Curious and concerned, he followed.
***
They were wasting their time and Georgie had had enough of waiting. They’d read the journals a second time, everybody had put their two cents in, and still they were no closer to finding the buried treasure. Matt’s comments about the other shipwreck, the one Reginald had been after, had been circling in her mind for hours. The treasure had come from it in the first place. Not that she would take anything, but to rediscover it would be pretty cool.
Plus she was feeling a little left out. Matt had gone off on an errand, which left her the odd one out. Darcy, Faith and Lara sat on one side of the kitchen table poring over their copy of the journal, Brandon and Amy sat heads together at the end, and Tess and Ed were side by side opposite them.
Alone again.
She didn’t have time to feel sorry for herself. The Ridge hadn’t brought her the comfort she’d needed, but it hadn’t been a wasted trip. And now the idea of finding the Dutch ship had entered her head she couldn’t shake it loose. Who knew? Perhaps it would deliver some answers.
To get to the island she needed a boat, and to get the boat she had to borrow the farm’s old dinghy and the car to tow it. But if she did that, then her family would want to come too.
She wanted to be alone.
Wanted something that was just hers.
She had a friend in town who might lend her one, and she always kept a beach bag in her car with a spare set of bathers and snorkelling gear in case she got the urge to go swimming. She wandered down the hallway to the lounge and made the call. A few minutes later she had arranged to meet Tony at the boat ramp.
Georgie re-entered the kitchen. “I’m off.”
Darcy glanced at her, surprised. “You’re going?”
“But we haven’t found the treasure yet,” Lara added.
Georgie smiled. “I think you guys have it covered,” she said. “Let me know how you go. I’ve got a few things to do in town before the girls’ night tonight.”
Amy glanced up. “What time are we meeting?”
“Six-thirty.”
The others nodded and Georgie hugged Lara goodbye. “Thanks for lunch.”
Ed studied her and then stood. “I’ll walk you out.”
Damn it. She could never hide anything from him.
Quickly she jogged down the steps and across to her car. The sun had a sharp sting to it although it wasn’t stifling hot.
Ed stopped her from opening the door. “How did the interview go?”
So he hadn’t forgotten about it. She shrugged. “All right,” she said. “I should know sometime next week.”
“Everything OK? The Georgie I know would never miss out on a chance to go treasure hunting.”
She raised her eyebrows. “If you get a lead, call me,” she said. “But I think we’re chasing ghosts.”
“Maybe, but the idea is exciting.”
Georgie shifted his hand from the door. If she delayed too long, she’d break down and tell him everything that was bothering her, and neither of them needed that. “Yeah, look I’ve got to go. I’ll catch you later before you leave.”
Ed watched her as she backed out. She waved, a bright smile on her face, but he didn’t buy it. He’d call her later to try and find out what was really going on. But she could hardly tell him she was jealous without sounding selfish.
She turned up the music, hoping the sound would blast any thoughts from her head. Music normally calmed her, made her feel much better.
But not today. Her mind jerked from thoughts about Matt, the treasure and her new job, with more guilt and sadness about her parents thrown in for good measure as she passed the crash site.
By the time she reached the boat ramp, she wanted to scream. At least Tony wasn’t here yet.
