Barnaby Rudge Chapter 1

In which an ancient inn called the Maypole, steeped in local legend and nestled by Epping Forest, serves as the gathering place for a diverse company whose quiet evening is stirred by the presence of a mysterious stranger and the telling of a grim tale tied to a neighbouring estate. Through the flickering firelight and the wind’s mournful howl, the old parish-clerk recounts a haunting story of loss and suspicion that has shadowed the community for more than two decades.