return if he could. I just have a bad feeling.” Mary couldn’t keep her voice from cracking.

  Sarah gave her mother a squeeze. “It’s okay. We’ll get through this.”

  As they walked, Mary started singing one of their favorite songs. All the kids joined in. Even Emily clapped along.

  Chapter 33

  Present Day

  Scott picked Au
ry up at her grandmother’s house just after lunch. It was an overcast day, threatening rain.

  “So nice to finally meet you, Scott,” Gran said. “I’m glad to hear Eastover is still going. It’s a wonderful service you provide.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. St. Clair, but honestly I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to keep it running. Maybe the new owners will continue it as a retreat center.”

  “Do you have buyers?” Aury asked.

  “No, not yet. I don’t want to show it until I can get everything cleaned up from the hurricane.”

  “That will give you time to find the treasure,” Gran said, taking the words out of Aury’s mouth. They smiled at each other.

  Scott shook his head. “The Townsend family’s idea of treasure and what I need to finance this place are potentially two very different things. You’ll have to come for a visit, Mrs. St. Clair.”

  “Call me Liza, dear. I would love to come by some time. Thank you.”

  Aury kissed her grandmother’s cheek. “When we’re done at the college, Scott is going to drive me to Eastover to deal with my car. Hopefully I’ll get it today with no issues.”

  Gran patted her hand. “Be careful. Another storm is brewing.”

  As they drove to William and Mary, Aury pondered the mystery. “What do you think they would have considered a treasure in the 1860s?”

  “Real silverware, I’d think. Jewelry, of course.”

  “Land?”

  Scott thought about it. “Sure, but it has to be something they could bury, and I already have the deed to Eastover.”

  They lapsed into thought through the rest of the drive.

  At the college, Scott pulled into a visitor’s spot near Washington Hall. Dr. Vinson met them at the door to the lab.

  “Glad you could make it in,” she said. “Would you like a quick tour of the lab?”

  “That would be fun,” Aury said.

  Dr. Vinson walked them through the vast space, crowded with tables, working students, and various equipment. She stopped at one table to introduce a graduate student.

  “Lacey, this is Scott and Aury. Can you tell them what you’re working on?”

  Lacey stood and shook their hands. “I’m working in historical biology, looking at biological effects of diverse social conditions.”

  “Wow,” Scott said. “That’s a mouthful. And a lot more detail than I ever considered in college.”

  Aury smiled. “Pretty impressive.”

  She showed them a line of bony growth on a leg bone she had been studying. “I’m looking at enlarged muscle attachments on a femur in this population to see how hard they worked. The larger the attachment, the greater the persistent strain on the muscle.” She put the bone on the table. “These people had been enslaved, and their muscles were clearly working hard.”

  “That’s amazing,” Aury said. “I didn’t know you could tell that much from bones.”

  “Lacey may want to examine the skeleton we found on your property. Her findings may help us identify who she was,” Dr. Vinson said.

  They thanked Lacey and followed Dr. Vinson to an empty seat in front of a microscope. Scott handed her the wooden tile which she placed under the lens. After making some slight adjustments, she moved aside to make room for Scott to look.

  Aury pulled her notebook from her purse, preparing to write what Scott saw.

  Under the bright light and magnification, the indents in the wood were easier to read, even where the ink had faded.

  Scott read while Aury scribbled his words.

  “Near the—something I can’t make out—where stands the first something-something—I think it says stone,” Scott said.

  “Lies a patch of garden, oft left alone. Peel back the—something—green and fair to reveal the next clue buried there.”

  “I can’t make out all of it. Do you want to try?” Scott relinquished his seat to Aury.

  She slid in place and readjusted the tile under the lens. “I think you’re right. That last word in the first line is stone. I can’t make out the third line.”

  “The biology department has a scanning electron microscope. Let’s try that,” Dr. Vinson said.

  A short walk through campus brought them to the Integrated Science Center. Dr. Vinson conferred with another faculty member while Scott and Aury waited. Moments later, they stood in front of a machine with a computer monitor. Dr. Vinson placed the wood sample under the lens, and an enlarged image of the writing was projected on the screen.

  Aury was surprised at how clear the writing had become. “Yes, it definitely says stone, and the missing word in the third line is ivy.”

  Scott looked at the words Aury had written. “Makes sense too.”

  “I’m still not sure about the first line. The third word looks short, but it’s still too faint.”

  “You got me.” Turning to Dr. Vinson, he said, “Thanks for all your help with our puzzle.”

  “We’ll have students put your skeleton together over the next few days to see if we have all the parts. We have the skull, which will make it easier to narrow down our search.” Dr. Vinson escorted Scott and Aury out of the building.

  They thanked her again and walked to Scott’s car.

  Aury was too excited to sit quietly on their drive to Eastover. “What stone do you think it’s referencing?”

  “Hard to say. They used stones for everything during those times.”

  “What about stones they used to get into carriages?” Aury said.

  “They were simple farmers. Not sure they’d have carriage steps, but we could check near the manor house.”

  “I don’t remember seeing anything like that, but I wasn’t looking for it either.”

  “It might have been moved or repurposed for something else,” Scott said. “More likely they would have something closer to the barn for climbing on horses.”

  He smiled. “My grandparents had a pony when I was little. I remember fighting with my cousins over who got to ride first.”

  “Are you still close with your cousins?”

  “Not so much. They’re married with kids.”

  “You don’t like kids?” Aury asked.

  He took his eyes off the road long enough to glance at her. “I love kids. It just hasn’t been in my cards.”

  She smiled. “What does that mean?”

  He blew out his breath. “I worked long hours trying to establish myself. Then my mom got sick, then dad.”

  “Sorry, I wasn’t thinking.” Aury felt horrible teasing about something so personal.

  Scott shrugged it off.

  “And I have you on some wild treasure hunt.”

  “That’s my favorite part. It’s a welcome distraction from the work I need to do.” He gave her another sideways look. “I deserve some downtime.”

  “Yes, you do.”

  A broad smile lit his face. “Besides, I need the money.”

  They lapsed into a comfortable, thoughtful silence. As they approached the turn off for the retreat center, Aury said, “I let the other ladies know you said they could pick up their cars today.”

  “Thanks. Let’s go out to the motel and make sure everything is cleared away.”

  When they pulled up in front of the building, the quilters were already gathered around.

  “Hey, stranger.” Deb wrapped Aury in a bear hug. “Glad to see he hasn’t worked you to death,” she said with a glance toward Scott.

  Linda also hugged Aury while Suzanne waited her turn.

  “Carla and Pat are coming up later,” Deb said. “We couldn’t wait to see how everything looked after the storm.”

  “That bridge is a little nerve wracking,” Linda said.

  “It’s only temporary,” Scott assured her. “When things calm down a bit, I’ll have contractors come in and repair the road.”

  Suzanne nodded to the pile of debris. “How did you move the trees away from our cars?”

  “Cut them up with a chainsaw, then used the tractor to
drag the pieces away. Time consuming but effective. We’ll have a massive bonfire later.”

  “Can we get the rest of the stuff out of our rooms?” Deb asked.

  “Not out of the rooms on the side where the trees hit, sorry. I still need someone to come in and check the structural integrity. I don’t want anyone hurt.”

  “Good thing we packed as much as we could in the cars before we left,” Linda said.

  As they chatted, the tow truck pulled in to haul away the damaged car.

  “I have some work to do,” Scott told them.

  “I’ll come by a little later, if that’s okay with you,” Aury said. “I want to walk around here a bit.”

  “Okay. I’ll be at the dining hall trying to plan out my next list of chores.”

  When the driver emerged from the truck, Suzanne said, “Thanks for coming out.”

  “Sorry it took so long. We’ve been busy after the hurricane,” the driver said.

  “Any idea how long it will take to look it over?”

  “The mechanics are expecting it; they’ll start as soon as I bring it in. If the alignment is okay and the engine turns over, you should have it today. If there’s more damage, they’ll give you a better estimate.” He gestured at the dent near the wheel well. “I’m going to have to pull that out before I can tow your car, so it doesn’t rub on the tire.”

  While the ladies watched the driver work, Aury went to the room she had occupied during the retreat. It was far from the nearest downed tree, therefore still in one piece. The rotting odor of musty air assaulted her nostrils as she opened the door. Without air conditioning to keep it at bay, the dampness of the old building was taking over.

  Breathing through her mouth, Aury gathered all her belongings from the room and put them inside her car. She rolled the windows down to air out the small space.

  By the time she finished, the others were ready to head out. The ladies split up and started their cars. Deb and Suzanne were going to follow the tow truck to the garage.

  Aury drove her car to the manor house to look for carriage stones, her mind working the puzzle. As she approached the once-stately building, she was struck again by sadness that the building had fallen into such disrepair.

  Starting at the front of the house, Aury walked straight across the driveway, head down, searching for a stone. At the edge where the grass met the dirt, a tuft of taller green crisscrossed itself.