Page 108 of The Clockmaker's Cottage
They all turned at once.
Arthur Blake’s face had drained of colour, his eyes locked on the open watch.
ChapterThirty
Arthur’s warning hung in the air, but Horace ignored it. He held the magnet in one hand, the watch in the other, and flicked a tiny switch.
A crackle burst from the tiny speaker inside the watch casing.
Everyone froze.
Pete and Theo leaned forward. Pippa held her breath.
The crackle settled into quiet static.
Then a woman’s laugh rang out– soft, close– followed by the rustle of bedsheets.
Pippa felt her stomach drop.
On the recording, the woman gasped playfully, and then a man chuckled. The sound was unmistakably intimate.
‘Arthur, stop, we shouldn’t… If Walter comes back…’
Theo blinked hard.
Horace’s entire body stiffened.
Pete’s eyebrows shot upwards.
Arthur didn’t move at all.
The sheets rustled again, then settled. After a few seconds, quiet breathing filled the speaker.
‘He’d be heartbroken if he found out.’
‘He won’t. Agatha… he won’t. He doesn’t question anything.’
Pippa looked instinctively at Horace. His jaw tightened, and he stared at the carpet.
The recording carried on.
‘You sound frustrated,’ said Agatha.
‘Because Andrew’s the one doing all the work. He’s more talented than both of them. He’s starting to see it, too.’
Horace was shaking his head in disbelief. Pete looked from him to Arthur, but didn’t say a word.
‘And if he realises how good he is…?’ prompted Agatha.
‘He already has. He wants recognition for the commission, but it could ruin everything. If he exposes them, the whole brand collapses and we’re all left with nothing.’
There was a short pause, and then Arthur spoke again, quieter. ‘There is one thing. The commission.’
‘Go on.’
‘We know how much it’s worth.’
Another shift of sheets.
