An original fiction passage set in the nineteenth century.

Clara folded the letter and listened as footsteps crossed the passage outside. She slipped the sheet beneath the loose floorboard under the window seat, then replaced the rug. A moment later, her brother entered to search for his missing glove. He looked beneath the chair and along the mantelpiece, but did not lift the rug. Clara watched him leave before resolving to retrieve the letter after dusk.