Page 56 of Stolen By the Rogue
And opened the box.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Jane held the lid open for a brief moment, then slammed it shut. George’s heart immediately sank.
Damn. All that digging was for nothing.
“Empty?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No,” came the tiny reply.
“More papers? Please don’t tell me it’s another bloody cryptic clue,” he said.
“No.”
Jane lifted the lid once more and turned the chest so that it faced George. He immediately understood why she was struggling for words.
His jaw dropped open as his gaze took in the contents of the box.
Emeralds, sapphires, rubies, and more gold coins than George had ever seen in the one place glittered at him in the pale light. King Charles’s long-lost secret treasure was lost no more.
Tears pricked his eyes. He had dreamt of such a fantastic moment but never thought to actually experience it. These things were called myths and legends for good reason—because they didn’t exist.
And yet there it is.
“From the look on your face, I take it I don’t need to pinch myself,” said Jane.
It was a stupendous find. Priceless beyond even his imaginings, which, for George Hawkins, was saying something.
“No, but I think you should give my cheek a twist. My brain keeps telling me that I am seeing this, but it just won’t sink in,” he replied.
George blinked as Jane reached into the chest and retrieved a sapphire-studded ring. After slipping it onto her finger, where it fitted perfectly, she held it up to his gaze.
“I’ve half a mind to stroll up the front steps of the British Museum and wave this little beauty in the faces of those who didn’t believe me when I told them the story of Jane Whorwood. What do you think?”
George stirred from his treasure-induced trance. “I don’t think that would be wise. In fact, until our ownership of this magnificent treasure trove is set legally in stone, we should keep it a secret.”
“What about Harry and Alice?” she replied.
“Even them. If word gets out, every fortune hunter in England will be banging on our door. I know the Prince Regent will want to stake a claim on behalf of the royal family. Hopefully the legal opinions Harry got are sound. The only other person who should know about this is my father. He will be able to help put our claim together and submit it to the courts.”
Jane dropped the ring into the chest and sat back.
Guilt jabbed at him; his words had brought her moment of gaiety to a swift end. George closed the lid of the box and set it to one side. He shifted closer to Jane and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “I promise that soon there will be a time for us to dance merrily, but now we have to sit patiently, wrapped in a dark cloak of abundant caution.”
She frowned. “What exactly does that mean?”
It was an old saying that the members of the rogues of the road had adopted long ago. One which had served them well. And saved lives. “During the war against Napoleon, my friends and I undertook covert operations on behalf of the British crown. What we did was, of course, inherently dangerous, but you can manage risk somewhat if you stop yourself from getting a rush of blood to the head,” he explained.
“I see. What you mean then is that if we take things quietly and slowly, we might get to keep the treasure. So then, what does this cloak of yours look like in our case?” replied Jane.
George placed a tender kiss on Jane’s brow. He had an idea; he just wasn’t sure how much she was going to like it.
“We need to do a full inventory of the jewels and coins, then we need to bury the box again.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
The area around Gracechurch Street was little better than the slums that sat close to Coal Yard Lane. After paying the driver of the hack, George jumped down from the carriage, then helped Jane to alight.
