Court of Swans: 1 (A Dericott Tale) by Melanie Dickerson

Author:Melanie Dickerson [Dickerson, Melanie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Agnes would not expect her for more than an hour, so Magdalen found one of the other servants who shared the fourth-level bedchamber with her. She was carrying sheets down the stairs from the third level.

“Hilde, I would be pleased to help you change the linens on Lord Hazen’s bed. Is he still in his chamber?”

Hilde halted on the steps and stared, mouth slightly ajar. “Lord Hazen? He is down in the Great Hall breaking his fast. I changed his linens already, but you can change them next week.”

“Thank you, Hilde. But please don’t tell anyone I asked to do that. They might be jealous, or you might get scolded by Frau Clara. It can be our secret.”

Instructing Hilde not to tell might have the opposite effect. But it was too late. Magdalen couldn’t take the words back.

She ran up the steps to Lord Hazen’s chamber and paused in the corridor. No guard stood in front of the door, which was half open. She hurried toward it and peeked inside. No one was in sight, so she went toward the water pitcher, as if she were taking the pitcher to refill it. But no one called out to her, and she faced the rest of the room.

The bed was enormous and draped all around with dark curtains. A couple of trunks stood near the bed, but would Jacob have hidden the portrait in one of Lord Hazen’s trunks? That wouldn’t make sense.

She let her gaze travel around the room looking for possible hiding places. The thing that caught her eye was what was set against the wall. Stacks of small wooden coffers were laid out in the shape of a large rectangle. Most of the boxes would require a key to open. The small coffers were of varying sizes—some as big as three handbreadths and others as small as a black walnut with its green hull still on.

They were too small to hide a large portrait, unless it was folded or rolled up, but Steffan had not said how large the portrait was. She had assumed it was several handbreadths tall, as befitted a wealthy duke, but some portrait painters preferred a smaller canvas.

She decided to search the larger places first. She opened a trunk and rummaged around inside. Nothing except clothing. She ran her shaking hands around the sides and inside the lid, but found no secret compartments. She did the same with the second trunk. Still nothing.

She stood and looked around, but the wooden coffers were drawing her to them. Magdalen walked across the room, intent on the little coffers. Even if the portrait was not here, she might find something important. She reached for one of the top boxes and the lid lifted easily. Inside was a foreign coin and three buttons. She closed it and opened the next one. It was larger and held a pair of shears one might use for clipping hair.

Her hands were shaking harder than before as she reached for a large one.

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