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of the first one, which was stuffed to the rim with quilts. Lifting the
lid of another square box next to the trunk, she discovered many
candle stubs and various wax-coated candle holders strewn about the
bottom.
She opened each of the remaining few trunks and found more of
the same. Next, she explored each of the rooms and made a grand
discovery at the end of the hall in the form of a very large bedroom.
This was the room the three of them should be sharing.
Galvanized by the thought of making the large room their new
honeymoon suite, Maggie returned to the hallway with the intention
of dragging the quilts and candles to her new large space to decorate.
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120 Elle Saint James
She started to pass the staircase, but descended to the grandfather
clock. Could this lovely time piece be repaired? Likely not.
The wood s surface was pockmarked and splintered, the face was
filled with bullet holes, and the hands were permanently set to four
o clock. She reached out and stroked the only unblemished part of the
clock located at the top corner of the curved wood above the face. She
traced the intricate carving and noted two more things she couldn t
do. Carve or repair clocks.
She felt a small bump in the wood behind the façade and pressed
against it. A loud clunk sounded, and a hidden door opened below.
Maggie squatted down and ran her fingers along the new door,
cleverly hidden by the intricate etching on the lower side of the box.
She widened the door a little farther and peeked inside the dark
space.
What was that inside there?
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Double Chance Claim 121
Chapter Fourteen
Wyatt woke up early the next morning before dawn had broken
and noticed that Maggie was gone from their bed. He sat up and
slipped from beneath the soft sheets, fragrant with her scent, as Wade
stirred. He reached for his pants from the floor where he d discarded
them from the evening before.
When he saw the chair gone from the door handle, he got a little
worried.  Where s Maggie?
Wade opened his eyes and lifted his head.  I don t know. Maybe
she had to use the facilities out back, which I m thinking isn t such a
bad idea right about now. He rolled out of bed and grabbed for his
trousers.
 That s where I m headed. Wait your turn. I ll be back in a few
minutes. He finished pulling his pants up and fastened them opting
to go barefoot to the privy.
Wade bounded out of bed.  Not if I beat you to it first.
 Don t bet on it. Wyatt opened the door and sailed down the hall,
noticing something different about the hallway. Each of the trunks
were open and several were empty.
Wade pushed his back.  Get going already.
 Look at the trunks. They re all open& and empty.
 Probably Sadie did it when she was here yesterday trying to rob
us. Wade tried to squeeze past him, but Wyatt blocked his path.
 No. When we went to bed last night, they were all closed.
 Well, then maybe we have some ghosts. Sadie s partner Henry
will haunt us from this day forward because I discovered his body
under a pile of rocks on the way to our property.
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122 Elle Saint James
 Very funny. Wyatt was about to punch Wade, but then he saw
something very unusual. It looked like a trail of gold coins leading
from the head of the staircase to the other end of the hallway.
 Do you see that?
Wade squinted and then laughed.  Are those gold coins on the
floor?
As Wyatt walked to the end of the hall, to follow the path of
coins, he noticed something different about the grandfather clock
downstairs.  Look at the clock.
There was an open square door built into the carved decoration
around the bottom of the clock that he d never noticed existed. The
discovery of a secret compartment amused him as did the addition of
a single coin placed in the center of each step.
Wade pointed to the steps.  There is where the trail of coins starts.
Shall we follow the route and see what treasure we discover?
Wyatt nodded and led the way. He opened the door wide and was
greeted by the musty scent of cedar.
Sprawled in the middle of what looked like several quilts piled on
the floor, Maggie lay flat on her back as naked as the day she was
born amidst more gold coins strewn haphazardly around her body.
From her long dark hair spilled across the colorful blanket to the
dark curls gracing the juncture between her open thighs, Wyatt
couldn t believe their good fortune in finding such a perfect wife.
They had discovered a genuine treasure.
* * * *
The sound of voices echoing beyond the door intruded on
Maggie s impromptu nap. She yawned, released a long sigh and
stretched. She arched her spine and extended her limbs on the make-
shift bed she d fashioned using the quilts in the hallway trunk and
waited for Wyatt and Wade to join her. Lanterns aglow with single
flames graced the tables lining the spacious room and lent a warm
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Double Chance Claim 123
glow of intimacy to the space. It was the perfect setting for romance.
She couldn t wait to tell them about her remarkable find.
After opening the grandfather clock s secret panel, Maggie
discovered a small, dilapidated leather satchel with a leather cord
drawstring closure containing a nice stash of gold coins. She hadn t
even stopped to count how many there were. Instead, she simply
pulled the satchel out of the hiding place, left a trail and decided to do
a little decorating.
The voices in the hall quieted, and instead, she heard footsteps
heading her way. The door opened and both of her gorgeous husbands
stepped inside. Dressed only in their trousers, both Wade and Wyatt
displayed wide eyes and inquisitive expressions. She knew she d
gained their attention.
 It s about time you two got here. I ve been waiting to show you
the sizeable treasure. Maggie had only used a small portion of all the
coins in the bag for her marked path.
Wyatt laughed.  You re already a sizable treasure all on your [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]