‘What a mysterious place, full of distant memories,’ she gasped, her eyes lighting up. She noticed Dan looking around with the same wonder and for a moment their eyes met and they held that gaze, as if its magic was transmitted between them.
‘I’ll get some drinks in,’ said John, thirsting for his ice-cold continental lager. He wasn’t disappointed either, there was some excellent Bavarian pilsner on tap. His fellow treasure hunters opted for the same, save for Dan who was rarely prised from his old favourite – Guinness.
‘Why don’t we grab that nice window seat over there,’ suggested Dan.
As they had got there early, there was plenty of space. The others nodded and Dan sat at one of the matching oak armchairs in the far corner. Emma slid into the ornately carved oak pew opposite.
John reappeared with a tray of four very drinkable-looking pints and set them down on the table.
‘Cheers!’ he said, raising his glass, ‘here’s to an amazing day, and maybe an amazing future for us all!’
‘Do you think so?’ asked Louise. ‘Does that treasure truly belong to us? I suppose it should if it is deemed to be Treasure Trove. I had a friend who found a few trinkets once that were declared treasure and she got paid thousands for them.’
The prospect of having suddenly come into fabulous wealth was still only beginning to sink in with the four students, who were much more used to being poor and barely able to scrape by.
‘I would guess it may belong in part at least to your parents if they are deemed to own that tunnel, and in part to us four as finders,’ said John. ‘After all, the lighthouse and island belong to your parents and that tunnel leads directly there. Also, the diary of the Spanish captain has been kept in the cellar. Therefore, to my way of thinking, anything found in an underground cave only accessible from your lighthouse would mean your family have a strong claim on it.’
‘Come on, ‘ chipped in Emma, taking a gulp of her pint – she didn’t normally drink pints, but that night was a special occasion – surely Dan deserves the biggest cut since without his efforts at translating the diary, the treasure would never have come to light.’
‘I would gladly share my cut with you Emma,’ said Dan, ‘of all of us, you are the most broke and need the extra cash the most.’
At that point Emma, her eyes moist, slipped her hand under the table and gave Dan’s knee a squeeze.
‘I feel that you have the most claim out of the four of us,’ said John to Louise, ‘since we are your guests and would never have come to stay on Wreckers Island without your invitation.
‘The important principle,’ said Louise, her voice rising, ‘is that the treasure belongs to us all. It’s certainly no further use to the poor Spanish sailors who drowned in 1780 is it? And Captain Felipe isn’t exactly going to be coming back for it. We are the only people to lay any claim on it. I think it’s great that we’re all arguing that each other deserves the biggest cut rather than trying to grab what we can for ourselves. It shows we’re good people. If my parents get a slice of it too, lucky them – although they are super rich already so I’m not sure they’ll need it. As for us, we are friends together; we’re on holiday together and we explored the tunnel together. I want us to share the proceeds equally.’
That was generous of Louise, since she could have pulled rank as the host and the others warmed to her for it. Louise could be many things, impetuous, arrogant, a show-off, a flirt, a chatterbox, but she was a feisty, good-hearted young woman whose spirit matched those determined green eyes beneath that shock of a fringe.
‘Bear in mind,’ said Dan quietly, noticing that the pub had started to fill up, ‘that the tunnel may be deemed to belong to the Crown Estate – effectively to the Queen. If that is so, the Crown may be entitled to a significant share of the find.
Louise looked at him in dismay, and after taking a generous swig of her lager, declared, ‘oh that’s too much, we’re not handing half our treasure over to the bloomin’ Queen. She’s even richer than my mum and dad and that’s saying something! Hasn’t she got enough gold and silver without needing to raid our tunnel!’
‘That’s not how it works,’ hissed Dan, annoyed at Louise’s belligerence. ‘Centuries-old finds of gold and silver are deemed to be treasure and have to go before an inquest held by a coroner. He will almost certainly rule that we have to hand it over but that’s good news because the full market value will be paid and we’ll get whatever we’re entitled to – but the Crown may get 50% if deemed to own the tunnel.
‘We should bear in mind that the gold and silver is so valuable, especially with the soaring price of precious metals these days, if we each get a quarter share of half of it, that will still be equivalent to tens of thousands of pounds each, possibly £100,000 or more.’
‘Yippee,’ shouted Louise. ‘We’re rich!’
‘I still can’t believe it somehow,’ said Emma, ‘it seems unreal to me.’
‘It’s real,’ said Dan, putting his hand into his jacket pocket. He brought out a gold and silver coin from their find earlier which he hadn’t been able to resist taking, and placed them on the table. They gleamed mysteriously in the soft light.
Louise grabbed the coins and held them aloft. ‘Treasure! Real treasure, from 1780 me hearties! Look at these wonderful coins. You know, I can’t wait to get back tomorrow to haul up the rest.’
Several people took up Louise’s offer to look at the coins. They were attracting glances from all directions. Fuelled by adrenaline and strong lager, Louise was becoming over-exuberant and indiscreet. At that moment, the barmaid came to take their food order.
‘Goodness me,’ she said. ‘Aren’t they pretty looking coins? Wherever did you get those from? I take it you’ll not be paying for your food with them. Why they look like they might be from one of the old treasure ships!’
‘No, they’re lucky coins I was given by an uncle on my 18th birthday,’ said Dan, lying swiftly and seizing them off Louise. He pushed them securely back into his pocket and glared at her. She was being foolish and making a scene. Dan noticed a number of the regulars looked as though, in a different era, they might well have been smugglers and wreckers themselves. He hoped the four of them would pass as little more than loud, brash, annoying tourists.
‘Can you have a quiet word with her,’ whispered Dan to Emma. ‘Tell her to calm it down.’
Louise wasn’t in the mood to listen. Her pint drunk, she got up to get another round of drinks. John went with her, fearing she might struggle to keep four brimming glasses upright on the tray.
‘You know I’m fond of Louise but I could swing for her sometimes,’ said Emma to Dan when the others were out of earshot. ‘What a performance she’s putting on tonight. I know we’re all thrilled to bits, but we are actually in an old smugglers’ and wreckers’ pub. Memories go back a long way.’
‘I know,’ said Dan. ‘And what I could see, facing into the pub, is the number of people who looked over when she held those coins up. I can’t believe she did that. I hope no-one overheard us talking about where the treasure is located.’
‘There’s only one way to it,’ pointed out Emma, ‘via the outbuilding on the island, and that’s safely locked up.’
‘Yes,’ said Dan, ‘and hopefully we’re safe to assume the other way is safely blocked up.’
‘I’m sure it is. You know, I am so loving today and tonight, even though Louise is being a pain,’ said Emma, looking warmly into Dan’s eyes. ‘I’m loving sitting here and enjoying this beer knowing that I don’t need to worry about how much it’s cost. I’ve never been able to do that before. It’s thanks to you. And thank you for being so generous earlier, about sharing the money with me, that means a lot.’
‘Louise was generous too,’ said Dan. ‘Whatever her faults, she’s a kind soul.’
‘That’s what I appreciate about you, you know,’ replied Emma, ‘the kindness of your soul and the fact that your feelings for me seem so genuine. You have been such a hero today, why I
could almost kiss you.’
Dan’s stomach fluttered.
‘Emma, don’t tease me when you know I have strong feelings for you and that I would love to kiss you, given the chance.’
‘Even more than finding a chest brimming with treasure?’ Emma smirked winsomely at him and narrowed her eyes in mock scrutiny.
‘Come on, a single kiss hardly equates to a box of treasure,’ said Dan, a mischievous look in his eyes. ‘I would gladly swap it in exchange for you as my full-time girlfriend.’
‘Aah, aren’t you the romantic! No man has ever offered to purchase me with the contents of an old crate before,’ teased Emma as Dan spluttered mirthfully on his beer. ‘Anyway, when you’ve finished coughing I will allow you to kiss me, if you wish. Don’t read too much into it, mind.’
Dan glanced towards the bar. Louise and John seemed deep in conversation. Hesitantly, he took Emma’s hands into his and pushed his lips gently against hers, worried that at any moment, she might recoil as she had that time in the lighthouse kitchen.
She made no sign of wishing to resist. Dan leant over to bring himself closer. It was tricky with the table in the way. He opened his lips and as he did so, hers opened too and they embraced, tenderly yet passionately. Emma wrapped her arms tightly around him.
‘You have the most wonderful blue eyes, do you know that?’ Dan whispered into her ear.
‘You can’t see them properly in here, you flatterer,’ she whispered back.
‘And you look incredibly sexy under this lantern light.’
With the gentlest of touches, Dan’s graceful fingers caressed Emma’s cheeks down to the nape of her neck. Her skin was gloriously soft. Often, in bed at night, Dan dreamt of stroking her face and kissing her on the lips and running his fingers through her blonde tresses. It was truly hard to believe that such a wonderful fantasy had now come true and on such a remarkable day. It was, without doubt the best of his life so far.
‘I think I am falling for you, Dan,’ said Emma, softly. ‘Being with you tonight in this spooky, atmospheric pub feels perfect. I love the way you hold me, so gentle and tender. I can sense the love you have for me and it’s so nice. I have strong feelings for you too, you know, I was just slow to realise it. I had a crush on John and me and him, we’re good chums but we don’t have what you and me have got.’
Dan was strangely tongue-tied, fearing he might say something stupid and thereby spoil an impeccably delightful moment. He yearned to clarify whether he could consider Emma his girlfriend but resisted the temptation.
‘I wonder where John and Louise have got to,’ he eventually said, ‘although it’s been nice to have a while alone together.’
‘I agree. No doubt they are propping up the bar, or they’ve bumped into some long-lost local friend of Louise’s or something,’ said Emma. ‘After all she must know a few people around these parts.
‘By the way, Dan,’ added Emma. ‘Don’t let’s mention anything about you and me for now, ok? Let’s keep it to ourselves.’
The hint of a shadow crossed Dan’s face and Emma instantly regretted needlessly confusing him. She simply wasn’t ready to declare that they were a couple, fearing it would unbalance what was supposed to be a holiday of four friends. John and Louise would not want to feel like gooseberries.
‘It’s fine,’ said Dan graciously. ‘We’ve had a romantic evening but it doesn’t mean we’re together. Like you said earlier, I shouldn’t read anything into it.’
Before Emma had a chance to clarify, John and Louise came back.
‘Sorry we were so long,’ said John, apologetically, as they took their seats, each carrying two pints apiece. ‘We were ambushed at one point by a couple of the locals, chatting away to us and asking if we were enjoying our holiday. They were fascinated about our stay in the lighthouse.’
‘I hope you didn’t tell them anything about our discovery,’ said Dan, trying hard not to give away his frustration that his one-to-one with Emma had been curtailed.
‘No, don’t worry about that, we didn’t say a thing, and in any case, no-one has a clue about getting into that tunnel from the island,’ said Louise, ‘if they did, you can bet your life they would have looted that treasure sometime in the last 230 years. I’m sure it will be safe for another few hours.’
Not for the first time, Dan found himself wincing at Louise. He felt like giving her a good, sharp kick under the table. That was another reckless remark which cried out to be overheard. Of course the treasure was safe while no-one knew about it, perhaps it was just waiting 230 years for someone foolish enough to blurt out its secret down the local tavern.
Was it Dan’s imagination, or did he catch the eye of a local man just then, propping up the wall the other side of the bar? Did he have a funny glint in that eye, or was it the way the lantern light illuminated his round, unattractive, unshaven face?
Dan had enjoyed their jubilant outing ashore but was beginning to ache for the comforting isolation of the lighthouse, and the simple pleasures of beers around the kitchen table or a-sprawl across the lounge sofa. Inside those thick round walls, encircled by the sea, they could jump for joy, squawk like pirates’ parrots, flourish gold coins, and swagger around talking in loud voices about buried treasure with impunity. Only the gulls, cormorants and possibly a passing seal would overhear.
But it was a different matter in a pub like this where tales of yesteryear lived on, bubbling up from the gene pool of old-time baddies reborn as modern-day chancers, opportunists and layabouts. For the four of them to blabber on about their find like over-excited school children was plain foolish.
Dan was tempted to suggest they get off but they could hardly leave with a food order on the way. Nothing could be done save hope that Louise would start to see sense. It was difficult to rein her in – they were after all, her guests. As for John, he seemed oblivious, as if in some sort of dreamy trance.
Their meals looked too good to waste when they finally arrived, and hopefully that hearty great pie in front of Louise would impede her ability to talk for at least a few minutes. Dan had ordered scampi and was pleased to find that it was freshly cooked.
‘This is delicious,’ he told the others, seeking to steer the conversation towards culinary matters. ‘Home-made with their own tartare sauce served in a bowl rather than a couple of blue sachets.’
‘Mmm, it does look good Dan, I might pinch one of your little scampi pieces if you’re not careful,’ said Emma, giving him a wink.
‘Ah ha me hearties, pieces of scampi, pieces of scampi,’ squawked Louise loudly.
I wish you were a parrot, groaned Dan inwardly, you’d be less trouble.
But the conversation was about to take a new and different turn which left both treasure and food forgotten about, temporarily.
‘Erm everyone,’ said John, glancing at Louise. ‘Erm, Louise and I have got something to announce.’
Dan and Emma looked up from their plates in surprise.
‘This is in part, why we took so long at the bar getting the drinks,’ continued John, awkwardly, as if about to embark on a long speech.
Louise butted in. ‘It’s just that, while we’ve been here we’ve been feeling a growing connection with each other,’ she said, her bright green eyes looking earnestly at Emma and Dan. ‘I know we’re all friends together here and we didn’t exactly want this to happen in case it caused any friction but we both feel so right together.’
For a fleeting moment Emma looked vexed and upset. She glanced regretfully at John as if he were a departing train with someone special on board. John, unaware of her interest in him, failed to notice, although Dan and Louise both did.
Then Emma’s eyes met Dan’s across the table, filled with love and understanding and her pointless crush on John was finally swept aside. Her body tingled with the affection she now felt for Dan, with his bookish good looks and vulnerable air. If John and Louise were now together, what was the harm in being open about her and Dan? It would mean they were two co
uples on holiday together and would restore the balance.
‘I’m happy for you both,’ said Emma, eventually. ‘In fact, Dan and I have some news to share too, don’t we Dan?’
‘Erm yes, that’s right,’ he said, slightly hesitantly.
‘Well,’ said Emma, ‘while you were at the bar, having your moment together, Dan and I had a kiss and a cuddle and I think, I hope, I’m right in saying that we are now a couple, too. I was nervous about telling you in case you felt strange about us going out together while we were on holiday. But since you are both a couple now, it seems the right thing to let you know about us.’
‘Wow, I’ll be honest I didn’t exactly see that coming,’ said Louise, after a short pause. ‘But I think it’s great news. What a simply wonderful 24 hours this is proving to be. I’m pleased for you, we both are, aren’t we John?’
John nodded and gave Dan’s shoulder a friendly punch. Dan slipped his hand under the table to find Emma’s and squeezed her fingers.
‘You are perfect for each other,’ said John. ‘I’m so happy for you.’
‘Hurrah!’ said Louise, loudly. ‘You know what’s even more perfect? Now we’ve coupled up, I can move into John’s bedroom and Dan and his many books can move in with Emma.’
‘Erm yes, fine, if that’s all right with you both,’ said John, glancing at Dan and Emma, who both exchanged slightly worried glances.
Emma hadn’t been expecting to share a bed with Dan so soon and Dan knew that perfectly well.
‘Don’t worry,’ he said, briskly. ‘I’ll sleep on the lounge floor.’
‘You’ll do no such thing,’ said Emma, determinedly. ‘Of course you can move into my bedroom.’
A slow smile crossed John’s face as he turned to Dan. ‘Can you believe we’ve found a fortune in hidden gold and got the girl of our dreams on the same day?’
Dan shook his head and grinned but said nothing. For him, it was like everything was going too well and the ensuing merriment was almost over-kill – like too much rich food in one go. The sudden change in sleeping arrangements made him feel uncomfortable. Certainly, he had no wish to embarrass Emma by seeking to take advantage, and they needed a good night’s sleep with a big task ahead of them the following day. It was important they kept their wits about them. Getting hammered was not a great idea.
Wreckers Island (romantic suspense) Page 7
