Hidden Knights (Knights of the Realm #3) - Jennifer Anne Davis Page 0,71
heavy drapery on the beds, curtains on the windows, perfumes and smelling salts on the vanities, and closets bursting with clothes. In the duke’s room, Ackley went through his desk, complaining there weren’t any worthwhile letters or ledgers. Exiting the room, they went into the last bedchamber down this wing. This one boasted hunting knives and skins from various animals. Reid assumed it belonged to one of the lords. Moving to the other wing, they checked bedchamber after bedchamber. They encountered another young man’s room, but none of the bedchambers felt like they belonged to Harlow.
“Do you think they got rid of her room once she married?” Reid whispered.
Ackley shook his head.
It didn’t make any sense for them to do away with Harlow’s room since, clearly, they weren’t lacking in space.
They reached the last room in this wing. The bed had a knitted blanket folded neatly on it, dresses packed the dresser, and the hearth had some black markings on it, which indicated use over the years. Could this be Harlow’s bedchamber? There weren’t any books, letters, or drawings. Was Harlow truly that bland and lacking in personality? No, she couldn’t be. The last time Reid thought so, she’d been mistaken. Appearances could be deceiving.
If Harlow could look like a docile woman when she was actually something else inside, maybe her room could be a cover, too. Reid examined the space with renewed interest. There was nothing under the bed or between the mattresses. Opening every single drawer, she checked under the clothes. She moved curtains, lifted rugs, and peeked behind the armoire. Nothing.
The entire time, Ackley stood in one spot, examining the room with only his eyes. “Move next to the window,” he whispered. “Do you feel any air coming from outside?”
Reid did as he asked. When she didn’t feel anything, she shook her head.
“Move to the empty wall next to the dresser. Do you feel any air coming from there?”
Instead of questioning him, Reid stood where he indicated. A slight brushing of air flitted a strand of her hair. She turned to examine the plain wall. None of the stones looked different or out of place.
Ackley came over, then started pushing on the stones. Nothing happened. Then he stood and closed his eyes. After a minute, he stuck his hand out, moving it toward the wall. Reid assumed he was trying to feel where the air was coming from. When his hand hit the wall, he opened his eyes, examining the joint where the two stones met. He knelt, feeling the edge of the wall.
Reid tried to remember how Harlow had opened the door in Reid’s room back in the palace. Harlow had pushed on it. “Watch out.”
After Ackley moved, Reid stood in front of the wall and pushed. Nothing happened. If it were a door, maybe it swung the other way. Feeling to the left, she tried to see if there was another hint of wind. Not finding any, she went the other direction until she came across a trickle of air. She pushed. The stone door sprung open.
“I’m impressed,” Ackley mumbled as he poked his head inside. “Not a passageway, just a closet.” Reaching down, he pulled out a trunk. “Look through that. I’ll investigate the rest.”
Kneeling, Reid opened the lid and found a treasure trove of personal belongings. There were a few dolls, a couple of scarves, a handful of books, some drawings. Nothing out of the ordinary. Reid was glad to have finally found something that revealed Harlow was a normal person. After she closed the lid, she stood.
Ackley exited the closet with his hands on his hips. “Nothing.” He sounded disappointed.
“Same here.”
He shoved the trunk back inside while Reid held the door open for him.
“The inside of the door is covered with wood paneling,” Reid mumbled, more to herself than Ackley.
“Maybe it has something to do with how the door is made? Or it helps conceal the draft?”
“Where’s the draft coming from if this is just a closet?”
“Good question.” Ackley stood back, observing the door.
“There are knife marks on the wood,” Reid pointed out. Almost as if someone had thrown knives at it. A chill spread over her skin.
Ackley moved closer to inspect it. “The wood isn’t thick enough for a knife to lodge into it.”
“You’re right.” Reid wasn’t thinking clearly. She was so determined to find something nefarious about Harlow that she was letting her imagination get the better of her.