Page 21 of The Wise Daughter

“Here we are.” The duke gestured into the dark space, expecting her to enter first.

Nora ran her fingers along the door’s lines. The molding was flawless. She never would have seen the hidden door behind the pianoforte had the duke not opened it for her.

“It’s very well hidden, Your Grace, but I would have eventually noticed your footprints.” She pointed to the light tracks of dust and dirt. “You should be more careful.”

“Me be careful? Aren’t you the one who was almost crushed by the chandelier?”

Despite his playful tone, a shudder rushed through her. “I’m glad you came. This passageway is why I didn’t see you enter, isn’t it?”

He shrugged. “You might not have noticed me because you were entirely lost in your song. I came when I heard you singing. You have an enchanting voice.” His cheeks grew red to match his hair.

He suddenly looked uncomfortable. “Nora, I don’t like to leave this door open for long lest someone come and discover my secret. Would you like to see where it leads?”

Cobwebs loosely hung from the hidden door’s frame and swayed from the draft that pulled into the dim passageway. “Curse my curiosity,” she muttered, earning a small chuckle from the duke.

“It will be worth it. You’ll see.”

Once she was snuggly inside, he eased the door closed behind them.

As the last slip of light disappeared, leaving them in darkness, Nora reached for his hand.

The sounds of their breathing seemed louder in this tiny space.

The air held a clammy chill, but she could sense his heat behind her.

Now that he had held her in that protective embrace, she didn’t mind an excuse to be close again.

The narrow passage led only one way, so she lifted her skirts and side-stepped deeper into the darkness with the duke following her lead. Small bits of light occasionally broke through cracks in the walls and stone but grew less frequent the further they went.

When her pace slowed, his other hand gently fell on her shoulder. “Just follow the passage, Nora. I won’t let you go amiss.”

His breath tickled her neck. She imagined how close his face would be to hers if she turned around. He left his hand on her shoulder as they walked.

After a few minutes, she heard a small scuffling and a smell that meant rodents.

Oh, no.

Her next step took great effort.

Another scuffle scratched the air, and she froze. Her nose began to itch with the musk and dust their footsteps were stirring up. For several uncomfortable seconds, she held back a sneeze, but the pressure of the itch built until the sneeze sputtered out in a most unladylike fashion.

A flurry of scuffles sounded ahead of her, sending her backward into the duke’s chest.

“Aaron!” She instantly covered her lips. This was the first time his given name had flowed from her tongue without putting any thought into it. She couldn’t see his face in the darkness, but she was sure he had noticed.

“It’s all right, Nora.” His hand tightened around hers. “I’m sure it’s only a mouse.”

“Or several mice. Or rats.”

“Are you afraid of mice?”

“No,” she whispered, fighting off a rising tremble. “Only their sharp teeth and their glassy little eyes and those tiny, grasping paws.” At least there was no light to reveal the distress that was surely written across her face.

“Then let’s walk quickly, and I’ll tell any rodents we encounter to keep their distance.”

“If you can command the rodents, I’ll consider you the most powerful of all dukes.”

She felt his breath again on her neck as he made a wheezing sound. “Please don’t make me laugh right now, Nora. The walls are thin in some places, and I don’t want to be detected. Come, I’ll keep you safe.”

“Eliminating the rodents would be more gentlemanly.”

“I’ll remember that.”

His hand softly rubbed her shoulder, steadying her while simultaneously making her insides come loose, but it gave her strength to continue. On they walked until they came to a narrow, wooden staircase where the light barely permeated the cracks.

“If you walk up those stairs and follow the passageway in that direction, you will eventually come to a door that leads to my bedchamber.”

“What if the thieves know about this passageway?”

“I actually came here to see if that might be true, but I don’t think they do. I’ll show you what I mean when we reach the next exit. For now, we will take the stairs down.”

Down they went until they came to another door, at which point Nora still hadn’t decided whether or not she regretted following him.

“Now, reach out.” He slid his arm alongside hers and guided her hand. “Do you feel these threads here and here?”

She swallowed and tried not to be too distracted by the trailing heat his touch left on her arm. With his help, she felt two thin strands of thread pinned across the door. With the lack of light, the threads were impossible to see.

“Yes.”

“I placed these strands here years ago across each entrance so I would know if anyone else ever came here. I haven’t been to inspect them until now. And since they are undisturbed…”

“No one has visited this passage since you were last here,” Nora finished. “Our thieves do not know of its existence.”

“Exactly.”

“But now I know. You have shared your secret with me.”

“Yes, Nora.” His whisper caressed her face as softly as a kiss.

“Then this is another secret we share.”

They stood in silence for several seconds as the secret settled between them.

Nora already knew he trusted her, but this was different.

This was his home, his safety, his freedom willingly shared.

She had sometimes wondered whether he truly intended to marry her, but this moment cast all doubts aside. He was committed to her.

He released her hand and opened the door, breaking the threads. There was nothing ahead except darkness and perhaps rats. Cold air beckoned her in.

“Reach out,” he instructed her, his voice soft.

She didn’t need any more urging. She quickly took his hand.

He returned the pressure of her hold and added, “I mean reach out and touch the wall.”

“Oh.” Her face burned in the darkness. She could hear the smile in his voice, but when she tried to ease out of his hand, he tightened his grip.

“This is still a good idea.” He brought her hand to his lips and placed a kiss there before holding it comfortably at his side.

“Light doesn’t reach the tunnel at all. We won’t be in complete darkness for more than a minute or two, but I find the walk less disconcerting if I keep my hand on the wall. ”

Nora swallowed. “Does that mean the Duke of Ravenglass is sometimes frightened?” Her voice echoed slightly down the tunnel as she stepped in.

“Not when I’m with you.”

He shut the door behind them, its click sending another echo down the tunnel.

A sweet, earthy scent filled each clammy breath.

Just as he had instructed, she reached out with her free hand and let her fingers gently brush the stone walls while her other hand held fast to his.

The stone was damp and rougher than the variety within the castle, making her wonder just how old the tunnel was.

Their footsteps thudded softly as a far-off drip-drip marked the passing seconds.

When they reached the end of the tunnel, the duke struggled with the final door, which finally opened with a dry grating of wood on stone. So much sunlight flooded the tunnel that Nora had to squint.

“Nora, I want you to make note of the latches here and here, should you ever need to open this door by yourself.” He showed her a rusted latch at the top of the door as well as the middle. “They’re old, but as you can see, they still work.”

Nora had already noted the latches, but she couldn’t imagine ever choosing to come here by herself.

“Shall we?” He gestured to the light beyond. “If you don’t mind, I’ll lead the way this time.”

Before them rose a dozen narrow, crude stone steps with moss and grass making them almost indistinguishable from the ground.

The duke tested each step, plucking at the tall grass and pushing aside smaller rocks and vines to make the way clearer for her.

At the top of the small slope, she found herself in an overgrown garden less than half the size of the music room they had come from.

The air smelled of so much sweet herbs and earth, she could almost taste it.

“Welcome to the castle’s hidden garden.” He gestured around, then frowned.

“It was once green and blossoming, but like the other rooms, it’s been neglected.

” He plucked one of the few rogue flowers wilting between clusters of leaves.

“I used to come here sometimes with my mother. My father had these walls built around the tunnel to conceal its exit. It was once used as a sort of escape in centuries past, but it became my mother’s escape, her own personal refuge. ”

“What was she escaping from?”

He shrugged. “The pressures of daily life. I really don’t know. My mother is one of many mysteries I am trying to solve.”

The duke grew pensive. Nora memorized the way he favored shifting his weight every few minutes as he stood, the way his wavy, auburn hair fell across his forehead before he brushed it back with his fingers.

“There used to be a bench.” He pointed to the far end of the garden, which wasn’t very far away at all. “Wait, it’s still here.”

As he went to work scattering dead leaves and lifting layers of vines, she saw the cold lines of metal. A few minutes of more work and the duke had cleared off a small wrought-iron bench.

“Sit with me,” he beckoned.