Listening to the exchange, a niggling recollection
stayed just out of Osgood’s reach. Awash with a sense of familiar and feeling
unaccountably unsettled, he recorked the wine and left the butlery to join the
women in their transaction. As he advanced down the hall, he got a good look at
the peddler. She was old and crabbed and looked to be in advanced age. That old peddler has been here before.
His brows drew downward as the elusive memory popped into his mind. Twenty years ago! Nearly twenty years
had passed but she’d hadn’t aged a day, in fact, she looked exactly the same.
As the woman turned to leave, he hurried down the corridor, shouting, “Stop madam! Stop right there!”What just happened~ Osgood is decanting the sherry when he hears a voice that sounds disturbingly familiar. It turns out it belongs to that old woman who tried to kidnap young master Lenox as a boy. She hasn't aged a day, and for good reason. That person at the door is not an apple peddler nor is she an old woman.
Sounds like the butler is about to have his hands full, and not necessarily in a good way. I love that cover- just beautiful!
ReplyDeleteNot aged in 20 years? That woman is definitely more than she seems.
ReplyDeleteThis fellow has an exceedingly good memory!
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling that Osgood's memory of a previously traumatic event may save someone(s) now 20-years later. What is she? Sounds quite frightening.
ReplyDeleteUh oh, beware the unchanging crabby pedlar woman in ANY story! Loved the excerpt!
ReplyDeleteWonderful imagery.
ReplyDeleteThere's a reason we remember voices and smells and all sorts of sensory detail at odd times... it matters in the 'now' as much as the 'then'. I don't think the peddler is going to stop....
ReplyDeleteThis chap has a great memory. I have trouble remembering people I met 20 minutes ago.
ReplyDelete