Page 31 of Beloved Beast

Gillian made a show of nodding in agreement. “This viscount is buried in the cemetery I passed on the way here?”

“Aye, supposedly. The old earl had been estranged from his son. Didn’t bury him in the family crypt, instead he laid him to rest in the village cemetery, though he never did put up a stone. But through the years, someone placed a wooden marker claiming evil lay there. Tommyrot. All of it.” The woman placed her pencil on the counter. “Now, I’ll be needing half payment on the other items, agreed?”

After settling the account and placing her food purchases in the basket, she exited the shop still feeling uneasy. How in heaven’s name were those boys able to describe Luke? The Beast of Charlwood? She considered the lads’ narratives. No. No. Not possible.

Hesitating, she should head straight to the house, but curiosity got the best of her. Instead of taking the path to the residence, she entered the graveyard. There were a number of old stones from the eighteenth and nineteenth century along the outer perimeter, with newer stones closer to the front gates. One caught her eye.

Glenna Parker

Beloved wife

1869-1932

“I am the sun’s reflection on the sea”

Must be a relation to Fred Parker and his parents. Gillian strolled farther along. It was then she came upon it. As the shopkeeper said, a crude wooden marker stood on a mound of dirt.

Viscount Ravenswood

The Beast Lives

“Evil to Him Who Evil Thinks”

“Paying your respects to the monster?”

The deep voice startled her, and she laid her hand on her chest briefly. Standing next to her was a young man leaning heavily on a cane. The wind whipped his long coat about his legs. He did not wear a hat and his black hair ruffled from the breeze. “Forgive me, I didn’t mean to startle you. Marcus Madden, at your service.”

My, he was quite handsome, how could she not notice? His eyes were a clear gray-blue shade. How to play this? Being impolite would throw suspicion on her. Besides, if she could find out more about the outrageous beast story, all the better. “Good afternoon, Mr. Madden. I am Miss Ethel McKinnon. I’m staying for a couple of weeks at the Parker house.” She gave him a shy smile and glanced down as any spinster would do under the circumstances. “At the shop a few of the local lads told me about the ‘Beast of Charlwood,’ and I came to look for myself. Is it true?” She looked up at him questioningly, giving him another bashful smile.

Mr. Madden threw back his head and laughed heartily. “Dash it, I haven’t laughed like that in many months.” He sobered then glanced at the grave. “Would you believe Viscount Ravenswood is the older brother I’ve never met? Well, half brother. After his first wife died, father remarried and voila, here I stand. My older brother is now the earl; he and the rest of the family are still in London.”

“And you are up at the house all alone?” Gillian inclined her head toward the large stone manor perched on the hill beyond.

“I am. Well, except for a few servants. I needed to be alone. I found London a little…overwhelming.” He tapped his lower leg with his cane and a hollow sound filled the air. “Recovering from a war wound. Lost part of my leg.”

“I’m terribly sorry. But I certainly understand about wanting to be alone and London being overwhelming. It’s why I am here.” She gave him a brief synopsis of her fictitious story.

“Ah. Understandable indeed.” Mr. Madden looked toward the wooden marker. “Is the story true? All I know is my father forbade his name be mentioned. Every portrait and picture was burned before I even came into the world. I have no idea what he looked like. The old earl did refer to him as a monster. Amoral. A degenerate. An embarrassment to the family name. But a walking corpse? The Beast of Charlwood? I can hardly credit it.”

He gave her a teasing grin. “Though I will confide the grave is indeed empty. One night, my brother and I dared each other as lads and we snuck out, came down here, and dug deep. We found an empty coffin with nothing but the skeletal remains of a hand inside. Well, it scared us for months to come, and for a while, I nearly believed the tale. But there were ressurectionists—body snatchers—here about in the eighteen hundreds. I’d wager to guess my poor half brother was sold for parts.”

“How gruesome,” Gillian exclaimed, completely caught up in the story.

“It is, isn’t it? How deliciously gothic when you think about it. Quite ‘Mary Shelley.’” He winked. “One day if you are out for an afternoon walk, call in at the house and we can have tea and chat further.”

Gillian looked appropriately shocked. She should’ve never stayed to talk to this man. What if he showed up at the Parker house? How to explain his presence to Luke? Damn, she should have never mentioned it; she was trained better than that. And why would Mr. Madden invite her? She looked a frump standing here. Was he lonely for company?

“I’ve shocked you. I have no designs on you, Miss McKinnon. The last thing I am looking for is any romantic entanglement. I was merely making a polite invitation. You can summarily ignore it and have no fear I will call on you. I bid you good day.” His voice was cool, but she could hear a note of vulnerability.

“Mr. Madden, wait.” He turned to face her. “I do appreciate the invitation. All I can say is I will consider it.” It was the best she could do. Be polite with no intention of ever seeing him again.

Perhaps he sensed it, for he gave her a quirky smile and a haughty salute before stiffly limping away.

One thing she decided, she wouldn’t tell Luke about any of this until she could work it out in her own mind. She wasn’t supposed to wander about and talk to everyone she came across. Luke was explicit in his instructions. “Head straight to the grocer, do not speak unless you have to, then come straight back. No detours.” As Gillian watched the tall man disappear behind the hedgerows, a thought came to her.

With his black hair, handsome looks, and attractive half-smile, Mr. Madden looked much like Luke.

Chapter 14