The deeper they went, the more her earlier excitement gave way to unease. The Odd Fellows had been using these passageways. Perhaps very recently.
She shivered.
Lord Stanley glanced back and immediately, without a word, shrugged off his coat and handed it to her.
She was about to refuse, but fearing he might insist upon wrapping it around her himself, she quickly took it from him and draped it over her shoulders instead. Warmth enveloped her at once, along with the faint scent of sandalwood—and him. She drew in an involuntary deep breath.
He walked ahead, the lantern-light throwing long shadows across the stone walls. His frame nearly filled the passage entirely, and Charlotte found herself strangely grateful for it.
As they rounded a corner, they discovered another staircase—this one ascending. At the top stood another doorway.
Lord Stanley halted abruptly and raised one finger to his lips.
Charlotte fell still.
To her alarm, he held out a hand, and one of the footmen promptly placed a pistol into it.
A jolt ran through her.
Very deliberately, he moved her behind him before approaching the door. The passage had fallen deathly silent save for the distant drip of water somewhere within the walls.
He pressed against the door.
It would not move.
Charlotte whispered, ‘Perhaps there is another keyhole.’
He nodded and handed her the lantern as he searched around the frame until his fingers found another metal plate.
A satisfying click sounded as the door unlocked.
Lord Stanley pushed it slowly open and peered through the gap, pistol raised.
Charlotte braced herself for voices—or worse. She expected the Odd Fellows to come rushing at them.
Instead, after only a moment, Lord Stanley’s posture relaxed.
To her astonishment, he pushed the door fully open.
The parlour lay before them.
Charlotte hurried past him into the familiar room. ‘Good heavens...’ She turned slowly, taking it in. ‘Do you think there are passageways throughout the entire house?’
‘Possibly,’ Lord Stanley replied. ‘It would seem Matthew had been rather busy.’
They locked the parlour entrance behind them and continued onward.
As they explored further, they discovered the passageways twisted beneath the west wing like veins beneath skin. Another stair led them towards the servants’ quarters, where a second concealed entrance opened directly into the late Mrs Dent’s abandoned chamber.
The room stood bare and silent.
Charlotte and Lord Stanley exchanged a look at once.
‘It seems she could have been murdered after all.’ His expression was grim.
A sudden memory struck Charlotte with such force that she instinctively seized his arm.
He looked down at her hand but did not move away.
