The Nebuly Coat

Summary

A chilling tale of suspense with a puzzling mystery at the heart of the story.

Architect Edward Westray is sent by his firm to restore Cullerne Minster. The young man believes that more work is needed to secure the bell tower, but his warnings go unheeded. A fellow lodger, the church organist Sharnall, is investigating the belief of the late Martin Joliffe, the landlady's brother, that he, Joliffe, was the rightful heir to the Blandamer title and estates.

Sharnall dies in circumstances which he had predicted and confided to Westray, and the architect continues this search into the nobleman's history - much to his Lordship's displeasure. With little experience of life beyond his profession, the young man discovers the truth and finds himself on a knife-edge of self-doubt in which his senses of honour and tradition are at odds with one another.

Life is no longer black or white, but grey as the crumbling stone of the minster, which, in a thrilling finale, threatens to come crashing down upon him.

Public Domain (P)2011 Assembled Stories