Page 15 of The Beast of Ashwood Manor

Mary looked surprised, but after a moment, she smiled and said, “Lord Gil is very private, but”—she looked around before she lowered her voice—“if he takes a liking to you, he’ll find ways to visit you.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

Mary smiled shyly. “He likes handsome faces like yours. If he comes to visit you, it means he likes you.”

My heart skipped a beat. “Oh,” I said, looking away.

“However, the past few years, he’s been more reclusive. He doesn’t leave his chamber often, but when he does, he spends most of his time in the woods hunting.”

“How does he fight off the monsters?”

Mary looked away. “That will be for him to tell you, not me. But, just a tip, Cale”—‍she grabbed my arm and squeezed it—“if you don’t mind the company of men, I would give Gil’s door a knock at the end of the day.”

“Are you suggesting I sleep with him?”

“Perhaps.”

“Oh.” My face burned.

She sighed and pursed her lips. “Have you had breakfast yet?”

When I shook my head, she grabbed my arm and pulled me to the kitchen, where Royce was cleaning up.

“Royce, is there anything left over for Cale?”

The boorish man looked over and raised his brows. “Ah, yeah, over there on the cutting table. You gonna let me have him to help in the kitchen today?”

“Once he adjusts, I’m sure he’ll come and help. Won’t you, Cale?” she asked.

“Of course.” I smiled.

Picking up a plate of leftovers, Mary gave it to me and led the way to the dining room, where Annie and Natalie were cleaning the table.

“I hope you two don’t mind if Cale sits and eats real quick,” Mary said.

“Of course not,” Natalie said, smiling crookedly. “We were wondering when you’d be coming out of your room to see us.”

My cheeks warmed as I sat at the table with my plate. Natalie looked taller than me, and her hair was thick and red, almost an auburn color. Freckles dusted her face, and her eyes were a stunning green that matched her simple dress. When she walked, it was graceful, and I wondered where she had been working before coming to the manor. It was a stark contrast from Eugenia, who walked with a relaxed gait and always wore trousers and a simple shirt.

“I’m sorry,” I finally said. “I’m just trying to get used to all this.”

Natalie chuckled. “No worries, hun. I was the same when I first came here.”

“She didn’t come out of her room for a week,” Mary said.

“Well, what do you expect, with Gil being as intimidating as he is?”

I looked over to see Annie glancing up at me as she washed the table. “What work are you used to, lad, besides the kitchen?” she asked, strands of her hair already coming loose from her bun.

“Farm work,” I responded, finding her much more intimidating than Gil. “I know a bit of carpentry.” I took a bite of eggs.

Annie sighed. “The complete opposite of Gil. Well, this is already set up to fail.” She took a stack of plates and made her way into the kitchen.

I looked from Mary to Natalie as they went quiet. “What does she mean?”

Mary smiled at me. “Nothing. Don’t worry about her.”

“Yeah, she tends to say whatever is on her mind. Most of us never take what she says to heart if it’s an insult.”

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