The suspicions of Ermengarde

Maxwell Gray

Sinopse

Fog of the colour known as pea-soup—in reality amber mixed with lemon-peel and delicately tinted with smut—pervaded the genial shades of Kensington Gardens and cast a halo of breathless romance over many a "long, unlovely street" and many a towering pile of crudely hideous flats in the regions round about. It sneaked down chimneys, stalked insolently through front doors, regardless of locks, curtains and screens; it wandered noiselessly about houses, penetrating even to my lady's chamber; it permeated cosy drawing-rooms and snug dining-rooms with gloom like that of an ancestral ghost, or an unforgettable sorrow, or—the haunting horror of unpaid bills.
"Yes, that is the true, the inevitable simile, the fitting word," Ermengarde said to herself with melancholy triumph, from her downy nest in the deep warm Chesterfield by the fire, "the haunting horror of unpaid bills. 'Haunting horror' is good. And it's not so much the unpaidness of the bills as the size of them—and the kind of them. The butcher's bill, for instance—how enormous—and yet Arthur takes it as coolly as the collection in church, or the waiter's tip, that just means a finger slipped into a waistcoat pocket and out again, without even looking. When one thinks of the lovely things one might buy with the butcher's quarterly bill and can't!"

Disponível desde: 01/04/2024.

Outros livros que poderiam interessá-lo

Along the tracks of Cobb and Co...

Hazel Johnson

Step into the ramping, roaring days when the Royal Mail was delivered by the legendary Cobb and Co. "Oh, they were good days—rough days, quart pot days, damper days, perhaps—but still, they were big, brave, generous days", as Henry Lawson so aptly put it. Days when the world was wide, and adventure beckoned at every turn.
Immerse yourself in an array of amusing anecdotes and unforgettable tales that embody the grit & graft of the age. Let the romance and poetic charm of those times sweep you away, breathing life into the spirit and stories of a bygone era.
Embark on a journey that begins with the infamous ‘snake in the trousers’ tale—a legend that never fails to stir a chuckle. Venture through the extraordinary courage of Mrs. Mary Jinks, a mother of twelve who faced every challenge with unshakable resolve, and the tragic demise of swagman Tom McBride. Traverse deep, untamed creeks and billabongs—formidable obstacles that tested even the hardiest traveller. Relive the tense ‘Bail up!’ moments experienced by Cobb and Co. coach drivers, who wisely understood the perils of facing bushrangers, during the era spanning 1854 to 1924.
Through countless anecdotes, these stories illuminate the true spirit of the pioneers—their hard work, resilience, and boundless grit, shaping the fabric of early Australia. Every tale offers a glimpse into an era where determination, unyielding courage, and a hearty sense of humour flourished … “What would you like—lamb, ram, sheep, or mutton?”

Ver livro

Patience - The Shackleford...

Beverley Watts

In this funny Regency romance series, the Shackleford sisters descend on a Regency society that doesn’t know what’s hit it… 
 
With her four older sisters now married, it’s Patience Shackleford’s turn to take charge of her younger siblings’ education. But given that Patience’s most prodigious skill is lock picking, any abilities she passes on to her younger sisters are unlikely to provide any assistance in the drawing rooms of the genteel, especially as she has no interest in either high society, or horror of horrors… marriage. Indeed, her father the Reverend Augustus Shackleford is firmly of the opinion that the less society knows about his fifth daughter the better… 
 
When Grace and Temperance, now married to influential members of the ton, offer to take her in hand and bring her out, both Patience and her father are entirely horrified. For once in total accord, they endeavour to hatch a plan to somehow avoid the upcoming Season. 
But that’s before a chance meeting with the enigmatic and undeniably handsome Marquis of Guildford when Patience discovers that lock picking is exactly the expertise he happens to be looking for… 
 
Perfect for fans of Regency Romances with wit and humor and a little bit of steam.

Ver livro

Instant Ancestors

Russell Shuler

As fortune would have it, you have just stumbled across an off-the-leash, unbridled small compendium of outrageous stories called “Instant Ancestors.” Thanks to the lop-sided imagination of author Russell Shuler, you’ll meet a cast of characters, complete with a fabulous portrait (and subtle story clues contained therein), caught in every conceivable slant of shenanigan and predicament.Stick your toe in, and you’ll experience “the long hard stare” of Cletus McHaggis as he faces off with the “devastating beauty” of twins Ismerelda and Desdomena, circling one another in an ancient game of “dupe and roll.” You’ll follow the conjurings of Gloriah Jellylooloo, the “Memory Catalyst,” who brings cinema to events thought to be long buried and those yet to occur. Observe Smabdolem Ik as he encounters a troop of dwarf strippers with a dark side. And try to stay abreast with the show-stopping ideas of exotic fan dancer Izzy Ibrahim and her creative partner (and son) Shelley. All this flabbergastery, and more, is now available between the covers of “Instant Ancestors.”The Genesis of Instant AncestorsIt’s been said many times that you can pick your nose, but you can’t pick your relatives. I believed that to be true until, not long ago, I came across a shoe box crammed with family portraits taken roughly a hundred years ago in a favorite antique store. The stall proprietor included an index card with the scribbled broadside: “Instant Ancestors!” It went on to say that with these pictures, you could conjure up a long-lost relative from God knows where famous for such and such, and no one would be wiser. To be truthful, the idea appealed to my lop-sided, passionate sense of humor, so I bought the box of photographs and began imagining the personal chronicles of these precious folks who had been relegated to the dustbin of history.

Ver livro

Maggots Screaming!

Max Booth III

THE FAMILY THAT DECAYS TOGETHER, STAYS TOGETHER 
On a hot summer weekend in San Antonio, Texas, a father and son bond after discovering three impossible corpses buried in their back yard. 
From the author and screenwriter of We Need to Do Something comes a new novel of body horror and existential crises.

Ver livro

Stupid address 2

BARAKATH

Synopsis
Mr. Recall, number 99, coma center, deep sleep avenue, left brain, right brain, puncture district.
Mrs. Timid, bold and beautiful apartments, very strong arms park, anxiety overload road.
Mrs. Something, 0.0 nothing crescent, everything building, lost parking street junction, near runaway train station.
Mr. ICU, ICU permanent resident, nurse and doctor clinic, ECG enterprise hospital.
One day in the year 0000, a group of 26 friends came and met in a place called Alpha.
Maybe you're right, maybe you're wrong.
I have nothing to do, can I go to the toilet instead?
They all came with their pet animals.
Mr. Recall, number 99, coma center, deep sleep avenue, left brain, right brain, puncture district.
Mrs. Timid, bold and beautiful apartments, very strong arms park, anxiety overload road.
Mrs. Something, 0.0 nothing crescent, everything building, lost parking street junction, near runaway train station.
Mr. ICU, ICU permanent resident, nurse and doctor clinic, ECG enterprise hospital.
One day in the year 0000, a group of 26 friends came and met in a place called Alpha.
Maybe you're right, maybe you're wrong.
I have nothing to do, can I go to the toilet instead?
They all came with their pet animals.
In a world where addresses are as bizarre as their residents, Stupid Address 2 takes you on a hilariously absurd journey through the lives of Mr. Recall, Mrs. Timid, Mrs. Something, and Mr. ICU — each living in the most ridiculously named places you've never imagined. One mysterious day in the year 0000, 26 eccentric friends (and their equally odd pet animals) gather in a land called Alpha. What do they want? Nobody knows. What happens next? Probably confusion. With conversations that spiral into toilet requests and philosophy, this laugh-out-loud story proves that reality might just be the silliest place of all.

Ver livro

Other People's Dirt - A...

Louise Rafkin

Louise Rafkin, an extraordinary author, never imagined she'd end up cleaning refrigerators or have a preference for a particular brand of paper towels. But what started out as a quick way to earn a living became a curious preoccupation with all things clean... and messy!Witty and revealing, Other People's Dirt is a thoroughly irreverent look at the untidy business of life!

Ver livro