I would have to act soon. It was nearing the end of my third day at the Dunnmore's, and I was supposed to meet Jack at the smithy around sunset. As soon as I was certain that Dunnmore was gone, I slipped down to the second floor, and into the empty room of Lady Jacqueline. I searched through the piles of useless but pretty junk on her vanity until I found something that could be of use. I studied the long, narrow hatpin, bending it a little to test its strength. Satisfied, I took the hatpin and snuck back upstairs to the double doors at the end of the third story hall.

I put my ear against the door and listened, but I could hear nothing. Taking one last cautionary glance down the hall, I took the hatpin out and started work on picking the lock. This was slow work, and I kept hearing creaks (or footsteps?) at the end of the hall. But luckily there was never anyone down there, and soon I heard the welcome click that signaled that I had successfully unlocked the door. Slowly, I turned the handle and let myself in, then carefully shut and locked the door behind me.

I was standing in an office. In front of me was a massive desk, cluttered with papers and books and maps. I started my search there, studying each map carefully, wondering how the bloody hell I was supposed to know which map was the right one. Frustrated, I sat down in Sir Dunnmore's chair and tried to plan, and noticed a small chest next to the desk. I ran my finger along the design on top of the chest, thinking about how Jack had a trunk very much like this one in his quarters on the Pearl. I missed Jack, and I wondered if he was thinking about me. Probably not. I sighed and stared at the chest, as if the location of the map was written on the top. I just had to think about the situation at hand, and not about Jack. But staring at the trunk made me think of the Pearl, which made me think of Jack. I remember he kept maps or something in his. Maps! This was a map chest! I bent down and flung it open. There were several maps rolled up inside. The map of the cache had to be in here!

I studied each map, not quite sure what I was searching for but fairly certain I would know it when I saw it. I pulled out a smaller, older piece of parchment and unrolled it. It was a map of a small cove with a cave along the shoreline. Someone had also drawn a detailed map of all of the tunnels and chambers inside the cave. The cursive at the top of the page was small and difficult to read, but I managed to make out "Garrett's Cove". This had to be it!

I heard the sound of a key scraping in the lock outside. Startled, I hurriedly looked around for a place to hide. There was a wardrobe against the back wall, and I darted inside and closed the door just as the office doors swung open. I sat as still as I could, hardly daring to breathe as I listened to Sir Dunnmore walk around the room. Silently I folded the map so it would fit in my dress pocket and waited for Dunnmore to leave. He walked closer; he was somewhere near his desk.

"What in the hell...?" I heard him mutter. I stifled a gasp. I forgot to close the chest! I could hear him rustling through the maps. He swore loudly, and slammed the lid closed. I prayed to any god who would listen that he would stay away from the wardrobe. My heart pounded, and my position on the wardrobe floor was growing more and more uncomfortable. The footsteps started again, but luckily they were getting farther and farther away. The office doors opened then slammed shut, and silence rang in the office. I opened the door of the wardrobe carefully, making sure that he was truly gone. I looked around the empty room and sighed, relieved.

As soon as I was certain he was gone, I left the office. The hall and stairs were thankfully empty, and I made it all the way out the back door without being noticed. I almost broke into a run passing the kitchen, but I restrained myself, as running looks a bit suspicious, and I did not want to draw any unnecessary attention to myself. It wasn't until I had made it out of the courtyard and into the back alley did I finally relax. I made it! Now all I had to do was find my way back to the smithy. I was making my way to the main street when a sharp voice stopped me in my tracks.

"Where do you think you're going you thieving little wench?"

I turned around slowly, as if any sudden movements would lead to an attack. Sir Dunnmore was behind me, and I was acutely aware of the map in my pocket. "Jane sent me to market to purchase a fresh fish for dinner tonight, if it please you," I said lightly. I wondered if I could escape alive if I took a run for it.

"That's a bloody lie," he snarled. There was a maniacal gleam in his eye.

"Have you been drinking, sir?" I asked, still trying to act as innocent as I possible could.

With two long strides he was in front of me, and though I tried to back away, he grabbed my wrist and jerked me roughly against the brick wall of the house next door.

"What did you take?" he demanded.

"Sir, I'm as much of a thief as you are." That was close to a confession, in this case. Dunnmore realized this, and used his free hand to hit me across my face. Hard. My head rang from the blow.

"I'll have no more of your impudence! I promise you, Miss Elden, if I find any proof that you did steal from me, you won't live to see your own hanging." He turned and left as abruptly as he came, and I stared after him for a short while, holding my hand against my bruised cheek, before I, too, turned and fled.