Chapter 39

Chapter Thirty-Nine

T he wedding took place in Chuddums on a perfect, sunny day. The villagers flocked to the tiny All Saints Church, packing the pews. Xenia felt like a princess walking down the aisle in the beautiful white dress and veil Mrs. Sommers had made for her, a wreath of orange blossoms in her hair. She smiled at all her beaming friends, but her smile grew wobbly when she saw her groom waiting for her at the altar.

Even if she lived to be a hundred, she would never forget this moment.

Ethan Harrington was the prince of her dreams, and he looked every inch the part. He was magnificent: long, lean perfection in his dove-grey tailcoat and trousers, his blue waistcoat complementing his vibrant eyes. When he smiled, her heart threatened to soar from her chest.

In front of their family and friends, they exchanged the vows that would bind them forever. When he kissed her, she lost track of everything but the beauty of their connection. It took the reverend's clearing of his throat and Gigi's smothered giggle for Ethan to end the kiss, and even then Xenia had continued to gaze dreamily into her new husband's eyes.

Afterward, the reception was held at Bottoms House. The manor's reputation had once kept the villagers away, but now they explored the stylish abode and gardens with curiosity and admiration. More than one guest proclaimed that it was one of the finest homes in the county and would surely put Chuddums on the map.

If anyone had hoped to see a ghost, they were disappointed.

The wedding cake had been baked by Mrs. Pettigrew, and true to form, its tiers were slightly and charmingly askew. As the cake was being served, Xenia and Ethan circulated and chatted with guests, including Mr. Parkhurst and Mr. Canning, who'd come from London. When Xenia spotted Mr. Walford, she brought Ethan over and made the introductions.

"When did you get back from Manchester, Wally?" she asked.

"Just last night. I couldn't miss the grandest wedding Chuddums has ever seen." Wally beamed. "There aren't many occasions to wear my finest coat. I had to dig it out of the attic; for some reason, my granddaughter misplaced it there."

Since his finest coat was a bright, checkered chartreuse, Xenia had an inkling why Mrs. Sommers might have stowed it away.

"By the by, I apologize for not responding to your letter," Wally went on. "My rheumatism makes it difficult for me to hold a pen, and I thought it would be easier to talk in person. You had questions about Thomas Mulligan?"

Although the danger had passed, Xenia still had unanswered questions.

"Mrs. Sommers said that you once told her the story of Thomas Mulligan and the witch was a love story," she began.

"You've got it wrong already," Wally said. "Rosalinda wasn't a witch."

"Her name was Rosalinda?"

Xenia shot an I-told-you-so look at her new husband, who merely raised his brows.

"Did you know her, Mr. Walford?" Ethan asked.

"Only from afar. I used to see her by the stream." The nonagenarian's eyes had a faraway look. "I was only eight at the time, but I still remember how beautiful she was with her long, dark hair and green eyes. She was part of a traveling family, and I wasn't supposed to go near them, but sometimes I would sneak away to the stream, just to hear her sing while she washed her clothes. She had a captivating voice."

Xenia canted her head. "If Rosalinda was so beautiful, why does the legend say she is a witch?"

"Because villagers can be small-minded," Wally said darkly. "They've never liked travelers, and Rosalinda's family was no exception. Their prejudice turned into gossip and talk of witchcraft because her family sold herbs—the normal, everyday kind you use in your own salve, my lady. But the villagers twisted the family's business into something evil…which says more about them than Rosalinda and her kin."

"Do you think Rosalinda murdered Thomas Mulligan?" Xenia asked.

"No, I do not," Wally said definitively. "I saw them together by the stream one day. I was a child and didn't yet know the ways of adults, but even then I knew they were in love. When Mr. Mulligan was found dead, and Rosalinda was accused of murdering him, I tried to tell my parents what I saw, but they had their prejudices too, I'm afraid. They made me keep my mouth shut, and I was too scared to disobey. To this day, I regret not defending her as I ought to have."

"You were a child," Xenia murmured. "If the villagers had made up their minds, they certainly would not have listened to you. Do you know what happened to Rosalinda?"

Wally shook his head. "When the accusations of witchcraft started flying, she and her family moved on. Can't say I blame them."

"It is interesting that none of this is referenced in the rhyme about the curse," Ethan said thoughtfully.

"Do you know the rhyme, my lord?" Wally peered at him. "In its entirety?"

"I've told it to him." Dutifully, Xenia recited,

"Beware, beware the rattling chain

The flapping robes stained red and bold

Beware the moans and wails of pain

For 'tis Bloody Thom they do herald.

He brings death to all who cross his path

Be they creatures with feathers, fur, or skin

Green will wither and fortunes dwindle until his wrath

Is quenched by a true reckoning

He plays a mournful ballad of blame

Shaking the manor with his ire

His cry for justice is like a flame

Scorching all with unholy fire."

"You've omitted the last verse," Wally said.

Xenia widened her eyes. "There's another verse? No one's mentioned it."

"That is because folks these days have forgotten about it. The actual rhyme ends like this:

Alone, alone in his manor of sadness

Bloody Thom does howl, trapped by rage

Alone, he curses the village in his madness

Until love's seasons free them from their cage. "

"I don't understand." Xenia furrowed her brow. "What are ‘ love's seasons ' and who does ‘ them ' refer to? Who is being freed and what is their cage?"

"It sounds like a riddle of some sort," Ethan said.

"I've mulled it over for years, and I don't have the answers." Wally slowly smiled. "But I do know this: I prefer a story that ends with love and hope, don't you?"