Page 13 of A Treacherous Treasure

“I will. And you can let me know if you think of anything your husband may have said about the treasure, where it might be buried, that sort of thing. I promise I will not steal it if I am the one to find it.” He smiled.

“Oh, I have no notion that the treasure even exists.” Rebecca sighed and shook her head. “But if it does, and if you find it, you should at least receive a reward.”

“Any time a hidden treasure trove is found, the coroner must be notified, and an inquest will be called to decide to whom the treasure rightfully belongs, and I believe it will most likely belong to you. You will inherit Arthur Heywood’s estate, will you not?”

“I believe so. There is no other heir than I know of.”

“Then you can do as you wish with that pirate’s treasure.”

“Pirate’s treasure indeed.” She sighed again. What was the world coming to when a man was killed over a buried treasure that probably didn’t even exist?

“What is this?”

The elder Mrs. Heywood was glaring imperiously back and forth from Rebecca to Mr. Westbrook with red, puffy eyes. She’d entered the room so quietly, neither of them had noticed.

Rebecca and Mr. Westbrook each took a half step back, away from each other.

To break the awkward silence, Rebecca said, “This is Thomas Westbrook.”

“I know,” her mother-in-law said with a cold stare. “I’ve known him since he was born. He and Arthur played together as children. Come to mourn with us and view the body? Or did you only come to pay a call to his widow?” She turned cold, accusing eyes on Rebecca.

She felt her stomach sink and her cheeks start to burn.

“Neither, madam,” Mr. Westbrook said, looking calm and unfazed by her insinuations. “I apparently scared away the shooter who murdered your son. Mrs. Heywood and I were just informing the constable of what we saw.”

“The constable was here? Why did you not send for me?” She sent another cold glare at Rebecca, then turned it back on Mr. Westbrook. “And you said you scared the murderer away? Why did you not capture him and bring him justice? Do you even want him caught?”

“I can see my presence is upsetting to you, and so I shall go. But I am sorry for your loss and you have my condolences.”

He left while Arthur’s mother’s face grew redder.

“The nerve of that man coming here.”

“Was there something amiss between him and Arthur?” Rebecca did her best to sound innocent, hoping Mrs. Heywood would give her more information.

“They did not speak to each other these last several years. And now you had to bring him into the house. Already on the hunt for a new husband, I suppose.” She said this quietly, as if to herself.

Rebecca inhaled slowly and slowly let it out.The woman is in mourning. God, help me be compassionate and not say anything unkind.

“I have no interest in finding another husband.”

“I should think not. But that man is not welcome in my house. Do you understand? He only wants to gloat over us.”

It was a ridiculous accusation, given the facts of why Mr. Westbrook was there, but Rebecca knew it was pointless to argue. There was no reasoning with her.

“I am going to my room to rest.” Rebecca fled her mother-in-law’s presence before she could say anything else that would make her blood boil.

~ ~ ~

Thomas’s mother wrote a note to Rebecca Heywood:Please come to dinner tonight, if you are able. It would be our pleasure to give you a respite from the grief at home, and we are in great need of society ourselves. With all my compassion, Mrs. Anita Westbrook.

Thomas gave express instructions not to give the note to anyone except the younger Mrs. Heywood.

The servant returned with a note from Rebecca Heywood, obviously hastily written on the back of his mother’s note.Thank you for your kind invitation. I accept. Mrs. Rebecca Heywood.

Good. Now he could talk to her about the treasure. He shouldn’t question whether there was another reason behind his rise in spirits when he saw that she had accepted. But surely he could be happy that his mother and Mrs. Rebecca Heywood could enjoy each other’s company, as they were both in need of a friend to break the recent grief in both their lives, his father having just died six months ago.

Truthfully, he was surprised Rebecca Heywood was brave enough to accept the invitation. Her mother-in-law would punish her in some way, he was sure, if she discovered that Rebecca was going to the Westbrook home. Even though Mrs. Heywood had no reason to be angry with Thomas. Arthur must have either told her a lie about him, or Mrs. Heywood hated him because he had hated her precious son.