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darkness trying to quieten their rapid breathing.
‘What do you think they’re up to?’ asked Tyaas.
‘Shhhhhhh, don’t speak,’ said Tallitha, ‘keep absolutely still.’
Within a few minutes the shroves entered the chamber. They gabbled to each other whilst snooping into the chests of drawers. There was a sudden clang of metal hooks as the velvet bed curtains were roughly pulled apart. Tallitha clamped her hand over her brother’s mouth in the suffocating darkness.
‘Ne ne kempora dernal canlera del ae nan trath. Spirrrnthndas al na durnath nem kemporan.’
     
One of the shroves spoke sharply. Tallitha wished she had paid more attention in her language classes.
     
‘Encrremblan dur na clerna ni fenran. Nan trath an doorn ken lam naen, spirrrnthndas al na durnath.’
    They had wedged themselves underneath a lumpy bolster that smelled of old mouse droppings. Tallitha decided that if they were discovered they would pretend to be playing hide and seek. It would never work though, she would be taken before the Grand Morrow to explain herself and would get into more trouble. But fortunately for Tallitha, she did not have to tell her lie. The shroves were also being followed. From beneath the bedcovers Tallitha heard the sound of high heels click-clacking on the parquet floor.
    ‘What are you two doing in here? Come out before someone sees you. Grintley needs your help downstairs,’ ordered Snowdroppe, snapping her fingers at the shroves.
    Tallitha heard the sound of scampering feet as the shroves obeyed her mother and scurried down the corridor. Then Snowdroppe roughly pulled the velvet curtains back into position and closed the door behind her.
    When Tallitha’s heart had stopped pounding she popped her nose out from under the smelly bedclothes, slipped from beneath the bolster and sat on the edge of the bed, dangling her feet over the edge. Within a second Tyaas was sitting next to her.
    ‘What’s mother doing up here?’ whispered Tyaas.
‘And what’s she doing with the shroves?’ added Tallitha, perplexed. She chewed her finger nails, thinking over their mother’s possible
motives. Snowdroppe was notoriously idle and never bothered with anyone who could not further her own scheming ends.
    ‘Something’s definitely going on,’ she said as she crept out of the door. ‘Come on,the coast is clear, let’s get back to our rooms and take a look at the book.’
    *
Unfortunately it wasn’t as easy as all that.
When Tallitha started down the next staircase she spied Grintley,
    their Mother’s shrove, below them on the landing. Tallitha had always despised Grintley. They waited for him to carry Snowdroppe’s trunks into her suite as he snivelled away to himself. He was larger than Marlin, with sprouts of ginger hair sticking up above his ears, but he still had the unmistakeable shrunken appearance of a shrove. His misshapen hands gripped one of the heavy jewel boxes as he minced awkwardly on his skinny legs into Snowdroppe’s sitting room. If only they could get past Grintley without him noticing.
‘When he’s gone we’ll make a dash for it,’ whispered Tyaas.
    But the plan did not work. Their mother chose that same moment to leave her suite. Snowdroppe appeared in a violet dress, gesticulating to her shrove to quicken his duties. She held her amber coloured Fennec Fox, Stiggy, in her arms, petting and adoring it.
‘What are you two doing on the third floor?’ she asked suspiciously.
    Grintley licked his salivating mouth, waiting for the opportunity to apprehend the children.
‘Are you trying to sneak away without saying hello?’ asked Snowdroppe in an accusatory manner.
Stiggy barked her weak yapping noises in the children’s direction.
‘Yes, yes, Stiggy darling, they are wicked children,’ said Snowdroppe burying her nose deep into the fox’s fur. ‘Did Great Aunt Agatha not tell you I was coming home today? You may kiss me.’
Snowdroppe bent down and a waft of exotic perfume enveloped