Page 47 of Mardon

“Watch yer language. We’ve got a priest on board,” Nairnie scolded.

Mardon hurried over to the chest on the table and flipped it open. Sure enough, the ring was gone. “She stole it from me?” he mumbled.

“Mardon, ye were the one who stole that ring from her in the first place,” Nairnie reminded him. “It’s her weddin’ ring.”

Mardon’s eyes roamed over to the covered painting. “Aaron, uncover that,” he ordered his brother.

“Mardon, nay,” protested Nairnie. “Ye dinna want the priest to see it.”

“Do it,” he commanded.

“All right, Brother, calm down.” Aaron went over and pulled the blanket away to reveal an empty wooden frame. The painting had been cut out of it and stolen.

“I see now why she wanted to get on the ship. She’s nothing but a thief.” Mardon threw the ring into the box and slammed the lid. “Father, you can tell her that after what she did, I wouldn’t help her for anything.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t tell her that,” said the priest. “You see, she is no longer at her father’s manor. After her father died, she left.”

“Her father died?” This didn’t sit well with Mardon. “So she went home because her father was ill?”

“I suppose so,” said the man. “I thought I heard her tell her father that she wanted to clear their family name and change her reputation.”

Mardon’s eyes wandered back to the empty frame. Now he knew why she’d done it. Still, she’d left him and never asked for his help and that bothered him immensely after they’d been intimate together. “Well, I’m sure she’ll find what she’s looking for. I can’t help her. If you haven’t noticed, she’s a lady and I’m just a pirate. What could I possibly do?”

“Well, I’m not sure,” said the priest, looking down at the ground. “Lady Emmaline asked me to give you the message, so I did.”

“Thank you,” said Mardon. “Aaron, please escort him off the ship.”

“Mardon, what are ye doin’?” spat Nairnie. “If Emmaline said she’s in trouble, ye need to help her.”

“Quiet, old woman,” he told her. “It was Emmaline’s choice to leave me. When she did, she took what she wanted. It’s over. Do you hear me? I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

“I suppose you’re right,” said the priest, walking out the door. “I’m sure her husband will watch after her now.”

“Wait!” shouted Mardon, stopping the man in his tracks. “What do you mean, her husband? Her husband is dead. I know, because I killed him myself.”

“Oh,” said the priest, looking very uneasy now. “I don’t doubt your word, but I assure you, her French husband, Jean Philippe de la Croix took her away with him not more than an hour ago.”

“That can’t be,” said Mardon. “Where did they go?”

“I believe they are sailing back to France.”

“Damn it,” spat Mardon, getting a glare from Nairnie. “That must have been the ship with the French sails we saw.”

“I told you we should have boarded it,” griped Aaron.

“Captain, if I’m no longer needed, I must get back to assist with the funeral arrangements for Lady Emmaline’s father.”

“Of course. Thank you. You are free to go,” Mardon told the priest. “Father,” he called out, stopping the priest. “What did Emmaline’s father die from?”

“The healer says he was poisoned,” answered the priest. “If he could have discovered what the poison was, he might have been able to prepare an antidote. Unfortunately, the poison was never found, and so the man died.”

“Thank you,” said Mardon, his eyes roaming over to the stairs. Emmaline hid a bottle of poison there. Could she have been the one to poison her own father? Mardon didn’t believe so, but wasn’t sure what to think anymore.

“Well, now that that is over, can I tell you about the clue to find the treasure?” asked Aaron.

“Yes, the treasure,” said Mardon, pulling his thoughts away from Emmaline. He called out to his crew. “We’ve got a treasure to find, now everyone gather around. My addlepated father has seemed to leave us another clue, and we need to put our heads together and find it, because the treasure is the only thing that matters.”

Chapter 11