Page 16 of The Beast of Ashwood Manor

Mary patted my shoulder. “The first few days are the hardest. You’ll fall into a routine here.” She squeezed my arm before she left with Natalie, and I was alone once again.

By nightfall, I sat in my room with nothing more to do than watch the rain as it lashed against the windows. If it hadn’t been for the thunder and the sound of the water pelting the roof, the silence would have driven me mad.

To make the time pass, I looked over my rocks still laid out on the small table. They were relics now, from a world I could no longer see. I took one up in my hand and smoothed my fingers over it. Simple limestone. My paints sat cold and unused. I hadn’t had the desire to paint since coming here, and I still didn’t feel much like doing it.

As I set my rocks out in a line, I fumbled over Mary’s words to me earlier that day about knocking upon Gil’s door. I certainly had no qualms being in the company of men. It was all I preferred, but I had only ever slept with one man before, and that was a lost love of my youth. Gilwashandsome, but I hardly knew him, and he’d echoed the same. Mary suggesting I sleep with him sounded almost like a clue, as she changed the subject rather quickly when I asked.

Is that what will break the curse? Just sleeping with him? Or something more?

I shook my head. There had to be more to it than that. What were the odds that he also enjoyed the company of men? Men like me were few and far between. It seemed too easy, too good to be true. I had even been shocked to learn that Natalie and Eugenia were like me in that sense.

Even so, I had to know, even if I only asked him questions. I needed answers.

Leaving my room, I crept down the hall to the door at the end. My heart pounded as I raised my fist. Before I could pull myself away, I pounded on it three times. Then I kicked myself inwardly for knocking so loudly.

After about a minute of waiting and finding the door still closed, I turned around. Hoping no one had seen me, I rushed back down the hall.

The sound of a door creaking open stopped me in my tracks. I held my breath, my eyes widening, and turned around slowly.

There, in the doorway, Gil looked curiously at me. I forced myself forward, inching closer. When I reached him, I looked down, feeling awkward.

“Yes?” he asked.

“I, um, well . . .” I cleared my throat. “I wanted to talk. Yes, talk. With you.” I straightened. “If it’s not too much trouble.”

“Ahhh . . .” Gil scratched his head. “No trouble. We can talk.”

Relieved, he followed me to my room, where we sat in the chairs by the fire. Gil slumped forward with his hands clasped between his legs, waiting patiently for me to start the conversation.

I hesitated, bouncing my leg up and down. I couldn’t outright ask if sleeping with him would break the curse. It even sounded silly. Instead, I started with, “I’ve been thinking of ways to break this curse.”

“Oh.” Gil nodded slowly, looking unimpressed. “Have you thought of any?”

“It started with you, so it has to end with you. And since you know how to break it and you’re still here, there’s nothing you can do, otherwise you’d have done it already.”

“All right.” He crossed his arms.

“So, I’ve been wondering if other people have to be involved in breaking it.”

He was quiet, his eyes narrowing on me in the firelight.

I twisted my fingers, looking away as I said, “Someone suggested I sleep with you.” I could feel my face growing hot saying the words, but I wasn’t so sheltered that I wouldn’t bring it up. “When I mentioned that being what would break the curse, they said nothing more. That has something to do with it, doesn’t it?”

“Cale,” Gil started. He sighed and placed his hands on his knees. “I’ve slept with a few people. And yet, we’re all still here.”

“Oh.” I bit my lip, thinking harder about it all. If that was it, he also wouldn’t be able to speak of it. “Then I suppose I’ll have to keep guessing until you give me the answer. If you say nothing, then I’ll know that’s it. If you keep talking, I’ll know that isn’t it.”

“You think this is how you’re going to figure it out?”

“Yes.” I cleared my throat and straightened in my chair. “You’ve slept with men and women?”

He nodded.

“And they kept coming back to you?”

When Gil looked away, he grunted, looking uncomfortable. “Yes, they came back, for a while.”

“How long?”

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