The sealed drawer

An original fiction passage set in the nineteenth century.

Eleanor had expected the drawer to contain receipts. Her father stored them everywhere: beneath books, inside empty boxes, between the pages of his newspaper. This drawer, however, was locked. She found the key tied to the back of the desk with a length of black thread. The small concealment made the room seem suddenly less familiar.

The key turned easily. Inside lay a single envelope, unaddressed and already open. Eleanor lifted it, expecting a letter. A lock of pale hair slipped onto the desk. She held her hand above it without touching it. Outside the window, the gardener called her father’s name. Eleanor returned the envelope to the drawer, but the key remained in her hand.

Analyse how the writer uses language and structure to create uncertainty about what Eleanor will discover. Support your answer with references to the passage.