Emerald Fire

by Monica McCabe

  He had to force himself to be patient, to let her get to wherever she was headed. But if this really had anything to do with saving NorthStar, he wished she’d just get to the point.

  She gently brushed her fingers across a page. “From all that I’ve read, he faithfully served Louise Auguste Mecklenburg, Queen of Prussia. But it was more than that. He loved her.”

  Prussian history wasn’t his strong suit, but during college, he did recall having read about a warrior queen who, without her husband and king’s knowledge, signed a treaty to fight against Napoleon’s Grand Armée. He didn’t understand how any of this mattered, but he played along. “Isn’t she the queen who donned battle gear and fought alongside her soldiers?”

  Chloe’s eyes lit up. “Yes! Her contribution to history was immeasurable, yet she’s never been given the credit she so richly deserves.”

  “Glory isn’t always rewarded.” He could relate. Not that sinking the Emerald Fire was glorious, more along the lines of sacrilege, but his dream of tall ship restoration pretty much sank with the yacht. An evening spent tasting the charms of one glorious Chloe Larson might’ve helped ease that pain.

  “That’s just it,” she said with a light smile. “In a way, William’s was.”

  She’d lost him. “What do you mean?”

  “Prussia lost the battle with Napoleon. The resulting French occupation had a drastic impact on the proud queen, and her health declined. It’s written she went home to her father’s estate for a while, in hopes of regaining her strength. That’s where the mystery starts.” A heavy sigh escaped her, and she glanced back at the journal.

  Whatever was coming, Finn knew it wasn’t easy for her to say. Which meant things were about to get real interesting.

  “By all accounts, the royal marriage was a happy one. Louise was the sixth child of a German Duke. She was beautiful, bright, and a well-loved monarch. Never a hint of scandal, not at home, nor during her marriage to the king. Yet when she returned from her visiting her father, things were strained between the royal couple. Her health still suffered, and a few months later they left for an extended visit with friends in St. Petersburg.”

  Finn began to get an idea of where this story was headed. “There was a love child.”

  Chloe nodded. “I suspect the father was a man she loved before she married King Frederick.”

  “What happened then?” Finn asked.

  “Shortly after the royals returned to Prussia, Desmond sailed to America. Along with an infant daughter and a hold full of furniture.”

  “Let me guess,” Finn said. “No wife in the picture?”

  Chloe shook her head. “No record of one ever existing either.”

  “So Desmond accepts the child as his own and leaves Prussia, sparing the royal family the embarrassment of a bastard in the queen’s court.”

  “I believe so.”

  “Is all that in the journal?” Finn asked.

  “Some of it, other parts I’ve pieced together from different historical sources.”

  Finn still didn’t get the importance. Fascinating history, but not worth raiding a pirate stronghold. “So it’s a story of infidelity. That’s not uncommon. Why is it relevant today?”

  Chloe pulled a little wooden chair out from the desk and sat down. “Desmond realized his mind was in decline and started writing his story down. There’s a marked change in tone between the first half of the book and the second. He grew cryptic and paranoid.”

  “Symptoms of dementia?” Finn asked.

  “Partially, but I believe it’s more along the lines of what he was trying to protect.”

  That was an easy one. “The daughter.”

  She nodded. “But that’s not all.” She took a long deep breath and let it out slowly, then looked him straight in the eyes. “Before he left, Queen Louise entrusted him with something else, too. A gift for her child. One he had to swear an oath to keep safe until she came of age.”

  Now they were getting to the real crux of the matter. “And that would be?”

  “The queen’s royal parure.”

  He had no idea what that meant. “Royal what?”

  “It’s a dowry of sorts. In those days, high ranking marriages were more of a merger, spouses chosen for their bloodline or wealth.” She turned back to the journal and stared down at the words. “In this case, it refers to a priceless collection of royal emeralds.”

  Finn was stunned speechless. He knew it must have been huge, or she wouldn’t have put her life on the line like she had. But he never imagined this.

  When he didn’t say anything, she continued. “I’ve done my best to keep it quiet, but a lot of treasure was stolen from Prussia when Napoleon raided. It’s well known that the queen’s dowry vanished. I’m certainly not the only one searching for it.”

  He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “That’s one hell of a secret.”

  She rested her elbows on the desk and leaned into her hands, fingertips rubbing her temples as though they ached, but she kept talking. “In the end, Desmond trusted no one except a life-long servant and friend.”

  “Did the daughter know about the emeralds?”

  “I don’t think so. According to his journal, the relationship with his daughter was strained.” Chloe glanced up at him as he stood by the bunk. “Emily married young, had two children of her own, but died in her late twenties. Desmond outlived her, and for whatever reason, he never passed on the secret. I doubt he told her the truth about her birth mother either.”

  “So that’s it? He just kept them safely hidden away.”

  Chloe nodded. “The more time went by, the more paranoid he became. He constantly wrote about protecting the queen’s secret.”

  “What makes you think they’ve never been found? Especially if he left clues in the journal?”

  “I don’t. Not one hundred percent. But there has never been a mention of the parure being found. And something that valuable would make a splash.”

  That was probably true enough. He slid the other chair next to Chloe and sat down before asking his next question. “Does Lisa Banks know about them?”

  “There’s a pretty good chance. My cousin Owen does. He knows about the journal, and I strongly suspect the two are working together.”

  Finn’s investigator senses were tingling. She’d mentioned that before. “If Lisa’s involved, why would she hire pirates to steal the yacht for an insurance claim? Why not just take the journal?”

  “Because she didn’t know it was on the Fire. I was only going to be in Poland a few days. I thought the journal would be safe on the yacht until I returned. I’d no idea that Uncle Jon would leave early.”

  “So let me get this straight. You’ve got a black widow trophy wife who married your uncle for the money.” When Chloe nodded, he continued. “She paid to have him murdered so she can collect life insurance, boat insurance, and I’m assuming inherit everything he owns.”

  “With some stipulations made in the will, but yes, that’s basically correct.”

  He pointed to the journal. “How does that fit into the picture?”

  “Owen Larson is a cousin on my father’s side. My dad married up, but it was very much a love match. As you can guess, mom came from money. We had a great life, and Owen always resented me because of it. His wasn’t so great. A broken home, in and out of trouble during school years. Dad tried to help, even paid for what little college Owen managed to complete. But it was never enough as far as my cousin was concerned. He often took his anger out on me. It’s one thing to be that way as kids, but Owen has gotten worse as we’ve grown older. He looks for ways to torment me.”

  Finn’s jaw tightened. If he ever met the guy, there’d be a day of reckoning. “So are you related to Desmond on your mother or father’s side?”

  “Father. But that’s the thing. Desmond isn’t the ancestor. He never actually had any children.”

  It took a second for her meaning t
o sink in. “The daughter?” he asked in surprise.

  “My mother was the one who actually made the connection. I inherited her research after the plane crash.”

  He tried to make sense of what she was saying. “So this is all about…what? Proving Desmond was a hero for taking on the role of fatherhood? Or is it that you’re descended from royalty?”

  She laughed at that one. “Neither, actually. Emily Desmond never knew her mother, much less that she was the daughter of a queen. I want to right history. She deserves at least that much.”

  “Finding the emeralds would prove that?”

  “It would be a pretty solid piece of evidence, don’t you agree?”

  He did. But there was one more piece of this puzzle missing. “If Owen knows about the emeralds, why is he part of the plot to get rid of your uncle and collect on the insurance?”

  “I’m not sure he ever really believed, but he tracked my progress just in case. It’s been two years since I found the journal, and nothing has happened. I think he got tired of waiting for the big payoff.” She flipped a page in the book, her fingers brushing the page lovingly. She cared about Desmond and Emily, despite two-hundred years separating them. Finn was surprised to realize he liked that about her. And for the first time, he began to understand his father’s claim that the past always predicted the future.

  “So we are up against a couple of very dangerous felons in training.” And that was another surprise. He was thinking in terms of we.

  Chloe sighed. “I’m afraid we are. I can’t prove that Owen and Lisa are a team, but I suspect they’ve been working together since before Uncle Jon married her.”

  “Damn.” Talk about a twisted tale of greed and betrayal. “So what about Jonathan?” Based on their similar reaction to the name NorthStar, she’d talked to him about it. “He’s married to Lisa. Doesn’t that worry you?”

  “A little. But I trust him. He’s always been there for me, always the person I can talk to. He also helped me try to solve some of the riddles in the journal.”

  “Like NorthStar.”

  She looked up at him in surprise. “Yes, the name is mentioned more than once.” She flipped a few pages and pushed the journal closer to him and pointed. “Read this line.”

  He scooted forward and looked down at the page. “The man from NorthStar will be your guide.” Finn frowned. How was that possible?

  “Now you understand my shock?”

  He just stared at her, not knowing what to say.

  Chloe leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes on a sigh. “That line has never made any sense until I met you.”

  “It still makes no sense,” he said.

  Her eyes snapped open, and he saw determination. Anger. And something else he couldn’t put a finger on.

  “I’ll make a deal with you,” she said. “Help me put Lisa behind bars before she runs. Then we’ll find the emeralds. Together. Just like Desmond predicted.”

  Finn already planned on seeing the black widow chained. Maybe cousin Owen, too, if he was involved. He’d never consider walking away from this until it was safe for her to return to a normal life. But she had the order of events wrong.

  “I’m more than willing to see Lisa Banks pay for her crimes and have every intention of making that happen. But we have a third problem.”

  She raised a brow in question.

  “Pirates.”

  Chloe scoffed. “They never saw the journal.”

  “Maybe not, but our stowaway was on board long enough to know something is in the wind. There’s every chance they’ll come calling. If they pay Lisa a visit, and she thinks there’s a possible treasure, she’ll use the promise of its existence to leverage for time.”

  “Why wouldn’t she just run?”

  “I doubt she’s aware her game is up, not yet. The best option is to find the emeralds first, before everything blows up in her face. And let’s not forget Owen. If he’s involved, I don’t think he’d hesitate to throw you to the wolves.”

  Finn knew that much was fact. Everything else was as clear as mud. The only thing for certain was that Chloe had guts.

  “Okay, I’m listening,” Chloe said. “What do you propose we do?”

  He sat back in his chair, contemplating a new deal. “Lisa Banks is willing to condone murder to get what she wants, but a greedy social climber isn’t made from the same stock as a hardened criminal. When the going gets tough, she’ll run. But it’s all in the timing. With millions on the line, she’s not going to bolt until the last minute.”

  Chloe nodded slowly in agreement with that logic. “Owen is just as guilty in this. I can’t prove it, but I know it. If there’s even a slight chance of success, he will try and keep Lisa in place,” Chloe reasoned. “He’s all about the money.”

  That greed might buy them time.

  “We keep searching for the emeralds,” Finn said matter-of-factly. “We pull Sam Brady into the investigation against Lisa. And Jonathan continues to stay under witness protection.”

  Her jaw worked as she struggled with her decision. “I want her to pay, Finn. For every piece of grief she’s caused.”

  He understood that, but he also realized she needed to circle back to her original goal. If she abandoned her search and fired all guns in an angry need for vengeance, she would fail at both. He couldn’t let that happen. And maybe, by brokering this new deal with her, he still had a chance to save NorthStar’s future. “Believe me, Lisa will pay for her crimes.” Those weren’t just words. He’d make certain of it. “But you have to keep going. Don’t let her rob you of your original focus.”

  Chloe didn’t say anything, just chewed on her lower lip and looked deep in thought.

  “If you’re looking for revenge,” Finn added, “I hope you know that rarely ends well.”

  “What I’m looking for is justice.”

  “Then your best move would be to win, despite her scheming.” He honestly believed that. “Think how furious she’ll be if you succeed in finding the emeralds. That prospect alone should make it worth continuing.”

  A tiny smile curved her lips. “Maybe.”

  “So new deal,” Finn offered. “We go to NorthStar. My father is there, and he knows the history of the place better than anyone alive. It’s a starting point.”

  Her warm brown eyes stared at him, but it was impossible to tell what she was thinking. He held his hand out. “Shake on it?”

  Her soft hand grasped his, and she squeezed. “Just promise me one thing. If anything changes and Lisa bolts, we drop what we’re doing and go after her.”

  That might be difficult, but he’d give her that much. “Agreed,” he said with a firm shake.

  She slumped back in her chair, exhaustion finally catching up with her. She needed sleep. He stood and pushed his chair back in place, then pulled her into his arms. When she rested her head against his shoulder, he held her tightly against him.

  “Go to bed, Chloe. I’ll read some of the journal tonight, and tomorrow we’ll start digging for answers.”

  She weakly nodded and turned toward her bunk.

  Chapter 17

  Gray clouds still covered the early afternoon sun, but the rain held back as the Seagrove slowly moved to dock at Freeport, Bahamas. Breakfast had been late and consisted of a muffin and juice, as they’d both slept until roughly ten. They’d needed it. She had pushed well past the point of exhaustion last night, and even though Finn had been equally tired, he had stayed up long into the night reading William Desmond’s journal.

  Right now Chloe was below decks helping her uncle get ready to move ashore and Finn had carried their bags topside in preparation to leave. He didn’t intend to waste a minute getting to NorthStar.

  “You realize she’s worth fighting for, right?” Jason asked as he stepped up beside Finn at the rail.

  “That’s a pretty big statement for someone you just met yesterday,” Finn replied as he checked his cell phone
for a signal.

  “True enough. But then, I’m a good judge of character and a quick study.”

  Finn chose not to take the bait and changed the subject. “We can’t thank you enough for your timely rescue.” He handed the man both his cards, Boston Marine Insurance and NorthStar. “If there’s ever anything I can do to repay you…”

  “It’s easy to see that she’s into you.” Jason wasn’t letting it go. “Near as I can tell, the feeling is mutual. What’s standing in your way?”

  “It’s complicated.”

  “Always is, my friend. Chloe seems a rare breed, though. She’s beautiful, cultured, and undoubtedly strong. Not many women could take on pirates, get shot, and still be an engaging dinner guest. One in a million I’d say.”

  He was absolutely right about that, but there was more to Miss Chloe Larson than Jason knew. Finn had a sinking feeling he’d barely scratched the surface. Another night alone with her, one that wasn’t marred with bullet wounds and emotional distress, could well prove to be one of the more interesting nights of his life. The Bahamas just might offer him that chance. He couldn’t wait to get ashore.

  “She is definitely one of the most stubborn women I’ve ever met,” Finn finally replied. “If she’s set on something, there’s little anyone can do to change her mind.”

  “Those are the most interesting kind. Gotta love a woman who goes after what she wants. It’s the lucky man who gets in her way.” Jason grinned.

  “How do you figure?”

  “Someone once said ‘Well behaved women rarely make history.’ I think it was Marilyn Monroe. Whoever it was, I couldn’t agree more. They are the kind of women that challenge a man.”

  Finn glanced sideways at Jason. “What makes you think Chloe is that kind of woman?”

  “Several things actually.” Jason leaned back against the rail and surveyed the activity humming on the ship as they docked. “She went through hell yesterday. Did she ever falter? Faint at the sight of blood?”

  Finn shook his head. “If anything, she took charge.”