Description
Seven forty-five, the train out of Gare Saint-Lazare, and Henri had the crossword folded into quarters on his knee before the doors had closed. Fourteen across had defeated him since Rouen. The woman opposite leaned over, tapped the grid with one gloved finger, murmured serendipity, and returned to her novel without another word.
He married her two springs later. On their first anniversary she gave him this porcelain crossword, every tiny square painted with patient care, and he set it on his desk where he could see it while he worked. When colleagues ask about it, he tells them it is the finest clue he ever solved, and that after all these years he still hasn’t quite finished the puzzle. She, for her part, insists she simply wanted the seat by the window and that the rest was his own doing.
At a glance
- Shaped like a classic crossword puzzle grid
- Squares and lines picked out in careful painted detail
- A flat, square silhouette that rests neatly on a desk or bookshelf
- Measures 3 x 3 x 0.5 inches
- Made by Rochard
- Hand-painted Limoges porcelain, made in France
A witty present for word lovers, trivia champions and anyone who keeps a pencil tucked behind one ear. Pair it with a new dictionary and a box of sharpened pencils for the ultimate puzzler’s birthday, retirement or anniversary.
