Rogue's Castle — Sandra Stanley

Depravity and danger lurked within the castle walls…and Sara would never be a child again.

Ensnared!

Orphaned by the death of her grandfather, Sara de Poterie came to the vast and brooding Chateau Coquin, built by the wealthy and ruthless de Fouguet family on an island in the Big Fork River.

Raised in the security and innocence of her Indian culture, she easily fell prey to the intrigue and insane savagery within the chateau, and to the seductive charms of the mysterious Count de Fouquet, the Rogue of the Castle.

THE SECRET PANEL

With my arm around Eugenie's waist, we traced our way back to the library opening. Each step was slow and tortuous for both of us.
"That's funny," I heard Eugenie saying to herself.
"What is it?"
"Oh nothing, nothing really, but..."
"Go ahead, tell me," I urged her, at the same time not wanting to hear for small prickles of anxiety had risen on my scalp.
"Well, it just seems we should have seen some light by now."
"You mean from the panel?"
"Uh-huh." There was a slight tremble in her voice. "Why don't you wait here and I'll run ahead and check."

While Eugenie went on, I sat with my back to the tunnel wall. In the silence, the incessant scurrying of rats was like a din echoing throughout the passage, punctuated by the high squeaks of bats calling shrilly somewhere on high. Then even these relatively pedestrian sounds were obscured by Eugenie's piercing moan: "Oh, Sara. Sara, it's locked, the door is locked!"