Thursday 28th February 1808

Dear Diary,
I am much improved and this evening entered Cobbler's Bottom to dine with the Misses Forster and Dixon. They were in the area attending the funeral of an old acquaintance and were staying at the Inn. I solicited them to stay at The Grange should they return to the area again as they would be most welcome and far more comfortable than lodged in Cobbler's Bottom. We enjoyed a passable repast and reflected upon our recent visit to London then retired to a public ante room for tea and further conference. It was here that Miss Dixon recounted the mysterious tale of 'Snotty' Longbird, neighbour and cheese maker back in her Parish...

Obadiah Longbird had an unhappy and unhealthy childhood. He procured his sobriquet from a perpetual cold and received a handkerchief at every birthday. He was a loner and had few friends but was fortunate enough to find love and made a living producing an unusual green tinged cheese. One winters day whilst returning home he stumbled upon two corpses by the road side and followed a trail of blood in the snow to a third corpse by which he discovered a box of gold coins. The error he made was to take it and return home and not say anything. The next day the Longbirds disappeared from their home. Mrs Longbird returned to her mother and 'Snotty' became nomadic seeking shelter and occupation wherever he found himself. He was convinced he was being pursued and thus never remained in one place for very long. The Longbirds remained in contact and resolved to leave the country together. 'Snotty' became more and more fretful and anxious to leave as the months passed. It was in May, two days before Mrs Longbird was to rendezvous with her husband at Dover, that she received news that 'Snotty' was dead. He had been working at a cattle farm and was found one morning crushed by the bullocks. Mrs Longbird left her mother's that very night and vanished. The coins were never recovered.

Miss Dixon, took a sip of her tea and settled back into her chair as she came to the end. The whole room had fallen silent and only the crackling of the fire could be heard. I leaned forward and asked "How do you know this to be true?"
Miss Dixon smiled and leaned forwards herself, "Mrs Longbird confessed the story in a letter given to a trusted friend to be opened only after her death."
"Are you the trusted friend?" I asked.
"No," Laughed Miss Forster, " Never tell Annabelle Dixon a secret!"
"So, the funeral you have come to attend is that of 'Snotty's' wife?" I enquired.
"No, it is of our old friend Ada Nuff who has been gravely ill these past months, but it was she who was the trusted friend and it was she who passed the letter onto us." Miss Dixon smiled and placed her cup and saucer upon the table. "I believe Mrs Longbird's Christian name was Collette," she said, " but she latterly went by the surname Fairfax."
I did not mean to cover Miss Dixon in tea but I could not help but splutter!