Before I could even think of what to do next, I heard a door slam and Violet was suddenly standing next to me.

“I have what you want. If I give it to you, will you promise to leave us alone?” Her eyes blazed at him and I longed to scratch his eyes out after I saw the way he looked at her.

“So you say you have what I want, lass? That just might be true.” He laughed as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

“It is true, man. Here!” She reached into her bodice and took out a scrap of paper. “This is what you’ve been looking for, isn’t it? The map for the sunken treasure. I know what you want – ever since the Spanish galleon sank two hundred miles off the coast of Las Canarias, every pirate worth his salt has been looking for this map. Well, I’ve got it now. What will you give me in return?”

The stranger was momentarily stunned into silence, his eyes glittering with greed. He quickly recovered.

“Oh, you’ll get whatever you want, my dear. Just hand it over. Come on, be a good lass.”

Violet hesitated.