morning."
"That may be too late. I daresay Harelson's house is full of servants, to make getting in impossible."
"No, he is roughing it. He makes do with his valet and one footman who doubles as butler, groom, and general factotum. They are free as soon as Harelson leaves for the evening. I happen to know his house is usually empty in the evening, as I have stopped by once or twice on Linda's behalf."
"Then this would be a good time to search it."
"I shall do that, as soon as I take you home."
"Why waste time driving to Marine Parade? Harelson's house is near here, is it not, on East Street?"
"I do not like to leave a lady alone in the carriage."
"Much better for me to accompany you inside," I agreed, knowing full well this was not his meaning. His weak smile acknowledged my remark as a joke, so I had to inform him that I was serious. "I am as much interested in catching Tom as anyone—more so, since I have been used as bait to trap him. Besides, there is no danger in it. You will knock at the door first to see if anyone is at home. Why, I would be safer inside with you than in the carriage."
"But safer still in your own home."
“Mr. Dalton, you have seen me 'under fire,' as the soldiers say, at Parker's pawnshop, and know that I am not one to lose her head. I think we both know I shall be accompanying you; let us not waste time in discussion. Now, how shall we get in if no one is at home? Perhaps the back door will be left ajar. It will be better to enter from the rear in any case, lest we are spotted by a chance passerby."
He drew a resigned sigh and said, "How are your skills at picking a lock?"
"I have had no occasion to practice lock picking. I was hoping for an unlocked window. We could use your carriage blanket to deaden the noise if we have to break it, but that would inform Grindley he has had an intruder."
"Leave your pearls behind. It has been my experience that something usually goes amiss in such a venture as this. The string might break, and it would be a pity to lose even one."
"I see! You are willing to risk my neck, but the pearls must not be put at peril!"
"Well, upon my word, if that is not just like a woman! You are the one who insisted on coming."
"I was joking, Mr. Dalton. Have you no sense of humor?"
"That joke had the sting of truth."
I removed the pearls and dropped them into the side pocket. Mr. Dalton pulled the check string and ordered John Groom to drive to East Street. We descended at the corner, and the groom drove along to park in the shadows beyond Harelson's house. The houses in this neighborhood were large and solid-looking, but not so elegant as those on Marine Parade. There was no traffic at this hour of the night.
"That is Harelson's house," he said, pointing to one much like its neighbors, except that no lights showed inside.
I hid behind a tree while Mr. Dalton knocked on the door. After no reply to his second knock, I joined him. "The front door is locked," he said in a low tone.
"We shall try the back."
The back was reached by a narrow, paved path. An arched gate led to the rear. There was a sense of abandon about the premises. Hank grass invaded the path, clutching at my skirt hem and no doubt marking it. Some dark hulks loomed up before us in the shadows, abandoned crates or rubbish bins or some such thing. Access was ridiculously easy. As I was pointing out an open window, Dalton turned the knob and said, "It's open."
We scuttled inside, closing the door behind us. A faint ray of moonlight at the window told us we were in the scullery. A teapot and the remains of a meal for two were still on the table. Harelson's valet and factotum, I assumed, I felt the pot; it was cold. We stood still for a moment, listening to the dead silence of an empty house.
"We shall need a light," I said, and began peering into the darkness. There was a lamp near the stove. Dalton lit it by sticking a straw into the dying embers of the stove and applying it to the wick.
We crept
"That may be too late. I daresay Harelson's house is full of servants, to make getting in impossible."
"No, he is roughing it. He makes do with his valet and one footman who doubles as butler, groom, and general factotum. They are free as soon as Harelson leaves for the evening. I happen to know his house is usually empty in the evening, as I have stopped by once or twice on Linda's behalf."
"Then this would be a good time to search it."
"I shall do that, as soon as I take you home."
"Why waste time driving to Marine Parade? Harelson's house is near here, is it not, on East Street?"
"I do not like to leave a lady alone in the carriage."
"Much better for me to accompany you inside," I agreed, knowing full well this was not his meaning. His weak smile acknowledged my remark as a joke, so I had to inform him that I was serious. "I am as much interested in catching Tom as anyone—more so, since I have been used as bait to trap him. Besides, there is no danger in it. You will knock at the door first to see if anyone is at home. Why, I would be safer inside with you than in the carriage."
"But safer still in your own home."
“Mr. Dalton, you have seen me 'under fire,' as the soldiers say, at Parker's pawnshop, and know that I am not one to lose her head. I think we both know I shall be accompanying you; let us not waste time in discussion. Now, how shall we get in if no one is at home? Perhaps the back door will be left ajar. It will be better to enter from the rear in any case, lest we are spotted by a chance passerby."
He drew a resigned sigh and said, "How are your skills at picking a lock?"
"I have had no occasion to practice lock picking. I was hoping for an unlocked window. We could use your carriage blanket to deaden the noise if we have to break it, but that would inform Grindley he has had an intruder."
"Leave your pearls behind. It has been my experience that something usually goes amiss in such a venture as this. The string might break, and it would be a pity to lose even one."
"I see! You are willing to risk my neck, but the pearls must not be put at peril!"
"Well, upon my word, if that is not just like a woman! You are the one who insisted on coming."
"I was joking, Mr. Dalton. Have you no sense of humor?"
"That joke had the sting of truth."
I removed the pearls and dropped them into the side pocket. Mr. Dalton pulled the check string and ordered John Groom to drive to East Street. We descended at the corner, and the groom drove along to park in the shadows beyond Harelson's house. The houses in this neighborhood were large and solid-looking, but not so elegant as those on Marine Parade. There was no traffic at this hour of the night.
"That is Harelson's house," he said, pointing to one much like its neighbors, except that no lights showed inside.
I hid behind a tree while Mr. Dalton knocked on the door. After no reply to his second knock, I joined him. "The front door is locked," he said in a low tone.
"We shall try the back."
The back was reached by a narrow, paved path. An arched gate led to the rear. There was a sense of abandon about the premises. Hank grass invaded the path, clutching at my skirt hem and no doubt marking it. Some dark hulks loomed up before us in the shadows, abandoned crates or rubbish bins or some such thing. Access was ridiculously easy. As I was pointing out an open window, Dalton turned the knob and said, "It's open."
We scuttled inside, closing the door behind us. A faint ray of moonlight at the window told us we were in the scullery. A teapot and the remains of a meal for two were still on the table. Harelson's valet and factotum, I assumed, I felt the pot; it was cold. We stood still for a moment, listening to the dead silence of an empty house.
"We shall need a light," I said, and began peering into the darkness. There was a lamp near the stove. Dalton lit it by sticking a straw into the dying embers of the stove and applying it to the wick.
We crept
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