Bertha Crabbe

Miss Bertha Crabbe is a woman who owns Bertha Crabbe's Stuff and Such in the town of River's Rest.

Description

Bertha Crabbe is a tall, thin woman with a sharp nose and a pale complexion.  She wears a simple blue cotton dress under a white apron.  Barely visible below her jaw is a long, razor-thin scar.  She clutches a short heather besom in her long-fingered, calloused hands.  She gives off a barely perceptible smell of vanilla beans.

Idle Scripts

Bertha Crabbe leans against the window sill, looking out over the slow, rolling river.  She idly scratches her leg with her heather besom.  With a heavy sigh, she pushes herself away from the window and begins to tidy the shop with ruthless efficiency.

A young boy in a large, floppy cap rushes in and hands Bertha a folded piece of paper.  She reads the note quickly, then scribbles a brief reply with a quill pen.  She hands it back to the boy with few silvers.  "Off with you now," she says, "and don't dawdle."

A shady-looking character steps into the shop, his hat twisting nervously in his hands.  He leans toward Bertha and speaks softly in her ear.  In the quiet of the shop you hear the words "crab racing."  Bertha frowns severely and waves the stranger out the door with a shooing motion.  As he leaves she turns to you and smiles, saying "Please pay no mind to that one.  He was just looking for...for crab bait.  As if this my little shop looks anything like a bait shop!"

A hook-handed ruffian steps through the door of the shop.  Spying him, Bertha gives her head an abrupt shake.  The man nods and leaves.

Bertha Crabbe moves quietly about the small shop, tidying the merchandise and sweeping up specks of dust with her heather besom.

Bertha Crabbe glances up as a charming young girl with curly hair sticks her head through the doorway.  The girl raises her eyebrows in question.  Bertha Crabbe gives a slight shake of her head.  The girl sighs and makes a small pout before leaving.

A soft splash sounds through the window.  "Those rowdy children," Bertha says, with a tight smile.  "They're always tossing something or somebody into the river.  Some day somebody will get hurt, you mark my words."

Bertha Crabbe glances toward the doorway.  Seeing nobody there she speaks in a loud whisper, saying "Have you heard the latest about that young hussy who works for Timor?!"  At the sound of a soft cough from the hall Bertha stands up straight.  "Well, let's just say she's no better than she should be...and we'll leave it at that."