Page 34 of Beloved Sacrifice

“He would have had to know who they were.”

“True.” And that was a sticking point in his story.

“So they raid the boat, take the treasure, then realize they just stole stuff that belongs to the Masters’ Admiralty, and have to cover it up.”

“Yes.”

Rose frowned. “That means the Grand Master would have to have known about it.”

“True.”

“But if the Grand Master knew, why didn’t Harrison and Juliette know about the tunnels?”

“Maybe the Grand Master at the time didn’t tell the next. It would have been Harrison’s grandfather.”

“He wouldn’t tell them about unsecured secret entrances?”

“The Grand Master may have decided that no one could know—it was too dangerous. Maybe the tunnels were sealed—”

“Wait!” Rose whipped around, cheeks flushed. “Jessica Breton.”

“Who?”

“A member during that time. She was the one who talked openly about sympathizing with the Nazis, and keeping black, Hispanic and Asian people out. She coined the name purists.”

Rose paused, and he was fairly sure it was for dramatic effect.

“And she was a counselor to the Grand Master.”

Weston looked at the board, then back to Rose, then pumped a fist. “Hot damn, Brown Eyes. That’s it.”

Rose grinned and paced. “So only the Grand Master and his counselors know, and they swear to keep it a secret, and everyone does except Jessica.”

Weston picked up the story. “She tells the other purists, and they decide to use it as a piggy bank, while the Grand Master assumes it’s all safe and hidden.”

“And he doesn’t tell his son.”

“Who doesn’t tell Harrison.”

They grinned at one another. Rose blinked, then turned away, face falling into that cold mask.

Weston closed his eyes and sighed. “What I’ve been trying to figure out is how they would have known it belonged to the Masters’ Admiralty.”

“Maybe they figured it out the same way you did—realized some of it came from England.”

“I thought about that, but that would have taken time—they would have had to examine each piece and check its provenance. There are almost no records for the Bluebird or the Esperanza, which means they started the cover up right away. They had to have realized almost instantly that a cover up was needed.”

“And you went through everything in the tunnels?”

“Not everything. Just the biggest pieces of art. And I hadn’t even catalogued all of those before some of them disappeared.”

“Meaning someone went down and took them.” She touched the wall of papers, her fingers long and elegant. “And there were probably more things that were taken, before we were even born.”

“That’s what I thought. I think I know how to figure it out.”

“How?”

“It was a Spanish ship, but I think it docked here in England, secretly and just for a few hours, to pick up items from families here. I’ve been corresponding with a local historian down in Dorset, where I think the ship stopped. Thirty years ago, they did a campaign, recording oral histories from people who lived here during the war. It was meant to be a catalogue of memories.

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