A Rare Yuletide Find (Novella) by Patricia Catacalos

Author:Patricia Catacalos
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: christmas, novella, victorian romance

Chapter Five

The door to the tiny shop opened, tinkling the brass bell above the portal.

Robert peeked around the rear corner of the bookcase, hoping to see the woman for whom he had waited. He was not disappointed. For framed in the doorway was Annabelle smiling graciously at the shop owner. She wore a white fur hat atop her long blonde curls which matched the white fur muff she carried to warm her hands. Her red wool form fitting jacket with attached cape was trimmed in white fur and reached to her knees where it rested over a red and green plaid skirt.

Robert thought she looked like a delicate porcelain doll meant to sit beneath a Christmas tree, readied for a child to discover on Christmas morn. He thought she looked exquisitely beautiful.

Robert quickly hid behind the bookcase, not wishing to be seen by the Lady. After all, for the plan to succeed, it was imperative that Annabelle was not aware of Robert’s presence.

After much discussion with Nigel, they devised a scheme wherein Robert could get Annabelle to ‘purchase’ the volume Robert had in his possession. But in so doing, Robert would not have the opportunity to converse with Annabelle and considering their first volatile meeting, he thought perhaps that was best. Robert felt that if he could somehow trick Annabelle into taking the one rare volume then his conscience would be appeased and he would stop thinking of her. And that was all Robert convinced himself that he wanted.

So, Robert convinced the elderly man that if he re-sold the novella to the pretty lady, he could keep the coins with which Robert had purchased the volume and keep the sale price that Annabelle would pay. Provided the shopkeeper did not tell Annabelle of the trickery being perpetrated.

“Good morning, kind sir. I received your missive and am most excited that you found another first edition of The Christmas Carol. I am here to purchase it,” Annabelle gaily informed the proprietor.

“Here it is, my Lady. I already wrapped it for you.” The man bent and lifted the thin volume from beneath his counter and handed it to an eager Annabelle.

Annabelle accepted the wrapped book but tilted her head, perplexed. If she was not mistaken, the wrapping resembled the very same paper she herself had used to wrap the book she had sent back to Mr. Grayson. But then Annabelle logically concluded that the brown paper was a common sort of paper and most likely used by many. Even the cord wrapped around the package was a common commodity.

“It was most kind of you to wrap the book, sir. But I should like to examine it firstly before purchasing it.”

The proprietor looked to the back of the shop, but his look was so fleeting that Annabelle thought she might have imagined it. She turned her head and peered into the rear of the shop but could see no reason why the white-haired man had surreptitiously peered over his wire-rimmed glasses in that direction.

With

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.