When Shrimps hadbeen called to the library to see Lady Van Doren, he of course knew he was dismissed.
He’d been very surprised to find out he was not dismissed and that he was told he might go across the street to see eight pups just recently born.
Lady Van Doren had given him a note to give to Mr. Tattleton and then he would be shown into the servants’ quarters where those dogs currently resided.
Shrimps had not told Oyster anything about the visit, as he could not guess if Oyster would be jealous over the idea.
Peering out the servants’ entrance to assure himself that his old associate Barney was not lurking around somewhere, he’d made a run for it across the wide avenue.
Shrimps had handed over the note he was sent with and was let into the house by Jimmy, a wonderfully cheerful footman.
Below stairs, he was taken to the dog and her pups.
They were very small indeed and Shrimps had no idea how anybody could tell one from the other. Every single one of them had a brown coat and a white patch on the chest.
Their eyes were still closed and they clumsily crawled on top of each other, heading in the direction of their mother.
That made him think of his own mother and he thought he might cry where he sat. Between Barney’s visit and being certain he was dismissed and not knowing when he really would be dismissed, as he knew he would be eventually, it was all too much.
Where would he go? He’d be out on the streets, but Barney and his gang would never take him back. He was no good at pickpocketing! He got too frightened in the attempt.
The poor pups! They could not even see the world they’d come into and probably thought it was wonderful. They did not yet know how the world really was. Oyster knew, he’d been out there, but these poor little things did not know yet.
They would be crushed when they figured it out.
A sudden loud clattering on the steps took his attention.
The ladies Rosalind, Viola, Cordelia, and Juliet all came barreling into the servants’ dining hall, one after another.
Shrimps leapt to his feet. He bowed deeply and worried that they would be angry to find him there. He didn’t have the note from Lady Van Doren to prove he’d been sent! He’d given it over to Jimmy when he came in.
“Shrimps,” Lady Rosalind said, “we wished you to especially come and see Bess’ lovely new babies.”
“You did, my lady?” he asked. Lady Van Doren had not said whose idea it was. He’d assumed it had beenhers.
“Now Shrimps,” Lady Juliet said, “we wished to have a confidential conversation with you about pickpockets.”
“Why? What have you heard?” he cried. Had he been lured out of the house to be dismissed here? He’d never had a job a person could be dismissed from. He didn’t know how it was done! They might all be riffling through his little room across the street to make sure he had not stolen anything before he was given the boot.
“They’ll not find anything!” Shrimps said. “I would not take even an extra biscuit!”
“Goodness,” Lady Rosalind said, “Beatrice did mention you were a bit…nervous.”
“Wouldn’t you be?” he asked plaintively.
“Hmm, I couldn’t say. Well, never mind, nobody thinks you took an extra biscuit,” Lady Rosalind said.
“Though I do not know why anybody should mind if you had,” Lady Juliet said. “That’s what napkins are for, in my view.”
“Now that we’ve got that out of the way,” Lady Rosalind said, “we need to hire a pickpocket for Lady Crinkleton’s charity picnic for orphans. It is next Thursday, you see.”
“Hire a pickpocket?” Shrimps asked. He’d no idea pickpockets ever got hired. Nobody had ever said anything to him about that.
“You see, Shrimps,” Lady Viola said, “Rosalind is in love with the Duke of Conbatten, but she requires him to have an opportunity to save her from something.”
“So we thought,” Lady Cordelia said, “why not have Rosalind accosted by a pickpocket right in front of him. You see? It would be his chance to be heroic.”
“Now of course, we understand you were hanging round the streets with some unsavory sorts when Van Doren found you and Oyster last season,” Lady Rosalind said.
