Now, both Austin and I stare at the floor, unsure of what to do. The servants and Mr. Hawksley stand wordlessly, looking us up and down.
Finally, the old man speaks. “You want to see the treasure? Come with me.” My head darts up. Is it really that easy? Is he about to hand us the information we’ve been seeking this whole time? He smiles like he’s part of an inside joke. “You’re welcome to take it if you can.”
The room we stumbled upon appears to be a common room, filled with a few plush chairs and lit by a burning hearth. On those plush chairs sit three servants. They were engaged in conversation, but stopped as soon as I entered. All three heads swivel toward me. “Who are you?” one young man says.
A hall of dirt, supported by wooden beams on the side, stretches a dozen yards forward and fades into darkness. Dust dances in the light and a stream of dirt floats from the ceiling as a support beam groans. I look at Austin and we both nod. And we trudge forward to meet whatever awaits us.
Worries pop up. Is it wise to enter the mansion without a clear plan? We don’t even know what we’re looking for. The treasure could be a basement full of doubloons, or a priceless art collection, or anything else. Perhaps we should spend more time researching Arthur Hawksley’s interests. Eva’s words come back to memory. Should we even be doing this at all?