The Peculiar Adventure of Mr Norton

Chapter 1

That was about a month ago and everything was going according to plan. After a lengthy discussion between Joseph Norton and Henry Bachus, they have both agreed that Edward and Geraldine would both spend two nights with their uncle. Growing up, Edward and his uncle George were quite close, until recently when he fell ill. George started confining himself in the house and does not receive guests as often as he used to. Having witnessed the transition of his uncle from once a fine gentleman to a bed-ridden patient, Edward was somewhat glad to hear that they would be spending his last few days with him. At lengths, Lord Bachus have warned Geraldine about standing too close to George in fear that she might also catch this strange ailment.

So it is on this one morning of October that the couple has departed their hometown of Kenilworth to travel to Barnsley. Joseph Norton has employed their trusted and most experienced coachman, Fred Wentworth, to oversee the sound travel of his son and his fiancée.

It has been quite a while since they have left Kenilworth and they could sense their journey is drawing to a close. Geraldine was resting her eyes while Edward was gazing out into the country scenery. It would have been close to sunset, however, his uncle's house is not too far beyond. It was then when a loud CRACK was heard coming from under the coach. The sound was so loud that it startled Geraldine from her nap.

"What is that?" Geraldine asked with a worrying tone.

"I am not sure, I will go out and check. You should stay here," Edward replied.

No sooner have they stopped their conversation did the carriage came to a complete halt. When Edward exited the carriage, he could see Fred was already bending down to examine the cause of this concerning sound. Edward observed Fred, as Fred dropped onto his knees and swung his lantern from left to right, sweeping the underside of the carriage with his eyes. After a while, he finally got up and dusted his pants before facing Edward.

"Is everything alright?" Edward inquired, hoping Fred would tell him that everything is fine and that they could resume with their travelling. Fred's expression, on the other hand, seemed to be telling otherwise.

"No Sir, I am afraid one of the axles is broken," Fred responded. "It would appear that the bumpy country road might have been the cause of such damage."

"This is bad news Fred," Edward said, knowing that the sun would be setting imminently. Should they stay around too long, they might find themselves at the mercy of the highway men.

"The axle is not completely broken, but a crack is clearly visible along the shaft. If we continue to proceed slowly, we might still reach your uncle's house. I think in light of the situation, this will be the best course of action," Fred proposed.

At this point, Geraldine has also exited the carriage to join the two gentlemen in their discussion.

"Is everything alright?" Geraldine asked.

"Yes dear, there is just a minor damage on the axle. However, that would not stop us from travelling onward to my uncle's house, albeit at a much slower pace,"

At this point, the sun is beginning to set behind the distant hills. The sky painted red with its departure.

"Look!" Geraldine exclaimed suddenly, pointing her finger to the distant forest. "A town!"

Both gentlemen looked at once and true enough, in a distance, lights could be seen flickering in clusters, resembling that of a town.

"That is strange..." Fred whispered to himself. "Sir, I have travelled this route on several occasions when I used to take your father to visit your uncle. I must say I was never aware that a town existed in this part of the countryside."

However true that is, it was irrefutable that the town is there.

"What is even stranger, this town is not recorded on the map either," Fred added with a confused look on his face as he studied his map.

"Whatever it is, given our current circumstance, I think it would be best that we settle there for the night. Tomorrow morning, we can attend to the carriage. If we are lucky, there might even be a craftsman in that town who would be able to replace the axle for us," Edward suggested, waiting for the others to respond.

True enough, this seemed to be the best option. Should they choose to proceed, they would surely arrive at uncle George's house just before midnight. However, with the looming risk of highway men, it would be safer to retire there for the night.

"I think Edward's idea is our best choice," Geraldine added her voice of agreement, seeing that Fred is not entirely in a position to make such a decision.

"So the town it is then," Fred said and finally put this matter to rest.