secretaire

Tucked between a George II mahogany breakfront secretaire bookcase and a series of manuscript and watercolor maps showing the waterways of Venice, Clausen found a type of antiquated nautical map known as a portolan chart.

Having learned that thieves will go straight to the safe in the closet or the secretaire, Greeks have tried to find more imaginative hiding places, like storage sheds, she said.

In the moment of peril, with rare presence of mind, she rushed to her secretaire, where her jewels were.

It had the appearance of being a lady's secretaire or something of the kind.

I still thought the parchment I spoke of might be the missing one," she explained, "and when I got home I looked in papa's secretaire.