The Treasure of Ecarte Island

Secrets

       It was not to be taken as a personal affront if no one met you upon arrival from the sea.  In fact, if someone was awaiting you, that usually spelled, in Dietfried Baugainvillea's experience, trouble.  Better to disembark with little to no fanfare. Besides, Dietfried's first destination was the postal office, still located in the keeper's quarters of the Ecarte Island lighthouse.
        Violet still managed the small post office, along with a couple of carriers and a young assistant who would, at some future date, take over Violet's position.
         Upon hearing the bell above the door ring, Violet looked up from within the office.  She said nothing, but gave them a smile that spoke far more than her words ever really could. 
         "Hullo, Mother," said Hilary, who now towered over her, but still treated her with the upmost respect.
          Violet always greeted her son the same. She gazed up at his face, the male version of her own, and gently touched his cheek with her gloved left hand. "So happy to see your safe return, Hilary."
           Violet always greeted her husband's older brother the same, as well.  She turned to him, clasped her hands in front of her and bowed. "It is good to see you well, Dietfried."
           "Good to see you well, Violet," Dietfried returned, pleasantly, "Have any telegrams arrived over the last few days for me?"
           "Yes," Violet answered simply and retrieved a single sealed message. She then turned back to her son to continue conversation.
             Dietfried opened and translated the coded message. It read:

Inquiries made of your whereabouts. Answered as you have instructed. Nothing out of the ordinary. Will keep you informed. Daphne

             Dietfried slipped the message into a nearby receptacle and turned a crank handle attached to its side. This turned a series of blades inside the container to finely shred the slip of paper. He noticed Hilary's attention to his action.
            "Anything the matter?" Hilary asked, his tone casual enough, but his eyes revealing a hint of concern.
            Dietfried, waved a hand dismissively. "Nah. Only Daphne. She's bored without you. Wishing our return."
            "Humph!" Hilary snorted.
            "We have your rooms ready at the bungalow." said Violet, "Go rest yourselves."
            "We shall visit Gilbert first. Is he at the winery today?" Dietfried then chuckled before Violet could answer. "Of course he's at the winery. Where else would he be this time of year?"
            "Yes. Gilbert is seldom away from the vineyard during the harvest." Violet confirmed.

And what a harvest it was! Dietfried could only stare open-mouthed at the pulley systems (there were four now) as they hauled up load after load of harvested bunches of robust grapes.
"But. . .this vineyard is still the same one hundred acres that it always has been! How is it producing such a quantity?" Dietfried asked with great wonder.
"A couple of factors have been at play over the past couple of years." Gilbert answered proudly, "The cooperating weather, for one, and the introduction of grazing animals for another."
"Ah! Petrich and Ellenora's flock? Have they expanded their flock that much to be this beneficial?"
"No, Ellenora only has a tiny flock for now, but she made the suggestion to have sheep herders from neighboring islands to graze the vineyard during the summer months. Provides plenty natural fertilization and weed control."
"Hence the yield. Brilliant!" Dietfried laughed.
          They walked on over to the winery. Gilbert was keen to have Dietfried's opinion on his newly opened barrel of brandy.  Hilary was with them, but kept his distance, lost in his own thoughts and well out of earshot.
          "Is Hilary doing alright?" Gilbert asked lowly.
          "Ah, he's coming along. His university course marks from last term were satisfactory enough, as you know. I think he prefers the challenge of school far more than the navigation of high society. The rigors of his first Season have been an aggravation for him. In that regard he far more resembles you!"
          "And the Lady Daphne? Any further developments between the two?"
          "I'd say it's too early to tell. But, it is true he is still only a boy, and his heart is still with one who can never return to him."
          "All is folly anyway, Dietfried," Gilbert remarked, going about his daily routines of a vintner. "Father had betrothal contracts prepared for both of us before we were even old enough to shave.  And look how those turned out."
           "Well, war has a way of changing one's plans in life."
            "Yes, in ways one could never imagine." Gilbert agreed. "So, this secret that has taken you from all those grand parties on the mainland, is it truly that serious? Violet and I were certain this was about Hilary and a possible engagement, although we felt he was too young for such a thing."
             They were now in a cool cavern where the barrels of wine sat aging. Hilary had taken his leave, ready to relax in his old room at his parent's bungalow.
              Although they were completely alone, Dietfried still lowered his voice and explained his recent concern for the welfare of Ecarte Island.
He began with the legend of the lost crown jewels as told by Lady Cordelia at Madame Flambeau's Harvest Moon party only a week ago previous. Gilbert knew of the legend, but still did not follow its importance to Ecarte Island, until Dietfried concluded with Lady Cordelia's mention of  one of these lost gems or something of the same material had been located on Ecarte.
               For a moment Gilbert merely stared at his older brother, then blinked. "So, you've come all this way to warn us of an ancient horror looking for a pebble??"
             Dietfried sighed. "No. The legend is bunk. What is not bunk is that somewhere under this island could very well run a vein of a known mineral whose value is worth at least five hundred times that of gold! Perhaps even more! And apparently there is wind of it on the mainland. You have seen what happens to pieces of land that have a resource that  people of high power could want. Think about what set off our war! No more than copper and tin mines the Powers That Be wanted," Dietfried snatched at empty air, holding it tightly in his closed fist, "And took!"
Gilbert looked at his brother, but only through his left eye, for the right one had been destroyed in the war and was forever more covered with an eyepatch. "Alright, then. What's to be done?" he asked.
"First, find out if a piece of such a mineral had actually been found. Then, look into how the information crossed 1400 nautical miles from here to the mainland. It is to our advantage that Lady Cordelia has turned a bit senile of late. Much of the gossip told through her is largely ignored. Perhaps this bit begins and ends with her. That is the hope anyway, but that hope somehow feels extremely fragile."
By the time they had emerged from the wine aging cavern, a plan was confirmed. Gilbert agreed with Dietfried that the issue should be discussed among those who most often fraternized with the public at large. These included the usual suspects, of course. Gilbert with his wine export, Petrich, with all the construction hoopla, which included Casper Bridges, and last, but certainly not least, Jenna Callie. Her clothing design business brought in clients near and far.
"We need to meet together tonight," Dietfried decided, "And that means all of us, so that everyone hears it all at the same time, and it can thoroughly be discussed. Don't you agree? What's that look on your face?"
Gilbert was looking down at his feet and frowning, something he always tended to do when he needed to voice disagreement. He then shook his head. "It is what it is." he sighed under his breath.
"It is what what is?" Dietfried demanded.
Gilbert commenced to tell Dietfried of the difficult history between Jenna Callie and Casper Bridges. By the end of, Dietfried actually sympathized with both parties.
           "Unfortunate how the past can not simply remain there." Dietfried replied sometime afterward, speaking just as much of his and Gilbert's own past and how much of it negatively affected those around them. "But, as you said, there is an understanding between these two if their paths should cross. I'm rather surprised their paths have not met thus far. How long has it been? Three months since breaking ground on that observatory? And, anyway, this dilemma warrants placing personal feelings aside, if only for a moment."
           Gilbert said nothing, but answered with a weak nod of his head and a sigh.