The unexpected guest

An original fiction passage set in the nineteenth century.

Mr Trent opened the door with his usual greeting prepared. When he recognised the visitor, the words stopped behind his teeth. His former business partner stood on the step, smiling as though the last five years had been a brief interruption. Mr Trent moved aside. He offered a chair, then another, uncertain where he wished the man to sit.

In the sitting room, he asked about the weather and poured tea into the best cups. The visitor answered easily. At last he said he had come to discuss the missing accounts. Mr Trent set the teapot down too hard. A little tea ran across the saucer. He fetched a cloth and began wiping a spill that had already stopped spreading.

Analyse how the writer uses language and structure to show Mr Trent’s effort to appear welcoming. Support your answer with references to the passage.