by G. F. Frost
“Whoa, you better watch your step, ma’am. You nearly tripped.” He took his hand from Massey’s arm.
“Wow, you got a treasure trove up here, lady,” he said as he stood surveying the mess.
Massey didn’t like the way he spoke. She felt as if he were taking note of everything in the attic, not a safe feeling about a locksmith. She hoped he was just one of those men who say everything wrong. She’d run across quite a few of those in her lifetime. She’d keep her eyes on him though.
“Here we are, this is the safe we need help with,” Massey said as she pointed to the eave in the attic.
“Whoa, that’s an old one, for sure,” he said kneeling down in front of the steel safe. “I can crack it though, no prob.” He began pulling tools out of his leather belt.
Massey watched as he laid a drill on the floor. He began searching through a small case of drill bits that he had in his shirt pocket. As she stood watching, knocking came from the kitchen door. Massey didn’t want to be disturbed, but the knocking continued. She didn’t feel good about leaving the man in her attic alone. She nearly fell over the clutter in the center of the attic as she walked to the attic window. Looking down, she saw Mister Grant as he stepped from the back veranda. She snapped the lock and tugged until the window release and she was able to raise it. She stuck her head as far as she could out the dusty opening.
“I’m up here, Mister Grant!” she yelled.
As he looked up, he saw Massey’s head poking out of the small window.
“Hey, I was wondering if I could watch them open that safe with ya, Miss Massey?” he yelled back.
“Come on up, we’re just getting started.” Massey reached her arm out and motioned for him.
She could barely hear the back door as it slammed behind him. She felt a bit relieved that Mister Grant would be accompanying them. She just got a creepy feeling from the locksmith.
“This might get a little loud,” the man said as he placed the bit into a tiny hole in the safe’s handle.
Chapter Nineteen
Massey covered her ears as the drilling began and looked around the room. What could have caused the attic to look like a disaster area? No wonder Theo was angry. She thought about the loud sounds from the night before. How could he have slept through all that? She jumped as Mister Grant walked through the attic door.
She smiled at him as he walked towards her and bent down to watch the busy man. He never said a word to her. Massey knew that he was there to see how to open it more than to see what lay inside. He never looked back at her while the man drilled. Bit after bit, tiny hole after tiny hole, the locksmith stayed focused on his job. Finally, the drilling stopped and he looked up at Mister Grant, nodding.
“I work here,” Mister Grant said, nodding back to the young man.
Using some other long metal tools that Massey didn’t recognize, the locksmith prodded the drilled openings and reached towards the handle. Massey held her breath and Mister Grant stepped back to allow her to get closer.
The brass lever gave way as the man pushed it down. Massey could hear the screeching of the metal hinges as he pulled the door open. Her heart was pounding! She bent down and placed her knees on the floor in front of the open door, peering in.
“Whew, you can tell this things been locked up tight for a long time. Smell that musty smell?” The locksmith pulled a handkerchief from his back pocket and covered his nose. Massey didn’t have time to notice the smell; she had to find out what lay inside.
“What’s in there, Miss Massey?” Mister Grant asked curiously as he pushed his head towards her.
Massey looked into the dark steel box and pulled out a handful of papers. Flipping through them, she laid them on the floor beside her. She reached in again and pulled out some old letters and pictures, after flipping through them, she reached in once again and touched a metal object. Wrapping her fingers around it, she pulled out a heavy silver box. It was remarkable. Even the two men made sounds of excitement when they saw it. It was solid silver, elaborately carved with majestic scenes of men hunting and courtly ladies resting under trees. It looked as though it belonged in a palace somewhere.
“Jackpot!” the locksmith yelled as she lifted up the box for the two men to see.
“What else is in there?” Mister Grant asked as he stretched his neck towards the opening.
“Just more papers, I think,” Massey said as she laid the silver box in her lap.
“Do I need to break into it too, ma’am?” the man asked excitedly as he looked closer at the box.
“I don’t see a lock on it,” Massey said as she rubbed her fingers across the rim of the lid.
Slowly, she opened the magnificent little casket and looked inside. The lining of the box was deep red velvet, and on the velvet laid handfuls of magnificently jeweled necklaces, earrings, broaches, cuff links and clasps. She was totally astounded. It was truly a treasure trove. She pulled the sparkling items out of the box one by one and raised them up for the two men to see. Massey couldn’t help but squeal from excitement. The men laughed.
As she pulled the last necklace from the box, she noticed thick leather bound book lying in the bottom. She carefully reached in and brought the piece towards her. She read the lettering punched into the leather across the top of the book
Journal of Marie Duseau
Massey nearly dropped the book. There it was, lying in her trembling hands, Marie’s life story and journal. Massey could not believe it. She had totally forgotten about the exquisite jewelry and was totally enthralled by the book. Her mouth fell wide open. She turned and showed it to Mister Grant.
“Well, you gotta call Mister Theo. You found yourself some treasure. It might be worth something, you might have made him a rich man,” Mister Grant said as he helped Massey to her feet. She began to laugh. She wished Theo had been there to witness it all. She carried the box downstairs as if it were the Holy Grail. The two men were on her heels. Placing it on the kitchen table, Massey looked up at them.
“Oh, I’m so excited!” she said to them
They both nodded.
“Would you like a glass of water or tea?” she asked uninterestedly. “I’m sorry, how much do I owe you?” Massey looked towards the locksmith.
“Well, one of them necklaces would be nice,” he said laughingly.
Massey looked up at him curiously and then realized the humor. She smiled.
“Sorry, but these will most likely go to my daughter,” she replied.
After signing a receipt and paying the man one hundred and fifty dollars, Massey showed the locksmith to the front door.
“What ya think all that stuff’s worth?” he asked as he stepped onto the veranda.
“It may be worthless; it may merely be costume jewelry.” Massey replied sharply.
The young man nodded and popped his gum as he counted the bills Massey had handed him and left. She was glad to see him go, sometimes men like that made her a bit uneasy. She watched as he drove off. She could see he was talking on his cell phone as he drove away. Massey knew it would be all over town by noon. She stepped back into the foyer and closed the door. She couldn’t wait to call Theo.
Mister Grant was still standing in the kitchen by the table when she returned. He had a crooked smile on his face.
“You’d better go get all that jewelry and put it somewhere safe,” he said.
Massey hadn’t thought of that. She’d have to ask Theo what to do with it all. She looked at Mister Grant and sat down at the table. Her heart was still racing as she took Marie’s journal in her hands. She wanted to read it right then and there, but she knew that she had to do something with the other items first.
“What happened up there in the attic after I left yesterday? It sure was torn up,” Mister Grant said as he walked to the back door.
Massey didn’t know what to say. She stood up and followed him.
“I think I’ll go to the bank and put the things in our safety deposit box today,” she said as
he turned to her.
“You need me to ride with you? That stuff looks pretty valuable to me,” he asked, opening the door and turning back to Massey.
“Okay,” Massey replied. “I’ve got to call Theo first, though.”
“I’ll be working in the barn, so just yell when you get ready to go,” Mister Grant replied as he stepped off the porch.
Massey nodded and gave him a wave. She knew he was thinking of her safety. It made her feel good. She didn’t take the time to close the door before running to the study and pulling her cell phone from its charger. Her hands trembled as she dialed Theo’s number. She hoped he wasn’t in a meeting this morning. It was just all too exciting. She tried to calm herself before he answered.
“Hello,” Theo’s voice came over the phone.
“You’re not going to believe what was in the safe, Theo.” Massey blurted as he answered.
“What did you find?” he asked.
“There was a beautiful antique silver box filled with jewelry, and Marie’s diary also. I cannot believe it. The box itself must be solid silver, and then all the jewelry too! I think it’s all the real deal. It looks expensive, but I’m not sure. It’s unbelievable. I can’t wait for you to see it all. There are a lot of papers and letters inside too. I just haven’t looked at all of them. Can you believe it?” She tried to catch her breath.
“That’s amazing, honey! You may want to take that stuff to the jeweler in town and see if it’s worth anything. So, you think it’s the real thing, huh?” Theo sounded excited.
“I think so, you should see it all,” Massey replied.
“Can you take some pictures with your phone and send them to me?” Theo asked.
“Yes! I’ll do that. Mister Grant is here, and he offered to go with me to put it in the box at the bank if you want me to do that,” Massey said.
“Well, why don’t you get it all appraised first and then, we’ll lock it away if it’s worth a lot. Send me the pics and I’ll call you back.”
“Okay, I just couldn’t wait to call you. I’ve got to call Mrs. Purdue and Sadie. I’m so excited.”
Theo laughed at how fast Massey was speaking. He knew she must have stumbled upon something great. He couldn’t wait to see it all. Massey hung up the phone and grabbed an empty box from the pantry. She made her way back to the attic and gathered the bundle of jewelry and the silver box, placing them inside the cardboard container. The papers would have to wait. She looked around the cluttered room again before walking out the attic door.
Laying the items one by one across the kitchen table, Massey began to snap pictures with her phone. She sent them one by one to Theo. There were so many items that it took her over an hour to photograph each one and forward to her husband. After she’d sent the last picture, Massey decided to take pictures with her digital camera for insurance purposes. She knew what a stickler Theo was about things like that, and she’d kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.
Mrs. Purdue and Sadie were equally thrilled to hear the exciting news. Sadie had a million questions about the jewelry, and Mrs. Purdue wanted to know all about the diary. Massey completely skipped lunch and sat describing each item over the phone to Sadie. She felt that she had an idea of what archeologists and shipwreck explorers must experience when they stumble upon great finds. The jewelry was absolutely stunning. She imagined Marie and Tattienne wearing them all. She knew that Joseph had worn the cuff links and tiepins because many of them had the initials JD engraved on them.
After photographing each one again, Massey placed them back into the heavy, velvet-lined box that had protected them for so long. As she sat placing each item into the box, the front door opened, and she recognized the familiar sound of Theo tossing his keys on the foyer table. She looked down the hallway and saw him approaching the kitchen. He must have decided to take the rest of the day off. He couldn’t stand to miss out on the excitement, she thought as he walked into the room.
Massey opened the lid to the silver box and handed it to him. He bent down and gave her a kiss on the top of her head, then took the box. One by one, he pulled the necklaces, bracelets, broaches, cuff links and other pretty, shiny items out of the box. He laid them side by side on the table in front of them.
“Wow. I don’t know anything about this sort of stuff, but it looks pretty valuable,” Theo said as he inspected the loot.
Massey didn’t know how to determine if the stones in the jewelry were precious or costume either, but she imagined they were all the real thing. She had brought a magnifying glass to the table earlier and handed it to Theo. He didn’t really know what to look for, but he scanned each piece carefully as though he did.
“Well, there are hallmarks on the silver and gold pieces, but I don’t know how to decipher them. Let’s get them to a jeweler.” He carefully dropped each item into the silver box.
Before she knew it, Massey had buckled up in Theo’s truck and they were on their way to New Orleans to see a jeweler. Theo didn’t think the owner of the little jewelry shop in town would be as astute at valuing the items as one of the well-known jewelers in the city. Massey didn’t argue; she knew he was probably right, and she was always up for an evening in New Orleans with her husband.
The silver jewelry box was too heavy for Massey to keep on her lap during the drive, but from time to time she would open its lid and reach in to retrieve an item. One of the necklaces was thickly laden with diamonds intricately set in an enormous emerald. It looked like something that Marie could only have worn to the finest events. It most certainly would have covered most of the chest of any petite woman from Lovesong House. Massey pulled it out of the box and laid it on her chest. It was stunning. There were other items that she thought the ladies of Lovesong must have worn only to balls or the opera perhaps.
“Do you think all these are really real diamonds and emeralds?” she asked as she pulled another exquisite piece from the box.
“I have no idea, honey, but we’ll soon find out,” Theo answered.
Massey continued to try on the bracelets and rings and broaches. She marveled at the sheer weight of each piece. The mountings seem so intricate and delicate when compared to today’s jewelry. The stones looked too large to be real. One of the rings fit her left hand ring finger perfectly. It was a blue sapphire surrounded by diamonds, or so it seemed. She raised her hand out in front of her, admiring it on her hand.
“Look, Theo. This one fits me perfectly,” she said as she raised her hand to the steering wheel.
“Why don’t you keep it and wear it? It looks like it was made for you,” he said as he glanced down at the ring on her finger.
“Really? It reminds me of Princess Diana’s engagement ring, only bigger. I feel special with it on,” she said.
“You are special. Wear it. It suits you,” Theo replied.
Massey pushed her hand out in front of her and admired the ring once again. She decided she would wear it. Why not? She hadn’t thought of wearing any of the jewelry. It just didn’t seem like it belonged to her yet. She’d have to get used to the thought of it. She smiled as she looked down at the sparkling ring again. Somehow, it seemed out of place against the pair of jeans she was wearing, but it looked lovely in the sunlight.
The jeweler took his time looking over each piece carefully. He would place the little eye piece to his right eye and move it over and over each item. From time to time, he would make a little humming sound as if he had discovered something, and Theo would glance over to Massey and smile. They waited patiently as the man painstakingly surveyed every single piece. He seemed to linger over some items longer than others. It was a long while before he raised his head and placed the small eyeglass on the counter.
“Where did you say you got these, Mister Fontenot?” the man asked.
Theo went over the story of the house and the safe with the man once more. The man looked down at the items and shook his head. He picked up a few of the pieces and looked closely at them again.
; “Well, do you realize that many of the pieces are antique Carriers, and that some are from Tiffany and Company as well?” he asked.
Theo and Massey both shook their heads simultaneously.
“Some of these pieces are probably the most exquisite examples of jewelry making I have ever come across. In fact, this one necklace is finer than any I’ve ever sold. I can give you an appraisal on a few of the gold and silver pieces, but truthfully, a lot of these beautiful works of art should be appraised by gemologists and specialists at Sotheby’s or Christies or maybe someone from museums. Undoubtedly, these items would bring very large amounts at any reputable auction house. Yes, they are all authentic and very rare gemstones. You are a lucky man.”
“Really?” Theo asked excitedly. “Well, what do we do from here?”
“I think you should first contact your insurance agent and secure a minimum of half a million to cover these. I’m certain they’re worth much more, but until we’re sure, I would at least do that. Then, you should have them put into a deposit box until we can have the perfect people come to appraise them. You will have to pay for that also, of course. In the meantime, if you would like for me to display any of the items here to sell for you, I would be happy to for a small percentage, of course,” the jeweler stated confidently.
Massey and Theo were staring at each other in shock. Theo placed his hand on her knee as if to stop her from saying anything. She knew that touch. She knew Theo didn’t want the jeweler to know how ignorant they were. He knew how easy it would be for the man to take advantage of Massey. He’d saved her from destruction a million times during their marriage. She smiled at him and clenched her fist. Theo knew just what was going through her mind.
“Okay, then. We’ll get the pictures to my agent and have it all insured ASAP. Then, we’ll let you contact the right folks from the right places, and we’ll wait for you to get back with us. These will go in a deposit box first thing in the morning,” Theo said as he tried to sound calm.
