Plundered Christmas Read Online Free PDF Page B

sides rose high. Dad said it doubled as a lighthouse and you could see the entire island from there.
    The inside of the house was just as amazing as the outside. Three stairs, all part of a large half-circle of marble, led to the front door. Inside the thick wooden door, the half-circle opened to a marble foyer. Beyond that was a huge room, almost as big as the entire ground floor of my house. Pillars, which looked like the builders had stolen them from a Greek temple, lined the outside walls. On either side of the room, a large archway led toward further rooms. Directly across from the main door, a large metal and glass door led to the kitchen. A fireplace took up a third of the west wall of the large room. Above it, proud and centered, hung the mounted shark my dad had stuffed for Margo.
    But easily, the most impressive feature of the room was on the east side. There the ceiling cut away and no pillars interrupted its majesty. A freestanding spiral staircase wound up to the second floor and the lighthouse/observatory level.
    How could anyone appreciate Dad’s cabin in the Carolina woods after a home like this?
    Only one thing disappointed me about Margo’s home and the elegant decor. Much to my dismay, I could not see a single Christmas decoration anywhere on house or island. It felt as though we had stepped into a different season of the year, not just a different location.
     
    ****
     
    After I was stuffed on a European-style breakfast buffet of fruits, breads, cold cuts, and yogurt, washed down with liberal amounts of amazing Jamaican coffee, Dad and Margo came into the central patio and let all six of us know that it was time for their tour of the island.
    While Dad did offer Margo his arm, I could tell something wasn’t right. Unlike the Dad and Margo combination I saw at Thanksgiving, this version of Dad didn’t smile.
    “Our family landed on this island during the era of slavers and pirates,” Margo said. It was obvious she was proud of her history and had said this spiel a few times before. “The members of the Banet family were traders and this island, between the Bahamas and Florida, made for a great central location. During those days, we anchored a great sailing ship where the yacht sits now.
    “Over the years, we established connections with the American colonies and the other British protectorates. We also, from time to time, traded with the Spanish adventurers, though their day and popularity waned as our family grew…” She continued to talk on and on as she walked us around the perimeter. It was obvious that Margo took great pride in the land and in her family’s connection to it.
    The island, from the ground, took only a little over an hour to sightsee. After touring paradise-like areas, we approached a marshy section, filled with unusual low-growing flowers. They were pretty lilac-colored things that looked fragile and delicate. Wouldn’t you know, at this point, Jelly saw a lizard which he had to chase? He pulled sharply away from Josie and lunged for the little creature.
    “Stop him!” Margo looked and sounded horrified.
    James dove for the end of the leash and gave a sharp, “Heel!”
    It took Margo a while to catch her breath. “I lost my own puppy in there when I was young. His name was Trenton, and I got him for Christmas. We were always warned about getting too close to any part of the marsh.” She spoke as if she’d memorized this speech, like a docent at a museum. “When you see any of those purple flowers, back up slowly and carefully. If the weather has been foul or wet, especially, the earth there can quicken.” She gave a wry chuckle. “It does. I wish I hadn’t seen a single part of Trenton before he sank. I can never forget it. It would have been easier on me if he had just disappeared. I would have never have known.” She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Margo showed more emotion at this memory than I had ever seen. Maybe Dad had fallen for this side of the