need to soak up some atmosphere.”
“I’m sure they’ll be inspired by Windswept. How did the
meeting with the bank go? Are we ready for Aiden to start ordering materials?”
Telling him no hurt her a great deal. “I don’t think so,
Weston. I’m so sorry. It’s not final yet, but without my family’s support, I
don’t think I’m going to be able to pull this off. I’m sure they’ll be wanting
to meet with me soon and read me the riot act. I still have to meet with my
lawyer but unless there’s a miracle, I’m going to have to go along with the
sale. I won’t have a choice.”
Weston was quiet for a minute. “Maddie, don’t give up. Just
sit tight. Talk to them, but don’t agree to anything until you’ve spoken to
your lawyer and talked to me again. Okay?”
“Okay.” She couldn’t imagine what he was thinking, but she
was open to any suggestions.
“All right. I wish I could hug you.”
“Me too. I need one right now.” She hugged her own self,
thinking how nice it would be if he were holding her.
“Okay, baby. Take care. I’ll see you soon or talk to you
sooner.”
With that, he was gone. A heavy weight seemed to lift from
her shoulders. Maddie though it was a bit strange. Even though things seemed
bleak, she didn’t feel hopeless at all. No matter how dark the valley she would
be called upon to walk through, the knowledge that she wouldn’t be doing it
alone made all the difference.
West made all the difference.
*
* *
By night, her prior good mood was shot to hell. Everything
she’d feared seemed to be falling down around her head. “Give up, Madeline.
Selling the Windswept is best for everyone.”
“Yes, here.” Hugh handed her the papers. “Sign. There’s
really no better alternative.”
“No, not till I talk to my lawyer.” She pushed them back
across the table toward him.
The old man’s face reddened. “You have no idea what you’re
sitting on.”
They were meeting in the conference room adjacent to the
office. Maddie looked down. “My chair or my bottom?”
Morgana threw a sofa pillow at her. She seemed recovered from
her heartbreak. Women like her sister didn’t get too emotionally invested in a
man. They got more invested in his money. “Don’t be impertinent to Mr.
Beaumont. He could buy and sell God.”
Instead of being insulted, Hugh looked pleased. “I’m going
to level with you. I’ve studied the history books and the legends all of my
life. And I think the Windswept is sitting on top of Jean Lafitte’s buried
treasure.”
Of course. Maddie shook her head. “Mr. Beaumont, you can
read hundreds of accounts and theories that put Lafitte’s gold at a dozen
places between here and New Orleans. There’s even some accounts of it being in
East Texas near the Sabine River. You can’t seriously think you’d find buried
treasure here, do you?”
He pointed to the floor. “Beneath this building or on this
property is buried treasure worth a fortune. The historical significance of it
alone makes it worth twice what the value of the gold itself would be. We’re
talking Jean Lafitte, one of the greatest pirates who ever lived. The man who
fought with Andrew Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans, the man who spied for
the Spanish during Texas’s war with Mexico. He claimed Galveston from
Karankawa. There is even a persistent rumor that Lafitte rescued Napoleon from
exile and they spent their last days in Louisiana!”
Madeline could see that Hugh Beaumont was obsessed by the
idea of the pirate Jean Lafitte. Her explaining to him how unlikely that buried
treasure could be found on Windswept property was like spitting into the wind.
“How do you intend to find it?” She dreaded hearing this part.
“No one will really know I’m looking.” He waved his hand
around. “We’ll tear down this structure, then we’ll dig out the whole area in
order to lay the sturdy foundation of a building that can endure a category 5 hurricane.
While
“I’m sure they’ll be inspired by Windswept. How did the
meeting with the bank go? Are we ready for Aiden to start ordering materials?”
Telling him no hurt her a great deal. “I don’t think so,
Weston. I’m so sorry. It’s not final yet, but without my family’s support, I
don’t think I’m going to be able to pull this off. I’m sure they’ll be wanting
to meet with me soon and read me the riot act. I still have to meet with my
lawyer but unless there’s a miracle, I’m going to have to go along with the
sale. I won’t have a choice.”
Weston was quiet for a minute. “Maddie, don’t give up. Just
sit tight. Talk to them, but don’t agree to anything until you’ve spoken to
your lawyer and talked to me again. Okay?”
“Okay.” She couldn’t imagine what he was thinking, but she
was open to any suggestions.
“All right. I wish I could hug you.”
“Me too. I need one right now.” She hugged her own self,
thinking how nice it would be if he were holding her.
“Okay, baby. Take care. I’ll see you soon or talk to you
sooner.”
With that, he was gone. A heavy weight seemed to lift from
her shoulders. Maddie though it was a bit strange. Even though things seemed
bleak, she didn’t feel hopeless at all. No matter how dark the valley she would
be called upon to walk through, the knowledge that she wouldn’t be doing it
alone made all the difference.
West made all the difference.
*
* *
By night, her prior good mood was shot to hell. Everything
she’d feared seemed to be falling down around her head. “Give up, Madeline.
Selling the Windswept is best for everyone.”
“Yes, here.” Hugh handed her the papers. “Sign. There’s
really no better alternative.”
“No, not till I talk to my lawyer.” She pushed them back
across the table toward him.
The old man’s face reddened. “You have no idea what you’re
sitting on.”
They were meeting in the conference room adjacent to the
office. Maddie looked down. “My chair or my bottom?”
Morgana threw a sofa pillow at her. She seemed recovered from
her heartbreak. Women like her sister didn’t get too emotionally invested in a
man. They got more invested in his money. “Don’t be impertinent to Mr.
Beaumont. He could buy and sell God.”
Instead of being insulted, Hugh looked pleased. “I’m going
to level with you. I’ve studied the history books and the legends all of my
life. And I think the Windswept is sitting on top of Jean Lafitte’s buried
treasure.”
Of course. Maddie shook her head. “Mr. Beaumont, you can
read hundreds of accounts and theories that put Lafitte’s gold at a dozen
places between here and New Orleans. There’s even some accounts of it being in
East Texas near the Sabine River. You can’t seriously think you’d find buried
treasure here, do you?”
He pointed to the floor. “Beneath this building or on this
property is buried treasure worth a fortune. The historical significance of it
alone makes it worth twice what the value of the gold itself would be. We’re
talking Jean Lafitte, one of the greatest pirates who ever lived. The man who
fought with Andrew Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans, the man who spied for
the Spanish during Texas’s war with Mexico. He claimed Galveston from
Karankawa. There is even a persistent rumor that Lafitte rescued Napoleon from
exile and they spent their last days in Louisiana!”
Madeline could see that Hugh Beaumont was obsessed by the
idea of the pirate Jean Lafitte. Her explaining to him how unlikely that buried
treasure could be found on Windswept property was like spitting into the wind.
“How do you intend to find it?” She dreaded hearing this part.
“No one will really know I’m looking.” He waved his hand
around. “We’ll tear down this structure, then we’ll dig out the whole area in
order to lay the sturdy foundation of a building that can endure a category 5 hurricane.
While
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