Dodger of the Dials Read Free Page A

full of those garden flowers. I breathed in the room’s fragrance and then tiptoed past the four-poster bed and headed towards the curved dressing table what Percival had described to me. It was, as he had said, fully-covered in a muslin cloth and had on top of it an ornate vanity mirror. It was a messy room with discarded clothes tossed all about but everything in it felt refined. The only rough thing I could see was the grubby interloper staring back at me from the mirror.
    I picked up one of the candlesticks what was stood beside some sewing materials to help me in my search. I lifted up the sheet what was as fussy as a petticoat and revealed the chest of drawers beneath. I knelt down once the sheet was pulled up and found the little drawer with the miniature golden lock. I then took one of her needles from the sewing kit and in less than five seconds the drawer was open. There I found a blue felt jewellery case with the insignia of Blaze and Sparkle inscribed upon the front and I unclasped it. Inside, and in all her naked splendour, was the Lady of Stars.
    Percival had described this glittering necklace as a constellation of jewellery and I could now see why he had become so obsessed with having it. I pulled it out and held it up to the candlelight in admiration. I was tempted now to forget my obligations to him and just keep it myself as it was so rare a find. Either way, I could not dither here for much longer so I placed the necklace into my coat pocket, taking care not to be too rough on the diamonds. Then I closed the case, put it back in the drawer and rearranged the petticoat so I would leave this room as I had found it.
    And then, just as I was congratulating myself on another successful grab, the quiet night was interrupted by the sound of the bad crow. It was a high-pitched whine coming from the woods out front, a weak mimic of the sound what Tom had demonstrated to signify that the constable had gone into the pub, and it seemed to last forever. I cringed and knew that it could not help but disturb the amorous activities in the library as it was too peculiar a noise to pass without investigation. I moved fast over to the door and looked out into the hallway to see if I could make it to the staircase before our young lovers had time to react. But before I had even left the room I could hear that the man had already been put off his stroke.
    ‘What in hot hell was that?’ he cried in alarm and there was a huff of frustration from the woman.
    ‘You’ve stopped!’ she snapped back at him. ‘I said not to!’
    The footsteps of the man could be heard stomping over to the far window and, as I approached their half-open door, there was the sound of curtains being drawn.
    ‘There’s somebody outside,’ the man announced in fright. ‘In the trees! Your bloody husband probably.’ I was preparing to make a run for it past the door and down the stairs before either of them had time to see me but I stopped when I heard the woman jump to her feet.
    ‘My husband doesn’t hide in trees,’ she shot back at him. ‘He’s a knight of the realm.’ I could hear her gather her nightdress and make for the door. I darted backwards and back into the boudoir knowing that I had missed my last chance to leave unobserved.
    ‘Well I can see a head moving about outside!’ he countered. ‘Must be one of his spies!’
    I now needed to hide myself before she followed me into her own room as she was bound to do on leaving the library. I made it over to the curtains what was made of three layers of drapes and found that they offered the perfect place to secrete myself behind. Before she had a chance to enter the room after me I was behind them and crouched on the deep sill trying to work out how the noisy the window would be to open.
    ‘Spies!’ the woman jeered as I heard her sweep into the room. She was still speaking loud enough for him to hear from the room opposite and I could hear the rustle of the nightdress as she put