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Delilah shook her head. “No. Genuinely, the first item I brought back wasn’t stolen. I don’t know how it found its way into my bag. I had put my bag on the floor beside my chair at one of the Harvell’s dire teas. When I got home, a small ornate box was sitting in it. I can only assume it had fallen off the table and landed in my bag. Anyway, nobody noticed, but I couldn’t think of a way of getting it back into the house without being caught. I could hardly hand it back with an apology and claim not to know anything about it.”
“It would have been the honest thing to do, Delilah,” Jeb cautioned. “But you are not honest so you kept it instead.”
Silence settled over them for several moments. “What happened then?”
“I wanted it out of the house, so took it to the pawn shop. I went over to Standmere because it is far enough away that nobody would recognise me. The man gave me a good price for it; far more than I thought it was worth. The money was a welcome surprise, and it set me to thinking, especially once I received the letter from Hooky.”
Jeb sighed. He knew instinctively from the look on Sophia’s face she was absolutely livid with her aunt, but willed her to remain calm for now. More information was needed from Delilah, and to get it they needed to be on friendlier terms. He suspected that once Delilah was offended, she would adamantly refuse to tell him anything else no matter what he threatened her with. That would leave him with no alternative but bring in the magistrate; if only to get her behind bars to stop her crimes while he located this Roland Myers.
“So, what does he want you to get that you are not happy with? It isn’t just the monthly shipment and you and I both know it.”
Delilah stared at him for a moment. He wanted her to know he had overheard her conversation. She considered this for a moment but apparently realised there were no lies she could tell with any credibility.
“He wants me to take some jewellery for him.”
Jeb stared hard at her.
“Where from?” He felt like he was pulling teeth to get any kind of information out of her and it was starting to grate on his nerves.
Delilah hesitated.
“Where from?” Jeb snapped more loudly this time.
“The Squire’s house,” she replied quietly. “He wants some jewellery that is apparently kept in a box on the dresser or something. He wants a matching ruby necklace and bracelet set that will be left in the top drawer, just inside the main door of the master bedchamber.”
“It will be left there, or is it kept there?” Jeb leaned forward. He studied her closely while he contemplated her honesty.
“He just said it will be left in the top drawer of the dresser. I don’t know who by, or why, but I was assured it would be there. I was told to get it and take it to him.”
“Did he tell you what it is worth, or how he came to know it is there?”
Delilah shook her head. “I said I won’t do it. It is far too risky. The small items I take I can put into my pocket, or carry them out beneath my cloak without anyone being any aware of it. I have no reason to go upstairs. I am not that familiar with the Squire, and guests usually stay downstairs. How on earth he expects me to get upstairs without being noticed is anyone’s guess. The house isn’t large enough for anyone to melt into the woodwork. Myers has told me he will make sure the magistrate gets a tip off that I am responsible for the thefts if I don’t do as he wants. It is why I want you out of the house, Sophia. Things have changed now with Roland. He has become harder and crueller. He cannot be reasoned with anymore. He wants me to get more and more and is paying me less and less. Now he won’t let me stop working for him.”
“So, it was left that you are to get that jewellery the next time you go to the Squire’s house, and this Roland person will expect you to hand the goods over as soon as possible.”
Delilah nodded. “That’s about it, yes.”
“When will you meet with him again?” Jeb asked, prepared to be there.
“The week after next.”
“Did he tell you how much you will earn for committing this crime?”
She shook her head. “We negotiate on the day.”
“But he has asked you for a particular item. He must know of its value. You take a stupid risk if you steal it for him because he could turn around and offer you nothing for it. Once you have it, you are vulnerable. You need him to take it off your hands, or you risk getting caught. He knows that so can offer you whatever he wants. Did you not stop to consider that?” Jeb suspected she hadn’t from the way her gaze landed on the floor and stayed there.
Delilah shook her head. “I have been a fool, haven’t I?”
There was something in that quiet statement that didn’t ring true to Jeb. It wasn’t that she was sad, or worried. There was just something almost too calm, and matter-of-fact about her that didn’t seem right. After all, this was a woman who had, supposedly, been backed into a sticky situation yet she had not asked Jeb what to do, or how to deal with the situation like most people would when they needed help with a worrying situation.
“Has he told you to take anything from anyone else’s house?”
“Not yet. The Squire’s jewellery is the first time he has ordered me to take something specific.”
Now that was something Jeb did believe was true.
“Have you seen this Roland man hanging about in the village at all?” Jeb asked when the rather uncomfortable silence had stretched to breaking point.
