The Devil's Hound

Chapter 28 - Sunday 28th September 1860

For a Sunday afternoon in late September Regent Park was uncharacteristically quiet. The morning's rain had turned into a persistent drizzle that kept only the keenest of London's inhabitants inside. Nigel walked along the path running through the park stepping around the puddles that had formed. The first fallen leaves danced around his feet blown from the trees by the faint wind. A small orchestra were playing in the bandstand, their music appreciated by only a handful of people brave enough to face the weather.

No matter the weather Nigel always enjoyed the parks of London. Nigel found them a release from the claustrophobic pressure exerted by the sheer mass of people living and working in such small area. These small green oases reminded him of the countryside he had grown up in. Often on a Sunday afternoon, the only day of the week when his time was truly his own, Nigel went out into the parks to enjoy the tranquillity that he found lacking in the rest of the city. On this occasion Nigel had a different reason for finding himself in Regent Park than just escaping the urban sprawl. At the beginning of the week he had received an invitation from a friend inviting him to a rendezvous.

Unfortunately he was running late. He had been just about to leave the door when the Professor called for him. Professor Ashcroft had misplaced his journal. They spent twenty minutes looking for it only to find the Professor had left on the seat of his chair in his study. Nigel feared his tardiness and the dismal weather would persuade her he wasn't going to show and she would leave before he arrived. He turned the bend only to discover his fear had come true. A woman sat upon the bench where they had agreed to meet. Beneath her navy cloak she wore a dark green dress with a large frilled skirt. An umbrella concealed her face. She sat stiffly as if uncomfortable on the bench.

Nigel took out his pocket watch. He was nearly fifteen minutes late. He had missed his rendezvous. Perhaps it was best if he walked on by then circled back to the Professor's house. The woman on the bench turned to him and smiled.

"Renée," Nigel said pleased to see her. "I didn't recognise you in those clothes."

"When in Rome," she said pulling at the huge ballooning skirt. "I don't understand why women choose to dress this way. You try getting around in this thing. Sitting is hard work, a sudden gust will blow it up in your face, and trying to get through a narrow door is a nightmare. And don't mention the corset. But it has its perks. I get less attention dressed in this way than my usual clothes."

"Sorry I'm late," he said sitting down beside her. "The Professor held me up as I was leaving."

"I was beginning to suspect you were not coming or did not get my note. Your Professor's manservant didn't fill with confidence he would pass it on."

With the return of the Professor niece the household staff had doubled. The Professor now had a manservant and a maid to serve Elizabeth Ashcroft. They were all struggling to adapt to the newly increased household.

"He's new and is just finding the ropes. I was surprised to hear from you again," Nigel said.

"The last time I saw you was when you left me in the barn to get help."

"I did visit you in the infirmary the next morning but you were sleeping and the Professor was keen for us to get back to London. Sorry for leaving without saying goodbye."

"You can make it up to me by answering a few questions I have. I have been wondering what happened that night. I did ask Doctor Grant in the workhouse but he was far forthcoming. I even asked Mr Rinder, the master of the workhouse, and he claimed I had been attacked by a boy in a wolf suit."

"That is the official story. According to Mr Rinder and corroborated by Professor Ashcroft the werewolf was no more than Morris Reid from the men's workhouse. He attacked the pig, left the bloody print, and chased people as a practical joke to scare people. He then took his joke too far and murdered the injured man we found in the forest. He also attacked you. That morning he was found with a shoddy wolf costume containing a glove tipped with knife blades. He was discovered stuffing it in a small hidey hole behind the privy's in the men's yard."