Chapter 26
TWENTY-SIX
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
‘Stack them on the ground over there.’ I pointed to a place out of our way.
‘Miss Violet, you help, too. Quickly.’ There was no time to observe the social niceties.
Hermione and Violet looked surprised at me ordering them around, but they began moving the plates.
I knew that we had to get as much weight off the box before we tried to move it – as well as the fact that, if we did manage to lift it while it had all the china on it, no doubt it would all fall off and alert the maids to our presence.
That would not do.
‘Why are we doing this?’ Hermione asked.
‘The tunnel is under the box,’ I explained. ‘We have to move it to get out.’
‘Won’t people hear us?’ she asked, frightened.
‘Possibly. But what other choice do we have?’ I tried to sound calm, and not be panicked, but it was difficult.
I wished Aunt Bill was here – not least because she would be much more use in moving heavy furniture.
But Aunt Bill was busy keeping all the maids distracted in the kitchen.
I wondered what treat she had created to make them all so excited.
Aunt Bill would manage to make Hermione and Violet feel safe and warm, even in the process of a risky night-time escape down a dark tunnel. I knew I wasn’t half as comfortable a presence as my aunt, but I was doing my best.
Once we had all the china off the box, I took one end of it and told Hermione to take the other.
I could lift my end, but she was so weak and reedy that she couldn’t move the other end of it at all.
I cursed our bad luck that, somehow, in the time between William getting into the tunnel and us coming, someone had placed it there.
The thumping continued from under us. I knew that William was trying to make sure we knew he was there, but I wished he would shut up.
‘Never mind. Come at this end. We’re going to push it, all three of us,’ I said. They both came to stand next to me, and we pushed the box as hard as we could.
I thought about what would happen if we couldn’t move it.
I imagined Aunt Bill running in and saying, the jig’s up, maid, I tried as hard as I could.
Imagined a horde of footmen trooping in to the scullery, grabbing us by the wrists, marching me out to a waiting policeman, and Hermione and Violet back up to their rooms.
I heaved with all my might, and I felt the large wooden box give.
‘Again!’ I muttered, and we shoved it with all our might.
It moved a foot, and I saw the outline of the door underneath.
We shoved it again, and the door was totally exposed.
I heard someone in the corridor outside. Footsteps. Coming toward us.
I swore under my breath, knelt down in the soap-sud and puddle-ridden floor and tugged at the ring that was inlaid in the trap door.
Mercifully, it flew open, and I looked down into a black tunnel lit by a dim torch to see William’s face looking up at me.
‘You took your damn time,’ William said.
I could have slapped him and kissed him at the same time. I’d have to save it for later.