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"Nope."
"Please, sir." Aurora's words emerged of their own accord. "My husband and I have searched everywhere for you. We lost a family member at sea—and no one but you can shed any light on the situation. Won't you please give us just a quarter hour of your time? I promise we mean you no harm." Gently she touched his arm. "It could make a world of difference."
Barnes scratched his gray head. "Ye two are married?"
"Yes, sir."
"And ye need to know somethin' about yer family?"
Aurora nodded. "About a relative of my husband's—someone you sailed with. We need your help; you're our only hope."
Shoving back his chair, Barnes stood. "In that case, I'll go." He glared at his friends. "Ye best not forget which part I was up to."
Judging from their blank expressions, Aurora noted with an inner smile, they already had.
"Over there?" Barnes asked, pointed a wrinkled forefinger.
"Yes. That would be perfect." Aurora glanced up at Julian, grinning at how impressed he looked at her accomplishment. "You're not the only man who succumbs to my charm," she teased under her breath.
"Evidently not." He guided them over to a corner that was as close to quiet and deserted as one could get in this pub. "Have a seat, Barnes; I'll get you another ale."
"Don't need it." The old fellow waved away the offer. "Just tell me what's on yer mind. For a minute I was afraid ye were another one of them pirates wantin' information on the black diamond. Lots of fellas used to ask me about it. Now it's just sometimes. But like I always tell them, I don't know nothin' about it. They was all just wastin' their time."
"Our questions aren't about the diamond," Aurora inserted with quiet candor. "But they are about the men who found it."
Barnes's shaggy brows shot up. "I thought ye said this was about yer family."
"It is."
A skeptical look. "Ye sure ye aren't some privateer lookin' for that stone?"
"I'm not a privateer," Julian assured him. "I'm Geoffrey Bencroft's great-grandson. And, while I never knew my great-grandfather, his actions have affected my entire life. I understand you sailed with him. And I'm eager to know anything you can tell me about him."
"So yer Julian Bencroft." Barnes's dark eyes turned bright with interest, his head veering slowly toward Aurora. "If what ye said is true and ye two really are married, that makes ye Aurora Huntley." He chuckled at her look of surprise. "I may be old, but I'm not dead yet. I hear all the local gossip, same as the next fella. And a weddin' between the Bencrofts and the Huntleys is big news in anyone's book."
"Yes," Aurora told him. "I'm Aurora Huntley Bencroft."
"Ye sound real proud of that fact."
"I am—for many reasons." Aurora drew a slow inward breath. "Neither of us believes our great-grandfathers were criminals, Mr. Barnes. We'd like to hear what you think, any firsthand information you can give u
s about Geoffrey Bencroft. We'll gladly pay you for your trouble."
"Don't want yer money." Barnes straightened his stooped shoulders, regarding them both through eyes grown wise with time. "Yer the first ones who didn't call 'em thieves. I can't speak fer Huntley, but I sure as 'ell can tell ye Bencroft was a good man, a decent man." He scrutinized Julian's face. "Ye got 'is eyes, ye know. Same restlessness. Same depth. Yup. Yer 'is great-grandson, all right. Maybe if I answer yer questions, it'll give 'im peace. What can I tell ye?"
"You were with Geoffrey on his trip home—the one he never completed?"
"Um-hum. I was a cabin boy on three of yer great-grandfather's voyages—includin' the last. 'E was real kind to me, told me all about the world, taught me 'ow to dream. I remember 'im standin' beside me on the deck durin' that last trip, puttin' 'is 'and on my shoulder and pointin' out to sea. 'Barnes', he told me, 'there's a world of adventure out there, dreams to be lived and treasures to be discovered. Go after what ye want. Don't let anythin' or anyone stop ye. What they think don't matter. Be true to yerself and ye'll die an 'appy man'." Barnes sighed. "Little did 'e know 'ow close 'is own death was."
"He died of a fever?" Aurora prompted.
"Yes, ma'am. 'Im and three-quarters of the others on that ship. But I made it my business to take care of Bencroft. I sat with 'im in 'is cabin, mopped 'is brow, and got 'im water. 'E was delirious with fever, talked about that bloody stone over and over again. Knew it was cursed, 'e did. Kept sayin' they 'ad to get rid of it. Begged 'is friend James to turn it over. Never said a mean word about the man, even though rumor had it Huntley stole the diamond right out from under 'im. Just kept beggin' 'im to give it over."
"Those were his words?" Julian leaned forward intently.
Barnes gave a raspy cough. "Ye're talkin' about a lot of years ago. I don't remember 'is exact words. Besides, 'e was babblin' mostly. The poor fella knew 'e was dying. 'E wanted Huntley to know it, too. Kept callin' out to 'im, tellin' him the end was near, the end was in sight, that 'e'd see James before 'e got there. I tried to calm 'im down, but 'e kept tryin' to get up, strugglin' to breathe. 'E never saw another dawn; died late that night. But ye should be proud of him—I don't care what folks say. 'E was a fine man. I'm 'onored to 'ave known 'im."
"Thank you." Julian swallowed. "Is there anything else you can tell us?"
