child, of whom she was extraordinarily fond. I judged her to be an honest and good-hearted young woman such as anyone might choose to care for an infant who had lost her own mother. However the fact that I was a guest in the house, and above all that I was a doctor, convinced her that my intentions and my skill were both acceptable.
I found Jenny sitting at her breakfast of bread and butter cut into fingers, and a soft-boiled egg. I waited until she had finished eating before addressing her. She seemed to be little worse for her kidnap, but then of course she had no idea that the threat of that again, and worse, awaited her.
She looked at me guardedly, but without alarm, as long as her nursemaid stayed close to her.
"Good morning, Dr. Watson," she replied when I had introduced myself. I sat down on one of the small nursery chairs, so as not to tower over her. She was a beautiful child with very fair hair and wide eyes of an unusually dark blue.
"Are you all right after your adventure, yesterday night?" I asked her.
"Yes, I don't need any medicine," she said quickly. It seemed that her last taste of medicine was not one she wished to repeat.
"Good," I agreed. "Did you sleep well?"
The question did not appear to have much meaning for her. I had forgotten in the face of her solemn composure just how very young she was.
"You did not have bad dreams?" I asked.
She shook her head.
"I'm glad. Can you tell me what happened?"
"I was in the garden," she said, her eyes downcast.
"What were you doing there?" I pressed her. It was important that I learn all I could.
"Picking flowers," she whispered, then looked up at me to see how I took that. I gathered that was something she was not supposed to do.
"I see." I dismissed the subject and she looked relieved. "And someone came and spoke to you? Someone you did not know?"
She nodded.
"What did he look like? Do you remember?"
"Yes. He was old. He had no hair at the front," she indicated her brow. "His face was white. He is very big, but thin, and he talked a funny way."
"Was his hair white?" What was her idea of old?
She shook her head.
"What did you call him?" That might give some clue.
"Fessa," she replied.
"Fessa?" What an odd name.
"No!" she said impatiently. "P'fessa!" This time she emphasized the little noise at the beginning.
"Professor?" I said aghast.
She nodded. A ridiculous and horrible thought began to form in my mind. "He was thin, and pale, with a high forehead. Did he have unusual eyes?" I asked.
She shivered, suddenly the remembered fear returned to her. The nursemaid took a step closer and put her arms around the child, giving me a glare, warning me to go no further. In that moment I became convinced within myself that it was indeed Professor Moriarty that we were dealing with, and why he had kidnapped a child and returned her with a fearful warning, would in time become only too apparent.
"Where did he take you?" I asked with more urgency in my tone than I had intended.
She looked at me with anxiety. "A house," she said very quietly. "A big room."
How could I get her to describe it for me, without suggesting her answers so they would be of no value?
"Did you ride in a carriage to get there?" I began.
She looked uncertain, as if she could have said yes, and then no.
"In something else?" I guessed.
"Yes. A little kind of carriage, not like ours. It was cold."
"Did you go very far?"
"No."
I realized after I had said it that it was a foolish question. What was far in a child's mind? Holmes would chastise me for such a pointless waste of time.
"Was it warm in the room? Was there a fire?"
"No."
"Who was there, besides the Professor? Did they give you anything to eat?"
"Yes. I had teacakes with lots of butter." She smiled as she said that, apparently the memory was not unpleasant. But how could I get her to tell me something that would help find the place where she had been taken, or anything whatever which would be of use in preventing Moriarty from succeeding in his vile plan? "Did you go upstairs?" I tried.
She nodded. "Lots," she answered, looking at me solemnly. "I could see for miles and miles and miles out of the window."
"Oh?" I had no need to feign my interest. "What did you