Page 33 of The Duke's Treasure
The journey to Castleton was not a particularly long one.
Edward told Mariana that it usually took but a half day, although with the weighted-down wagons, travel was slower and took closer to a full day. Castleton was visible in the distance, just beside the lowering sun, however Edward stopped them, shaking his head.
“Before we go home, we will see that the treasure is stashed away,” he said, climbing down from the wagon he was driving and going back to speak to Rodrigo. When he returned, he led them off the well-trodden road onto a side path, taking them deeper into what appeared to be a forest.
“Are those ruins?” Mariana asked, looking at the remnants of brick and stone next to the crossing as they continued on.
Edward nodded. “They are. That was where the original house stood before the current one was built. We played in there quite often as children, although I don’t suppose anyone else has entered them in years.”
“Perhaps no one will until the next generation of children are playing among them,” she murmured, and his eye caught hers, a telling gleam in it.
“Perhaps.”
They continued down the path until Mariana swore she could hear water lapping against a shore.
“Am I hearing things, already missing home and the sea?” she asked, looking to Edward, “Or is there water nearby?”
He smiled, although a bit sadly. “I hope you do not miss it so much that you do not wish to remain here with me,” he said. “But you are right. There is a lake behind us. We are following the river it is attached to. We found this treasure in a cave, and we are going to put it back into a cave of sorts.”
He led them around a few twisting turns, until they passed a narrow river stretching out in front of them, pouring into a tiny waterfall, allowing water to trickle downward.
“This is beautiful,” Mariana breathed, and Edward smiled proudly.
“It is my favorite part of the estate,” he said as they continued on, past a grove of trees into a clearing. “It has always brought me a sense of peace. We shall have to return when we have more time to enjoy it.” He looked behind him and laughed. “And not so many other men to enjoy it with.”
She smiled as Rodrigo entered the clearing with them.
“Where are we going?” he asked, looking around them.
“Over here,” Edward said, ducking underneath a tall tree, and Mariana’s mouth opened in surprise when she saw what was within.
There was a cave – although not a cave as she would have called it where anyone could fit in, but rather a crawl space that, while they wouldn’t be able to stand tall in, would give them enough room to push the chests inside.
“How far back does it go?” Mariana asked, and Edward rubbed his chin, which was now covered with stubble that looked rather dapper on him. She would have liked to reach outand feel it beneath her fingers, but she would wait until they were alone again – whenever that might be.
“Far enough that this will be well hidden, especially if we move rocks and brush in front of it. No one else knows of this space, except my brother.”
Mariana nodded, even as his words reminded her that this was the easy part. Now she had to go meet his family. It was not that she was nervous of what they would think of her. Mariana didn’t overly care what anyone thought of her anymore at this point in her life. No, her worry was what would happen if they didn’t accept her, if she didn’t get along with them – how would she ever create a life here in England if she was basically alone? Even if she had Edward, if everyone else was against them…
But perhaps that would all come to naught, she reminded herself, squaring her shoulders. Best to see how this meeting would go first.
“Are you going to tell your family about the treasure?” she asked him as they climbed back upon the wagon. Once they made it to Castleton, Rodrigo would return the vehicles to Newfield Manor.
“I will tell my brother,” he said. “I trust him with my life. My mother doesn’t need to know. She would only develop ideas as to just what we should do with it, ideas that I do not need nor desire to entertain.”
“Very well,” she said, and now when Castleton came into view, she knew there would be no detours, nothing to keep her from the next leg of this journey.
“This is impressive,” she said as they drove through the grounds. The gardens were beautiful, well-kept with ornamental statues and a fountain in the middle.
“Thank you,” he said. “My family is very proud of Castleton.”
She caught the way he said it. “And you?”
He shrugged. “I didn’t build this. I didn’t do anything to earn this. Perhaps in due time I will prove that I have added to its value, but for now, I simply enjoy it.”
“That is an interesting way to look at it,” she murmured, but they were at the front doors before he could respond.
He held out a hand to help her down from the wagon seat just as the front doors of the mansion opened and a tall, studious-looking man stepped out, followed by servants she guessed to be the butler and housekeeper.
