Cecily said impatiently. “What is it?” “It appears to be a trapdoor. There are steps leading down….” He lifted a puzzled face to look at her. “It would seem that they lead to the tunnel.” “The tunnel? That’s impossible.” She moved closer so that she could look down into the square hole. The light from the gas lamps reflected on the narrow steps leading into the darkness. She could see nothing beyond them. But the damp air rose to cool her face, and the smell of the sea was unmistakable. The tunnel, she knew, led to a private beach that belonged to the hotel. The Earl of Saltchester had the tunnel constructed for his family, so that they could come and go to the beach in complete privacy. The original entrance was in the library, by way of several flights of steps. James had it sealed up, deeming it not only dangerous for the hotel guests to use, but also an inconvenience to have people traipsing through the library on their way from the beach. “Someone must have opened the tunnel up again,”
