"How did you do it?"
"I plied her with charm and expensive gifts, then I lured her onto my ship and we set sail before Eloise could protest. By then she was beginning to guess that I wasn't quite what I'd seemed." Crowe showed his white teeth in a grin. "It was grand. Raveneau gave chase and ran us down at sea, demanding that I hand over the poor damsel. However, Eloise already knew better than to speak the truth. She paid enough heed to my threats to assure him that she loved me and wanted none of the dashing Raveneau!"
Huntsford chuckled. "I wish I could have seen his face."
"A priceless moment, I can assure you." Pausing, Crowe savored the memory. "However, I made a bad bargain. My wife is barren."
"How sad for... you both."
"I find what consolation I can elsewhere, and I amuse myself by bending her spirit to suit my purposes. Meanwhile, Eloise dreams of Raveneau and showers love on Martin, who is soft and spineless as a result."
"He seems a nice lad to me."
"Enough. I didn't bring you here to talk about them."
Looking around the grand, airy room, Huntsford wondered how the gigantic wardrobe had fit through the doorway. Hanging on the wall nearby was a massive gilt mirror. Xavier Crowe motioned for his guest to follow him to the mahogany four-poster bed, which was so high that in order to reach the mattress, its occupant must climb a set of three steps. When Crowe lifted the top step, he revealed that it was actually a box, its lid formed by the step.
"Have you ever heard of Stede Bonnet?" Crowe asked softly.
"The Gentleman Pirate? Yes, I've read about him. He was from Barbados, wasn't he? If memory serves, he was in partnership with Blackbeard a century ago, off the coast of Carolina."
"Excellent, dear boy. You're brighter than I dared hope." He reached inside the stairstep-box and took out two pistols. Sensing Harms's shocked stare, he explained, "A fellow never knows when he might be attacked in his bed." Then he opened what appeared to be a narrow secret compartment located under the pistols and drew out a tattered piece of parchment, "I have reason to believe that this belonged to Stede Bonnet."
Huntsford's brown eyes were wide with amazement. "Why, it looks like a treasure map!"
"Do moderate your tone." Crowe turned the paper away from the younger man's view. "Now then, to continue, Stede Bonnet was indeed born on this island, the son of a planter. He inherited the family plantation, married and became a father, and then rather abruptly decided to pursue a career as a pirate. For a long time, I gather than Bonnet's wife thought he was simply away on business!" He laughed with gusto.
Watching him, Huntsford commented, "Quite a man, hmm?"
"Indeed! Men like Stede Bonnet are the stuff of legends!"
"But didn't they hang him?"
"Yes. In Charles Town, I believe. Perhaps he let his guard down."
"Are you implying that one might learn from his story?"
"I learn from everything I encounter. It's the key to my success." His shrewd gaze fastened on the map.
"Might I inquire how you came into possession of such an... artifact?"
"I—uh, discovered it in the captain's cabin of a wrecked ship." Crowe fussed with a loose button on his coat. "Cobbler's Reef is notoriously treacherous, you know. But that's a story for another day." He opened the map on the silk counterpane and gestured to Huntsford to step closer for a good look. "Do you see? It says 'Bonnet, 1718' in the bottom corner, and the location is clearly spelled out."
Huntsford stared. It was a crude map, smudged in places, but he could see that it showed the southeastern quadrant of Barbados, and St. Philip's Parish was labeled in ink. "Where is your estate on this map?" he asked.
"Here," Crowe replied, pointing to a spot near Long Bay. "And here..." His finger traveled a few miles north, to a spot labeled Cave Bay. "Here on this beach is the buried treasure! Do you see how he's marked the spot? I surmise that when Stede Bonnet was in danger of being caught, either by the authorities or perhaps his erstwhile partner, Blackbeard, he sailed back to Barbados—to the far side of the island from his home—and buried his valuables. He made a map so that he could find it when he returned... but unfortunately for him, that day did not come!"
"Doesn't someone else own the land you're pointing out?"
"Oh, yes, but he's almost never here. The fellow lives in France. I ride all over that property at will."
"But..." Huntsford was about to point out that any treasure recovered on that land would belong to the Frenchman, not to Xavier Crowe, but it dawned on him that his host had no intention of conducting himself honorably. Little hairs rose on the back of Huntsford's neck, and he smiled. "If I help you, will I receive part of the... booty?"
Crowe laughed loudly. "You are talking like a pirate already! Yes, of course I'll share the treasure with you, my boy! Shall we say one-quarter?"
"Splendid!" Huntsford Harms's eyes lit up. "I can't tell you how pleased I am that I took Walter's sage advice and came to Barbados!"
"No less pleased than I am. Now then, let's ride up the coast and try to find the location marked on our map, shall we?"
"Lead on, sir! Do you know any pirate songs?"
Crowe closed the stairstep-box and glanced back over one shoulder. With an effort, he maintained his composure and replied softly, "No. Why would I?"
Chapter 21
Squaring her shoulders, Adrienne faced her husband across the library with arms akimbo. "If you are going to inspect our new land, then I want to come with you."
"I'd rather that you stay here until I've seen it once—"
"Why?" She narrowed her eyes. "Do you expect me to believe that you haven't ridden down there since we came to the island? I know you too well, Nathan! You have seen it, and now I want to see it as well." Trying another tack, she stepped closer and took his hand. "Is it very beautiful there?"
"Magnificent. And you are sly as a fox. All right, I'll take you, but it may be dangerous."
Adrienne's eyes sparkled as she started upstairs to dress. "Don't move. I'll be right back!"
* * *
Of course, Adrienne was right. Almost as soon as they'd first arrived at Tempest Hall, Nathan had slipped away on his own to have a look at the property he'd own after the wedding. He was giving up his freedom in exchange for that spot overlooking Crowe's Nest, and the urge to see it and gauge its usefulness was overwhelming.
Now that Nathan and Adrienne were married and the land was rightfully his, he knew a heady sense of confidence that good would prevail. Huntsford Harms's presence on the island only reinforced that feeling. Everything was coming together.
The Raveneaus rode on Compass and Ben, south along the tugged east coast, following the road that came and went along the cliffs overlooking the ocean. Occasionally they galloped through a small village or skirted a struggling plantation, but their fifteen-mile journey was speedy.
It seemed to Adrienne that the water grew even more impossibly bright as they went farther south. Such blazing blue and turquoise tints could not truly exist in nature, but there they were. The splendor of the scenery was staggering. She slowed her horse to stare at a ruined plantation house that perched all alone on the edge of the cliff. The faded coral stones of the hollowed-out house made a striking contrast with the dazzling blue ocean below.
Ahead of her, Nathan reined in Compass and looked back toward Adrienne. Then he pointed to the solitary house and the scrubby land around it and nodded, smiling.
Adrienne could not have been more thrilled. As they dismounted and tied the horses inside a hidden grove of cannonball trees, she looked up at her husband with wide eyes. "It's wonderful! But I wonder what happened to the house. Does it have a name?"
"I think it's called Victoria Villa." They went in through the classical arched gallery that ringed the house and saw that the structure was beyond saving. The floors were rotten and the ceilings gaped so that they could see right through to the sky. "Someone probably left years ago, and it simply fell into disrepair. The sea ai
r destroys quickly."
Adrienne stared under a coral archway to the ocean and shivered. "Victoria Villa... How romantic! Do you suppose it's haunted?"
"I'm more interested in the rest of the property." Nathan reached back for Adrienne's hand and drew her out into the sunlight. "Look to the south. Around that bend in the cliffs lies Crowe's Nest. I brought my telescope today to see just how much is visible from our southern border. And there," he continued, leading her to the edge of the cliff, "is Cave Bay. Can you see why I wanted it?"
"Indeed," she whispered. The cove that lay beneath the ruined house was nothing short of breathtaking. "It belongs in a romantic novel, I think!"
Cave Bay consisted of a great semicircular beach. The dark, sheltering cliff walls rose vertically above the white coral sand, which was covered with coconut palms and masses of sea grapes. The cliffs extended out into the pounding surf on both sides, so that the little bay was tucked away like a bowl.
"Let's go down there and see if there really is a cave!" Adrienne urged. Something in the sea air and the rhythm of the great Atlantic rollers filled her with wild energy. It had to do with Nathan as well, for there had always been a glint of daring in his eyes and his spirit, calling to her.
Drawing her into his arms, he felt the curves of her body beneath her thin gown, and he caught a whiff of musky lilac from her skin. Desire welled up in him without warning. White sand and the turquoise water beckoned. Steps were carved into the cliffs. Nathan imagined making love to Adrienne with the water lapping over them and the sun on his back....
Just then the barest hint of voices touched his ears. Was he imagining it? He pulled out his brass telescope, scanned the edge of the cliffs, and there were Xavier Crowe and Huntsford Harms, scarcely visible but headed toward Cave Bay.
"Unbelievable. Crowe and Harms are coming," he whispered. "Go in the house and find a hiding place, preferably one with some view of the bay. I'll hide too, where I can watch and—I hope—hear. If anything goes wrong, you take Ben and ride for Tempest Hall, understand?"
"Yes, but I'm not afraid of them, and neither are you."
"Don't argue, chit. Just once blindly obey."
Adrienne agreed, but she knew she'd never leave without him. She watched Nathan climb halfway down the cliffs and tuck himself into a big clump of sea grape bushes before slipping inside the villa. There was one tall hurricane shutter clinging to an inner door, and Adrienne folded it back so that it made a corner hiding place for her.
Down on the cliffs, Nathan opened his telescope and watched as Crowe and Harms used the stone steps to descend into the cove.
"I say," Huntsford cried when he'd gotten halfway down, "is this quite safe?"
Crowe waited on the sand below, rolling his eyes. "If you're going to live in Bimshire, old boy, you'd better learn to keep up."
A gray plover flew overhead, giving its plaintive cry, and the breeze fluttered saucer-shaped leaves against Nathan's face. It couldn't be going better if he'd planned it. Now that Huntsford had gained the beach, the two men were walking, moving in his direction across the sand. They both wore white shirts that caught the wind, and Huntsford's face was dark pink from too much sun. Crowe was opening a large sheaf of parchment, pointing.
"How on earth can you expect to locate the exact spot?" Harms's voice rose in frustration just enough to allow Nathan to make out the words. "Your map is a century old!"
"My dear chap," Crowe rejoined forcefully, "don't you trust me? A map like this, in Stede Bonnet's own hand, is worth a fortune. We would be mad to dismiss its importance." He paused. "What difference does a century make in this place? 'Tis not as if a city has sprung up over Bonnet's hiding place!"
Nathan blinked. They were talking about Stede Bonnet, the gentleman pirate. What sort of ridiculous treasure-hunting scheme was Crowe trying to trick Hunty into swallowing?
"But, sir," Harms whined, "don't you have better things to do than dig holes all over this beach?"
"Indeed I do," came the stern reply. "That is why I have agreed to share this treasure with you when you find it. Old boy, I fail to understand your plummeting enthusiasm. Surely a strong fellow like you isn't put off by a bit of physical labor?" Again Crowe paused, then drove in his point. "What do a few holes matter when you will be discovering a treasure that will provide tremendous wealth for the rest of your life?"
"But—what if someone else has already found it? Or what if it isn't as grand as you think?"
Raveneau couldn't make out the speech that Xavier Crowe delivered in response, but whatever he said, it seemed to work. Huntsford's blond head was bobbing up and down amid the trees.
"Yes, yes, I am honored that you chose to share the map with me," he exclaimed. "I'll do my best."
"You do come with the recommendation of my esteemed colleague Frakes-Hogg," Crowe intoned. "I would hate to think that he underestimated your mettle."
"No!" Harms cried. "I'll find the treasure and prove myself to you, sir. We have more in common than you know. Actually, I had another reason for coming to Barbados, besides the matters relating to Walter Frakes-Hogg."
"Yes...?"
"It's Nathan Raveneau. You are not the only one who hates him. He kidnapped the woman I love and brought her to this island." Huntsford's voice grew even louder. "I mean to rescue her!"
"How terribly noble you are. I must confess that I have met Miss Beauvisage, on the day she arrived at Tempest Hall."
Listening from the crest of the hill, Nathan wondered again how Xavier Crowe had known her name. Had he employed spies? Perhaps Walter Frakes-Hogg, whom Nathan hadn't realized was acquainted with Crowe, had written him letters?
"If you've met Adrienne, then you know how exquisite she is."
"Indeed. Far too lovely to be wasted on that lout Raveneau." Crowe took snuff, then added, "I'll do what I can to aid your cause, but you may be too late. I've heard that they are betrothed."
"What?" Huntsford made a choking sound and pounded his fists on the trunk of the nearest coconut palm. "I cannot bear to think of her purity being besmirched by one such as he!"
Crowe looked bored. "I may know a way for you to see her. Major Carrington, who owns a fine plantation in St. James Parish, has invited us to a ball six days from now. There's a quaint festival among the slaves known as Crop Over—a time when they celebrate the end of the harvest. The Carringtons apparently have decided to join in, in a more civilized manner of course, and they are calling their party a Crop Over Ball."
"I was under the impression that you don't usually attend such gatherings. I thought that the people of Barbados had been spreading lies about you, and—"
Crowe interrupted. "Perhaps the best way to dispel such rumors is to show them that I am a man like any other. Besides, Eloise would doubtless like to go, and Bajan society will be clamoring to meet our houseguests!" He gave a mirthless laugh. "You see, I'm not a bad fellow!" Consulting the map again, Xavier Crowe pointed to a spot a few feet away. "I believe that is where you ought to begin digging, old boy. Shall we get the shovel?"
* * *
Nathan and Adrienne didn't have a chance to talk during the ride home. The wind increased, clouds gathered, and a warm rain began to fall, drenching them as they rode.
"I'm so anxious to hear your news!" she exclaimed when their horses slowed momentarily behind a wagon stacked with puncheons of sugar syrup. "Did you hear anything that they said?"
"We'll talk at home," he shouted over the wind. "I'm glad for this time to think."
Adrienne was too, for she had seen someone herself: the mysterious, beautiful woman who had warned her away from the ocean much farther north had ridden past today. From Adrienne's hiding place behind the hurricane shutter, she had watched the woman ride past Victoria Villa, then circle back and pause for a moment on the edge of the cliff. It almost seemed that she could be the ghost of Victoria.
Minter was waiting for Nathan when they reached Tempest Hall. The squally wind had caused all sorts of problems with
the sugar mill, and Minter didn't know what to do. Adrienne went inside on her own, and no sooner had she washed and donned dry clothing than Hortie appeared and requested the tour she'd been promised.
"It's a very different world from England, ma'am," Hortie decided a half hour later, pursing her lips. "I don't think I shall ever feel comfortable."
Adrienne paused in the midst of opening a door. "Are you bothered by the climate—or the slaves?"
"I will admit," Hortie whispered, "that I don't care to live with heathens. There are many more at Crowe's Nest, and that's one of the reasons I left. How do you think it feels, ma'am, to be given orders by a black girl?"
Nearly biting her tongue, Adrienne managed to consider her reply. "I have a great deal of respect for Orchid and Lily and Philip and Retta, and the slaves who I have met here. In fact, I feel very sorry that they are not all free people. I also understand that you are unaccustomed to being with people of color. I believe that you will come to share my views, Hortie, and in the meantime, you must treat everyone here with courtesy and respect." She stared into Hortie's pale eyes. "Do we understand one another?"
"Yes'm." She grew paler. "I heard, at Crowe's Nest, that there was a terrible slave rebellion on this island just two years ago! Cane fields were set afire, and—"
"Not one plantation owner or family member was harmed by any slave, although several hundred slaves were killed!" Adrienne said. "I'm certain that the slaves feel their circumstances are very unfair, and I understand that that uprising came about because they'd been led to believe that their freedom was at hand. My hope is that their rebellion helped spur their cause, hastening the day of their emancipation."
Hortie tightened her mouth again. "Yes'm."
They went into Nathan's bedchamber, and Adrienne showed her the way the dressing room was arranged. It pleased her to discover that the changes Nathan had promised had been carried out during their outing. Her things were interspersed neatly with his, just as her parents had shared space throughout her lifetime. They went into the room where Adrienne had slept until last night and out onto the balcony. Tropical flowers scented the warm breeze.
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