Chapter 1
Lady Vandeleur's Hatbox
Harry Hartley was a kind, shy young man. Until his sixteenth birthday, he received the education most English gentlemen get. Harry did not like studying very much, so he was allowed to finish his education before most young men do. However, Harry loved music and he could sing and play the piano well.
These talents, and a bit of luck, helped Harry to find a job when his parents died just two years after he finished school. That was how Harry Hartley began a new life as private secretary to Major-General Sir Thomas Vandeleur.
When he was young, Sir Thomas Vandeleur was a soldier in India. He was poor when he left England, but he made a good career for himself working for the Rajah of Kashgar. When Sir Thomas returned to England, he had with him one of the largest diamonds in the world. This was known as the Rajah's Diamond. The Rajah of Kashgar gave this wonderful diamond to Sir Thomas to thank him for something he did for the Rajah.
Nobody knew exactly what Sir Thomas did to get the famous diamond, but the diamond made him one of the richest and most important men in England. In his new life he was always invited to exclusive parties. Soon he was married to one of the richest and most beautiful women in England.
But for Harry life was not so pleasant in the Vandeleur household. Sir Thomas was a very difficult man to live with and Harry did not really like working for him. Sir Thomas was often angry and shouted at Harry. But Sir Thomas's wife, Lady Vandeleur, liked Harry very much and treated him like a son. Harry liked Lady Vandeleur too, and he was happy to do different jobs for her. Most days she gave Harry some money and sent him to different expensive shops to buy her hats or other things she wanted.
Early one morning Harry was in the living room, and he could hear the conversation Lady Vandeleur was having with her brother Charlie Pendragon. Charlie was a lazy young man. 'It must happen today – or never!' said Lady Vandeleur to her brother.
'Oh, Clara,' he replied, 'I know it must happen today, but it is such a bad thing to do.'
'Don't be silly, Charlie!' said Lady Vandeleur. 'Remember what I always say: The family before all... and Clara before the family!'
'Yes, dear sister, you're so clever!' said Charlie. 'I must go now, I don't want him to find me here.'
Charlie left quickly by the back stairs.
'Harry,' said Lady Vandeleur, turning to look at him, 'I have an important errand for you this morning. It's a secret and no one must know about it. Sir Thomas may get very upset.'
Lady Vandeleur continued: 'I want you to take my hatbox to an address on the other side of London and give it to a man I know there. Please remember to get a receipt for it. Do you understand?'
Harry started repeating her instructions, but just then Sir Thomas came into the room, his face red with anger.
'Look at this bill, madam!' he cried. 'I know you married me for my money... but I don't want you to spend all of it!'
'Mr Hartley,' said Lady Vandeleur, 'please go on your errand.'
'Wait!' said Sir Thomas, looking at Harry. Then he turned to Lady Vandeleur and said, 'What is this errand? I don't trust him or you. After all, what does he do to earn his money? It's a mystery to everyone.'
'I thought you had something to tell me privately,' said Lady Vandeleur.
'Don't try to change the subject,' insisted Sir Thomas. 'You spoke about an errand.'
'I don't want our servants to listen to our arguments. Mr Hartley, you may go.'
Harry quickly left the room, and as he ran upstairs to get the hatbox he could hear Sir Thomas's loud, angry voice and Lady Vandeleur's cold replies. Harry often went on these secret errands for Lady Vandeleur. He knew Lady Vandeleur's spending was a problem and he often went around London paying small amounts of money to different people for her. But Harry was always loyal to his lady. Besides, he disliked Sir Thomas and he understood Lady Vandeleur's love for expensive things.
It was a hot day and Harry decided to walk through Kensington Gardens to stay in the open. Harry walked near the magnificent Kensington Palace and was almost through the gardens when Sir Thomas suddenly appeared in front of him.
'Where are you going?' demanded Sir Thomas.
'I'm just taking a little walk in the park on this lovely day,' replied Harry, lying to his employer.
'With that thing?' said Sir Thomas pointing at Lady Vandeleur's hatbox. 'You're lying, and you know it! Where did my wife tell you to go?' cried Sir Thomas.
Sir Thomas started to raise his walking stick to hit Harry, but suddenly Charlie Pendragon appeared. 'Sir Thomas! You can't treat Mr Hartley like this!'
'No one can tell me what to do!' said Sir Thomas, raising his walking stick and trying to hit Charlie. A moment later they were fighting and a crowd of people was looking at them.
'Run, Harry, run!' cried Charlie, as he continued fighting.
Harry ran away as fast as he could, thinking all the time: 'Why was Sir Thomas so curious about what was in the hatbox? What doesn't Lady Vandeleur want her husband to know? Is she doing something dishonest? Why were they arguing?' But Harry stopped thinking when he suddenly realised that he was lost.
He was now in a very narrow street. It had high garden walls on both sides. Everything was still and silent. As Harry hurried along the street he wondered where he was. This part of London was completely new to him. While he was wondering where he was, someone shouted his name. He turned around and saw Charlie Pendragon coming quickly after him: he looked angry. Harry knew that Charlie helped him earlier, but by now Harry was so frightened that he ran. He knew that he had to hide. He ran around a corner, climbed over a garden wall and fell over into a garden with a soft 'thump!'
Harry was not hurt, but he lay on the soft, wet ground for a few seconds and thought, 'What am I going to do now?'
But he had no time to think any more. A large man was looking down at him. He picked Harry up easily and stood in front of him.
'Who are you?' demanded the man angrily. 'And why did you come into my garden in this way?'
Harry was too frightened to speak. So the man went on, 'Speak up, young man, or I'll take you to the nearest police station. Just look what you have done to my flowers.'
But as the man looked at the ground his eyes opened wide and he said, 'What's all this?'
Harry looked where the man was looking. The hatbox was open and, all over the ground around them, between their feet and under the roses, were diamonds. There were diamond rings, diamond earrings, a magnificent tiara made of diamonds, and dozens of diamonds shining in the sun.