Author Reading – Marley’s Curse – Chapter 1

In my ongoing quest to offer readers fun and entertaining blog posts and podcasts, I’m going to try something a little different this week, reading a brief scene from Marley’s Curse, A Dickens Station Treasure Hunt Mystery. Now, as you know, Marley’s Curse isn’t due to be published until July 25^th, for Christmas in July. But I thought you, my readers and faithful Dickens Stationers, might like an early sneak peek into the world of Jacob Marley and his friends.

A Transcription of the Podcast (So you can read along, if you wish.)

Opening Remarks . . .

Greetings, Dickens Stationers, and welcome to this episode of the Donald Jay Author podcast. I’m Donald Jay. In this episode, I am reading the scene from Marley’s Curse, A Dickens Station Treasure Hunt Mystery, where Jacob Marley (the good guy) meets Donovan Dawson (the bad guy) for the first time.

Let me set the scene for you, and then we’ll dive right in to the reading.

Marley’s Curse is a modern-day treasure hunt mystery set in the quaint Victorian Christmas-themed village of Dickens Station, Vermont. Jacob Marley, a namesake of the infamous villain in Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, has been urgently called home by the town’s matriarch, Amelia Dickens, to address a threat by a ruthless treasure hunter, Donovan Dawson. In this scene, Jacob has just arrived via the rustic 2-6-0 mogul steam locomotive and is sitting on the bench outside the train station. While waiting, he observes a failed flirtation of a vainly confident man in a cashmere overcoat attempting to assist an attractive young woman stepping off the train onto the platform. The woman and her younger traveling companion pass Jacob on their way to a carriage standing by to whisk them through the Vermont winter wonderland to the charming and picturesque Inn at Dickens Station. As they pass, she notices Jacob staring, their eyes meet, and Jacob forgets to breathe.

This is where we pick up our story, Marley’s Curse, Chapter One, A Rude Welcome.

The Reading . . .

Jacob sighed and rose to his feet. He took a step to peer around the building and watch. The carriage wheels spun streams of snow into the air, and the horse puffed billows of steam as they headed toward town.

“I see she has the same effect on you she has on me.” The voice behind Jacob startled him. Jacob pivoted to find the gentleman in the cashmere overcoat staring beyond him after the carriage.

“Yes, she is stunning, isn’t she?” Jacob responded, stealing one last glance in the carriage’s direction before facing the gentleman. “Are you visiting Dickens Station for the day, or are you staying with us for a while?”

“I’m staying on business, but for only as long as is absolutely necessary.” The man took one last look at the departing carriage and then refocused on Jacob. “Are you a resident here?”

“A former resident, actually, returning on business as well.” Jacob extended his hand, noticing a bit of pride swelling in his chest. “Jacob Marley, at your service.”

“Jacob Marley?” The gentleman raised an eyebrow. “I wasn’t expecting you until Friday.”

Jacob tilted his head, his voice raising an octave. “Expecting me?”

“I’m Donovan Dawson. I own Dawson National Bank. Well, I suppose it’s good you arrived early. We need to get this wrapped up before Christmas. Those backwoods, small town clerks at the savings and loan won’t give me access to anything, and they’re clueless about the loans. I’m glad you’re here. Let’s get going.” Dawson walked off, slipping a calfskin driving glove onto his right hand. He turned when he noticed Jacob was not following. “Aren’t you coming?”

This vacation’s over. It’s time to get to work. Jacob’s shoulders flattened, and his eyes narrowed. He trained his gaze on the eyes of the bank owner as he stepped toward his adversary. “Mr. Dawson, the directors of the town’s savings and loan hired me to assess the viability of their outstanding loans. You’re acting as if they’ve already decided to sell those loans to you and close the bank.”

“Don’t be naive, son.” Dawson stepped uncomfortably close to Jacob, stared down into his eyes, and emphasized his words by waving the free glove he held in his one gloved hand. “You’re here to validate what I have already set in motion. And if you’ve got any ideas about saving these backwoods sap-growers from having their loans refinanced into more profitable terms, you might as well get right back on that train. Now, are you coming?”

“Mr. Dawson,” Jacob barked, his feet firmly planted, and his gaze locked on Dawson’s eyes, “one of those backwoods sap-growers, as you call them, is my mother, and if you think you are going to come in here and rob these good people of their livelihood, then maybe you need to get back on that train.”

“I would say we have a conflict of interest here, Mr. Marley. You’re too close to this town and its people to make a sound financial recommendation.”

Jacob did not give quarter. “Maybe the decision isn’t purely financial for this board of directors, Mr. Dawson. In any event, today is Wednesday. We have an appointment for ten o’clock Friday morning at the bank. We’ll continue this conversation at that time.”

Dawson’s eyes flared, and he struck his ungloved hand with the glove in his other. He studied Jacob’s unflinching gaze and set jaw before allowing his lips to curl into a sneer. Without speaking, the man in the cashmere coat pivoted, huffed off the platform, and stormed down the street in the general direction of town.

Jacob stepped to the blind side of the station house and sucked in a deep breath of clean, crisp mountain air, which he released slowly like a pin-pricked balloon. As his heart rate slowed, his eyes settled on a faded cast iron town marker hanging unceremoniously askew from a single nail on the side of the building. Squinting in the dim light of a deep shadow, Jacob barely made out the words.

Dickens Station

Declared a Township in the Great State of Vermont

by the Honorable

Governor John L. Barstow

December 19, 1893.

Jacob dropped his shoulders and lowered his gaze. This little town has survived over 125 Christmases. Could this Christmas be its last?

Closing Remarks . . .

Well, there you have it, Marley’s Curse, Chapter 1. This scene, which comes at the end of the chapter, seems to set up the entire story, but it turns out to be just the tip of the iceberg, and while it appears to give Jacob a good idea of what he’s up against, meaning Donovan Dawson, he’s not at all prepared for the adventure Dawson has accidentally set into motion. So, I hope you’ll join me for the rest of Marley’s Curse when it is published in July.

For now, though, I meant it when I said that I really try to give readers blog posts and podcasts they enjoy. I need to know if you like these readings and want me to continue. So, please leave a comment (or at least a thumbs-up or a heart) on my blog, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, so I know this is something you want me to continue.

Thanks for listening. Until next time, I’m Donald Jay.