It made me wonder what would lead to my demise. Was it right in front of my nose?
My pondering was cut short as I was having a peek at more of the objects. I heard the study door downstairs creek open suddenly, and heavy footsteps enter the room below. Instinctively I crouched low to the floor and held my breath. Was supper time over already? I felt like I had barely been here for ten minutes. Below I heard a cork being popped from a bottle and liquid being poured into a glass. If the Master planned on retiring in his study tonight, I would be here for a very long time. I silently crept from the room after blowing out the oil lamp and placing it silently upon the right table. I tip toed across the landing and peered over the edge so I could see the entire room before me. The Master was below, sipping some wine and riffling through some papers upon his desk. With a heavy sigh of a tired, old man he sat behind the desk and put on a pair of spectacles. I grimaced and retreated further back on the landing as not to be seen in case the Master happened to look up. How would I leave this room without him spotting me? I kept myself hidden upon the landing, listening intently for any sign that Master Forsythe might leave. I sat upon the landing, hidden behind the giant telescope for at least half an hour. I was becoming mind numbingly bored and picking at bits of lint upon my clothes. My heart leapt when I heard the creak of his chair and footsteps shuffling across the floor. He might be finally leaving, I thought hopefully. It was growing increasingly late and people would be looking for me, no doubt. Jack might just have a brain haemorrhage. He tended to worry about me a lot. Which is fair enough, really, I thought reasonably, I do seem to be a magnet for bad luck.
I felt my body tense with fear as I heard the definite sound of one smartly polished shoe placing itself upon the winding staircase. Then another. Oh no, please no. I cringed at the sound of Master Forsythe ascending the stairs to the landing which I happened to be hiding on. What kind of cruel joke was the world playing on me these last few months? As the footsteps sounded closer and closer I desperately searched for a hiding place. The only place I could go was back into the dark room where I would most definitely be trapped. But that room was dark and full of objects. I might be able to hide in a shadowy corner and go unnoticed. I crept back towards the door silently, which I had left ajar and slipped into the room, closing it silently behind me. It was pitch black and I couldn’t see a thing. What was stopping me from tripping up and making one hell of a racket? I felt my way around the room, hugging the cold stone walls which sent shivers through my body. As I reached the back of the room a ran my hands over something unfamiliar which I hadn’t noticed during my previous exploration. By the feel of it I seemed to be standing before a large cloak wardrobe which was against the back wall of the dark room. I would have to be quiet and quick. Surely it would only be a few more steps until he reached the top? I pulled on the door handle of the wardrobe. Success! It was unlocked. As I pulled it ajar it creaked slightly, but not loud enough to be noticed. Before it would be too late I slipped inside the musty wardrobe between the cloaks upon hangers and closed the door silently. I was immersed in darkness now and couldn’t see my own hand in front of my face. Everything was very quiet and I prayed that perhaps the Master wouldn’t even enter this room. I could hear him moving across the landing beyond the door. With a cringe I heard Sebastian place a key inside the room door. I heard him give a grunt as he realised that he had left it unlocked since his last visit here. If I had to hazard a guess, I would say he was in his mid sixties, so it would be perfectly normal for him to forget something simple like locking his secret room.