Percival novel · Chapter 20 of 24
Chapter 20: The Black Velvet
Maisie Dunn arrived at the inn at four in the afternoon, in the king's own car.
She had a garment bag over one arm and a face like a thundercloud.
The shortest day of the year was already going dark behind the ridge.
She came up the stairs, took one look at us, and set the bag on the bed.
"Mr. Wolcott," she said. "There is a shirt in the boot of the car. Go and put it on."
"Mrs. Dunn."
"Now, if you please."
He went, with the quilt around his waist and his ears red.
Maisie shut the door and turned on me.
She looked me over from my tangled hair to my bare feet.
Then she put both arms around me, hard, and did not say anything for some time.
"I thought I'd lost you," she said into my hair.
"You hung the number upside down."
"I would do it again."
"I know." I held on. "Thank you."
She sniffed, and let go, and wiped her face on her apron.
"Right."
"The king sent a rider to Albany last night."
"Your librarian friend drove the pictures through the snow herself and said to tell you every date stamp is clear as day."
She took a fat envelope out of the bag and put it in my hand.
I did not open it.
I held it against my chest, and my hands finally stopped shaking.
The rest of this chapter is part of the paid portion of the series. Chapters 1–6 of Percival are free to read — start from the beginning, then unlock the rest with coins in the app.
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