She felt so ashamed at what she had done. The only thing that was going to make this feeling go away was if she could get ahold of that painting and take it to the king to destroy it and fix her sullied reputation. Then, in time, the memory of the painting would hopefully fade from everyone’s minds and people would forget that it even existed at all. Yes, that was exactly what she needed to do. However, in order to do that, she had to get onto that ship.
“Nairnie, can I see you for a moment?” Mardon was back at the table and, this time, his brother, Aaron, was with him.
“There is no treasure here,” stated the blond man. “We’ve looked everywhere.”
“Aaron, hold your tongue.” Mardon’s eyes flashed over to Emmaline.
“Treasure?” asked Emmaline. “Is there a treasure in this tavern that you are hoping to find?”
“Never mind,” snapped Mardon. “It’s none of your concern, Sister.”
“What is a nun doing sitting with Grandmother?” asked Aaron in surprise. His mouth turned up into a mischievous grin.
“Let’s go,” grunted Mardon, sounding perturbed.
“I dinna understand it,” said Nairnie, pulling a piece of parchment out of her bodice. It made Emmaline wonder what else the woman had stored down there. Nairnie opened up the parchment and stared at it. “I was sure this part of the clue meant that the treasure was here in Great Yarmouth at the Fish Head Inn.”
“So you really are looking for a treasure, then.” Emmaline stretched her neck to see the torn parchment.
“Dammit, Nairnie, put that away,” growled Mardon.
“Dinna swear in front of . . . in front of a nun,” scolded Nairnie. “Now, I ken the king’s treasure must be here somewhere. We need to think.”
“Oh, Mardon,” said the serving girl, coming over to him with lust in her eyes.
“Not now,” he said, waving his hand to dismiss her.
The girl looked down at the parchment. “I see ye have one of those, too.”
“Are ye talkin’ about this parchment?” asked Nairnie.
“Aye,” said the girl.
“What do you know about it?” asked Mardon.
“Only that someone else was in here lookin’ for somethin’ as well, earlier today. They had a ripped parchment just like that.”
“Who?” asked Mardon in a low voice.
“Why don’t ye take me upstairs and I’ll whisper the name in yer ear while we’re . . . doin’ other things?” The girl batted her lashes at Mardon.
“Tell me, and tell me now. Who was in here earlier with a parchment like this?” asked Mardon.
“Oh, all right, I’ll tell ye,” said the girl. “It was that pirate, Nereus, and his men.”
“Nay!” said Aaron. “We’re too late. Nereus must have already found the treasure.”
“Treasure?” asked the girl. “He didn’t have any treasure. All he had was another piece of parchment he found in here with things written on it.”
“What things?” asked Mardon. “Did you see it?”
“Well . . . I might have taken a look over his shoulder when I was pourin’ his ale.”
“What did it say? Tell us!” spat Nairnie.
The girl looked the other way. “I can’t remember.”
“Mayhap this would help you remember.” Mardon reached over and placed a coin in the girl’s cleavage, getting a smile from her and a gasp from Emmaline. It was a very seductive move.
The girl’s eyes lit up and she answered Mardon. “It was the letter T. With a diamond under it and what looked like a . . . gravestone.”
“What?” asked Aaron. “That makes no sense.”
“Well, that’s all that I saw.”
Emmaline fingered the cross at the end of her rosary hanging around her neck. “Are you sure it was a letter T?” she asked the girl. “Or was it a cross . . . like this?” She held it up.
The girl leaned over in the candlelight to see it. “Well, now that ye mention it, I suppose it did look more like a cross.”
“Even so, what would it mean?” asked Aaron.
“I think I know,” said Emmaline excitedly.
“That’ll be all,” Mardon told the serving girl. “Thank you for your help.” He handed her another coin and the girl snatched it up and hurried away.
“Emmaline, what do ye think it means?” asked Nairnie.
“Call her Sister Emmaline,” Mardon corrected Nairnie.
“Oh, I don’t mind. Emmaline is fine.” Emmaline still fingered the cross, not able to look directly at Mardon.
Mardon bent over and laid his hands on the table, whispering into Nairnie’s ear. “I’m not sure talking about the treasure in front of a Goddamned nun is a good idea.” He said it softly, but still, Emmaline heard him.
“Dinna use blasphemy,” said Nairnie, slapping Mardon on the arm.
“I didn’t!” Mardon stood up.
“Aye, you did,” agreed Aaron. “You said Goddamned nun.”
Nairnie turned in her chair and slapped Aaron on the arm next.
“Ow. Grandmother, what are you doing?” asked Aaron.
“Ye are no better than yer brathair. Now both of ye watch yer tongues before I pull them out with my bare hands.”
Emmaline cleared her throat to get their attention. “I think I know what those symbols mean. I’ve seen them before.”
“I think we need to get going,” said Mardon.
“Nay, Mardon. Give her a chance to talk.”
“Fine,” he mumbled. “Go ahead . . . Sister.”
“I’ve seen the two symbols of a cross and diamond together before,” said Emmaline excitedly. “The symbol of a gravestone beneath them proves to me I’m right.”
“Where have you seen this?” asked Aaron.
“I saw them at Canterbury Cathedral.”
“What?” asked both Aaron and Mardon at the same time.
“Shhh, let the woman speak,” Nairnie told her grandsons. “Continue,” she said, nodding at Emmaline.
“My guess is that it symbolizes the grave of St. Thomas Becket.”
“Who the hell is that and what does he have to do with our treasure?” snapped Mardon, shifting his weight back and forth as if he were getting restless.
Aaron cleared his throat and leaned over and half-whispered, “You said hell in front of a nun, Brother.”
Emmaline continued. “The diamond could be the Regale Ruby that was given to the English by France years ago. It is displayed at the tomb of St. Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral, right under a cross. Don’t you see? That’s what it has to be.”
“Aye, I think she’s right,” agreed Nairnie. “It makes sense.”
“Well, since we have no other choice at this point, I guess that’s where we need to go,” said Mardon. “We can take the ruby as well while we’re there.”
“Aye, that must be where Father hid the treasure,” agreed Aaron.
“No grandson of mine is goin’ to raid a church and steal the Regale Ruby!” spat Nairnie.
“Oh, I believe the ruby is really locked away somewhere and it is a fake one on display,” Emmaline told them.