home when a vicious storm came tearing across the Florida Straits. The ship was tossed back on the reef, where it struck a coral shelf and began to sink. Ian Chandler was on the ship himself, but his beautiful young daughter was still at home.
“When word came that the ship had foundered and was sinking, the cry went up. Now, here’s the thing about wreckers. The first man or company to get out to the wreck lays claim. Others who help with the salvage are entitled to a share of the goods and/or what they brought in. But the first wrecker on the site is the one to call the shots and divvy up the haul.
“As it happened, Ian’s daughter, Melody, was in love with a young wrecker, Hagen Dundee. Ian—a widower by then—frowned on their relationship, despite the fact that Hagen was well liked and respected in the community. The two were planning on marrying but were still hoping for Ian’s blessing. Diaries and letters left by those who lived in the area at the time suggest that Ian Chandler would have disliked anyone who won his daughter’s love, because Melody was the light of his life.
“At any rate, when the ship went down, Hagen was quick to assemble his men and get out to the wreck. His plan was to return everything to Ian Chandler and thereby win Ian’s approval to wed his daughter. And so, in the midst of horrendous weather, Hagen and his crew set out. But Hagen was a decent man. Lives had to be saved before material goods. And he knew Ian Chandler was sailing on the Wind and the Sea that night.
“Hagen was the first to reach the site—the salvage claim was his. But there was something far more important, and that was saving the life of the man he hoped was his future father-in-law. So imagine Hagen fighting the wicked battering of the wind and the tempest of white-capped seas, trying first to pluck survivors from the waves. Many had made it into the lifeboats, but those were being tossed about like volleyballs on the high seas. Bold, dashing and daring, eyewitnesses attest to the fact that Hagen dove into the churning waters himself to save his prospective father-in-law. Success was within his reach when one of his rivals, Valmont LaBruge—a man who wanted to ruin Hagen Dundee, because he also had his heart set on winning the hand of Melody Chandler and taking over her father’s empire—reached the wreck. He maneuvered his ship Mademoiselle into position close to Hagen’s Saint Elizabeth.
“Just as Hagen saved Ian Chandler, Valmont dove into the water himself, throwing both Ian and Hagen from the lifeboat Hagen’s men had maneuvered into place. To the astonishment of those watching, in the midst of the raging storm Valmont swore he’d see Hagen dead before allowing him to claim the salvage from the Wind and the Sea —or the hand of Melody Chandler. In the fighting that followed, both Ian and Hagen disappeared below the surface.
“But before he was swallowed by the black depths, Hagen shouted out a curse. He cursed Valmont LaBruge, the seed of his loins and whatever treasure he might claim. The curse may have had some effect, because Valmont didn’t make it back to shore. Despite the storm, despite the wisdom that the salvaging of goods was best left until the storm abated, Valmont was determined to find something he believed was aboard the Wind and the Sea. He forced his men to create a safety line so he could board the quickly sinking ship. The line broke, and Valmont LaBruge died that night, victim of a curse spoken by a good man, so they say. Many lives were lost that night, but many others were saved due to the courage and determination of Hagen Dundee.”
“But poor Melody!” Belinda said. “She lost her father and her lover the same night.”
Hannah nodded. “The body of Ian Chandler washed ashore on what’s now Stock Island about three days later. Crushed and disconsolate, Melody buried her father. You can find his grave in the Key West Cemetery. But Hagen was not to be found. So,
“When word came that the ship had foundered and was sinking, the cry went up. Now, here’s the thing about wreckers. The first man or company to get out to the wreck lays claim. Others who help with the salvage are entitled to a share of the goods and/or what they brought in. But the first wrecker on the site is the one to call the shots and divvy up the haul.
“As it happened, Ian’s daughter, Melody, was in love with a young wrecker, Hagen Dundee. Ian—a widower by then—frowned on their relationship, despite the fact that Hagen was well liked and respected in the community. The two were planning on marrying but were still hoping for Ian’s blessing. Diaries and letters left by those who lived in the area at the time suggest that Ian Chandler would have disliked anyone who won his daughter’s love, because Melody was the light of his life.
“At any rate, when the ship went down, Hagen was quick to assemble his men and get out to the wreck. His plan was to return everything to Ian Chandler and thereby win Ian’s approval to wed his daughter. And so, in the midst of horrendous weather, Hagen and his crew set out. But Hagen was a decent man. Lives had to be saved before material goods. And he knew Ian Chandler was sailing on the Wind and the Sea that night.
“Hagen was the first to reach the site—the salvage claim was his. But there was something far more important, and that was saving the life of the man he hoped was his future father-in-law. So imagine Hagen fighting the wicked battering of the wind and the tempest of white-capped seas, trying first to pluck survivors from the waves. Many had made it into the lifeboats, but those were being tossed about like volleyballs on the high seas. Bold, dashing and daring, eyewitnesses attest to the fact that Hagen dove into the churning waters himself to save his prospective father-in-law. Success was within his reach when one of his rivals, Valmont LaBruge—a man who wanted to ruin Hagen Dundee, because he also had his heart set on winning the hand of Melody Chandler and taking over her father’s empire—reached the wreck. He maneuvered his ship Mademoiselle into position close to Hagen’s Saint Elizabeth.
“Just as Hagen saved Ian Chandler, Valmont dove into the water himself, throwing both Ian and Hagen from the lifeboat Hagen’s men had maneuvered into place. To the astonishment of those watching, in the midst of the raging storm Valmont swore he’d see Hagen dead before allowing him to claim the salvage from the Wind and the Sea —or the hand of Melody Chandler. In the fighting that followed, both Ian and Hagen disappeared below the surface.
“But before he was swallowed by the black depths, Hagen shouted out a curse. He cursed Valmont LaBruge, the seed of his loins and whatever treasure he might claim. The curse may have had some effect, because Valmont didn’t make it back to shore. Despite the storm, despite the wisdom that the salvaging of goods was best left until the storm abated, Valmont was determined to find something he believed was aboard the Wind and the Sea. He forced his men to create a safety line so he could board the quickly sinking ship. The line broke, and Valmont LaBruge died that night, victim of a curse spoken by a good man, so they say. Many lives were lost that night, but many others were saved due to the courage and determination of Hagen Dundee.”
“But poor Melody!” Belinda said. “She lost her father and her lover the same night.”
Hannah nodded. “The body of Ian Chandler washed ashore on what’s now Stock Island about three days later. Crushed and disconsolate, Melody buried her father. You can find his grave in the Key West Cemetery. But Hagen was not to be found. So,
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