But there was no gap. The window was shut tight. I pressed on it, but it was either locked or stuck beyond my ability to open it.
I wondered what I should do. Tap on the window and get Roden and Tobias to let me in? They’d certainly tell Mott or Conner and I’d face a terrific punishment for that.
As it turned out, I didn’t have that decision to make. Tobias sat up in bed and looked directly at me, then a wicked smile spread across his face. He arched his eyebrows, as if asking what I intended to do about this problem.
I held out both hands, then pointed to the window. He shook his head slowly, then rolled over and lay back down again.
I looked at Roden, but if he was awake I couldn’t tell. He wasn’t facing me and wasn’t moving, except for a slow rise and fall of his body. I wondered if he was a part of Tobias’s trick. Roden and I had agreed to sabotage Tobias. Maybe Roden also made an agreement with Tobias to sabotage me. If so, it would leave him free of both of us as threats. It would be a clever plan, and I almost regretted that I had not thought of it.
I leaned my head against the stone wall of Farthenwood and balanced my feet on the narrow ledge. It wouldn’t be long before the morning servants would awaken to begin preparing the house for a daytime routine. I was running out of time.
A few of the servants’ windows were open, but it didn’t seem like a good idea to go through any of them. Too many people, most of whom would be waking up soon. Besides, then I’d have to get all the way upstairs and past Mott or whoever stood guard outside our room at night, all without being seen.
Conner’s window was slightly open. That would at least get me on the right floor. Then I could keep watch and hope for a sleeping servant guarding my door, or an easily distracted one. As risky as it was to use his room, it was my best choice. Maybe my only choice.
Conner had a small balcony outside his room. The door was bolted shut to keep it from blowing open during a wind gust, but the window beside the balcony was opened enough to let a slight breeze through. The window gave easily when I pressed on it. It was much larger than the window by my bed, so there was no difficulty in sliding my body into his room.
I stood still for a very long time to be sure of the rhythm of his sleep, the depth of his breaths and their cycle. He snored softly, which I appreciated because it gave me some cover for any sound I might make.
His wide canopy bed was draped in so much fabric, it was difficult to see his body. The sounds of his snoring would have to be enough to assure me I was safe.
Back in Mrs. Turbeldy’s orphanage, I’d spent more nights than days roaming through the rooms. I knew how to test for a floor’s squeak before placing my weight on it. I knew how to open a door, a closet, or a drawer so that it didn’t create a sense of movement in the room. And I knew how to stay invisible.
At least, I knew how to do it there.
Here, it was a little more complicated. I wasn’t familiar with the layout of Conner’s room, and there wasn’t much light to work with.
Conner’s room was larger than our bedroom. Ridiculously large for only one man, but he was the master here, so if this was the room he wanted, it was his. On one end of the room, to my left, was his bed and several large wardrobes along the far wall for his many fine clothes. Near me was a cushioned chair where he could look out over the balcony onto the back lawn while he sipped a morning tea. To my right were rows of shelves filled with books. He had so many more in his office below that I couldn’t help but wonder if he’d actually read all these books, or were they merely for show? Probably he’d read them. Conner was a thorough man. I was briefly curious about the titles, about what books he studied. Then Conner mumbled something unintelligible in his sleep and rolled over. It was time to go.