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 woke in darkness. She was lying down. She felt beneath her.
Soft. Not hard. Not on my bed of books then.
Wherever she was smelt musty. She didn't think it had known fresh air for a long time.
Am I dead? Is the smell me?Have I gone off?
Panicking, she sniffed her arm. She reeked of smoke and damp clothes.
But that doesn'tmean I'm alive.
Her eyes became more accustomed to the lack of light. She made out she was in a four poster bed. It was enclosed by curtains. A lump at the bottom of the bed moved. She sprang back, tucking her knees under her chin.
The lump stirred again. 'Heap of junk... Daft old bat... Take cover!' it said.
'Jet!' she cried. She slid down the bed. With outstretched arms, she woke the dog with a hug.
'Eh? Oh. Morning, flower'. Jet rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
'I'm so glad you're here too', she told him.
'Where else would I be?'
'But where are we?' She paused before saying, 'I think we might be dead'.
'Nay, lass. We're still at t' Hall.' With his mouth, he pulled open the curtains that surrounded the bed. 'See?'
Marigold made out that there was a room beyond the two of them.
'Well that's a relief', she smiled, jumping off the bed. 'But it's so dark.' She took in the heavy black drapes that were covered in dust and cobwebs. Was there even a window behind them?
Jet moved closer and studied her face. 'You dint bang your nut on way down, did you?'
'What?'
'When you fell off ladder. Don't you remember, petal? Ladyship were nowt but bones. She went int' Crusher's jaws. Whole contraption blew up. Whatnot caught you.'
She remembered feeling the heat of the machine's destruction. She remembered floating through all the colours of light. But nothing after that.
'He were reet worried about you', Jet was saying. 'We all were. We've teken turns to watch over you while you sleep – just in case owt 'appened, like.'
She smiled at him. 'Thank you'. He returned it with warmth. She moved to the drapes and tugged them open. Behind them was a window. But it was covered with a thick black blind.
'And what d'you reckon to this father business?'
Marigold pretended she hadn't heard Jet's question. She focused on the tiny square of light she had discovered. It was sneaking under the bottom of the blind where the fabric had frayed.
