Jensen leaned forward. “And the connection to the Kingmaker, have you heard of that?”
Something tickled at the back of Graeme’s mind, but he couldn’t recollect any mention of a Kingmaker. “There are many theories involving the Stone of Destiny, but I’ve never heard it referred to as a Kingmaker.”
“The Stone of Destiny and the Kingmaker are not synonymous, Graeme, but rather two separate items,” Jensen said.
“I do not mean to be rude, Jensen, but I’m unsure of why you’ve traveled all this way. Merely to educate me on my cousin’s research? Or to discuss Scottish lore of ancient treasures?” Graeme said.
“Bear with me a moment longer, and I believe it will all begin to make sense to you,” Jensen said. Once Graeme had nodded, the older man continued. “The legend of the Kingmaker states that any person to have the four royal stones in their possession would, in turn, become King.” Jensen shook his head. “The idea that a mere legend would jeopardize Her Majesty’s claim to the crown is, of course, ridiculous.”
“Of course,” Graeme agreed, but that thought continued to nag his mind. The missing decoder was supposedly hidden to protect the royals; perhaps that too had something to do with this Kingmaker.
“However,” Jensen continued, “We cannot ignore that the situation is troubling. If someone is indeed moving to collect these royal stones in an attempt to complete the Kingmaker, then the intent behind the threat is real, if not the danger itself. There are many who believe this is precisely how William of Normandy claimed the crown of England. Of course we have no actual proof of that.” Jensen paused, then cleared his throat. “As for any mystical powers the Kingmaker might actually possess…”
Jensen let his words trail off. Another man might have infused the words mystical powers with scorn, but not Jensen. By and large, the men of Solomon’s were scientists and explorers. Rational men. Yet they were also adventurers. And Graeme had witnessed firsthand the cursed bracelets when his friend Fielding had unearthed Pandora’s box. He knew all too well the mysteries that lay between reality and legend.
“And the Loch Ness treasure is one of those four royal stones?” Graeme asked.
“We believe so. Supposedly, the others are guarded by similar creatures,” Jensen said.
“You mean the water kelpie,” Graeme said with a smile.
“Indeed.” Jensen did not sneer, but his tone held a hint of cynicism.
Evidently Jensen was not a believer. Graeme had many a memory of listening to his family weave tales of kelpie sightings. As much time as he’d spent in these highlands, he’d never even seen a glimpse. However, he knew his family believed. Most Scots did. But he never questioned it one way or another. What did it matter to him if there was a beastie swimming in the dark waters of Loch Ness?
“The fabled dragon guarding the treasure,” Graeme said. “So what does this have to do with Niall?” Graeme drummed his fingers on the side table. “You believe him to be after this Kingmaker? Because someone took the stone from Westminster.”
Jensen released a heavy breath. “Either he is or he’s working with someone else who is after it. Either way, his behavior before he left London had been curious for several weeks. We need you to check in on him. See if you can’t discover precisely what he’s working on, and who he’s working with, if he has a partner.”
“Where is he?” Graeme asked.
“Here. Loch Ness. He’s been here for a few days. We’ve also intercepted some of his communication, which is oddly vague. The evidence is not conclusive, and we merely need to be certain before we confront him.”
“I see.” Graeme leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. “So you want me to spy on him?” Graeme asked.
“Precisely. Extend your visit with your family. It’s lovely up here this time of year, isn’t it?” Jensen asked with a mischievous grin.
“Ah yes, winter in the Highlands. Nothing like having only a few hours of daylight.”
“Reconnect with your long-lost cousin,” Jensen said.
“One more question,” Graeme said. “What does all of this have to do with the Stone of Destiny?”
Vanessa pressed her ear against the heavy wooden door to try to hear more of their conversation. She assumed the speakers sat in the room directly outside of hers. The walls in the cottage were not thin enough to hear everything, but she was able to decipher some key phrases. She knew she’d distinctly heard something about a hidden treasure. Certainly she would not have misheard something that intriguing. She stood up straight.
There had also been mention of Westminster. A treasure hidden in the abbey; is that what they meant? She’d never heard a tale of such a thing.
When Graeme was talking, his deep brogue seemed to penetrate the walls and breeze over her skin. He spoke of the Stone of Destiny. Counterfeit? Certainly not; that stone had been in the abbey for hundreds of years. Was that the treasure of which they spoke?
She pressed her ear tightly to the door and held her breath. The other gentleman certainly sounded English, and she could tell from his manner of speech that he was educated.
“Loch Ness treasure.” She heard those three words perfectly. It would seem in her quest to find fossils, she had stumbled upon a most captivating mystery.
Perhaps when the voices stilled, and the house grew quiet, she’d sneak out to do some investigation. Graeme was hiding something. Clearly he was no simple Scotsman. And she could rarely resist a good puzzle. Granted, her inquisitive nature had gotten her in trouble on more than one occasion in the past, but she had learned from some mistakes and now was more careful, more guarded.
Vanessa sat on the floor, leaning against the door, and continued to listen. Their conversation had quieted to whispers now, but she did not know if they had retreated to another part of the house or if they had simply lowered their voices. Twenty minutes later, Vanessa heard only silence. For good measure, she waited another hour before venturing out of her room.
The house wasn’t large, the rooms close together, so she was thankful that she’d had the good sense to remove her shoes. Any noise she made could easily wake Graeme and his family. If she was caught, she would simply say that she’d gotten thirsty and had gone in search of something to drink.
