Back in her stateroom she pulled the copy of Fray Miguel's biography of Captain Daré out of her duffle, where she'd hidden it under the false bottom. She leafed through the pages feverishly, her eyes picking up words and phrases.
At last she found the part she was looking for. It was in the section about Daré's ravings in the monastery when he was an old man, all faithfully chronicled by Fray Miguel.
Slowly, so that she could be sure of her accuracy, she translated from the archaic Spanish. Fray Miguel's words echoed through the centuries, and she could almost see the old monk hunched over his parchment at the table in his cell, recording the life of Captain Daré.
"'Tis strange the effect that the approaching first of May has on our sea captain," wrote Fray Miguel. "He speaks of lashing winds and driving rains, of the hurricanes that afflict those barbarous parts of the world. He"—here Alix stumbled over the word—"cackles and waxes most exceedingly wild about his cleverness. I ask him if he speaks of outwitting that terrible storm that seemingly preoccupies his thoughts on the same date every year.
"He rolls his eyes and laughs most uproariously, then becomes passing serious. 'Nay,' he says with a calm demeanor which he seldom displays these days, and which would almost make one believe that he has not totally stepped off the edge of his sanity. "'Tis my cleverness at outwitting he who would have that which I would seize for my own in the same manner in which I did outwit that extraordinary storm that sank the rest.'
"But then the calmness passes and Captain Daré plunges into a black and ugly mood, refusing to talk to any, except to moan occasionally, 'And all for nothing, and all for nothing.' I can but puzzle over the meaning of his words, which do not mean anything to me, a poor monk who has not ventured far from these walls and knows nothing of the world experienced by this latecomer to our quiet ranks."
Alix pored over the awkward passage that held the most meaning for her: "My cleverness at outwitting he who would have that which I would seize for my own." When she had last read this manuscript, she'd assumed that Daré was speaking of his cleverness at outwitting King Philip, who had been frantic to retrieve his jewels and, not knowing of the existence of El Primero, had sent Hoyo Solorzano to salvage the wrecks of Captain Ubilla's ships.
Of course, in the meantime, Daré and Hoyo Solorzano had secretly arranged for the latter to salvage El Primero. But according to Fray Miguel, Daré had also said, "in the same manner in which I did outwit that extraordinary storm that sank the rest."
"The rest," of course, referred to the ships that did not sail one-half point to the northeast as Daré's ships had done, and as a consequence were sunk in the hurricane. But what about "in the same manner in which I did outwit that extraordinary storm?"
With mounting excitement Alix read over the page again. "'In the same manner in which I did outwit that extraordinary storm,'" she murmured to herself. She glanced at her wristwatch. Troll would still be on watch. She gathered up the manuscript and set off for the chart room as fast as she could. She was out of breath when she arrived.
"Troll," she said. He looked up at her in surprise.
"Is something wrong?"
She shook her head. "At last something's right." She showed him the manuscript and explained the relationship between Captain Daré and Fray Miguel as quickly as she could.
"Remember, Daré saved El Primero and El Grifon by disobeying orders and sailing one-half point to the northeast. If his letter giving the coordinates of the shipwreck to Hoyo Solorzano had been intercepted, anyone could have located El Primero. What if he disguised its location by prior agreement with Hoyo Solorzano and gave the coordinates of his sunken ship as one-half point to the northeast in order to fool 'he who would have that which I would seize for my own'? At first I thought that Daré was referring to King Philip, but now I think he was referring to anyone who might intercept the correspondence and go after the treasure. Remember, Captain Daré was obviously very clever. And secrecy, then as now, was important."
"In that case, we're searching in the wrong place. We should be looking for El Primero—let's see—right here!" and Troll pointed to a location on the chart. "What could it hurt to cruise around in that area for a few days?" he said thoughtfully.
"We only have a few days left," she reminded him.
"Yes, but it's our last hope."
"I don't know, Troll," she said, coming down to earth after the initial excitement of her discovery in Fray Miguel's manuscript. "Maybe we should give up." Her concern was the crew and how they'd react to a change in course. They were already unhappy enough.
Troll shot her a fleeting and skeptical look. He didn't know, thought Alix, that she would welcome a return to port and the resumption of her normal life. Maybe she would be better off on her own, diving off an oil rig somewhere, giving up this ridiculously impossible dream of finding sunken treasure. And it was getting more impossible all the time. If they did find El Primero how in the world could she work peaceably side by side with either Ponce or Daniel, much less both of them?
"I'm not giving up yet," said Troll firmly. "And neither should you."
His steady gaze pumped new hope into her. This expression of confidence from Troll, whom she knew longed to get back to shore and his Mary, boosted her spirits. She focused mightily on the thought of treasure. The dream that she might find that treasure some day and that it would afford her financial freedom had kept her going through many a difficult day and long, lonely nights. More than ever, she needed the solace of her dream. With this new information perhaps there was hope after all.
"I'm still in," she said with new determination. Ponce had once called her a tenacious woman. He hadn't been wrong.
"That's good, Alix. I'm glad."
"Okay, so I'm off to a good night's sleep." She squared her shoulders and clasped Fray Miguel's biography to her chest.
"I'll be plotting a new course for Minorcan while I finish my watch, Troll said.
Alix smiled at him. "Good night, Troll, and good luck."
Troll studied her expression and gave her an insightful little nod, as though well pleased with her attitude. She left him in the chart room and went to her cabin, where, emotionally exhausted, she fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.
* * *
The next morning Alix was unexpectedly drawn into a drama that threatened to end the quest for El Primero de Mayo.
She ate a late breakfast after everyone had left the galley. When she reached the deck, it was clear that something important was going on.
"Just take us back to St. Augustine!" a man shouted, and she recognized Joe's voice.
"I'm not going to shout over you," she heard Ponce say, his voice deep with anger. "Sit down, man, and let me explain."
Alix joined the crowd surrounding Ponce, who, backed up by Vince, Stan, John, and Kip, was facing the crew. She looked around for Troll, but she didn't see him. Some crew members were missing as well, but Minorcan was cruising and someone had to run the ship.
An angry murmur rippled through the group, and Vince looked distinctly uneasy. Ponce stood with his arms folded across his chest. His bare feet were planted firmly on the deck in a stance that showed he was captain of this ship, like it or not.
"Our fearless leader seems to be in hot water this morning," said Daniel, leaning over to speak to her.
Alix felt such loathing for him that she felt as though she might be sick. "The crew wouldn't be as unhappy as they are if it weren't for you."
"Me? Am I the one tossing around accusations? I'm just standing in the background, chatting with you."
"How like you, Daniel! Stir up the troops and then retreat behind the lines and let someone else do the dirty work. You're despicable."
"You didn't think so the other night," he said.
She blinked at him incredulously. "You attacked me!"
"Of course I expected you to put up a fight, but you would have given in if Ponce hadn't shown up. You always had a passionate nature, even though you can be
cold when you want to be." Daniel's expression was disdainful and hard.
Could he really have deluded himself into believing that she had been a willing partner after her struggle? Totally repulsed, she turned her back and walked to stand beside Vince, ignoring Daniel's glowers.
Ponce began to speak. "Men, as you know, we've been trying to locate El Primero de Mayo for quite some time."
"You said it," hollered one of the crew members.
Ponce cast a warning look in the direction of the heckler and went on. "The board and I agreed that this was a quest worth pursuing. We still feel that way."
"Prove it!" someone yelled from the back of the group.
"Give me time." Ponce flicked his eyes over the assembled men and set his chin in a firm line.
Just then Troll came out on deck, his chest-length beard fluttering in the stiff breeze.
"Ponce, we've found something!"
Everyone's eyes turned upon Troll, who seemed alight with excitement.
"There's something down there! A wreck, by the size of it!"
Without a word, Ponce turned and followed Troll. A buzz went through the assembled crew.
"I hope there really is something down there," muttered Vince.
"So do I," Alix agreed fervently.
Ponce appeared on deck again. He cleared his throat, and they all grew quiet. Suspense held them all immobile, and Alix clenched sweaty hands at her sides.
"I have reason to believe that at last we've found El Primero!" announced Ponce. There was stunned silence, then cheers from the crew. Alix sighed, unclenching her fists. A tremendous weight lifted from her shoulders.
"George, Mike, Chuck—suit up! We're going to check her out!"
For a moment Ponce's eyes rested on Alix, and she felt a bewildering complexity of emotions. But then, tightening his lips, he turned away from her.
"Your suggestion worked," said Troll unexpectedly. He stood at her elbow, grinning happily at her. "I adjusted the coordinates, and when we passed over this spot, the mag went wild. Something showed up on the sonar, too."
Despite her misery, Alix broke into a big smile. She and Troll hugged each other in delight. "I can't wait to get down there myself," she said, gazing into the steely blue depths of the ocean.
Ponce and his three companions went overboard one by one. Alix crossed her fingers and hoped that this time they would be lucky enough to have found the object of their search. She knew that the crew wouldn't stand for any more of what they considered to be aimless puttering around the Atlantic Ocean.
Time dragged as they waited for news from below. The divers called for the use of a sand blaster, a powerful machine which blew sand away from wreckage by directing a jet stream of water to the bottom.
"Ponce wouldn't use a blaster unless he's discovered something he wants to bring up," John said. "I wonder what he's found."
After what seemed like forever, Ponce signaled that they were ready to surface. Along with everyone else on Minorcan Alix rushed to the starboard railing to watch.
First George emerged, then Mike, Chuck, and Ponce, who carried a heavily laden basket. They loaded the basket onboard before the divers followed.
John looked at the basket and emitted a long, low whistle. Alix craned to look over his shoulder. It was unmistakable in the bright sunlight—the warm, welcome gleam of gold.
Almost reverently John reached out and scooped a handful of gold coins out of the basket. Some were tarnished, some shiny. He lifted one up so that all could see it. No one spoke as the archaeologist inspected the coin.
"It's what we call a cob," John said in a quiet voice. "They're named after the Spanish cabo de barra, or end of the bar. The Spaniards made them by clipping off the end of a strip of gold. Then they stamped the coins with dies, but their slave labor was sloppy. We'll be lucky to find coins with dates."
Ponce knelt beside John. He had removed his helmet, but a rivulet of seawater ran down the side of his face, and his hair lay damp and curly against his ear. He looked unbelievably handsome.
Alix turned her head away, a lump rising in her throat, wishing that he had never had reason to suspect that she had wanted another man. Well, it was all over now. Even if he had given her a chance to explain, he never would have believed that she had only gone to Daniel in order to help him. She summoned up the numbness that had always been her defense before. It was easier not to feel anything if all she was going to feel was pain.
They all sat down on deck, and John handed them each a handful of coins. Alix set herself grimly to the task, determinedly turning her back to Ponce so she wouldn't have to look at him, or he at her. She should be excited about the day's find, yet all she could think about was her involvement—or lack of it—with Ponce Cabrera.
"Look for dates, any date," John instructed them.
Alix was the first to find a date. "1714," she called out, setting the cob aside.
John looked elated. "That's good," he said. "Any date after 1715 will mean that this ship is of a later date than the one we're looking for, so be alert."
When they had finished going through all of the coins no one had found one stamped with a date later than 1715.
"Ponce, I won't know for sure until I've seen more evidence, but this may be it," John said at last.
A wild shout went up from the crew, and Zack stood up and danced an impromptu sailor's hornpipe.
"I'm sending down three more divers and our photographer," Ponce said, and Alix and the others went to put on their wet suits.
Alix welcomed the chance to dive because it would occupy her mind and keep her thoughts off Ponce. Below, she found the water to be cloudy, which hampered her photographic efforts. The strong current made it difficult for the other divers to gather artifacts. Despite these problems, she and the other divers managed to complete their work.
John retired to his office with the artifacts, some of which needed immediate attention in the ship's lab to keep them preserved. Alix loaded her photos and went topside to await news with the rest of the crew.
Finally, when dusk began to fall, John appeared, followed by Ponce. John seemed very tired, but Ponce looked elated. Alix's heart did a quick flip-flop; was this the news she'd been waiting to hear?
"I have incontrovertible evidence that this is the ship we've been looking for," began John, but the crew didn't allow him to explain further. Everyone broke into applause; members of the board of directors flocked to shake John's and Ponce's hands. Zack picked Alix up and whirled her around before setting her down on deck.
"Thank God," said Troll fervently, and someone rolled out a keg of beer.
There was a good deal of hilarity aboard Minorcan that night. Food appeared for a celebration feast as if by magic, men began singing bawdy sea songs, and there was much merrymaking.
"I found a little casket with King Philip's royal crest emblazoned on the outside of the lid," John told her when Alix managed to corner him privately. "It was metal, and the years underwater had sealed it shut, but when I managed to pry it open I found a plain gold cross engraved with Philip's and Elizabetta's entwined initials. It's part of the royal jewels—I'm sure of it."
The realization that she had found her life's dream under such devastating personal circumstances left Alix with a bitter taste in her mouth. She wandered off by herself, unable to participate in the celebration.
Minorcan looked like a party ship on this special night. Someone had strung lanterns creating a mellow glow that illuminated the faces of the celebrants. Beer flowed freely. Chuck brought out his concertina, and Mike played a harmonica. For the more raucous songs, Zack improvised a pair of bongo drums from two large, discarded tin cans from the galley.
The moon had risen, unfurling a silvery ribbon of light across the surface of the sea. The salt breeze felt welcome on Alix's face as she stood at the port railing, looking out into the night. Her heart was heavy, and she was considering retreating to the quiet of her cabin when Ponce appeared, detaching himself
from the shadows to stand beside her.
"This should be a happy evening for you. Why aren't you celebrating with the others?" He carried a stein of beer. As he raised it to drink, he regarded her with sharp gray eyes over its rim.
"I—I don't feel like it," she said weakly. His presence was so disturbing that she wanted to bolt and run, but her innate sense of dignity prevented her from doing that.
"Can I get you something to drink?"
She was surprised by his offer. Startled, she looked at him wide-eyed, then in her confusion looked out again at the sea and inhaled a deep breath of salt air. It took her a moment to reply.
"Thank you, but no." Her heart hammered so hard against her ribs that she was sure he could hear it as clearly as the sounds of the concertina, the harmonica and the makeshift bongo drums.
Ponce drained the last of his beer and set the stein down on a narrow ledge behind them before he spoke.
"Alix, we're going to have to work together," he said, leaning against the railing beside her. "My divers' lives depend on each other when we're working below. We can't have ill feelings between us. I not only need to patch up my relations with this crew, but I must get along with you and everyone else. I hope you won't let what's passed between us be an impediment to a good working relationship."
Alix took a deep breath. "We're both professionals, Ponce." He was re-establishing some kind of a relationship, but he was making it clear that it was only for business purposes. She appeared cool on the outside, but inside she felt torn apart.
"I'm counting on your professionalism." Out of the corner of her eye she saw the edge of his mouth twitch. This telltale sign made her think that perhaps this conversation wasn't as easy for Ponce as he pretended.
The silence between them was heavy, intruded upon by the sounds of the party. Someone laughed uproariously. They stood and looked at the moonlight on the ocean, each self-conscious in the other's presence.
Alix's experience with ending relationships was limited. With Daniel she'd been abandoned and left to work through the successive and inevitable stages of denial, depression, and anger by herself. She didn't want the closure of her relationship with Ponce to be steeped in bitterness any more than he did. She searched her heart for a way to let Ponce know she was able to let go gracefully.
The Beach Bachelors Boxset (Three Complete Contemporary Romance Novels in One) (The Beach Bachelors Series) Page 12
