His accent was difficult to place—perhaps French or Scandinavian?And there was something about him that seemed almost as though he was from a different time—or century—than this one.It wasn’t just the way he was dressed, but also his bearing, the way he inclined his head to her, and the formal way he spoke.It all seemed too genuine to be an act.
“Do you… Does this…” She paused, before demanding, “What’s going on here?”
At that moment, the elderly man she’d seen earlier stepped forward to stand beside the man in uniform.He looked seemingly ancient, with his lean figure dressed somberly in a simple black suit with a white cravat.
“Sergeant Cuff, at your service, miss,” he announced, nodding toward her in greeting.
Aurelia nodded back, not fully processing his words.Within seconds, though, her brain began to work and she understood he’d given his name.A name she knew.A name she’d read in a book.A name that couldn’t possibly belong to what looked like the very real man standing in front of her.
Aurelia’s hand reached for the edge of the desk, and she managed to drop into the chair rather than fall to the ground.
11
BothmenstoodoverAurelia, their faces mirroring each other’s worry.
“Are you unwell, madame?”the man in uniform asked.
“I… You…” Aurelia stared at the elderly man, her breath coming rapidly as she tried to keep from passing out.“You’re…Sergeant Cuff?”
“I am, miss.”
“But… Sergeant Cuff?FromThe Moonstone?”The words were ridiculous, but she didn’t know what else to say.
“Yes, I am depicted in that novel.”
“You’re—you’refromthe novel?”
“I am.”
Aurelia wanted to stare at them, run from the shop, hide under the desk—she just couldn’t decide which should take priority.
“But you just… You rented a costume and this is some kind of party?”she asked hopefully.“Or are you ghosts?”
“Not ghosts, miss, certainly not!”He laughed.“As for a costume, this is merely what I was wearing when I left my story this evening.”
“When you left your story,” Aurelia repeated, as though hearing it again might make it sound in any way rational.She blinked a few times, trying to sort her rushing thoughts.Characters from books, come to life…Sanity very much at risk, she told herself.
“You must be Miss Aurelia.Marigold told me to expect you.”
“Aunt Marigold?You know who I am?” In her shock, Aurelia managed to get to her feet.
“If your aunt is Marigold Clarke, then yes,” Cuff said, barely managing to suppress a teasing smile.
“Marigold… Marigoldwasmy aunt…”
This is bizarre, Aurelia thought, shaking her head.She couldn’t believe she had to break the news of her aunt’s death to a character from a novel who apparently knew her.
“Well, she passed away recently.”
“Oh, that is sad indeed.May I express my heartfelt condolences.”He bowed his head, looking truly sad.“She did warn me that she was ill.Then, after so many nights without her company, I began to suspect the worst.”
“It happened very quickly—at the end.None of us were ready for it.”
Aurelia hated to think of Sergeant Cuff sitting in the shop wondering where Marigold had gone, and the strangeness of the situation hit her once again.If her aunt had talked to him and told him she was sick, was it possible this was all really happening?
The man in uniform stepped forward, elegantly maneuvering past Cuff to stand before Aurelia.
“My deepest sympathies for your loss.”He gave a slight bow.“I did not have the honor of making your aunt’s acquaintance, but I am honored to make yours.”He inclined his head toward her.
