Ravenwood(42)

Elinore understood her feelings quite well. Seeing Alice’s long face and feeling a bit reckless, Elinore reached out and grabbed her hand. “Let’s just go have a look and… take some.”

“Steal? From Hayter?”

“Only a few sheets of paper. He likely won’t even know they’re missing.”

“He always knows when people have been through his things. Always.”

Thinking of Hayter’s smug face across the table at meal times and how the staff always looked away when he moved through Ravenwood, hiding from his gaze, Elinore felt angry. “I’ll let him know it was me. He can hardly begrudge me a few sheets of paper when he’s falling all over himself to impress me.”

Alice stared at her warily. “He is rather taken with you. You don’t… are you interested in him? In that way?”

“Good heavens, no,” Elinore said emphatically and Alice seemed to be relieved at her response. “There is something… too severe about him.”

“He does keep us safe,” Alice said, as if she had to defend Hayter’s harshness.

“Safe from what?”

Alice shrugged again, looking away. “Just… safe. And provided for. Of course, we’d all rather that Caleb was master at Ravenwood, but with Hayter here…” Alice trailed off, looking down at her lap.

Elinore clapped her hands together. “Well, enough of this wool-gathering. Let’s get you some paper.”

“It’s probably not a good idea.”

“Nonsense,” Elinore replied, standing. “I shan’t let you go without.”

Though she had been at Ravenwood for a few days, Elinore did not yet quite know which rooms were which. Alice led her through the manor, projecting hesitance in every step. On the main floor, they finally came to a set of closed doors and hesitated, leaning in and listening.

“This is Hayter’s den.” Alice’s voice was so quiet, Elinore didn’t so much hear it, as read her lips and understand their shape and meaning. “Can you… do you hear him?”

Elinore was not certain why Alice was asking her, but she leaned in close to Alice and pressed her own ear against the grain of the wood. She listened carefully and at first heard nothing, though that was quite usual. The wood was thick, and Elinore was not sure for what she should be listening. Then, suddenly, it was as though her hearing were amplified, multiplied. She could hear still nothing from behind the door, but she could hear Hayter’s voice, from far away, commanding a servant to help him tie his cravat.

“He’s in his room. Dressing, I think,” Elinore said, hearing Hayter speak harsh words. She smirked. “He can’t find his blue cravat and he’s convinced it’s the best one for his eyes.”

Alice watched Elinore carefully and Elinore felt shy and unsure under her gaze. She should not have been able to hear from so far away. It was strange. Odd. She felt the need to explain herself. “Caleb said sometimes old houses have strange sound patches. I’m probably standing in one of those odd places.” She tipped her head to the room. “But Hayter’s not in there.”

Alice nodded firmly, seeming content to let the matter drop. She opened the door and they stepped into Hayter’s den. Elinore paused, struck still by the sight. And the scent.

There was a menagerie of taxidermy on the walls - deer, moose, elk. Then, on the shelves and the desk, there were some beavers, small creatures, an eagle and a fox. Elinore’s nostrils felt assaulted by the scent of death. Not necessarily decay as the items appeared to be quite well preserved, but the scent of morbidity filled her nostrils. Her eyes then caught the paintings on the walls. Ghastly, horrid art showing wolves in various states - chasing animals, rending them to pieces with sharp fangs and wild eyes. A dead stag, sightless eyes staring up as a wolf flashed horrid fangs while perched overtop. Her eyes moved then to the desk where a vulgar statue showed two small creatures, human children Elinore thought, suckled by a wolf. Elinore felt her features curl into one of distaste as she took in the room.

“How horrid.”

“All of his things are gruesome and vile, if you ask me,” said Alice, coming to stand next to Elinore. “We should not linger. Our scent will stay in here if we do.” Alice shuddered. “Also, the eyes of everything in this room watch you.”

As Elinore gazed around the room, she saw Alice was correct - every animal preserved had a stark, knowing gaze that pierced through her.

“Let us find what we came for and leave this place,” Elinore murmured. “I find it distasteful.” Immediately Elinore made her way to the desk and pulled on the top drawer. Finding it locked, she moved to the next, and the next, finally finding the bottom drawer unsecured. A stack of paper was blissfully there, waiting for her pillaging. She took a large stack and then yanked open a side drawer, finding some pencils, a spare quill and a bottle of ink. She took them all.

Alice was already waiting outside Hayter’s den for her, having at some point during Elinore’s search, stepped out of the room. Elinore could not blame her. The feeling of decay and… perhaps debauchery hung over every corner of the space. Elinore could not wait to be out herself. Once back in the hall, Elinore pulled the door shut behind her firmly, only feeling better once she heard the latch slip into place. She held back a shudder. Being in that room was akin to being surrounded by Hayter himself.