It was at that moment that the bell downstairs resounded throughout the mansion. Mortimer had been staring thoughtfully at the wall, captivated by his perspicacious musings, and now, after being quite rudely interrupted he snapped to attention.
Without hesitation, he lumbered toward the windows on the opposite end of his room, careful to step around the mounds of treasure that covered the wooden floors of his study. He launched his frame like a beached whale over his four-poster bed, and once he had righted himself again, he swiftly pulled the glass panes open and peered down.
He had selected his room for this particular purpose. Not only was it conveniently positioned above the front door, allowing him the perfect vantage for spying on intruders to his otherwise peaceful sanctuary, but
