Bobbi Smith (32 page)

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“I’ll come back to you as soon as I can.” His lips met hers and sealed his promise. Matt knew, at last, that he’d found a home, too.
Several hours later, Matt sat with Winn and Alex in frustrated silence. They’d gone over every inch of the box looking for the clue and had found nothing.
“ ‘Love is the key to all that thrives, its power can conquer the curse.’
We know what that part of it means. But
‘See the unseen, and you will find the treasure that will be yours’
doesn’t make any sense at all,” Alex repeated the last part of the clue.
“See the unseen . . .” Winn spoke the phrase, irritated because he wasn’t seeing anything but an empty box.
“I know we’ve missed something, but what?” Matt asked in frustration as he stared at the box where it lay on the table before them.
“If I knew that, we wouldn’t have missed it,” Alex countered with a grin.
“The answer is somewhere in this box. It’s supposed to guide us on. The question is, how?” Winn picked up the small chest for yet another time and opened the lid to peer inside. He’d done it several times already, and each time he’d hoped to see that elusive clue he was missing. Again, he grew frustrated.
“We know there’s no hidden compartment,” Matt offered.
Closing the lid, Winn turned it over in his hands looking for anything out of the ordinary, but the wood on the bottom and sides was smoothly polished. “I don’t see a thing.”
“ ‘See the unseen . . . see the unseen . . .’ ” Alex murmured.
“If it’s invisible, how are we supposed to see it?” Matt argued.
“It doesn’t say it’s invisible,” Winn corrected. “It says it’s unseen. There’s a difference.”
“What could it be? The type of wood it’s made of or maybe the place where it was made?” Matt wondered aloud.
“I don’t know.” Alex was really puzzled, and her respect for Lawrence grew. He’d certainly outdone himself this time. “Let me take another look at it.”
Winn closed the lid and gave it to her. He watched as she, too, checked for hidden clues, but found nothing.
“We’ve got to think of something,” she said, placing the box before her and running her hand over the top of it as she spoke. “Lawrence wouldn’t have given us a clue that didn’t make sense. ‘See the unseen’ has to mean something important.”
Alex sighed and closed her eyes. She was tired and frustrated and worried about her father. Each day they were delayed because she couldn’t solve the clue left him rotting in prison that much longer. She had to figure this out! She had to! Unconsciously, she tightened her grip on the box, and it was then that she felt it beneath her palm. All along she’d know it was there, but she hadn’t paid any attention.
“Winn! Quick get me some paper and a pencil!” she directed excitedly as she set the box down and stared at the top. “ ‘See the unseen’! This is it!”
“What are you talking about?” Winn asked, bringing her the pencil and paper.
“Look!”
Winn and Matt crowded around the table as she put the paper over the top of the box and began to make a rubbing of the carvings on the lid. They had thought the carvings just an attractive design on a rather ordinary box. Now, as Alex traced over the design, all was revealed to them. The design was really a detailed map—their path.
“You did it!” Winn grabbed Alex up in his arms and kissed her soundly, not caring that Matt was there.
Matt grabbed up the paper and studied what she’d uncovered. “It looks like we’re going to Texas,” he stated firmly, recognizing the shape of the state. “Get out your book, Winn. Let’s see where in Texas we’re headed.”
Winn released Alex and took out his book. He read the third and final clue as they studied the map.
“ ‘The patron saint of all that’s lost, claims your golden crown
Seek you now that tender prize, what was hidden is now found.
Lift your eyes heavenward, and you will see a sign,
Of perfect love and happiness, God’s only true design.
Take no more than you deserve, be not led by greed,
Follow your heart knowing that your mission will succeed.’ ”
“Who’s the patron saint of lost things?” Matt asked.
“Anthony,” Alex answered, a chill skittering down her spine as she made the connection between the saint and Lawrence. “St. Anthony. It looks like our final destination is San Antonio.”
Eighteen
Alex lay with her eyes closed curled against Winn’s side, her head resting on his shoulder, her hand splayed on the lightly furred width of his chest. She smiled as she listened to the pounding of his heart for she knew her own was beating a matching rhythm. Being in his arms was paradise. She had never known the physical act of love could bring such bliss. She sighed in contentment.
Winn heard her sigh and tightened his arms around her as he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. “Are you all right?”
“I’m more than all right,” she purred as she opened her eyes to gaze at him with open adoration.
He drew her up for a kiss, and he reveled in the feel of her breasts crushed against him. “You don’t know how hard it is for me to keep my hands off you all day,” he told her as his hands traced patterns of delight over her silken flesh.
“Probably as hard as it is for me not to touch you,” she admitted, boldly caressing him with the same hungry touch. “Do you suppose Matt suspects . . .”
He groaned at her arousing ploy. “Matt’s a gentleman.” He dismissed her worry quickly, as thoughts of anything but having her again fled his mind. His mouth claimed hers with passion’s intent as he felt the heat settle hard and fast in his loins. He’d had many women, but none of them, not even the most practiced lovers could excite him as powerfully as Alex did with just a single touch. He rolled over, bringing her beneath him and sought sweet union with her. As he sheathed himself within her, he shuddered, and when she eagerly wrapped her legs around his hips to accept him even deeper inside her, he couldn’t hold back. He began to move at a thrilling pace. Winn caressed her most sensitive spots with teasing, arousing expertise, wanting to please her, wanting to satisfy her in every way. Her pleasure was foremost on his mind as he plumbed the depths of her body.
Alex clung to Winn, matching his sensual rhythm, reaching for the stars of ecstasy with him. Excitement built within her, coiling ever tighter deep in the womanly heart of her. She wanted Winn. There was nowhere else she wanted to be, but in his arms. Nothing mattered right then, but loving him. Her hands were never still, sculpting the powerful muscles of his shoulders and back, skimming lower to his hips and beyond.
Her heated caresses drove Winn on, and he moved even faster, rocking against her at passion’s pace and taking them both to the peak of love’s perfect pleasure. Alex cried out his name as she crested that pinnacle. She held tightly to him as they drifted back to reality, their bodies still melded, their hearts beating as one. In the quietude of ecstasy’s bliss, they rested.
Much later, Alex lay beside Winn watching him as he slept. The nights they’d spent together here on the ship had been the most wonderful of her life. There could be no denying her love for him.
As she gazed at him, though, reality crept, unbidden and unwelcome, into her thoughts, and she realized why her need for him was so desperate and so painful. Soon, very soon, she would lose him. The next day they would be docking in Galveston, and then, after the trip by stage to San Antonio, their search for the crown would be over.
Tears burned in her eyes at the thought of what she had to do. She knew how much Winn hated the Anthonys, and rightfully so. She hated them herself. She could just imagine how furious he was going to be when he discovered her betrayal. Alex wished there was some other way, but there was no way out.
Sadness filled her. Unable to bear being so close to him right then, she slipped from the bed and donned a light wrapper to try and ward off the chill of her heart. She moved to stare out the porthole. The night was pitch black for heavy clouds blocked all starlight and moonlight. The night was as dark as her soul felt at that moment. She turned back to look at Winn.
“I love you . . .” she whispered.
As if sensing she’d left him, Winn stirred and came awake. He reached for her immediately, and when he discovered that she was gone, he sat up to look around. By the light of the lamp they’d left burning low, he could see her standing across the room.
“Alex?” He said her name, a little confused to find her gone from his side. “Is something wrong?”
“No,” she lied, returning to him, unable to deny herself these last, few precious hours with him. As bittersweet as it was, she might never again know such happiness. She paused at the side of the bed to untie her robe and let it drop from her shoulders to a silken pool at her feet.
“You’re so beautiful.” Winn watched her in fascination, mesmerized by her beauty. The soft lamplight cast a golden glow over her, and his gaze was hungry as he visually caressed her high, firm breasts, slim waist, and long, slender legs. “I want you so much, Alex,” he told her in a voice thick with passion.
Alex saw the flame of desire in his eyes, and her breath caught in her throat. When he held his hands out to her in invitation, she put her hands in his without hesitation. She made love to him then, wildly, passionately, desperately.
It was near dawn when Winn finally left her. They parted with one last, hungry kiss at her cabin door for they knew the new day held uncertainty, and they might not be together again for some time.
 
 
It was late in the afternoon the following day when Alex stood between Winn and Matt at the rail of the ship. They watched with interest as their ship sailed through the pass known as Bolivar Roads. To their right was Bolivar Peninsula. To their left was Galveston Island itself and its deepwater port. The port was the oldest west of New Orleans, and it was crowded with ships from around the world.
It was a gorgeous day. The sun shone brightly in a cloudless sky, and the gray-green waters were calm. Sea birds gracefully soared overhead.
“We’re almost there,” Alex said, her emotions in turmoil. She was elated that they were closer to the crown and that once they found it her father would be freed. Yet, she knew that the moment her deceit was revealed, Winn would turn on her. Instead of seeing caring and warmth in his eyes when he looked at her, she would see mistrust mirrored there; instead of passion, disbelief. What they’d shared she feared would be lost beyond redemption, and the prospect filled her with pain.
“Just a few more days and we’ll have the crown,” Matt remarked, looking forward to being done with the quest. The days had dragged by since he’d left Catherine, and as much as he wanted to find the treasure, he’d discovered that he was even more eager to return to her.
“You’re awfully optimistic,” Winn said with a grin. “After the trouble we had with the last clue, aren’t you the least bit concerned that Lawrence might have made this one even more difficult?”
“I refuse to even consider it,” Matt said staunchly. “I just want to get back to New Orleans.”
“Don’t you mean Catherine?” Alex teased.
Matt gave her a wicked smile. “Let me put it this way, as fond as I am of you, I’m very glad Winn wasn’t really a priest.”
“So am I,” she laughed, gazing up at tall, handsome Winn standing at her side.
“The way I feel about Catherine, a legal marriage between you and me could have caused some serious problems.”
“She’s very nice,” she agreed. “I suppose if I have to lose you to someone, I’m glad it’s Catherine.”
Matt slipped an arm around Alex’s waist and kissed her affectionately on the cheek. “We’ll be finished with this quest soon. In just a few more days, we can all get on with our lives.” He’d meant to please Alex with his remark. He didn’t know that his words sent pain shafting through her.
Winn listened to their easy banter, and he had to agree that he was glad he’d taken no priestly vows. He wanted Alex as he’d never wanted another woman, and when the search for the crown was over, he planned to ask her to marry him. He glanced down at her then to find her gazing up at him, a shadowed, troubled look in her eyes. As quickly as he’d seen it, the look disappeared and she was smiling again. Confused, he dismissed it, telling himself he must have imagined it.
They left the ship as soon as they could and took rooms at the Tremont Hotel in town. They ate an early dinner, and then leaving Alex to settle in, Matt and Winn went to arrange the balance of their trip to San Antonio. They were pleased to find that they could cross the bay early the next morning and then catch the stage for San Antonio that next afternoon. They made all the arrangements and then started back to the hotel. On the way, Matt stopped at a saloon to have a drink, while Winn hurried on back to the hotel and Alex. He was looking forward to this one last night with her.
Alex was eagerly awaiting Winn’s return. He’d promised to come to her just as soon as they found out the stage schedule. She ached to hold him once again, to be near him. She knew that once they started on the trek to San Antonio they would have little time alone.
There was a knock at her door, and it surprised Alex. She hadn’t expected Winn to return for at least another half hour. Still, she was so excited that he was back, that she opened the door without thought. A gasp escaped her as she found herself face-to-face with Philip and Robert. Her heart thumped in her breast. Just being near them made her feel dirty.
“Surprised to see us, my dear?” Philip taunted as he walked past her and into her bedroom without waiting for an invitation. Robert followed him.
“What are you doing here?” she blurted out as she quickly closed the door behind them, fearing someone would see them with her. “Are you crazy, coming here like this?”
“Crazy? I don’t think so. I think determined is a better word. We told you we’d be watching you and that we’d know where you were and what you were doing all the time. Did you think we’d lied?”
“No,” she bit out. “It’s just that Winn and Matt will be here any minute.”
“Oh, Winn, is it now?” Philip laughed heartily as he deliberately sat down on her bed and tested its comfort. He slanted Robert a knowing look. “So you found out he wasn’t a priest, did you?”
“You knew?! How long have you known?” She was shocked.
“From the beginning.” Philip was smug.
“You knew all along and you didn’t say anything?!”
“Why would we?”
“For some reason, our father wanted a priest along on the quest. Who were we to interfere when it was to our benefit to let him lead the search?” Robert added.
“Besides,” Philip said smoothly, “it was fun watching him.”
“Fun? You’re holding my father hostage, and you think this is fun . . . some kind of a game?”
“Don’t worry about your father. As long as you do just what we tell you to do, he’ll be all right.”
“But knowing what we do about Winn Bradford, it’s been more than entertaining watching him play the priest.”
“Winn’s not playing at anything,” she countered angrily, knowing why Winn hated them and feeling her hatred for them grow even stronger. She cursed the fact that she had to deal with them. “He’s very serious about finding the crown and keeping it away from you.”
Philip heard the defiance in her voice, and his eyes narrowed dangerously. “Sometimes naivete doesn’t suit you, Alex,” he sneered. “Don’t get the idea that Bradford is some high-minded hero seeking the crown for the good of the world.”
“We know him better than that,” Robert put in.
“This
has
been a game to Bradford, my dear girl.” Philip’s voice hardened as he prepared to tell her the truth about the man. “You’re just a pawn to him. He’s a rich, spoiled nobleman, who’s gone through life using people for his own purposes. He’s using you now just like he’s used all the other women in his life—you’re a dalliance, someone to enjoy while he’s on this hunt and then to be discarded when it’s over.”
“With his money and looks, Bradford has all the women he wants,” Robert added. “You should have seen him in London. He’s quite the roue. His reputation with the ladies, married and single, is phenomenal. The women don’t seem to care that they’re just a distraction for him, though. They take him any way they can get him.”
“Don’t be fooled into thinking you mean something to him, Alex. You’re just one of many.”
“He’s not like that. He’s changed,” she defended Winn, knowing how good and kind he could be.
“You think so? Your innocence is incredible. You obviously know little of London society. This is all a lark for him. Haven’t you seen firsthand what an accomplished actor he is? Didn’t you honestly believe he was a priest? He deceived you then and he’s deceiving you now. I’m sure he’s convinced you that he desires you more than any other woman in the world.” Philip saw her eyes widen as his barb found its mark.
Robert continued for him, “Dear girl, don’t make a fool of yourself like so many others have before you, and so many will after you. He’s using you to find the crown, and once he claims it, you’ll never see him again.”
Alex was stunned. She didn’t want to believe them. Winn had told her that he wanted her, yet now that she thought about it, he’d never said he’d loved her. Her mind skimmed over memories of Winn’s lovemaking, and she grew agonized as she realized he’d never declared his feelings for her.
Alex didn’t want to believe them, but what these two were saying made sense. Questions haunted her. Was she really only a diversion for Winn? A body to be used to slake his desires until they found the crown? The agony of doubt raked her heart with vicious claws, but she betrayed none of her pain to Philip and Robert. She would not give them that power over her.

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