True Treasure: Real - Life History Mystery (28 page)

Mary turned white and did not answer. She could see where the judge was going with this line of questioning. He did not believe the ring had once belonged to Bennett’s mother, and no matter what she said, he would not believe her. “It was his mother’s.”

“Do you consider yourself to be Mrs. Graham, or Miss Welch?” he spoke again as if to a child.

Mary stopped smiling. She knew a trick question when she heard one. She felt faint, so she closed her eyes, not wanting to answer. Fanning herself now was not an act.

“So who are you, dear? Please speak up,” the judge intoned.

“I was M. Welch, neither male or female, the day I was commanded to report to the HMS Devonshire. I became Mrs. Graham on my wedding day when I made my vow to my husband in front of God.”

“So
today
you are—”

Mary could not lie even if it meant serving time in prison. “Today I am Mrs. Mary Graham.”

“This court thanks you for your honesty. However, I must abide by the law and sentence you-”

Mary cried out, “Please, your honor! I must ask for mercy. Bennett and I have a son who will be raised without either of his parents.”

“How old was your son when you last saw him?”

“Seven, your honor. He is only seven.”

“I hereby sentence you to seven years at the penal colony on Van Diemen’s Land. One for each year you and your husband spent teaching your son a life of crime. I
hope
when you are freed, and your husband the traitor Captain Graham is hanged, you will teach your son to see a life of crime only leads to misery.”

Mary cried in her chair consoled by the solicitors as the judge banged his gavel thereby sealing his judgment, then he stood, and left the courtroom.

***

Keiko, Julian, and the Pirates

Keiko looked up, smiled and laughed, brushing back her hair, “We thought we’d look for some treasure for fun. Isn’t there supposed to be some on the island? Is that what you’re here for too?"

The man and his companion walked into the knee high clearing Julian had created. The lead man spoke while his companion stood slightly behind him and to the left. He spoke to Julian, ignoring Keiko, “What do you know?”

Julian shrugged, “Just guessing. Seemed like a good spot.”

“Why?” The man took a step closer. “We know who you are. What did you find? What do you know that we should know?”

Julian spoke, “Apparently nothing. There’s nothing here but volcanic rock. He banged the point of his shovel against the rock underneath his feet. Nothing here but rock.”

“Keep digging.”

Julian laughed, “That’s okay. We’re on our honeymoon. If you guys want to go for it, you can even have our shovels. We’ll head back to our camp to wait for our ride back to the mainland.”

“That’s okay. We’re fine watching. Keep digging, compadre.”

Keiko added, “Look, it was just a lark, something to do for fun. We thought since most treasure hunters look in the caves along the coast, or in the waters, we thought we’d try something different.”

The man broke off a piece of a frond. “We’ve search for this treasure for years. We risk our lives fighting others, foreigners like you, who want to come and steal what is ours.” He chewed on the end of the stem for a second before throwing it down.

“You think we let you walk in and take it?” The man scratched at his neck. “You insult us like we’re stupid?” he shook his head then continued speaking, “We saw you found the missing star. Did you find something at that museum of yours that led you here?”

The second man walked up to Julian, “May I?” The man gestured to Julian to hand over the GPS.

Julian retrieved it from his back pocket and handed it over.

“Gracias.”

“You are not leaving the island with the treasure. We cannot permit it.”

Julian and Keiko looked at each other.

Julian spoke up, “Whatever clue we were tracing is obviously wrong, just one of many wrong ones that have surfaced over the years, so no harm no foul. We’ll just leave and let you keep whatever you can find.”

The two men just looked at Julian and Keiko.

Finally the one who seemed to be in charge spoke, “Keep digging.”

***

Bennett’s Hanging

Bennett was shown back to his jail cell to join Jonah Barwick and Bart Dobbins. Inside was another man curled up in the corner. He smelled like he had pissed himself. He was one of the Portuguese crew of pirates.

“Just think sir, tomorrow we will be in heaven. No more sorrow and I’ll be reunited with me mum,” Jonah said.

“Yes,” Graham nodded and sighed.

“I’m sorry sir. I know you miss your wife and son.” Bart patted the captain on the back.

“More than word can say
,” Graham said as he went to sit on the cold hard floor. “I worry for my wife. She is awaiting sentencing in Middlesex. The solicitors are doing all in their power to free her. The crew is being shipped to a penal colony. Van Diemen’s Land.”

The men were quiet.

Bennett smiled, “Men, it was an honor to serve with you. May God have mercy on our souls.”

They nodded in quiet agreement.

***

Early the next morning a guard came into the prison cell. “Turn around please.” They stood and did as asked. Bennett heard the guard say to the man huddled in the corner, “Get up.”

The man whispered something in Portuguese, then more loudly in English, “Go away.”

The guard kicked him with his foot causing the man to pull up his legs closer to his chest as he yelled louder, “No!”

The guard motioned for two other soldiers to come into the room. They grabbed the man, hauled him up, and proceeded to tie his hands together behind his back. The man struggled and screamed loudly, the sound hurting the ears of those in the room. “No! No! No! It’s not my time!” They took a black hood and slipped it over the man’s head while he kicked and struggled as they dragged him out.

The guard put a black hood over Captain Bennett’s head first, then Jonah, followed by Bart. “Place your hand on the shoulder of the person to your right.” The guard took Captain Bennett by the arm and led them out of the room, down the short hallway through the door that led out to the gallows in the courtyard.

Once out in the courtyard the guard stopped Bennett and his men. A light rain began to fall wetting their black hoods. Brisk wind gusts blew the drops sideways. The combination of wind, rain, and cold had kept the crowd down to just a few who had a reason to be at the court.

The pirate continued to scream as Bennett assumed he was being led to the gallows. Above the screams they could hear a Church of England priest saying a prayer for their souls.

They could hear the scuffling of the desperate man against his jailers as they loaded him onto the cart. The struggling sounds were followed by the reins whipped against the horse’s neck causing it to pull the cart from under the pirate’s feet. The screams abruptly stopped followed by the sound of the groaning swing of the rope as it protested the weight of the pirate by strumming against the support beam.

Bennett counted to see how long he might expect to suffer. The groaning of the rope stopped. The horse was backed up. Bennett could hear the quiet sounds of the men in the back of the cart as they removed the now dead pirate. The quiet was punctuated by the thudding of the body hitting the floor of the wooden cart causing the horses to whinny, ready to pull the cart as they did every day during and after the hangings. The horse driver shushed his charge as the halter jangled.

“There are three steps,” the guard announced as he helped Bennett up. Though he could not see, next to the cart stood two men waiting along with the driver.

Bennett climbed the stairs and let the executioner steer him to where he should stand. The wooden cart below his feet was swaying from the movements of the horse which reminded him of being on the deck of his ship the night Mary and he had gone for a walk in the dark, the moment the moon had slid behind the clouds. The rope was thick and prickly as the executioner fit it tightly into place. He took a long time to adjust it in the back. Bennett also felt a chill on his neck and thought it must be his imagination. The executioner took a long time. Bennett then felt the executioner fiddling about his waist.

Bennett prayed asking for God to forgive him for any sins, and to allow him a pardon into heaven. His last prayer was for Mary and Bennett to have a happy life as he thanked God for his life with them. This was the thought in his mind when the horse was ordered to move and as the floor of the cart slid out from under his feet. The rope tightened as he left this world while hanging suspended on his way into eternity.
***

Mary
’s Voyage to the Penal Colony, November 3, 1829

“Get up and get packed. You are leaving today.”

Mary awoke from a restless sleep. She had been allowed only one letter from her parents. She had read it so many times she now had it memorized. They stated all was well with Ben. He was learning to ride and how to run the hacienda from his grandfather along with his uncle, the brother she had never met. His name was John Thomas, the same as her father’s.

She had the solicitor at Guilford send her parent’s word that she would be released in some seven years’ time, and she would join them then.

Guilford wrote a letter to the governor of Van Diemen’s Land on her behalf requesting the purchase of a land grant for herself with funds supplied by her father. She had been granted one. She would be expected to farm it for the good of the colony. Her father had paid for it and written the governor of the island himself as Mr. Guilford had kindly let her know.

The one thing no one would discuss was the fate of her husband. She would ask Mr. Guilford who would only say, “Fine, fine.”

She suspected everything was not fine.

***

A few days before her ship was to depart, Mr. Guilford came to visit her to discuss her preparations to board the ship.

“Mrs. Welch, I must be frank. A penal colony only goes by two rules. One, what the governor sets down as law. Two, whatever a man can do and get a way with is fair.” At this point Mr. Guilford pulled out his hanky and patted his forehead. “I need not warn you of what befalls a woman, especially a pretty one, who has no man present to defend her honor.”

Mary sighed and nodded. She twirled her wedding ring on her finger thinking of Bennett and how much she missed him.

“You might want to consider re-marrying. Many of the women on the island do find a suitable mate.”

“But I am married!” Mary exclaimed. Mr. Guilford looked at Mary with such sympathy.

She sat in shock as his words sunk in. The room dimmed and she fainted.

***

The ship was an old galleon with the name Eliza painted on the side. It had seen better days. After the beauty of the HMS’ Devonshire and the Lancashire, this ship was a letdown. It was smaller, only about the half the size of the Vengeur class ships. A cart had taken her and three other women from the prison to the dock. They did not talk to each other. Mary did not know them from the Devonshire. One was toothless, and old. Her eyes were almost all white with growth, and she only responded when the guard touched her. Mary surmised the old woman was deaf too. The other was short, heavy, and bawdy. Her thin top barely contained her top half, which presented the same as if two watermelons were hung on pendulums. She kept crossing her stocky arms, obviously working at concealing her considerable assets. She seemed uncomfortable at being so much on display. Mary took off her shawl, and held it out, “Here, please, take it.”

The woman glared at her, “You think you are better than me? I don’t need charity!”

Mary blushed and looked at her feet, “No. It is just that you looked chilled and it gets windy onboard. I know I am always grateful for an extra covering when I sail.” She gestured. “I have another in my trunk.”

“You have been on a boat ‘afore?” The woman asked curiosity erasing some of the lines on her face. She took the shawl, threw it over her shoulders, and wrapped it crisscross around the front then tied it in the back in the manner of a sontag.

“Yes. I have.”

“What are you serving time for? Can not be for stealing food or cloth, as finely dressed as you are. Did you murder someone, miss?”

She remembered what Mr. Guilford had coached her on. She must not appear weak or others would abuse her. It was a rough world on the island and she must use her wits, reputation, and strength to survive.

“No,” Mary announced curtly, “I am the wife of the pirate Bloody Graham.” The woman stood straighter and curtsied a little toward Mary. “I am sorry ma’am for talking so freely. Would you like your cover back?”

Mary smiled with her lips not letting it reach her eyes. “No, keep it. You will find I am loyal to those who are loyal to me.”

“Yes ma’am.”

Mary thought to herself that Bennett always spent his time aboard preparing for what could happen as to be ready in every situation. Well, she had nothing but time since her sentencing four months ago to plan for her stay on the island. Because she had resources, she could use them wisely to protect herself, and her husband’s men. Would the crew listen to a woman? Their very happiness depended on making this situation work. She had plans, enough to work through until she could be reunited with her son.