Bess lay on her side, wondering what had awakened her. It had been something out of the ordinary, not the usual creaks of the house, the patter of a running servant or the night-time noises from the streets.
“John.” she nudged Smith in the ribs. “John!” Bess hissed more urgently, shaking his arm.
Smith rolled over. “What is it?” He opened his eyes, automatically reaching for the gold watch on the table beside the bed.
“I heard something.”
“What sort of something?” Smith sat up. Lifting his tinder box, he scratched a spark and lit the candle on the table. “It’s three in the morning, damn it, Bess. Is this any time to wake a Christian gentleman?”
“Keep your voice down!” Bess hissed. “Somebody is moving around the house! It may be a burglar.”
Smith slid out of bed and reached for the pi
