Page 48 of An Accidental Meeting
“Is that why it was lopsided?”
Anders finished one side and started on another.
Darcy nodded. “I presume so. The frame itself is rather heavy, and the additional weight made it dangerous to hang.”
“And you think there may be more treasure hidden here?”
“I believe it a possibility, yes.”
Elizabeth was excited, though she attempted to hide it, and Darcy smiled. Being near her brought him a sense of contentment. Her emotions were so genuine. Even when she was displeased, she was always so alive.
Anders dropped the nails he had extracted into his pocket.
“Let me have a look, Anders.”
The coachman stood back. Darcy saw that there was, indeed, a compartment beneath the floor of the cab. There were two long boxes stretching along the sides, four feet or so in length. He held out his hand.
“Anders, may I have that?” He gestured at the crowbar the coachman was holding.
The coachman handed it over. There was no way to gain leverage, for the wood was tightly attached. Instead, Darcy hit the obstruction with the sharp end of the crowbar. It took a few hard jabs, but the wood did begin to splinter.
“Empty,” he said, rocking back on his heels, disappointed not to have anything to show Elizabeth. He eyed the second box and began to work on it. Eventually, the top lifted in two pieces. One side of the box was empty, but the other . . .
“What is it, Mr. Darcy?” Elizabeth asked in a low voice.
He reached inside and withdrew yet another rectangular box some two feet in length and just as deep. The lid had no hinges or lock but had simply been nailed shut.
Darcy set it down on the ground. Anders held the crowbar up slightly and lifted his brows as if to ask whether he ought to work the top open.
“First, fetch a smaller, deeper box that I might more easily carry inside,” he instructed Anders, who nodded and entered the mews in search of one.
“As a girl, I used to dream of finding a hidden treasure,” Elizabeth said gaily. “This does not appear to be a chest as in the stories. I suppose I shall be disappointed only to find some excellent French brandy inside.”
Dary tipped the box and gave it a gentle shake. Whatever was inside was well-packed, but he thought he detected the slightest sound of metal. “I do not believe it is either of those. My cousins meant to begin a new life here. I believe it may in fact be the treasure you once dreamt about.”
“I cannot believe it,” she said, clasping her hands together.
Anders returned with a box still large enough to draw attention, but certainly easier to carry—smaller, deeper, with openings for his hands. Darcy nodded at the other box, and Anders, most certainly as intrigued as Elizabeth, picked up his tools and fell to it. He had the top off in a trice.
Darcy pulled it back. Cotton batting. He reached in to remove it and then stared at the contents.
“They look like reticules,” Elizabeth said, reaching out to touch one.
Not attractive ones, for though they were of a similar size and were secured by a drawstring at the top, they were made of sturdy canvas, with the words GRAINES stamped across them. No one would think to check them.
“I would have wanted to know what these were immediately,” Elizabeth said. “For why would it be necessary to hide such a mundane thing as seeds, and in such small bags?”
He stood corrected. Fortunately for his cousins, Elizabeth had not been on duty at the French docks.
“I expect that among the other bags are several with more precious contents,” Darcy said as he sorted through them and lifted a small, heavy pouch. He gave it a shake. It rattled. “You are right to say it was not a terribly good plan. Anyone with a bit of curiosity would also wonder why a box of seeds was so heavy.”
“Perhaps these bags were all they had at hand and there was no time to think of anything better,” Elizabeth said quietly, and Darcy nodded. “Will you open it here?” she asked.
He smiled at her barely restrained eagerness. “No, I am afraid it would not be wise. We will take them back to the house and then perhaps your uncle or aunt might join us in my study.”
“Thank you,” Elizabeth said, her countenance aglow. “I beg pardon for my enthusiasm, but truly, this is quite exciting.”
It was interesting, to be sure. But it would lead to trouble for him. He frowned.
