“Yes,” Hannah said, careful to speak at a normal volume instead of raising her voice. Even though it was clear that the place was abandoned, she had no idea how thin the walls were or what establishments were on the other side. “They must have made gin here before the increase in grain prices.”
Scanning the space one last time, Hannah headed over to the trapdoor. When she peered through the opening, she found Eoin looking up expectantly. As she considered the drop, she realized that it might have been easier climbing up than down.
“If you sit and dangle your legs, I should be able to lift youdown,” Eoin suggested. Of course, he’d registered her dilemma almost immediately.
Hannah hesitated. This would be even more like an embrace. But she really had no choice.
Eoin encircled her legs with his arms. As he held her high and straight in the air, she rested her hands against his shoulders. Pushing off, she avoided sliding down his chest. Yet even as she kept their bodies separated, the pose was still one of a celebrating couple. It was akin to how a groom would lift his bride above his head as they spun around in utter glee. But this was a mission, not a passion.
Hannah landed lightly on her feet, but her heart fell with a dull thud. She glanced at Eoin, and an unfamiliar wave of awkwardness nearly drowned her. Forcing her eyes not to dart away, she nodded sharply. “Thank you.”
Then she spun with military precision toward the unexplored part of the passage. Her body was so stiff that she practically marched. She could hear Eoin and her family following. The tunnel veered to the right, and Hannah wondered if they were crossing under the alley above them. After a short while, the passage turned right again. They were definitely parallel to where they’d been previously.
Hannah’s heart kicked up in her chest, and nervous excitement pumped through her. They were headed in the direction of the suspected secret room. But before they reached where she assumed it would be, they discovered another set of stairs.
“Based on how far we’ve traveled, I believe we’re under the other brothel.” Eoin’s face was a bright red once again, and the tips of his ears had even begun to turn mauve.
“I shall check, then,” Sophia said as she boldly marched up the steps with her gun in hand. She carefully lifted theunlocked trapdoor a few inches and then let it silently fall back into place.
Without any other reaction, she climbed down and gave Eoin a curt nod of acknowledgment. “Your assumption is correct. Let’s proceed.”
Hannah once again led the way. Just as she thought they were nearing the potential hidden lair of the Purveyor, the passageway had a strange jog. Although the fieldstone walls appeared to be solid in the glow of their lanterns, Hannah wasn’t so certain.
“We should investigate here.” Hannah lifted her light high as she studied the mishmash of rocks.
“Any reason?” her father asked as he nudged at one of the larger pieces of sandstone with the toe of his boot.
“Eoin’s mother and sister have a hidden room in their amphitheater from whence they can view the bouts. I thought I noticed something similar in the main room under the Horse and Hen. If I am correct, the hidden solar should be located above us.”
“Perhaps the Purveyor was inspired by the priest hole to create a hidden chamber,” Sophia said. “Or rather a hidden staircase within an already secret tunnel.”
“Does that mean we should try the candle trick?” Hannah’s father asked.
Hannah’s mother shook her head. “We already know that it is behind that bulge.”
“But it is stone!” Papa protested.
“It’s likely just a façade of hewn rocks adhered to a base of wood.” Eoin headed over to the wall and studied it carefully. “Which would still make it dreadfully heavy to move. There must be a mechanism involving pulleys.”
“It would also be exceedingly expensive to create,” Hannahsaid as she looked for anything unusual on the already uneven walls. “Which demonstrates how much wealth the Purveyor must have accumulated.”
“And it shows an almost obsessive suspiciousness and fear,” Eoin said. “We are so deep within the bowels of this convoluted maze, yet the Purveyor still felt the need to obscure the entrance to their inner sanctuary?”
“Well, we are here poking at rocks.” Hannah’s father dragged his hands over the bumps and divots.
Hannah noticed one particularly large pebble that stuck out from the others and was smoother and more evenly shaped. Experimentally, she traced her finger over it. Sure enough, it didn’t feel like a rock but a paper-and-paste creation. Curious, she fiddled with it and found it was hinged at one side. Opening it carefully, she discovered an iron lever sticking out. Curious, she pulled it. The scrape and clang of chains filled the air, and the fake wall slowly groaned open.
“Fascinating!” Hannah’s father kept his voice soft, but his excitement made his whisper sound like a shout.
“I should go first.” Eoin immediately started to wedge his body into the hidden space. He paused, and for a moment, Hannah was afraid that he’d become stuck. However, after a few moments, he managed to wriggle through. Hannah followed suit, and she marveled at his ability to squeeze inside. She, herself, had trouble fitting. Perhaps the Purveyor had a way of opening it farther. She could not fathom either of Eoin’s uncles voluntarily squishing themselves on a daily basis just to enter their secret office.
The clandestine staircase was not a hodgepodge of boards and questionable timber. This one was stone and circular. In fact, it reminded Hannah keenly of those at the ducal seat. Had the Purveyor purposely re-created parts of thecastle here—perhaps as a way of declaring his own power and dominion when he had little chance of becoming the heir as a second or third son?
Yet as Hannah climbed each step behind Eoin, she felt less and less certain that they had arrived at the proper conclusion. It was as if all the facts were lining up perfectly but were somehow still askew when it came to pointing out the culprit.
“Have your pistol ready,” Hannah whispered to Eoin’s broad back. She wished that she’d pushed ahead of him and had taken the more dangerous position.
“My weapon is already drawn,” Eoin promised her, and she thought she detected a bit of warmth to his voice. Perhaps her worry had touched him.
