The story centers around a youthful man named Billy Weaver travels to Bath, England to set himself up as a branch manager of a business. Along the way, he catches sight of a bed and breakfast signboard and is inexplicably and hypnotically charmed by the sign outside the door and the cozy setting within, so he decides to take shelter there for the night. He is greeted by an elderly and eerily-cheerful, talkative, sunny landlady, who immediately insists upon sitting and conversing with Billy, forcefully serving him tea implied to be the poisonous cyanide, this is implied because it is said that the tea tastes of almonds. Billy grows suspicious of the woman's overly-optimistic nature and the lack of guests registered in the boarding book, though she insists that there are more sharing a room upstairs. She also mentions her passion for taxidermy and stuffing her deceased house-pets, like a parrot and a dachshund, closing the story with an implication that she plans on killing and stuffing Billy next.