Page 17 of The Beast's Heart

What did Adam do to him?

“I think some quiet reading time is in order, don’t you?”

When Zane’s charges are done with their tantrums, he will generally take them aside for a little one-on-one chat about what’s really bothering them. Even though Mal is quiet, I don’t mistake this for regulation. He’s terrified. Nothing I say now is going to make an impact.

Unfortunately the classroom’s little library doesn’t have all that much to offer children born in this century. It’s nothing more than a small collection of classics. I pick out The Velveteen Rabbit for Ben, Pride and Prejudice for Alisha and Frankenstein for Mal.

It takes a few minutes for Enrique to settle with a box of crayons and some blank paper. Alisha makes an attempt to read next to him, but he keeps demanding attention. Mal doesn’t even look at his book. He simply stares down at the desk, lost in his own thoughts. Ben tries, he really tries, but after only a few moments I catch his shoulders shaking. He’s crying.

I shouldn’t be here. I’m hopelessly under qualified.

I try to focus on my own work, planning lessons for children who will probably refuse to take them.

The rain stops a little before lunch and the fog lifts — both literally and metaphorically. I have a plan. Well, more of an inkling. An idea that might become a plan.

“What do you say we take our lunch outside and have a picnic?” I ask the silent room.

“A picnic?” Alisha glances out at the weather. “Are you sure?”

“Certain. The fresh air will do us all good.”

“You don’t think it might be a little… too fresh?”

“We can wear coats.”

“Enrique will get muddy.”

“Is that really so bad?” I look to the other boys. “Mal? Ben? What do you think? Picnic yay or nay? I’ll arrange some treats from the kitchen.”

Mal shrugs. “Whatever. You’re the teacher, aren’t you?”

“Ben?”

Ben’s looking at his hands. “I do like picnics. Do you think we can have cakes?”

“I’m not sure about cakes, we’ll have to see what Ray has available. At the very least some little sandwiches.”

“There won’t be anywhere to sit,” Alisha says.

“We can put down blankets. If it is too awful, we’ll just come back inside.”

“What if The Beast won’t let us take the food?”

“You really do worry a lot, don’t you? Come along.” I stand. “You heard Mal. I’m the teacher and I think a picnic is a fine idea.”

I send Alisha to help the others get dressed into warmer clothes and jackets and stop by the kitchen to make my request of Ray. They’re delighted at the idea, especially when I explain the day we’ve all had. Ray offers to bring out the food as soon as it’s ready.

On my way out of the kitchen, I ask, “Do you know if the children have a ball?”

“The kids? No. But Geoff will.” They tell me where to find him.

The top floor of the manor has that modern industrial feel of being suspended mid renovation. The walls are a mix of bare brick and concrete and the floorboards are untreated pine. It’s hard to tell if the look is intentional or if the mystery decorator just never made it this far.

A long passage leads off the landing, with doors to the left and right that must be bedrooms. At the end, I find the Scottish headquarters of the De Villeneuve foundation: an open-plan office full of mismatched desks and old filing cabinets.

Geoff is right at the back of the room, sprawled in an office chair with a clunky cellphone from the 90s tucked under his chin.No, a satellite phone.

“Yeah Carole, that sounds great… no, of course… I know, but it’s a hard line for him. Yeah…” He spots me and waves me over. “Look,look, I’m trying to meet you halfway, but Beast is very clear on this. Unless your photographer wants to quarantine… Yeah. Mmhmm.” He rolls his eyes at me. “I know… I know.” He listens for a beat then gets up and paces to a filing cabinet. “How about this? We have some pics of when he first bought the place... Yeah, with the hubby… Yes, absolutely… I think that will work very well… See, this is why they pay you the big bucks.”

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