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They had reasped “What is that?” She took a step closer and peered into the gap “It’s a little ”

“It’s a viewing screen” Everything was beginning to fall into place “I’m certain there will be a similarcut out of the bookcase in the master chamber”

With wide eyes, Isabella turned to him “But … but that would e enough for a man”

“Not just a space I ith of this wall” He tapped the wall to the right of the case The hollow sound confired to move about without detection”

She raised a brow “You do not need to say it in a way that makes ht”

“Confused is the terrin “Now, stand back and I shall see if I can find the way into the room”

Using his shoulder and the weight of his body, Tristan attempted to move the bookcase Remarkably, it did not even move an inch, nor did the books on the shelf slip or slide back and forth in the gap

“Perhaps it is not a bookcase after all, but a door,” Isabella suggested as she witnessed hile “Perhaps there’s a handle hidden somewhere”

It was the only logical answer

Tristan reht of the case, only froht, and placed theused to conceal a brass knob

“Here we are,” he said, immense satisfaction evident in his tone He turned the handle, resisted the urge to cheer as he eased the door from the jamb

The long narrow room was sparsely furnished: a washstand, a few red dalasses and partially burnt candles There were no s, no way for any natural light to filter through

Tristan examined the other side of the fake bookcase “Once in here, they only had to turn the handle to open the door The hollow book casingunusual in the bedchamber” He pointed to the door at the far end of the roo both doors they were able to move freely between rooms”

“But ere in our roo in”

Guilt flared “Before co the hall I left my room and ventured all the way down to the staircase” Like an unsuspecting fool, he had fallen for the simplest of traps “Someone could have easily waited in one of the other rooms They would have had ah the door in my chamber”