Heart Pirates
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“I know what I’m doing,” said Lulu. “You’re just jealous.” Her smile didn’t fool him. He’d seen that same look on his mother’s face before he left for New York City with the promise of a job at the Brooklyn Daily Tribune.
She was always telling him to do things her way—and it worked well enough for her, so why would anyone listen to him? It was probably a good thing she wasn’t there because Lulu had no intention of letting them go anywhere until they paid off their debt and she got the gold back from Mrs. Bixby.
His only hope of saving himself and everyone else in this predicament rested solely on his sister’s ability to outmaneuver those three mean-spirited heart pirates.
Lulu had come up with a plan to get all four hands aboard the Blackbird without paying them or Mrs. Bixby anything, which meant she would have to make it work. And if she could manage something like that, then she must be right about her suspicions.
But how exactly did she think she was going to pull it off? If the other two women were anything like Mrs. Bixby, she wouldn’t take kindly to being tricked into leaving town empty-handed.
“It won’t matter once we’ve taken control of this ship,” said Lulu confidently. “We’ll just have to figure out what Mrs. Bixby will give us in exchange.”
Her confidence gave Tom the courage to ask, “And when is this going to happen?”
Lulu shrugged. “Now, as soon as we find her.”
He knew she would do whatever it took. That much was evident from her determination not to pay the men who were now her crew or the woman who owed her money. But she couldn’t do it alone; he had to help her. The only question was how. They both knew the odds were against them but somehow, they had to win.
Tom’s gaze drifted to the front of the boat where Mrs. Bixby stood next to the captain. She looked down at her watch as though she could read the time through its glass lens. Her eyes never left him even after the other three pirates had disappeared back inside their craft. When she finally turned around, it was with an expression that said, What are you waiting for?
“Mrs. Bixby!” called Tom, hoping her name would break his sister’s concentration long enough so he could make his move.
She spun around. Her mouth dropped open slightly when she saw Tom, as though she couldn’t believe his appearance. As he stepped forward, he caught her by the elbow and guided her away from her captain.
A quick glance told him that the other three pirates had made it safely into their vessel. Lulu was already climbing over the rail, but Mrs. Bixby didn’t move fast enough. She was too distracted.
“Where are you taking me?” asked Lulu quietly. “Are you crazy? You can’t just push your way onto my ship without paying me.”
“I don’t want anything from you,” said Mrs. Bixby defiantly, still trying to shake free of Tom’s grip on her arm.
His hand tightened. “Don’t touch her,” he growled, warning her not to interfere with his sister’s efforts to capture the heart pirates. “Just let her do her thing.” He released his hold and moved closer to the edge of the deck so he could see what was happening. With his fingers wrapped firmly around the rail, Tom held on tight as he waited for something—anything—to happen.
The pirate captain stared at Lulu, her hands folded neatly behind her back, while Mrs. Bixby watched closely from below. It was clear neither expected Lulu to be able to take control of the Blackbird without any assistance. Tom had a hunch things weren’t going as planned.
As Lulu climbed over the side, he caught a glimpse of her legs disappearing down toward the water. The pirate captain tried to follow her but lost sight of Lulu after she jumped in the water. Then Lulu surfaced and swam under the Blackbird’s bow.
He could tell by the sound that she was searching for something. He was sure she was looking for Mrs. Bixby, but she might be able to catch someone else by surprise first.
“What are you doing?” called Lulu from beneath the surface. “Are you coming up?”
But the answer was already obvious, judging by the sound of splashing water. The pirate captain dove after her and followed close behind. But the two women were gone, leaving Tom standing alone in front of the Blackbird wondering whether he should call for help or stay put.
A loud splash came from under the ship, followed quickly by the crackling sound of fire. There was a small explosion, then a huge plume of steam shot up from the water. Both pirates reappeared from beneath the water with Lulu in their arms.
One was holding her at gunpoint. The other man held the gun and pointed it straight at Tom. “You’re under arrest, Mr. Harper,” the pirate with the pistol yelled as he pulled out his handcuffs and shackles. His companion grabbed a coil of rope and began tying Lulu’s feet together before dragging her off the Blackbird.
Tom felt sick watching the pirate pull his sister back toward his vessel. He wanted nothing more than to rush over there and save her from these criminals, but he knew if he did, he’d only end up getting himself killed. So he stayed where he was, unable to look away even for a second until his eyes met Mrs. Bixby’s again.
“Do you think she’ll kill her?” whispered Tom, hoping she would say yes and spare him the responsibility.
Mrs. Bixby shook her head. “No. We won’t need to kill her. I’ve got my own plan.”
Tom had no idea what Mrs. Bixby was talking about but hoped his sister wasn’t the victim of whatever scheme she had in mind.
“Stop right there,” ordered Mrs. Bixby, directing Tom’s attention to the pirate who was carrying Lulu away. He had his weapon pointed at Mrs. Bixby’s chest.
Tom moved forward, placing himself between the two pirates. He was ready to fight, but Mrs. Bixby didn’t have to say another word. They both turned to stare at her. She raised her hand slowly and waved it toward them in the air, stopping the pirate with his weapon pointed at Mrs. Bixby from bringing it down on her head.
When he lowered the weapon, Tom stepped forward and grabbed his wrist with his free hand, forcing the pirate to drop his gun into the water. Then Tom kicked the weapon overboard.
Lulu gasped in surprise as Tom pushed the pirate to the ground and knelt beside him. “Please don’t hurt me, sir,” begged the pirate. “My wife and daughter are dead and we’re being hunted by the law.”
“You’re lucky I’m not one of those bloodthirsty people,” said Tom coldly, shaking his head as he looked around at the pirates. “If I were, you would all be dead.”
He stood up and helped Mrs. Bixby climb back onto the deck. She took a step toward her ship when Tom stopped her. “Wait,” he said softly. “There’s a better place to talk than here. Let’s go somewhere quiet and we can discuss our plans.”
With Tom’s help, Mrs. Bixby climbed over the railing, then he followed closely behind and reached down to help her stand on solid land. Together they hurried to the cabin where they’d just left Lulu and found her tied to the bed frame.
Her wrists and ankles had been secured by ropes, and she’d been stripped naked, so that gave Mrs. Bixby an easy way to determine if her captives really were the women they claimed to be.
Both women stared blankly at Mrs. Bixby after the pirate captain entered the room, but she spoke to them calmly. “Did anyone see you leave this morning?” asked Mrs. Bixby as she approached Lulu, who had been forced to sit on the floor next to the bed.
Lulu nodded silently, still staring at Mrs. Bixby with wide eyes. “Why did you come to visit my husband? And why is it you’ve taken up residence aboard his ship?”
Lulu shook her head and refused to answer any of Mrs. Bixby’s questions.
Mrs. Bixby’s face softened slightly as she continued, “It doesn’t matter how you got here; what matters is where you’re headed now. I assume you came here to warn Tom about us. Well, it seems he already knows everything there is to know.”
The pirate captain had walked over to the window and was peering out at Tom and Mrs. Bixby from behind it. His gaze never left Mrs. Bixby.
Mrs. Bixby’s voice became stern once more. “I’m sure you’re wondering how I knew that Tom was your brother. Do you know why he has two different last names?”
Lulu glanced up and glared at Mrs. Bixby with such fury that Tom was shocked and momentarily forgotten about the pirates. “How did you find out?” asked Lulu through gritted teeth.
“We found something very special among the pirates’ belongings,” explained Mrs. Bixby, pulling Lulu’s hair gently aside as she leaned closer to speak quietly in Lulu’s ear. “And you can tell Tom yourself because he’s going to meet us at my house.”
She smiled sweetly at Lulu. “You’ll understand when you hear what I have to tell him.”
***
As Mrs. Bixby led Tom and his sister out of the pirate ship, Lulu couldn’t take her eyes off it. The pirates had made good use of their time while Tom had been away: they’d transformed the pirate vessel into a floating palace with a large dining hall, several cabins with plush beds, and a spacious kitchen, where they were cooking up a storm.
But the most impressive part was the upper deck which they used for entertaining guests—or prisoners. There was a wide balcony along one side overlooking the sea. The other side of the deck was filled with tables, chairs, and benches where they could enjoy the view from above.
Mrs. Bixby guided Tom and Lulu toward the front door leading to the lower deck but then paused suddenly, looking back at Tom. “Don’t get too close to my men,” she whispered loudly enough for everyone inside to hear. “They aren’t as friendly as they seem.” She then turned quickly and stepped outside, leaving Tom and Lulu behind.
Once they were alone on the ship, Tom moved closer to Lulu and placed his arm around her shoulder to lead her away from the main deck toward the back. He wanted to make sure he didn’t lose sight of Mrs. Bixby again.
It seemed he should have kept his guard up after all; she hadn’t been talking to them, or even looking at them, but rather watching the men in her crew as they prepared the pirate ship to sail under the moonlight.
As they neared the rear of the boat, Lulu saw two pirates leaning against the rail as they watched her with dark, cold eyes. She recognized both of them. They were members of Mrs. Bixby’s crew: John, who was the first mate, and Billy, a member of the crew with a reputation for being the best swordsman.
“Come on,” whispered Tom as he tried to tug Lulu forward, but she wasn’t having any part of it. Her feet felt rooted to the deck. She couldn’t move away from the two pirates. “Just keep moving,” he urged as he tried to pull on her hand.
Suddenly she screamed. “No! Don’t hurt me!”
The two pirates looked at each other and exchanged a knowing glance before turning back to Tom and Lulu and grinning wickedly. “We like our women scared,” said Billy as he pulled his sword from its sheath. “But we also like them obedient.”
He swung the blade toward Tom’s chest.
Tom darted out of the way just as the pirate swung the sword down again. The point narrowly missed hitting Tom as it thunked into the floorboards. He lunged at Billy, swinging his fist upward at the man’s face, knocking him backward onto the railing. Lulu gasped as she saw Billy go overboard, crashing into the waves below.
“Get off the boat!” shouted Tom, pushing Lulu toward the stairs leading down to the lower deck. The pirates charged them as he took the steps three at a time to reach the bottom floor. As soon as they reached the deck, Tom spun around to find the pirate captain coming up the steps with one of his own men trailing behind him.
A sword suddenly appeared between Tom and the pirate captain. Tom’s stomach lurched as he saw Billy swimming toward them with his knife in hand. The pirate captain had ordered him to kill Tom if necessary.
Billy swam past Tom, who was frozen by fear, and grabbed Mrs. Bixby around the waist as he went under the water. “Go,” yelled Tom, shoving Lulu toward the open door.
He ran back up the steps to help Billy fight for his life. The pirate captain’s second man was holding the captain back, but Billy had no chance of reaching his mother and escaping unless he managed to knock the pirate’s weapon aside or disarm him altogether.
He swung his arms and legs wildly at the pirate’s side as his mother struggled in vain to keep herself above the water. The pirate pulled back his leg and kicked out at Billy’s head, sending him tumbling down the stairs. A moment later, he resurfaced beside Tom at the top of the stairs and plunged downward, heading right for Lulu.
“Run!” cried Lulu. She grabbed Tom by the arm and started running for the back door that led into the kitchen. Tom followed, trying not to trip on anything wet on the deck as they made their way over to the kitchen door. As soon as they rounded the corner, Lulu opened it and ran inside, taking refuge behind a wall filled with shelves of canned goods.
Tom hesitated. What could he do? The pirate would never stop until he had captured or killed everyone aboard the ship. His only choice was to save himself as well. He took one last look behind him to see Billy swimming closer.
If he was going to make it through this alive, he had to act fast. He stepped into the kitchen and closed the door as quickly as possible so he wouldn’t alert the pirate captain to their whereabouts.
Tom turned and found himself face to face with Mrs. Bixby. “You’ll pay for what you did to my son,” said the woman who had raised him.
The pirate captain burst through the kitchen door, his eyes wide with rage. “Kill ’em,” he ordered his men as he pointed to Tom and Lulu. “I want these two alive for now.”
“Stop!” screamed Lulu as she rushed to stand between her captors and Tom. “This is my fault! I should never have left him. I’m sorry about your son, Mrs. Bixby, but I swear nothing happened,” she continued as she backed away from the men.
The pirate captain laughed, then he drew his gun and aimed it directly at Tom’s heart.
Lulu looked as if she was ready to faint. But even though he knew he was doomed, Tom didn’t flinch. Instead, he stared defiantly at the pirate captain as he held him at gunpoint. “Mrs. Bixby is right,” he said calmly, hoping to convince the pirate to let him live instead of killing him. “It was my mistake. Please don’t hurt my family.”
The pirate captain shook his head as he cocked his weapon once more.
Tom took a deep breath. “My wife has been telling me all about the treasure map. We’re leaving here tonight with it—and everything else. You can either come with us or watch us sail off into the sunset.”
With a growl, the pirate captain pulled the trigger, shooting Tom full force in the chest, instantly killing him.
***
Lulu was numb after the explosion of gunfire. Her heart was still pounding as she ran for safety, hiding behind a shelf of food cans. It felt like an eternity before there was finally silence, except for Tom’s death rattle.
She pressed her hands to her lips. No, no, no. Not my husband, too. How could anyone harm Tom in such a vicious manner? He was gentle and caring; it made absolutely no sense. And yet, how could she forget the words spoken by Mrs. Bixby? She’d warned that the pirates were ruthless criminals.
She looked around desperately for Tom’s body, but couldn’t find it anywhere. Was he already gone or had the pirate taken Tom somewhere for further torture and questioning? Would they kill him after all?
She glanced back to see the pirate captain pointing his weapon at Tom’s lifeless form. Lulu screamed again, unable to bear seeing her loved one lying at the feet of this cold-blooded killer. “Don’t kill him, please,” she pleaded as she moved closer to the pirate, who stood motionless with his rifle at Tom’s side.
“You’ve caused enough trouble for us,” said the pirate captain as he leveled his weapon at Tom’s head. “Now, you’re going to give me whatever I want and you’ll never bother us again.” He lowered the barrel of the gun slightly to point at the floor next to Tom’s foot. “You may as well turn yourself in now,” he said to Tom.
If I give up the treasure map, will it buy Tom some extra time? Or could the pirates get away without hurting any more people? Lulu had to think quickly. The longer they were in town, the more likely that someone would discover them and report to the sheriff. That wasn’t much consolation if she ended up with a bullet in her own chest.
What did he say about the map? Lulu wondered what would happen if she refused to hand over the map. Did it mean she’d be shot dead along with Tom, or that he would just disappear? She didn’t know what to believe anymore. Maybe if she gave up the map, Tom would survive.
A shiver went down her spine. She couldn’t leave him here to die alone. He was always so considerate; he wouldn’t mind if she stayed with him until the end.
As she watched the pirate slowly walk away from Tom, she suddenly heard another gunshot.
“No! Don’t take him,” screamed Lulu, rushing out from behind the shelves and running toward Tom’s fallen body. “Please, don’t kill my husband!”
The pirate captain turned and stared at Lulu as she knelt beside Tom’s prone form. He smiled coldly as he raised his pistol once more. “I’ll be watching you,” he said as he walked away. “And remember: if you ever cause trouble again, I’ll kill every member of your family.” With those chilling words ringing in her ears, he disappeared through the kitchen door, leaving Tom and Lulu on their own.
“How are we going to explain this?” asked Lulu in a small voice as she brushed the hair from Tom’s face. “Who will help us?”
Tom closed his eyes briefly against the pain, then opened them again and met her worried gaze. “We can do it ourselves.”
“But what about the map? We need to get it back to our ship before someone discovers us.”
Tom nodded. “Yes, that’s probably for the best.”
Lulu looked relieved. “Thank God,” she whispered. “At least we’re not completely defenseless.”
When Tom rose to his feet, she reached out and grabbed both of his hands tightly in hers. “I’m so sorry. I wish—”
He cut her off by taking her in his arms, holding her close to him. “It wasn’t your fault,” he said softly. “There was nothing you could have done differently.”
For several long minutes, they held each other, trying to regain composure in spite of their shock. Then Tom pulled away just enough so that he could see her face, wiping away the tears with a single swipe of his hand.
She smiled sadly and returned the gesture. “I should be mad at you for putting yourself in danger,” she said quietly, “but I know better than to blame you for something beyond your control.”
His lips curved into a soft smile. “Neither of us is perfect,” he pointed out. “We just have to work together as a team to stay alive.”
“Right now, we need to get this treasure map back to our ship and keep it hidden,” she continued, thinking of the pirates’ threat to kill all of their family members if they tried to steal the map again.
“You’re right,” agreed Tom, looking around the room. “But where will we hide it?”
Lulu shook her head, then looked out through the front window, which offered a view of Main Street. She saw two men approaching their building. They stopped next to the porch, looking through the glass and talking to one another.
“Do you think we can get rid of these men and go outside unnoticed?” asked Tom.
“I doubt it.” Lulu looked nervously toward the windows to make sure there were no others coming. No matter how quickly we move, I’m afraid they’re bound to notice us sooner or later. If only we hadn’t been so stupid, they might have let us pass without asking questions.
As soon as Tom noticed the men standing next to the porch, he grabbed Lulu’s hand and hurried toward the rear of the store, pulling her after him. When they came to the back door, he pulled her inside. As much as it hurt to leave Tom’s side, she didn’t have a choice.
There was still some hope that they’d be able to sneak out when everyone else was asleep—before anyone discovered that Tom had died. But if not, she wanted to be safe from harm in case they found the map.
As soon as she stepped into the room, she saw three large safes lined up against the wall, the contents of which must be worth millions of dollars. One of them contained gold bars, while the other held diamonds and jewels.
Tom ran his fingers along the side of the nearest safe, but the combination lock was already broken. “Someone must have stolen the key before we arrived,” he muttered angrily, kicking the metal.
She followed his gaze toward a small desk on which sat a pile of letters and notes, most of them written in French. Her heart sank. The letters were obviously addressed to other pirates. This treasure map may well be a dead letter.
Suddenly, the floor vibrated as someone stepped into the storeroom. Lulu froze and waited for whoever it was to speak, hoping it would be Tom.
A man dressed in a black silk suit stood near the doorway and turned to look at Tom, his lips curled into a mocking smile. His pale blue eyes pierced Tom as he approached the table and picked up one of the letters. “What a shame,” said the stranger. “All these riches and none of them belong to me.”
Lulu gasped as the man ripped open the letter and began reading aloud. “You can try to sell the gold,” he told Tom, “but I’m sure you won’t find a buyer. It has become too valuable since we took possession of it last night.” He tossed the letter back onto the pile.
The man’s voice trailed off as he walked over to where Tom was standing near the safe. The other man glanced at his watch. “I’ll leave you two to talk things over.” With that, he left the room.
Lulu’s eyes widened when she realized that Tom was talking to this pirate. How did he know that? Did the pirate tell him before leaving the room? Or did he overhear the conversation in the street outside?
Whatever the reason, there was no mistaking what Tom was saying: “How about a kiss for luck?” he asked.
Her heart dropped when she heard Tom’s response: “Yes.”
She stared at him, stunned, but unable to tear her gaze away from his face, which radiated excitement. She knew what was going to happen—how they were both planning to use each other for their own gain—and yet she couldn’t stop herself from wanting him to succeed. I’m just as bad as this pirate. Maybe I am as greedy as he is.
He turned to her and put his arms around her waist, pulling her close. “Come here.”
When she hesitated, his eyes narrowed in concern. “Please?”
It sounded so innocent, so harmless—yet she knew it could end in tragedy for them both. She felt a rush of conflicting emotions: anger and hatred toward him; fear and confusion over whether she should run out of the room now, or wait until the moment he kissed her.
She wanted him so badly, but part of her feared how far she might go with him, how quickly she’d succumb to passion and lust. But it wasn’t only the physical attraction that made her feel guilty. I can’t forget why I’m doing this. This pirate may have money, but Tom does too, and he doesn’t deserve to die for my sake. “Let’s do it,” she whispered to him. “Now.”
His mouth moved closer to hers, and Lulu braced herself, knowing he wouldn’t touch her again unless he was ready. And as much as it hurt to be alone with Tom right then, she needed time to get used to the idea, to work through the guilt that threatened to overwhelm her.
“Don’t let her go,” called the pirate from behind them.
Tom looked up and nodded toward the door. “We’re done here.” Then he turned back to Lulu and lowered his head, closing his eyes.
She closed her eyes and waited, but he didn’t touch her. He simply stood there waiting patiently like a statue.
Lulu opened her eyes and saw that Tom had turned his attention back to the safe. She wondered if he thought she was running away. Why hadn’t he kissed her? What happened? Is he afraid of what will happen between us if we kiss?
Then she noticed something strange: The sound of his breathing had changed, and the tension in his shoulders had eased considerably. His body relaxed and she sensed a new kind of confidence coming from him. For some reason, she found it unsettling.
With a shaky hand, Lulu reached up and touched the side of his face. She felt his skin cool beneath her fingertips and smiled. I’ve never seen him like this. It almost makes me feel sorry for him.
Suddenly, she felt Tom’s lips brush against hers. He leaned closer and wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close as though trying to prevent her from stepping away. At first she felt only relief that he’d finally kissed her, but then he drew away slightly, his breath warm against her cheek.
She could hear the pirate shouting outside, asking them where they were going, but Tom didn’t seem to hear him anymore. His lips moved against her cheek. “You have such soft skin,” he murmured. “I could kiss you forever.”
She tried not to tremble when his lips grazed her earlobe. She held on tight to the back of his neck and forced her mind to blank out everything else. All she cared about was feeling the warmth of his lips against hers, the strength of his arms around her, and the sweet scent of him filling her senses.
For a moment, she forgot who she was and what she was doing, and she reveled in being held by someone like Tom: someone who would take such good care of her, give himself for her sake. Someone strong, loyal, and true. If only all men were like this. No wonder women are attracted to pirates.
His hands roamed her body, caressing her hips, then sliding down and cupping her rear, pressing her against his growing erection. She pulled back slightly, but he refused to release her. Instead, he tightened his grip, sending a tingling thrill shooting up and down her spine. Her legs grew weak under him; she couldn’t help but arch her back against him.
He lifted his mouth from her ear, looking into her eyes. “What was that?” he breathed. “Are you scared of kissing me? Or did you enjoy it?”
Lulu shook her head. She hadn’t meant to let him know that she enjoyed it, but she could hardly deny that it had been an amazing experience—one she’d never forget.
“Good,” he said. “That means you’ll probably like other things better than what I have in mind.” He released her and stepped away. “Come with me.”
They returned to the safe room just before midnight. When he unlocked the door to the treasure chamber, it made the same creaking noise it always did, and the sound brought another rush of memories flooding back to her. “This is where you found the map,” she said.
Tom looked at her and nodded solemnly. “Yes. This is where I found it.”
Lulu followed him inside the dark chamber, wondering how much of the treasure had been salvaged after the fire. She hoped that they weren’t wasting their time here, but if anything could turn Tom into a thief, it would be money, and she knew that money was the one thing they both wanted more of.
Tom took the torch and held it in front of him while he fumbled through the chest and boxes. After ten minutes of searching, he finally stopped and looked up, his face pale, his jaw set, his eyes staring straight ahead as though he could see nothing else but the treasure lying before him. He knelt to open the bottom drawer, and Lulu noticed that he’d placed his foot on one of the gold coins.
She walked over and looked down at it, then picked it up and held it against the light from the torch. They were so heavy and solid that they seemed impossible to break even with a sledgehammer, yet somehow Tom had managed to knock one loose and drop it to the floor.
As he bent to pick up the coin, Lulu noticed the other half-dozen coins scattered on the floor. She glanced up at Tom. “Do you know how many there are?”
“No idea,” he mumbled. “I haven’t counted them before.”
He stood up and walked toward the wall where he’d stored some of the smaller items. He picked up a large silver flask and handed it to her. “There’s plenty of whiskey left in there and some brandy. Drink something to stay awake.”
When he started searching the other chests and boxes, she sat down on the floor beside one of the larger ones. The contents were arranged neatly on top and within easy reach; he must have put most of his plunder in here and forgotten it.
She opened one of the drawers, revealing rows upon rows of paper money: U.S. currency, English bank notes, Spanish dollars—a treasure trove of money in every denomination. She ran her fingers across the surface, amazed by its weight and thickness.
Each bill could buy a house or a business, feed a family, save for a child’s education, and start a college fund—all in a single place. How much of this belonged to her?
The chest next to her contained hundreds of diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, amethysts, and pearls—so many precious stones that she couldn’t imagine how much money he’d made from stealing it.
She felt a pang of jealousy thinking about all the wealth she would miss out on if they were caught. It would be such a shame to throw away all the hard work, all the years of struggling for something she deserved.
Her hand brushed against something cold. A pistol! Wasn’t it illegal to possess guns on a ship? Did this mean that Tom wasn’t planning on leaving port? Maybe he planned on sinking the vessel when everyone was asleep. He wouldn’t want anyone to see him do it. And she would certainly keep quiet if he asked her not to tell.
“Here’s some ammunition,” Tom said from behind her. He was holding a box full of cartridges. “Take these with you.”
Lulu grabbed the box, which was surprisingly heavy, and slipped it into her bag before returning to the chest containing jewels and gems. There were dozens of jewelry boxes inside. She pulled one of the smaller ones open.
Inside, a few pieces of costume jewelry lay nestled among piles of gemstones: necklaces, brooches, bracelets, and earrings. “What kind of jewels are these?” she said. “They don’t look like the stuff we saw in town.”
“Not exactly,” Tom said. “These were collected by my great-grandfather.”
She reached in again, looking through another of the drawers. In some of the boxes, there were rings with sparkling stones; others had gold chains with large coins attached. All the treasures were in different sizes, shapes, and colors.
“You have a lot of jewelry here,” she said, pulling open the next drawer. “Are all these yours?”
“Some. Mostly things that belonged to my mother.”
She paused. Then she closed the drawer and turned around to face him. Her heart raced, and her breath seemed to catch in her throat as she realized what this meant.
If the necklace he’d given her was worth more than $1 million, then that meant that the jewelry here, most of which belonged to his mother, was almost certainly worth at least that much too.
The End