When the sun sets more than once a day and the world's diamonds are stolen, a small brave girl, struggling to belong, has secrets to discover.
Marigold leaves her lonely life to join extraordinary thieves, Bert and Bob. Who is their Mistress? What i...
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Marigold was so exhilarated she'd forgotten about the Beefeaters until she felt Ethel pushing her back into the chamber.
'We've checked up there. No sign', she heard Archie tell them as they approached him and Lolly.
The footsteps retreated down the staircase. Archie and Lolly moved towards her.
'I didn't mean it, Marigold', he said.
She rolled her eyes at him.
More lies.
'Nobody would say such a thing if it wasn't true', said Ethel.
'Where did you buy me? Who are my parents?' Marigold demanded.
'We are!' exclaimed Archie with a laugh that suggested she was an idiot.
'Oh give it up, Archie', squeaked Lolly.
'Shut up!' barked her husband.
'Don't speak to me like that! This is all your fault. I never wanted a kid.'
'Lolly...', Archie warned her.
'But you said a cute one would shift shoes.'
'And I was right, wasn't I.'
'Where did I come from?' Marigold shouted.
'He dragged me to some place' began Lolly. 'Where poor people leave their babies. Nobody complained when we paid up and took you. Who was going to miss you?'
Marigold glared at her.
Somebody must've missed me. Somebody could still be missing me now...
'How dare you... talk... to her like that', panted Ethel. 'Rest assured... I will report you to... the authorities.'
Lolly didn't seem to hear her. Despite Archie's black looks, she couldn't stop herself. Marigold could see she'd wanted to say these things for a very long time.
'You were such a dirty, messy thing. I couldn't bear to go near you without my rubber gloves.'
Marigold remembered the photograph of Lolly holding her when she was a baby.
'That's where you got your name from', Lolly laughed. 'Marigold is a type of glove for cleaning.'
Marigold bit her lip.
Don't let her upset you. How can she? She's nothing to you now. She never was.
'Enough!' bellowed Archie. He grabbed Marigold firmly by the shoulders.
She pulled away from him.
'Ethel!' she cried.
'Unhand her... at once! I...'
Marigold watched in fear as Ethel broke off and clutched her chest. Something round was slowly moving under her clavicle and up her neck. It bulged in her throat like an Adam's apple.
Archie was scowling at Ethel's face. He tightened his grip on one of Marigold's shoulders.
'My property!' he announced to the Professor.
As Marigold struggled to free herself, she was aware of Archie taking something out of the pocket of his Beefeater uniform. She caught a glint of silver.
Handcuffs!
'Help me, Lolly!' he ordered.
His wife hesitated, pouted and then took hold of Marigold's small wriggling body. Archie tried to secure her wrists. Marigold looked at Ethel. She was staring at the manacles in outrage. Ethel rushed at The Flaunts with her mouth wide open. Marigold saw something in her mouth flash. It sent out a brilliant beam accompanied by an ear-splitting operatic screech.
*
Ethel's screech echoed throughout all the buildings of The Tower of London. Ancient stones were shaken from their walls and began to fall. Bert leapt to avoid them. The Beefeaters between him and The Jewel House fled in fear. Overhead he heard the flap of the ravens' wings as they abandoned their perches.
*
Inside The Jewel House, the glass case that surrounded the Kohinoor crown shook. Bob, who was still stuck to its surface, was thrown against the wall. He yelped – more from the pain of losing sight of the diamond than the collision. His cries were drowned out by the siren of an alarm. Agitated, he stood up and stared back at the case. In the top left hand corner, there was a crack in the glass.
*
Marigold felt Archie and Lolly remove their hands from her. She heard a clank. They must have dropped the manacles on the floor. Lolly began to scream as she and Archie dodged the pieces of masonry tumbling out of the walls of The Bloody Tower. Marigold ducked. She caught a glimpse of the Flaunts terrified faces before they turned and ran. She smiled.
A grey stone shot out of Ethel's mouth. It was followed by a jet of water. The stone fell at Marigold's feet with a clatter. Surprised, Ethel closed her mouth. The chamber stopped shaking. Marigold looked from Ethel, who was rubbing her throat, to the stone. 'The partly crushed diamond...' she said, picking it up. Ethel nodded. Marigold turned the stone over in her hand. Its last glimmer of diamond light faded away. She put it in the top pocket of her sailor suit and fastened the button over it.
Suddenly the wail of the alarm filled her ears. It was as if her head had been too full of thoughts and fears for her to hear it before. 'Come on, Ethel!' she shouted as she lead the way out of the tower. 'Bert could be in trouble!' They carefully stepped over the fallen rubble.
No Beefeaters crossed their path as they hurried towards the Jewel House. She wondered if they were hiding underground from Earthquake Ethel. At her side, the Professor was breathing much easier now the diamond was no longer stuck inside her. Marigold glanced up at the faces of the Jewel House clocks. Ten minutes left. She knew Bert could have them back at Blackmoor Hall in less than five.
But how long does it take to steal part of the Crown Jewels?
And now she was distracted. The truth the Flaunts had finally told had only left her with questions.
As they dashed across the door that Bert had smashed off its hinges, she was aware of Ethel studying her. The alarm stopped its wail. Marigold thought this was very good timing because it looked like the Professor wanted to say something.
'My dear', she began 'You mustn't take any notice of the unpleasant things that Lolly person said.'
Marigold felt her shoulders shrug as they wandered into the gloom of the Jewel House.
'A marigold may be a glove but, as you know, it is first and foremost a beautiful flower.'
Marigold nodded and tried to focus on Ethel's kind eyes. But there was no keeping it in.
'I don't know who I am.'
She watched Ethel thinking of a reply. At the same time she felt a long fingered hand on her shoulder. It dragged her away from the Professor's anxious face and into the dark.
