Page 34 of A Rogue at Stonecliffe

“I was being sarcastic.”

“Doesn’t make your statement any less correct.”

“It seems unlikely to me that Winfield would have put a secret document in a box he was giving away,” Sloane pointed out. “It would be one he kept or at least gave to someone close to him, like a family member, where he could easily retrieve it.”

“I have one, of course,” Annabeth said, nodding, “and there’s one in the trunk that we brought over from the rental house. Grandmother has the jewelry case and a puzzle box. Are there any more?” Annabeth addressed this last to Lady Lockwood, who had an unaccustomed look of guilt in her eyes.

“No. I threw the puzzle box away. Or gave it to someone. I don’t remember.”

“Did he have other secret hiding spots?” Sloane asked. “Besides boxes?”

“Yes, there were some hidden places in the house where he stored things. But there are more in his workshop. Usually something he was working on. Of course, I might not know the location of all of them since they were secret.”

“Will it still be there? You sold your country house, didn’t you? Would they have kept the old workshop?”

“I don’t know. It’s at some distance from the house and rather secluded. The Todds might not have bothered to tear it down. Or they might have decided to store things in it.”

“So the house is occupied,” Sloane said.

“Well, apparently Miss Cole has no problem with burglary,” Nathan said dryly.

“I know,” Sloane replied casually, as if such things were ordinary occurrences. “But I dislike creeping about trying to find things in the dark.”

“Surely it would have been hidden only in those boxes that Papa was working on at the time he wrote this note. That reduces the number.”

“Yes, if we knew when he wrote the thing,” Sloane replied.

“Oh, yes, I see. I was thinking of a time close to his death, but of course it was more likely many years ago during the war.”

“But wouldn’t it have already been opened by whomever he gave it to?” Nathan pointed out. “Perhaps it has already been discovered.”

“If he gave it away. But I don’t know. There may be some people who were never able to discover how it worked.” Annabeth sighed. “Or who may very well have tossed it away.”

“I didn’t know that it might have some important document in it at the time, did I?” Lady Lockwood frowned.

“No. And I think Grandmother probably wasn’t the only one who didn’t know the boxes had secret compartments. Papa enjoyed people figuring that part out for themselves.”

“That’s why it’s likeliest that it’s in something of his own or perhaps Annabeth’s. He wouldn’t have put important information into someone else’s hands, leaving its discovery to chance,” Sloane said. He turned to Annabeth. “I want to see how it works.”

Annabeth started to retrieve her treasured box, then stopped. She had no interest in revealing its contents in front of all of them. Instead, she said, “Let’s look at Grandmother’s jewelry case.” She cast a questioning look at Lady Lockwood.

The old woman waved her hand. “If it will absolve me from my sin of throwing one out, I suppose I must allow my things to be rummaged through. Run and fetch it, Annabeth.”

She returned a few minutes later, carrying a large jewelry case. She opened the top. “I took out all the jewels, as it’s easier to find the latch that way.” Inside were two trays to hold jewelry, both of them empty. She held it out to Sloane. “Can you see any way to open another compartment?”

Sloane and Verity examined the case closely, then Sloane shook his head and passed the box back to Annabeth. “No, it’s quite well done if there is a hidden drawer there.”

“There is. I’ve opened it before. Papa always let me have a try at his boxes before he gave them away.”

Annabeth set the case down on the low table beside her grandmother and knelt in front of it. She closed her eyes for a moment, remembering, then opened the lid, removed the trays, and slid her fingernail into one corner of the box, peeling back the felt lining. Pressing on the wood, she grasped the left back corner and tugged. An inch of wood at the corner swung back, revealing wood beneath it. Annabeth did the same with the right rear corner; she pushed at the middle of the back, between the two opened corners, and there was a click. She pulled, and a tray about an inch deep and six inches long slid out.

“Look, there’s a piece of paper in here,” Annabeth said to her grandmother, and lifted it from the tray. Behind her Sloane and Verity stiffened, sliding a bit forward, but relaxed at the sight of the small piece of folded paper.

“Well, what does it say, child?” Lady Lockwood said.

“It says...” Annabeth swallowed, tears suddenly shimmering in her eyes. “It says, ‘My lady, you have my eternal gratitude for the gift of your beautiful daughter, the love of my life.’”

“Well.” Lady Lockwood blinked and looked down at her hands. She cleared her throat. “Hunter was many undesirable things, but he loved your mother.” Abruptly Lady Lockwood stood up. “I think that’s quite enough for today. With all the goings-on, I missed my afternoon rest.” She sent an accusatory look at Sloane and Verity. “And Annabeth is exhausted after her ordeal.”