The Jewel Thief

Prologue

Elizabeth Murgatroyd sucked her thumb and squeezed her mother's hand tighter, gazing at her father who was wearing camouflage like the rest of them. The girl and her family were standing on a platform, and there was a huge crowd of men all in camouflage standing around, crying, and hugging their wives and children. "Why is Daddy leaving?" Madeleine Murgatroyd, Elizabeth's seven-year-old sister, had asked her mother, Isabel Murgatroyd. "Because the Germans are attacking and Daddy has to go help," she had said. "I'm sorry, sweetie. War is upon us."

Now Elizabeth stared at her father, her sister, her mother. She was three and didn't understand what was going on and what was going to happen. She continued to suck on her thumb, sucking until her mouth was red and hurt.

Suddenly, a train whizzed along the tracks and made Elizabeth's hair flap in the strong wind. She gasped in a toddler way and looked up at her mother. "Daddy has to leave now, Lizzy-B," her mother said slowly. "I'm sorry, darling."

As David Murgatroyd said his farewells to Madeleine (who was always called Maddie) and his wife, Elizabeth fiddled with her hair and thought about how she really fancied some chocolate. So Daddy was leaving for a bit. He would be back tomorrow, probably.

She understood suddenly that her daddy was leaving for a long time when he scooped her up into his arms and swung her about like he always did. But this time, he looked sad. Instead of putting her down, he held her in his arms and grinned, his eyes brimming with tears. "My girl, my little girl," he said. Elizabeth wrapped her arms around his head and put her head on him. When Elizabeth looked up, he looked into her eyes, smiled, and put her down. Then he knelt down and held her little hand.

"Don't you worry, Lizzy-B," he said, gently stroking her cheek with one finger as he spoke. "It's all going to be fine. I'm going to be back before you know it." He was really reassuring himself because Elizabeth didn't understand what was going on. "Everything is going to be okay."

He stared into the girl's eyes. "Promise me something, Elizabeth. Promise me that you will always stay strong and keep your chin up. Never give up hope on me. Do you promise?" His eyes twinkled, like they always did.

Elizabeth looked at her father, and after a while nodded slowly. She did understand what he was saying, and she would never forget what he said. Mr. Murgatroyd hugged Elizabeth one more time, whispering something into her ear.

"Wait for me, Lizzy-B. Wait for me."

And he turned towards the train and stepped up, glancing at Elizabeth with an expression unfamiliar to the little girl, which made her more confused than she already was. Then he got on, and the doors creaked closed behind him.

The train gradually got going, steam emitting from it. Mrs. Murgatroyd wiped her eyes and wept silently. Maddie crossed her arms and stared at her shoes, angry, confused and sad at the same time. She suddenly uncrossed her arms, lost in indecision, and began fiddling with the woven bracelet that her mother had just given her for her seventh birthday. But Elizabeth, little three-year-old Elizabeth toddled away from her family, across the platform, her hair once again flapping in the wind, towards the train that was speeding off into the distance. And then she stood there, watching, as the train slowly got further and further away, and she wondered if she would ever see her father again.