Short Fiction · Character

The Squire

A country landowner whose family history is bound up with an old book and an old wrong, and whose inquiries keep circling back to a black-cloaked stranger.

supporting

Also known as Squire

First appearance: martin s close

As a supporting figure in Short Fiction, The Squire is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Dennistoun's companion who comments on the cost of masses for Alberic de Mauléon.

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The Squire moves through the affair as a man of standing and conscience, anxious about a young librarian he has indirectly injured and pressing for details others would rather suppress. He is courteous, a little imperious, and clearly carrying knowledge he does not fully share, which makes his questions about the black-cloaked gentleman land with weight. His urgency to trace the book and the man behind it gives the early investigation its momentum, and his sense of responsibility keeps the human cost in view.

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This letter marks the story’s dramatic climax because it delivers the emotional and psychological peak of unre…

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In the story

The Squire appears across 6 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Canon Alberic's Scrapbook
Dennistoun's companion who comments on the cost of masses for Alberic de Mauléon.
The Ash-Tree
Sir Richard Fell is referred to as the Squire; he is the central figure in the later part of the story.
Count Magnus
The innkeeper at the village near Råbäck; he provides Wraxall with local traditions about Count Magnus, including the Black Pilgrimage, but is evasive about details.
A View from a Hill
Squire Richards, Fanshawe's host. He provides the binoculars and later reveals knowledge of Baxter's dark experiments.
A Warning to the Curious
Mentioned as the rector's companion during the initial conversation about the crowns.
An Evening’s Entertainment
Exhausted after a day's shooting, he dozes by the fire and grumbles at the children's noise.

Chapter companion notes

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