The Garden of Bewitchment by Catherine Cavendish

Author:Catherine Cavendish
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Flame Tree Publishing
Published: 2019-12-16T14:58:28+00:00

Chapter Eleven

“Todeswurm?” Matthew asked. “What’s that?”

“A death worm. I don’t know much about it, but it’s odd to see it up here. Maybe that’s where he got the idea from.”

“Who?”

“Branwell.” Evelyn stopped, realizing what she had said. “No. I mean Claire. Claire wrote about it.”

Matthew peered closer. “Looks a nasty piece of work.”

“Yes.”

If he wanted to know more, she wasn’t about to tell him. As for the carving, hundreds of carved rocks existed all over the country and usually many hundreds of years old. That this one happened to closely resemble the drawing Claire had insisted was Branwell’s had to be pure coincidence. Nothing else.

The long trudge back to Haworth did little to calm Evelyn’s fractured nerves. They were within sight of the village when Matthew broke the less than comfortable silence between them.

“I hope you realize I’m your friend, Evelyn. If there is something I can help you with, I’ll be happy to.”

“Thank you, Matthew.”

“When we return to Thornton Wensley, I will need to dispose of that toy. The Garden of Bewitchment. It’s still up in the cave.”

“With all the worry about Claire, I had put it out of my mind. But it can’t be destroyed, can it? We’ve tried twice to burn it and failed.”

“Then we’ll have to try another method. Pack it in a lead-lined box and bury it, perhaps.”

Evelyn bit her tongue. She longed to mention the other box, the one Matthew was so secretive about, but he said he had made a promise to a friend. He wouldn’t reveal its contents.

* * *

Dinner consisted of a steak and ale casserole with fluffy mashed potatoes and carrots. Evelyn found an appetite she thought she had lost.

“Going on long walks over the moors always makes me hungry,” Matthew said as he helped himself to more potatoes.

“Your leg seems much better now. I notice you no longer carry the stick.”

“It is indeed. I’m a bit tired today, though. Perhaps I did overdo it a little. Still a good night’s rest and I shall be fighting fit again.”

Jessie Lingard came in. “I see you made short work of that.” She indicated the empty dishes.

“Delicious, Jessie,” Evelyn said. “Thank you.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. There’s jam roly-poly and custard.”

“Perfect,” Matthew said as he took his last mouthful.

Jessie collected the plates and left them, and returned soon afterward with bowls of delicious dessert.

Evelyn tasted the jam-filled suet pudding, which instantly transported her back to her youth. Meals with Nanny. Cook used to make all the traditional children’s desserts, and, of all of them, jam roly-poly, with homemade raspberry conserve, was her favorite. She couldn’t remember how many years had elapsed since she had last tasted it.

“You can’t beat a good suet pudding, can you?” Matthew said. “And Jessie makes the best.”

“It’s probably a good idea to go back tomorrow. I should be the size of a house if I stayed here much longer.”

Matthew looked at her thoughtfully for a second. “You know, Evelyn, things will settle down. I’m sure of it.”

“I wish I could be so certain.

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