A scrape of a key turning in the lock echoed in the empty room, and the closet door creaked open.Robert barreled out and into her waiting arms.She hugged him against her in relief.Mrs.Todd emerged more slowly from the closet.Her eyes were wide.She laid a hand on her chest.“Thank God, you’re home.”
“What happened?”Matthew asked.
“There was a man in the house,” Robert said.
“’Tis true.I was putting young Robert here to bed.And we heard a large bang from downstairs.Then heavy footsteps walking about.When I heard the footsteps on the stairs, we decided to hide in the closet.So I blew out the candles and locked us inside.”
“You absolutely did the right thing, Mrs.Todd,” Matthew said.He walked over and lit the lamp with flint from his pocket.The warm glow filled the room and eased the terrible tightness in her throat.She hugged Robert tighter.
“We heard the man—I think there was just one—open and close doors as he walked around.He spent a lot of time on the first floor.But he did come up here briefly.”
“We were very quiet, mama.Just like the mice from my book.”
Elizabeth ran her hand over his hair.“Good job.You did exactly the right thing.”She stood, pulling Robert up into her arms.“Thank you for your clear thinking, Mrs.Todd.”
“Well, I don’t know about clear thinking.I was scared out of my mind,” she replied.
“Come, let’s go downstairs, and I will make some tea for everyone,” Matthew said.“I want to secure the back door as well.”
He led the way downstairs, and when they entered the kitchen, he lit several candles.“You ladies sit down.Robert, come help me.Do you know where the tea is kept?”
Robert scrambled down from her lap.“Yes, sir, in that cabinet over there.”
“Go fetch it while I put water in the kettle.”
Elizabeth was about to say it was on too high a shelf, but Robert was already dragging a chair over to climb on.She watched him unlock the cabinet and carefully pull out the tin.He handed it to Matthew.
“Good job, Robert.Now, where are the cups?”
She laid her hand on top of Mrs.Todd’s hand and gave it a squeeze.“Thank you for keeping my son safe.”She swallowed hard and tried to keep the tears that burned in the back of her eyes from falling.The terrible possibilities of what could have happened to Robert and Mrs.Todd flashed in rapid-fire through her mind.
“I always will.The two of you are like family.”Mrs.Todd let out a long breath.“I don’t understand.Was it a robbery?Did he steal anything?”
“We looked through the rooms so quickly as we searched for you that I am not sure,” she replied.“I don’t have anything of value.I can’t imagine why anyone would pick this house to rob.”Then it came to her.“Unless it had to do with the paper.My shingle out front makes it easy to find me.Could it be retribution for something written in the paper?”Had thePressput her family at risk?
Matthew came over to set two mugs of tea down in front of them.“We will take a closer look around.But first, let me see if I can fix the door latch.”He disappeared out the back door, and she heard the garden gate squeak shut.Then he returned and crouched to look at the latch on the back door.“It’s bent, probably from someone kicking it in.”He came inside and shut the door.Then he dragged the wooden cabinet that held her dry goods in front of it.“That should keep it secured until we can repair the lock.”
Elizabeth turned to Mrs.Todd.“You stay here and settle your nerves.Robert, keep Mrs.Todd company.You may have a biscuit.I am going to go look around.”
Matthew nodded.He picked up a lamp, and they went through the main floor.The sitting room was undisturbed.But across in the office space, the desks had been rifled through.Her desk by the window had drawers left open.Her ledgers were out of order on the shelf.Nothing appeared missing.Why would a thief want anything from this room?It was just papers.Perhaps some notes on what would be in the next edition of the paper.
Matthew turned the lock on the front door.“I think he must have left through this door.Which is so strange.What kind of thief would leave through the front door?”
They went up the stairs, and this time, when she entered her room, she actually looked around.Before she had been so frantic to find Robert, she’d entirely missed the mess.Her wardrobe had been rifled through, undergarments hanging out of drawers, and hangers pushed to one side.
“Look at this.”Matthew stood over by the bed.
She gasped when she came up next to him.A deep-green silk gown lay on the bed, the sleeves smoothed out to the sides like a dress for a paper doll.Next to it, laid just as carefully, was a chemise, a corset, and a pair of white stockings with matching green ribbons.
Matthew pointed down.A pair of heeled slippers was set neatly by the bed.“He chose an entire outfit from your wardrobe.This was no thief.”
“Do you think it’s Griffen?How would he know who I am?”
“Fuck if I know.You have written about his exploits several times now.Perhaps he was fucking flattered.”He grasped her shoulders and turned her to face him.“You can’t stay here.Come stay at the Angel.I will keep you safe.”
Her first instinct was to decline.To say she would be fine.Elizabeth glanced at the clothing on the bed.The man, whoever he was, had been in her bedroom.Had touched her things.She shivered.There was no way she would be able to sleep here tonight.Hartwick and Lucy were out of town, and Lorelei’s flat would not be big enough to have the three of them stay.She looked up at Matthew, his dark brows lowered in concern.His grip was firm and reassuring.She nodded.
“Good.Let’s check the other rooms and make sure he didn’t leave any more unpleasant surprises.Then you should pack a bag for the night.We can return tomorrow to get more of your things.”He rubbed his hands briskly up and down her arms.“Everything will feel better in the morning light.”
