The Trap

Rain brightens the flagstones of Flaxman’s Court as Miriam arrives to inspect the rooms that will become her own. The little London street has long attracted her, and its quiet promises relief from the surrounding thoroughfares. Inside the house, stale smells and a talkative landlord complicate her delight. Upstairs, clear air and changing light restore it, although sharing the larger room with Miss Holland introduces furniture, habits and a curtain into her imagined retreat.

The narrative makes a housing arrangement into a study of privacy and the demands of company. Miriam watches surfaces and furnishings closely, while ordinary exchanges provoke memories, resistance and efforts to be polite. A later encounter with a theatrical statue repairer tests her patience and draws her curiosity. For readers drawn to everyday urban life, Richardson gives the search for personal space the emotional detail usually reserved for larger events.