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laden with cameos set with pearls, ruby-encrusted snuffboxes, diamond tiepins. A sapphire necklace was spreadeagled on a red velvet cushion, just begging for a fine white neck to wear it. An emerald ring glistened in an ebony box like a winking eye.
    â€˜Where did you pinch all these from?’ I asked, aghast.
    â€˜Pinch? You think I stole these, do you, Cat?’ He leant against the door, blocking my exit.
    â€˜Course I do.’
    â€˜I won’t deny that some came to me strangely cheap from irregular sources, but I buy themabove board, all fair and square.’
    I raised an eyebrow.
    He grinned. ‘Well, perhaps I don’t ask enough questions, but I never stole none of these, I swear, your worship.’ He saw where my eyes were resting. ‘Try it on.’
    Before I could refuse, he put the sapphire necklace around my throat and held up a mirror so I could inspect it. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, though the stones felt cold against my skin. I shivered.
    â€˜Look, it suits you, Cat. You were born to wear fine stuff, anyone can see that. Your father must ’ave ’ad blue blood, even if your mother was a harlot.’
    I pulled it off my neck, feeling sullied that I’d half fallen for the lure of all these garish treasures.
    â€˜Easy with that!’ Billy chided, taking the necklace from me and laying it reverently back on its pillow.
    â€˜So, you’ve got a lot of rocks, Billy. What’s that to do with me?’
    He rubbed his chin, gazing around him like apainter trying to decide where next to place his brush. ‘It’s a fine collection, I grant you, but I feel it lacks something.’
    â€˜What?’
    â€˜I want the Crown jewels.’
    â€˜Oh yeah, pull the other one, it’s got bells on,’ I laughed hollowly.
    â€˜Nah, I’m deadly serious, Cat. I want you to get me the Crown jewels. I’m a reasonable man – I don’t ask for all of ’em, just something to put in that space . . . there!’ He pointed to a gap in the middle shelf occupied by an empty cushion.
    â€˜You are joking?’
    He shook his head. ‘You gave your word, Cat. You said you’d do anything to ’elp your African friend.’
    I gulped. He was purposely setting me an impossible task. He had to have a reason.
    â€˜Isn’t there something else I could do?’
    â€˜I like collectin’, Cat: jewels, money, people . . .’
    â€˜You really should get out more, Billy –’
    â€˜If you don’t get me wot I want, you’ll ’ave to take its place.’ He placed the lock of hair on the cushion.
    â€˜You’re a sick man, Billy, very sick.’ My knees were trembling. I wasn’t sure if he meant he wanted a bit of me carved off and put up there like a fetish belonging to some savage tribe of Captain Cook’s, or whether he meant he wanted me as a permanent guest in his house. A possession. Knowing Billy, both were possible and I didn’t want to find out the answer.
    He just smiled.
    I looked down at my skirts. I’d forgotten to keep the raspberry stain hidden – the blot taunted me, reminding me of my failings. ‘All right, damn you! I’ll get you your Crown jewel even if I have to rob the king myself. How long do I have?’
    Billy picked up the candelabra. ‘’Ow long do you think you’ll need before you decide?’
    He meant before I decided if I was going to join his little collection.
    â€˜Oh, I don’t know,’ I said irritably, hating him for this. He loved humiliating me. ‘Till the end of the summer, I s’pose.’
    â€˜Fair enough. Your cushion will be waitin’ bymy fireside for the autumn then, Kitten.’
    â€˜Don’t call me Kitten.’
    He ushered me out and pulled the bell cord. ‘You know, I always wanted a pet,’ he said in a conversational tone. ‘Somethink to come ’ome