Macky indicated a location on one map. “From what we can surmise, the Zephyr sailed from the river port of Bordeaux, here, heading for the Bay of Biscay. Shortly before reaching the seaport of Royan on the Gironde estuary, the ship was rocked by an explosion and fire. The Zephyr attempted to turn toward shore, then drifted into one of the coves that dot the shoreline where it floundered and sank somewhere near the village of Saint-Georges-de-Didonne, here. Flotsam and debris ended up on the neighboring beaches, but since the incident occurred so long ago, no one I spoke to could identify the exact location of the wreck. Somehow Lady Katharine’s mother survived and washed ashore also, downstream of St. Georges. She is buried here, on the outskirts of Ro
yan.”
When Kate’s expression grew shadowed, Brandon knew she was contemplating her mother’s sad fate.
“Additionally, St. Georges is a den for pirates,” Macky continued after a moment. “The inhabitants are mostly poor fishermen, so they augment their incomes by raiding foreign vessels and storing their contraband in the grottoes and caves in the chalk cliffs. But they know every cove and inlet along the coast. They also control the commerce in that area. If you intend to search for a shipwreck, you will have to deal with them. Once you arrive, you could perhaps hire them to search for the site and salvage any sunken treasure.”
Trey chimed in then. “Can pirates be trusted to turn over any valuables they find? I understand the de Chagny jewels were considered priceless.”
Macky answered. “That depends on how much supervision you plan to give and how many of the jewels remain.”
Kate spoke quietly. “Most were already removed by the saboteur before the Zephyr sank, and recovering what remains is secondary to my mind. The jewels belonged to my aunt’s French family who were guillotined during the Revolution, and so hold little personal meaning for me or my family. The only item of personal significance is my father’s signet ring, which no doubt will be impossible to find. It will be enough to properly bury my mother. And if we find the sunken ship, I would like to hold a ceremony to honor the dead, including my father and Aunt Angelique and Uncle Lionel.”
“Were you able to meet with any of the pirates?” Brandon asked Macky.
“Yes. Their leader—a man by the name of Jean Louvel—captains a brigantine.”
“Louvel?” Brandon said sharply. “A large, swarthy man with a scar on his left cheek?”
“Yes.”
Brandon frowned. “That might present a problem. I have tangled with him before, in America.”
Kate gave him a puzzled look. “Do you mean not all French pirates aided the Americans during the war?”
“Most did, Louvel included. His crew joined our fight against England. But my conflict with him was personal.”
“So you are adversaries?”
“You might say that,” Brandon replied, recalling his clash with the pirate had been over a woman. “The last time we met, we exchanged sword blows.”
Kate gazed at him in consternation. “Will your relationship affect our ability to find the Zephyr?”
“Perhaps,” Brandon said honestly. “Kate, you chose me to accompany you to France because I was most likely to be on good terms with the pirates there. But that strategy is in jeopardy now. I will do better dealing with Louvel alone.”
She frowned as realization dawned. “You mean to leave me behind?”
“I don’t want to risk your safety. You should remain here in England and trust me to carry out your task.”
Her expression turned earnest. “Of course I must accompany you.” Brandon could hear the quaver in her voice in addition to the rising concern. “You wouldn’t deny me the chance to bury my parents, would you?”
He hesitated, then offered another argument against her involvement. “If I recall, you said you have a dread of sailing.”
“I can’t allow that to stop me. Please, Deverill…I must go.”
Brandon nodded slowly. If he refused to escort Kate, she would merely go on her own. And he was still the best person to protect her, notwithstanding his hostile former association with Louvel. Furthermore, his main objective was to convince Kate they were a good match, which could only happen if she accompanied him. “Very well, but as a precaution we should develop an alternate strategy to deal with Louvel should our first go awry. Trey, I may ask for your assistance.”
“I’m happy to serve in any way I can,” his cousin said.
Macky interjected a question. “Will you need someone to translate for you? Only some of the villagers there speak English.”
Kate rallied enough to volunteer. “My French is fairly fluent. Aunt Angelique taught me from a young age, and later my governesses and teachers at boarding school drummed grammar and vocabulary into my head.”
“I know a little French also,” Brandon added.
For another half hour, they discussed more details about the enterprise—including the salvage calculations and equipment design recently made by Kate’s cousin Quinn—and finally made plans to meet with the captain of Brandon’s ship on the morrow.
Later, when they went to the drawing room for tea, Trey said in an aside to Brandon, “I presume Lady Katharine knows nothing about the Guardians.”