Again she was reminded that she had no idea about the manor’s history, who had built it or how old it was. Her parents never talked about the past, so it should have come as no surprise that she knew nothing about their house. And now, knowing her parents had secrets to hide, it made sense. Then she had another thought. Maybe she couldn’t find the way into the attic because someone knew she’d discover more than rats. After all, attics were like personal history museums, where people stored remnants of bygone days. And sometimes the answers to family secrets.
More determined than ever, she stood on her tiptoes and felt along the tops of the walls. The corners and ceiling edges felt solid and thick. She pressed her hand along the back wall, moving toward the center where the tapestry hung over the claw-foot table.
And then she saw it.
The tiniest of movements.
The tapestry stirred.
She put a hand on the edge of the tapestry. It felt cold, as if cooled by an icy breath.
She grabbed the claw-foot table and dragged it away from the wall. It was heavier than she thought, but a sudden rush of adrenaline made it seem effortless. Her flashlight clattered to the floor, but she ignored it and reached up to take the tapestry rod down, fighting the urge to rip it off the wall. To her surprise, the rod was nailed to the wood instead of resting on brackets. Then she noticed a cord in the space between the rod and the top of the tapestry, dangling next to one of the hanging tabs. It was the same dark red as the wallpaper, and if she hadn’t been trying to take down the rod, she never would have seen it. She lifted the bottom of the tapestry, found the tasseled end of the cord, and pulled. The tapestry rolled up like a window blind.
Julia gasped and stepped back.
There was a door in the wall.
CHAPTER 25
LILLY
Four months after her first appearance with Pepper under the big top, Lilly stood next to Cole inside Mr. Barlow’s car, a protective hand over her lower abdomen. Merrick sat on a stool near the kitchen counter, staring at her and spitting tobacco juice in the sink.
“What do you mean she can’t work?” Mr. Barlow bellowed. “We’re bringing in the biggest takes we’ve had in years. She can’t quit now!” He slammed his hand on the table, rattling the tumblers and nearly knocking over a bottle of bourbon.
“She’s not quitting,” Cole said. “She’s just—”
“We’re going into the slow season,” Lilly interrupted. “I’ll be ready to work again next summer.”
“I don’t give a good goddamn what season we’re in,” Mr. Barlow said. “We’ll lose revenue without her and that elephant!”
“I refuse to put my wife and unborn child in danger,” Cole said. “If something happens to her, you’ll lose the act for good.”
“Any possibility the baby might be albino?” Merrick said.
Cole and Lilly ignored him.
Mr. Barlow slumped in his chair, his face dark as thunder. “Son of a bitch. I knew it was too good to be true.” He addressed Cole. “Can you take her place? We could put you in a wig and white greasepaint.”
Cole shook his head. “Won’t work. Pepper does things for Lilly she won’t do for me.”
“If you’re open to suggestions, I have an idea,” Lilly said. “Why don’t you tell everyone The Albino Elephant is performing in Europe? Then, come spring, people will flock back to see what they missed.”
Mr. Barlow took a long swig of bourbon, put his glass down hard on the table, and glared at her. “Jesus Christ. One way or another you manage to screw up every act you’ve ever been in. I’m starting to wonder if I should keep you on at all.”
“If she goes, I go,” Cole said. “And my father too.”
“I’m not paying her until she’s back to work,” Mr. Barlow said.
“You just started paying me two months ago,” Lilly said. “And not much, I might add, considering what the crowds have been.”
“Now hold on, young lady,” Mr. Barlow said. “You’ve been nothing but trouble since the day you arrived, and I’m not paying you until you’re back on that bull.”
“Yeah,” Merrick said. “We can’t have an albino taking tickets and selling cotton candy. It’ll scare the kiddies.” Amused with himself, he grinned, a wad of chewing tobacco in one cheek.
“Shut up, Merrick,” Cole said. “This doesn’t concern you.”
Merrick sneered at him. “We could put her back in the sideshow,” he said. “Tell everyone she’s giving birth to an alien.”
“Absolutely not,” Lilly said.
“She can help me and my father take care of the bulls,” Cole said. “That’s worth something at least.”
“I’m still not paying her,” Mr. Barlow said.
“Fine,” Lilly said. “But if Pepper and I are still the main draw when I come back, I want benefits.”
Mr. Barlow’s eyebrows shot up and one edge of his mustache quivered. Lilly thought he was going to scream or get up and slap her. Then he exploded, laughing so hard his face and neck turned red. “Oh, Lilly,” he said. “Oh dear. That’s good. You’re here telling me you can’t work for a while, at the same time you’re asking for the entire profits from one or more performances if you’re the star?” He clutched his midriff, as if trying to contain himself. “That’s priceless.” Merrick laughed with him. Mr. Barlow leaned back in his chair and chuckled, then wiped his eyes. “I have to say, I haven’t heard anything quite that funny in a while.”
“It’s only fair that part of my pay should depend on my drawing power,” Lilly said.
“That’s the way Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey do it,” Cole said.
With that, Mr. Barlow shot to his feet and stormed toward them, his eyes on fire. “You’re lucky I don’t get rid of the both of you right now, let alone pay you more,” he yelled. “Do you have any idea how many circuses went out of business last year? No, you don’t. And I don’t want to talk to either of you until Lilly is ready to perform again. That’s just what we need around here, another mouth to feed and my biggest draw off the bill!” He pointed at the exit. “Now get the hell out of my car!”
CHAPTER 26
JULIA Julia stood, stunned, staring at the hidden door inside the small room on the third floor of Blackwood Manor. She was too surprised to do anything. The door was smaller than normal, less than five feet tall, and the wallpaper on the top half along with the wainscoting on the bottom matched the rest of the wall perfectly. Even the hasp and padlock had been painted red to blend in. Why had someone gone to such great lengths to hide the door? Was it the entrance to the attic, or something else?
Then she reached for the padlock and her heart dropped. Where was the key?
She tried the keys on Mother’s key ring. None worked. She yanked on the padlock, hoping it was broken or unlocked. It didn’t budge. She pushed on the door with both hands to test its strength. It felt sound. She examined the back of the table, hoping to find the key taped there. No luck. She felt inside the table’s velvet-lined drawer. Still no luck. Discouraged, she stood in the middle of the room and looked around. Maybe there was a loose piece of wainscoting or a hidden compartment somewhere. Then she glanced at the tapestry again, rolled up like a rug below the rod.
The key hung from a hook attached to the hanging rod, hidden behind one of the tapestry tabs.