Chapter 8
Edward couldn’t stop staring at Mariana. Mariana. He allowed her name to wash over him, knowing he would never be able to think of her as Do?a Palencia again.
He couldn’t believe he had told her aloud how he felt, but it was true. He had been falling for her before this, but what now? Now he couldn’t imagine leaving Spain and never seeing her again.
He watched her, waiting for her to voice her objections.
“I also… enjoyed that,” she said finally, and he raised his brows, dismay unfurling in his stomach.
“But?” he said, keeping his tone light despite the heaviness within him.
“But what are we doing? You are an English duke. My life is here, in Spain.”
“What do you have here?” he asked, knowing he was likely being insensitive but unable to help himself. “Your husband is dead. You have no family that I have seen.”
“I have friends.”
“With families of their own.”
She was silent, looking down as she buttoned her waistcoat, even though it still damp. She peered outside.
“The rain has stopped.”
“Mariana—”
She turned to him, her face balled up in anguish. “I have known you a week, Your Grace.”
“Edward.”
“Edward. What I do know of you in that short time is that you are not a man intent on settling down any time soon. Look where you are! On the coast of Spain hunting for a treasure that likely isn’t here when you should be at home, looking after a dukedom.”
“My brother is doing that for me.”
“So you would take me home to England and leave me with your brother while you adventured around the world?”
“No, I?—”
She held out her hands to stop him before raising them to her hair, wrapping her silky curls around them. “This is insanity.”
“I have been accused of that a time or two before.”
“I—” She paused suddenly, and he followed her gaze, which was fixed on the floor. “What’s that?” Her eyes were wide in shock.
“What’s what?” he asked.
“That,” she said, pointing to the wall, and he walked over to where she pointed, bending when he saw something glinting in the sunlight that was beginning to pour through the overhang. The clouds must be clearing.
His heart began to beat harder when he picked it up.
“I believe it’s a doubloon.”
“What is it doing here?”
He stared at her intently. “How did you know about this cave?”
“When my husband was courting me, he brought me here once while we were out for a ride.”
“So he knew of it.”
“Yes,” she said drawing out the word.
“How far back do these caves go?”
“I’m not entirely sure,” she said. “I’ve only been here that one time. I’m surprised I even found it again.”
He started back, walking deeper into the cave, eager to find what could be within. He could hear her following, and he paused, holding out his arm.
“We should have brought a lantern,” he said with a frown.
“There are holes in the rock above for a ways,” she said, pointing overhead. “I’m sure they will stop when we move farther back but should help us see for now.”
He nodded, stepping in front of her. “Follow me.”
“But—”
“Mariana,” he said, reaching his arm behind him and clasping her hand, squeezing it tightly. “Please, follow along behind me so that I can keep you safe.”
“Very well,” she said with a sigh of resignation that made him smile.
When they turned a corner, the cave became darker, and then Edward came to a stop so suddenly that Mariana ran into him. He turned around instinctively to catch her, but he couldn’t completely tear his eyes from what was spread out in front of him.
“Is that…” Mariana asked, her voice trailing off as she looked around them wide eyes.
For the cave opened up into one large room, which was full of about eight chests. Edward walked over to one of them, knowing what he was going to find as he lifted the lid. Gold doubloons, so many that a few spilled over the edge. He looked up, meeting Mariana’s eyes, but it seemed she had lost her voice as she stared around her, walking over and opening another lid, finding more coins within.
“It was true,” she said wondrously.
He nodded.
“But that means my husband… he stole all of this?”
“From what I know… yes,” he said, hesitating, but Mariana didn’t seem particularly upset. Just surprised.
“What do we do with it now?” she asked, looking at him, and he sat down on one of the chests and tugged her toward him, seating her on his lap. He liked how she seemed to belong there.
“Now, it’s up to you. I promised you that if you helped me, you could decide what we should do with it.”
“When we made that agreement, I didn’t think we would actually find anything,” she admitted. “I was only trying to see how sincere you were.”
He laughed. “As I imagined. But still, I honor my agreements. You have a few choices. You could keep it.”
“No.” She shook her head, her nose scrunching. “It’s stolen. I would not feel right about that.”
“Or you could give it back to the Spanish King. Although then you would have to admit that you had it and you or your husband could be labelled a traitor.”
“I’m not sure I altogether like that suggestion. Did the King not steal it himself?”
“He wouldn’t see it that way,” Edward said. “But the Peruvians who mined the gold might. We could return it to where it came from.”
She obviously heard the hesitation in his tone. “But?”
“Spain would only take it once more, unless it went to the right people. It might take some time to determine just who that is, though.”
She nodded. “Perhaps your friend might have some ideas.”
“Perhaps.”
“I suppose we best return now, before the sun goes down.” She slid off his lap but kept her hand in his as they retraced their footsteps toward where the horses awaited them. “I feel as though leaving it here unattended is asking for it to be stolen.”
“It has been safe here so far, though, has it not?”
“True.”
They gathered up the meal and blanket that had been lying on the cave floor and returned it all to the saddlebags. Quickly they donned the remainder of their clothing and then Edward cupped his hands together to help Mariana climb up onto her horse. They rode in companionable silence for a time.
“Edward?” she said as Castillo de la Luna came into view.
“Yes?”
“Perhaps you should move to the manor for the remainder of your time here.”
His heart jumped a bit as he grinned, looking over at her, speaking in a slow drawl. “But what will people think?”
She waved a hand in the air. “I don’t really care anymore,” she said. “Let them talk. This is the most fun I’ve had in my entire life. Why would I give it all up for what a few people might say?”
“That’s the spirit,” he said with a grin, realizing that he liked this woman more and more every time she opened her mouth. Which made him worry once more – for just what was he going to do once he had to return to England?
“Edward?”Mariana said as they crested the last rise before entering the grounds. “This might sound ridiculous.”
“I love ridiculous.”
“I believe someone is following us.”
“Yes.” He kept his gaze ahead, not looking back over their shoulders at the figures in the distance. “Someone is following us.”
“You knew?”
“I did. I noticed them a while ago. It could be nothing, but?—”
“But it’s like they were waiting for us to come out of the cave,” she said, her heart beating faster. “Do you think they know about the treasure?”
“It’s possible,” he said. “Someone stole it for your husband, did they not? And now that he’s gone?—”
“They could have decided to come back for it themselves,” she said, her worry growing. “It is not as though it means anything to me, but somehow the thought of such a fortune going to thieves is not exactly pleasing.”
“No,” Edward said grimly. “It certainly is not.”
“We must move it, and quickly,” she said. “Hopefully, before they take it themselves.”
“It would have to be tonight,” he said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
“I have access to wagons we could use,” she said. “But where would we take it? Castillo de la Luna would be too obvious and there is nowhere nearby that would be safe.”
“I could hire a ship,” he suggested. “Then sail home with it, for now. If you trust me to look after it.”
She paused for a moment, staring him in the eye. She should say no. She barely knew the ma. And yet…
“Of course I do,” she said, realizing what she meant. She trusted him as she hadn’t trusted anyone in some time. Sending the treasure to England was certainly a risk, but somehow, she knew that he wouldn’t betray her.
“I could have Rodrigo help me. He has friends who could also assist. I’m sure some of them would even accompany me back to England.”
“When should we retrieve it?” she asked eagerly, but he was already shaking his head.
“You cannot come back to the cave.”
“Why not?” she demanded.
“Because we might meet those men again if they come searching, and I cannot allow anything to happen to you, do you understand?” he said, heat in his voice that nearly made her stop arguing.
Nearly.
“I am as involved in this as you. In fact, I would say it is my responsibility.”
“Do you take the blame for all of your husband’s actions?”
She thought of all Javier had done in the past.
“No.”
“Then don’t start now.” He set his jaw firmly as they rode in through the gates. He stopped, and she reined in her horse, looking at him with question.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m going to go set things in motion,” he said, his lips pressed firmly together. “I will see you shortly.”
“But—”
“Mariana, I got you into this mess, perhaps when I should not have done so,” he said. “Let me fix it and keep you safe while doing so.”
“Very well,” she said, unable to ignore the supplication in his gaze. “Stay safe, do you hear me?”
He nodded, but as he rode away, she couldn’t ignore the fact that it felt like her heart had gone with him.
When Edward found Rodrigo,it didn’t take much to convince the Peruvian to help him. In fact, the man was eager to assist Edward, and quickly promised to sail with him and the treasure to England.
“Just for now,” Edward assured him. “Until we figure out how we can return it to your people. Mariana wants it to go back to where it belongs.”
“Mariana?” Rodrigo said, his eyebrows lifting as he sent a knowing look Edward’s way, and Edward waved him off. They discussed their plan for that night, and Rodrigo promised to find the number of men necessary while Edward hired a ship.
“Tell the men I will pay them handsomely,” Edward said, and Rodrigo nodded.
“Of course, Your Grace.”
“No need for that between us,” Edward said, and Rodrigo nodded but didn’t correct himself as he left to find friends to help.
Edward couldn’t help but continue to look behind him as he hired a ship, along with a captain who agreed, for a price, that Edward could put what he wished in the hold with no questions asked. Edward could only imagine what the captain thought he was stashing, but if he told the truth, it was far more likely word would get out.
As he made all the arrangements, however, he couldn’t push the one thought, the one question from his mind – what was going to happen to Mariana?