# The Hidden Staircase — Chapters explained

> Chapter companions for The Hidden Staircase by Carolyn Keene.

- [A Rude Visitor](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/i-a-rude-visitor.md): Nancy Drew, feeling restless and anticipating an adventure, is home alone when Nathan Gombet arrives uninvited and aggressively demands papers he claims her father, Carson Drew, owes him. Despite Nancy's polite attempts 
- [A Warning of Trouble](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/ii-a-warning-of-trouble.md): Nancy Drew confronts Nathan Gombet, who demands papers from her father's desk and becomes violently aggressive. Using her wits, she threatens to call the police, forcing him to leave. The encounter leaves her disturbed a
- [Interesting Information](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/iii-interesting-information.md): Nancy is surprised by a visit from Allie Horner, who brings gifts and shares news about her farm. Nancy recounts Nathan Gombet's earlier rude visit, and Allie provides background on Gombet's miserly and threatening behav
- [A Second Call](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/iv-a-second-call.md): Nancy returns home and tells her father about Nathan Gombet's rude visit. Carson Drew explains that Gombet is a troublemaker who feels cheated over a land deal. Later, Gombet appears at the window and then confronts Cars
- [Strange Happenings](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/v-strange-happenings.md): Nancy visits Abigail Rowen and meets Rosemary Turnbull, who describes mysterious events at her old stone mansion, including strange noises, shadows, missing items, and music, leading Nancy to agree to investigate.

> 20 more chapter companions — [open a free preview](https://www.betterreads.dev/reader?bookId=the_hidden_staircase_se_1142kb&preview=1) to unlock the rest.

- [VI: The Ghost Calls Again](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/vi-the-ghost-calls-again.md)
- [VII: What Can It Mean!](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/vii-what-can-it-mean.md)
- [The Warning](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/viii-the-warning.md)
- [The Anonymous Message](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/ix-the-anonymous-message.md)
- [An Unfruitful Search](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/x-an-unfruitful-search.md)
- [A Cry in the Night](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/xi-a-cry-in-the-night.md)
- [The Theft](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/xii-the-theft.md)
- [Another Surprise](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/xiii-another-surprise.md)
- [XIV: What Happened to Carson Drew](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/xiv-what-happened-to-carson-drew.md)
- [A Prisoner](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/xv-a-prisoner.md)
- [XVI: A New Clue](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/xvi-a-new-clue.md)
- [Under Cover of Darkness](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/xvii-under-cover-of-darkness.md)
- [Inside the Other House](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/xviii-inside-the-other-house.md)
- [XIX: A Chance Discovery](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/xix-a-chance-discovery.md)
- [The Underground Passage](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/xx-the-underground-passage.md)
- [The End of the Passage](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/xxi-the-end-of-the-passage.md)
- [The Next Move](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/xxii-the-next-move.md)
- [Notifying the Police](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/xxiii-notifying-the-police.md)
- [Nancy Leads the Way](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/xxiv-nancy-leads-the-way.md)
- [Captured](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/xxv-captured.md)

HTML index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters