The Missing Stairs

Previously

…A wave of anticipation washed over her. She had a direction, a specific location to investigate. The gardener’s tale, with its whispers of secret admirers and hidden nooks, had woven itself into the fabric of her quest, adding a layer of romance and intrigue that had been missing from the cold, hard facts of the blueprints. Clara closed the maps, a newfound determination hardening her gentle resolve. The folly, and its secret alcove, awaited. And with it, perhaps, the next crucial piece of Eleanor’s carefully constructed puzzle. The darkness outside was deepening, but within Clara, a quiet light had begun to glow.