Page 30 of A Treacherous Treasure
“Oh yes, I do some of the duties, but Thomas does most of it, along with our butler, Johnson. I see to the kitchen and the pantry and supplies, but Thomas manages the tenants and the accounting books and ledgers and things. And I believe I hear him coming.”
A few moments later, Thomas and Benjamin entered the room, obviously having dressed for dinner.
“There you are. I’m surprised you were able to clean up so fast.” Caroline turned to Rebecca. “One hour ago, they were covered in mud.”
“You should never doubt us, little sister,” Benjamin said with a grin.
“We weren’t quitecoveredin mud,” Thomas said. “My sister likes to exaggerate.”
Caroline huffed.
“Behave yourselves, my dears.” Mrs. Westbrook’s voice was soothing and soft. “Rebecca has had a very difficult week and we must do our best to make her feel at home.”
“I assure you, I enjoy being here. I am from a large family of ten children, and an absence of good-natured discussions and even bickering is strange to me.”
“We are very good at bickering and shall make you feel quite at home, then,” Thomas Westbrook said with a kind smile.
“Thank you.” Rebecca smiled back, but immediately felt guilty. Should she be smiling at a man as handsome as Thomas Westbrook? It felt wrong.
“Did you get a chance to look in the family Bible?” Benjamin Westbrook asked.
“I did.” Rebecca felt her spirits rise as she reached into her small purse and took out the folded-up piece of paper. “I found this in the large family Bible stuck in between the pages just at Romans chapter eight.”
She handed the paper to Thomas, and his brother and sister immediately stood from where they were seated and surrounded him, leaning close as Thomas unfolded it.
“It’s a map!” Benjamin’s face showed his excitement.
Thomas’s brows lowered, his eyes squinting as he studied the paper.
“Yes, but what does it mean?” Rebecca asked. “I have not examined it very closely, but I noticed what appeared to be several symbols, but I could make no sense of what they represented. Do you understand it?”
Thomas was slow to speak, while Caroline pointed at the paper and said, “Look at that. It’s a cross, or an ‘X.’ That must be where the treasure is buried.”
Benjamin and Caroline discussed what the various symbols meant, then Thomas said quietly, “Remember, we need to keep this all quiet. No one is to hear of this map outside of the five of us.”
“Yes, yes, of course,” Caroline said. Benjamin also agreed.
“It is a helpful distraction, this treasure trove,” Mrs. Westbrook said, smiling. “But I cannot imagine how you will find a chest buried in the ground after all this time, on so large an estate as it is.”
“I’ve never known you to be pessimistic, Mother.” Thomas gazed at his mother for a moment before going back to perusing the map.
“I am not being pessimistic. I am glad you young people have something interesting to put your minds to, but I cannot imagine it will be easy to find such a thing.”
“Easy things are seldom worth having.” Thomas said the words in a very straightforward manner.
“Listen to the words of the wise philosopher,” Caroline said with a mocking smile.
Thomas shook his head as if at the antics of a child.
“I don’t particularly want the treasure,” Rebecca said. “I just want it found so that I don’t have to worry about anyone being killed.” Anyone else, she should say. She took a deep breath, forcing her mind not to think about Arthur, since that tended to bring on tears and sadness.
“That is what I want,” Mrs. Westbrook declared. “This is England, a civilized country, and we will not rest until this evil man is caught.”
“You are so kind.” Rebecca’s heart warmed inside her, so thankful to have found such kind and faithful friends.
Chapter Ten
Thomas’s secret was burning inside him as he struggled to decide whether and when he should tell them he knew who the evil man was. Would it only frighten Rebecca and his mother?
