Maxey tilted her head. “And what might those secrets be?”
Matthew’s smile widened. “In the mid-fifteen hundreds, a ship wrecked near Whitehaven. The ship carried a treasure that was buried somewhere on the land. Many years later, gold pieces were found on the shoreline, which led people to believe the rest of the gold may be nearby. But nobody has been able to find the treasure.”
“And what does this have to do with the title or the rings?”
He laughed. “The rings were part of the treasure. My father’s father searched for a treasure map, and before my grandfather died, he hinted that the two rings might be the key to finding the treasure.”
Maxey rolled her eyes. “I have heard this fable as well. It was told to me as a child, but even as young as I was, I still knew it to be false. I cannot believe a grown man like yourself would be a treasure seeker.”
Matthew’s expression turned stern. “My grandfather was not a foolish man, and neither am I. I want those two rings to find where the map was hidden.”
Inwardly, Nash groaned. His uncle had indeed lost his mind. Nash’s father and even William knew the story of the treasure was made up to stir excitement. Nash couldn’t believe his foolish uncle would kill for this.
Maxey chuckled as she squirmed on the bed, keeping her hands behind her back and feet underneath her. With any luck, Matthew wouldn’t notice she was untied.
“Mr. Burke, you are very humorous. There’s no way that ring hints to a map’s location. I have seen the ring, and there’s no place for a map.”
Matthew arched an eyebrow. “Have you inspected it closely with a jeweler’s glass? I assure you, the map is there. Do you think I would go through all this for nothing?”
Nash had to admit, his uncle wouldn’t do all of this without a reason. Perhaps Matthew knew something he didn’t. Then again, his uncle had always been a little demented in the head.
“Are we sailing toward Whitehaven?” she asked.
“Yes. I gave my crew the orders before coming to see you.”
“And now we wait?”
Matthew laughed. “We wait, but we shall entertain ourselves during this time.” He scooted closer to Maxey. “And you can be assured, Iwillpleasure you beyond your imagination.”
Maxey fell back into the mattress, her eyes wide with fright. When Matthew took a lock of her hair, she whimpered. Anger consumed Nash, and he tightened his hand around the pistol.God be with me.
Swift and sure of his movements, Nash darted around the barrels without making any noise. Maxey’s sobs rose higher, which ignited his temper. Matthew had his back to him, and Nash raised the butt of the gun as he neared, focusing on his uncle’s dark head.
Matthew’s large hands cupped Maxey’s head. “You, my dearest, will be mine. I will remove Nash from your memory.”
She glanced over his uncle’s shoulder and met Nash’s gaze. Suddenly, her expression hardened, and she yanked her arms from behind her and pushed them against Matthew’s chest. He gave a sharp inhale mere seconds before Nash brought the pistol down against his skull.
Matthew jerked around and toward Nash. Confusion and pain marked his expression as he stood and stumbled toward his nephew. Matthew blinked then steadied himself. He touched the blood oozing down the back of his head and looked at his stained fingers. He snickered.
Maxey scrambled off the bed and dashed around Nash, clutching his shirt as she stood behind him. He kept his aim on Matthew, who was still laughing.
“My wayward nephew finally makes an appearance. And to think, I had given up hope of your chivalry.”
“If I have to kill you in cold blood, I will,” Nash sneered. “I will not let you harm another person as long as I live.”
Matthew stumbled a few steps backward before regaining his balance. “Ah, famous last words, Nash. You should know me better than that, dear boy.”
Nash glared at him. “I am not the boy you remember, but a man who has vowed to stop you no matter what it takes.”
“You underestimate me.”
“And you underestimate me.” Nash squared his shoulders and stepped closer to his uncle. “I swear on the graves of my father and brother, I will kill you. I will not let people fear you any longer. And I definitely won’t let you take control of my family’s estate.”
“You cannot win.” Matthew touched his fingers to his head again as more blood poured from the wound. “I have men out there who I have trained to fill my shoes.”
“They are lacking one thing, dear uncle. They are not blood related and will never get those rings.”
Matthew’s expression hardened, his lips curling in a sneer. “You have crossed paths with the wrong person.” Suddenly, he jumped at Nash and knocked the pistol from his hands.
