Curse of the Dark Shadows: Book 1 a Child Lost

By Gloria Marshall

Eighteenth-century England is a turbulent time. While its empire of rich colonial countries flourishes, its city streets teem with orphans and beggars. The Poor Law Act tries to stem the flow, and children are snatched from poor families and placed in foster homes of the wealthy nobility. Caught in this web is three-year-old Geoffrey Garland, who adjusts to the rich lifestyle, but his master has a dark secret: he lusts for little boys. Forced into the School for the Poor at seven years of age, the memories of his loving master become his passion. A cruel headmaster heaps torture and humiliation on his young shoulders. At fourteen years of age, filled with hatred and darkness, his one desire is to find his master, who stole his innocence. His quest takes him to India, where richness and mystery awaits. Using a false lord's name, Lord Geoffrey fits in with wealthy nobility and embraces their decadence. A dark and handsome lord appears. He lures him to his tea plantation in mystical Assam, India's remote northern country. While the beauty and wilderness captures our Lord Geoffrey's heart, the dark shadows of his past haunt him. His life unfolds in a fast-paced, suspense-filled adventure of mystery, darkness, unbridled passion, and true love. What he seeks eludes him, but a surprise ending leaves the reader wanting more.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 17, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524500610

Gloria Marshall

Gloria Marshall, author, poet and painter, loves to spin a tale sprinkled with history and suspense. Her characters are cast in off-the-grid, remote locations. Her travels open doors to adventure and wonder. Curse of the Dark Shadows is a two book eulogy that pushes the boundaries of our senses. A history buff and avid researcher, her historical fictions carry a grain of truth to stir one's mind. Gloria lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she enjoys her passion for writing and painting.

Book preview

Copyright © 2016 by Gloria Marshall.

Cover Illustration by Gloria Marshall

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 11/30/2016

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Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Epilogue

DEDICATION

To my friend Gary, a rare and wonderful soul, who walked in his dark world without any fear. Black Ant, my soul brother, be at peace wherever you are.

It is said that some lives are linked throughout time, connected to an ancient calling that echoes through the ages.

. . . Destiny

CHAPTER ONE

Who knows what evil lurks in the minds of men… Unknown

I stand outside the butcher shop, shivering from the cold fog that engulfs our street. It is so thick that all the door handles are slick with icy water. I am three years old; tall for my age but very thin as we are a poor family. The sun hardly shines here in Middlesex and our street is littered with rotten garbage. It attracts all the vermin that lives in the sewers and the poorer sections of the city. This is my first trip alone to the local butcher who is very kind to us. He saves the bones that have been cleaned of any meat for my mother. She boils them all day to get all the fat she can for a broth that keeps us alive. Normally I come with my mother to the butcher shop but my newly arrived baby sister is ill. My mother fusses over her night and day, praying that she will live. We are a large family and very poor. My father works hard whenever he can but it hardly provides for our needs. And every two years, a new baby arrives to our undernourished household. Lately, the babies are born weak and thin, and some have died before they are named and baptised. My older brothers are searching the garbage bins for anything we can use or eat. This is how we live; it is late 18th century England. Times are hard and work is impossible to find. Father does the odd jobs that no one wants; mostly cleaning chimneys.

The cold penetrates my thin, patched coat as I open the door to the warm interior of the butcher shop. Mr. Plummer glances my way but quickly turns his attention to his well-dressed customer. They are rare in this part of the city. The lady turns her head watching me as I enter the shop. There are no other customers and I breathe a deep sigh of relief. Sometimes the men pick on me. They enjoy saying cruel things that make me cry even though I try hard to be brave.

The woman picks up her parcel and advances toward me. She seems friendly and she smiles at me. I look at her fearfully; my mother has warned me about strangers.

What is your name, little one? she asks as she bends down and peers into my dirty face. A fine lad you are. You must have a name. She urges me to respond.

I am called Geoffrey Garland, ma’am. I stare at her even though my mother warns me to stay away from strangers. I like her warm smile.

How many brothers and sisters do you have, Geoffrey Garland? She asks me kindly. We are a large family but I do not know how many brothers and sisters I have. I cannot reply so I shrug my pathetic shoulders and I look down at my well-worn boots with the cardboard soles.

The butcher decides to intervene on my behalf and tells the lady about our large family. She listens intently and then with a pat on my head, she leaves the store. The butcher asks about my mother and learning that the new baby is very ill, he wraps up several bones with a little meat on each. He instructs me to go straight home so that no one can steal the bones from me.

You run fast, lad, do you hear! And tell your mother to eat her share of the broth. He tells me as I leave the warmth of the store.

Stepping back into the thick fog, I immediately start running to our home. It is a rundown rental building, crowded with tenants who are like us. I clutch the package tightly as it will keep us fed for a week. I am hoping my brothers will find some bread in the garbage. I like sopping my bread in the broth; it takes away the moldy taste. When I reach the grey building, I race up the stairs. I am anxious to see my mother and tell her about the kind woman in the butcher shop. Maybe my baby sister will stop crying long enough for my mother to hug me and tell me a story. As I open the door, a weak wail comes from the one of the two bedrooms. My heart sinks; my mother will not have time for me as she is too busy. I carefully put the precious package on the table. I am only three years old but I have already seen enough suffering to last a lifetime.

Late that night, we gather around a metal bed with a sagging mattress. Our baby sister is dying; I clutch my mother’s apron tightly in my fist but she has eyes only for this little creature held tightly to her breast. My father tries to shoo us back to our own bedroom but mother insists we stay and see our sister go to heaven. She is singing a lullaby that she has sung a hundred times to us children. She only sings it when we are sick; I have heard it often. She assures us that Jesus is coming for our baby sister and she will soon be in a very happy place. I try to imagine a place that is happy but I cannot; I do not know what happy means. I look at my older brother and ask him. He just shakes his head and tells me to be quiet. We stand by the bed for a long time until finally our mother tells us to go to bed. Our baby sister is with Jesus now. I am puzzled as I did not see anyone enter the room and my sister is still in my mother’s arms. She has turned a strange grey color and does not cry anymore. I am pushed along by my older brothers so I cannot ask her how Jesus came. Father closes our bedroom door and warns us about talking. There are two large beds in the room for the youngest children while my two oldest brothers sleep on blankets on the cold floor.

Jesus must have come while we were sleeping. In the morning, our baby sister is gone. My mother assures me she is in heaven but will say no more. We sit at the kitchen table eating our porridge which is cold and lumpy. We do not have milk or sugar. Father has already left to do some odd jobs he had found. The bones that the butcher had given me yesterday are in a big pot on the stove. The aroma fills the room; it makes my stomach ache. We will not eat until tonight when she will give us each a bowl of broth for supper with a piece of hard bread to soak in the broth. I look at my mother’s sad face; her nose is red from blowing it. Her eyes have lost their gleam as she looks around the table at us. She gets up from the table slowly.

There will be no scavenging today, boys. They say the bobbies are looking for stray children. We must all stay inside today. My oldest brother starts to protest but she raises her hand to silence him. At thirteen, he wants to be free of restraints. My father says he is running with the street orphans and will get in trouble with the law. I cannot lose another child, son. It will kill me. Please listen to me. It is not safe to go out today. You will be taken to a workhouse if you are caught. We have enough broth for a few days and your father may find something on his way home from work.

When the porridge bowls are washed and the table top wiped down, Mother brings out our books and scribblers. We do not go to school so she is teaching us to read and write at home. This is my favorite time as I love to look at picture books. I am learning to read and my mother is very proud of me.

Our father is exhausted when he arrives home late but his arms are full of packages. He said he was working for a rich family and they gave him many things to help us. I stand by the table as he unpacks some clothes and I see a pair of shiny black shoes for me. Soon a pair of trousers and a jacket are added to my pile; I start to cry as I am overcome with joy. My mother quickly hugs me and gently pushes me toward the bedroom. She sits with me on the bed and explains how much our father loves us. He works hard for us, Geoffrey, and he loves us all. Sometimes, we will go hungry and be cold but God has been good to us. Always say your prayers every night so God knows we are thankful.

I look up at my mother’s face as she smiles down at me. Will Jesus take me away, Mama?

Oh, Geoffrey, you are so dear to me! Do not fear about that. Your baby sister is in Heaven now and she will not go hungry. But you will grow big and strong, my sweet son. This I know as I will protect you. Now say your prayers and go to sleep. Tomorrow you will have milk for your porridge, she promises, and kisses me on the cheek. This makes me happy and I crawl into bed, fully clothed. We do not have special clothes for sleeping and in the winter, we wear our day clothes to bed to stay warm.

Several days later, I hear my father ask my mother if her breast milk is still feeding us children. None of us knew where the milk for our porridge came from except my older brothers who refused to put any milk on their porridge. Every morning, a jug of fresh milk would sit on the kitchen table beside our bowls of lumpy porridge and we would stare at it. I thought an angel must visit us every night, leaving the jug of milk. I am too young to understand the sacrifice my mother makes as she grows thinner each day. When the milk jug disappears after several months, I am sad. The milk tastes sweet and makes me feel good. Then she tells us she is making another baby sister or brother. I am excited to think I will not be the baby of the family and I might get a baby sister again. My older brother goes with my father every morning. At dawn they quietly slip out of the house to find work. When they return late at night, they bring back packages of food or clothing. I have started to grow again and will soon reach my fourth year.

None of us were prepared for the knock on our door that day in late June. We had just finished our broth without any bread. Our father had not found work for several weeks, and mother is sick most of the time so he stays home with us. My father does not answer the door. A loud voice calls out to open the door. I watch my father slowly open the door to face two large bobbies and a lady. I remember her as the well-dressed lady in the butcher shop so many months ago. I am surprised to see her standing at our door. My older brother tries to shield me from their eyes but now she moves into the kitchen and holds out her hands to me.

Geoffrey Garland, I am so happy to see you again. She gushes as she moves toward me but my older brother pushes me behind him.

What is the meaning of this? my father shouts and the noise brings my mother from her sick bed. She starts to wail and grabs my father for support. Why have you intruded on my family? he demands.

The lady stands tall and motions to the bobbies to stay outside the open door. Sir, we are here to take several of your children away to foster care. You cannot provide for this large family and I see your wife is expecting another child. We will take the five youngest children with us tonight and I ask that you provide us with their extra clothes if they have any. They will be taken in by foster families until such time as you can find suitable work to provide for them. Please be assured they will be well cared for and will return one day to your family. My mother wails louder and reaches for me, clutching me close to her breast. I am too young to understand as my father reads the piece of paper handed to him. He shakes his head sadly and looks at us grouped around our mother. One of the rich families he had worked for had reported him to the Commission for Poor People. He has been betrayed.

You must go with this kind lady tonight but I will come for you soon. I will search hard for a better job, he promises us. His eyes fill with tears as he looks at us. You are my children and I love you. Please be strong and remember to say your prayers each night. He walks away from us, pushes past the bobbies at the door, and goes out into the dark night. My mother falls to the floor, clutching her swollen belly, and wails harder.

The lady gathers me and four of my young siblings together and quickly pushes us out the door where the bobbies reach for our hands to pull us along. I am so scared, I start to cry even though I am too old for such baby actions. These strangers put us in a big carriage without a word; now we are all wailing as we realize what is happening. We were never allowed outdoors after dark and always had our mother or older brother with us. The dark night frightens me. I quickly look back through the open door as the lady tries to console my mother who is frantically trying to get past her. Her cries are scaring me and I cry harder despite my efforts to be brave. Then the lady rushes to the carriage and getting in, tells the driver to go fast. He whips the horses into a trot, their shod hooves make a loud noise. I cry harder. She turns in her seat to assure us we will be fine in our new homes and, looking at me, she smiles. Geoffrey, I have found a wonderful family for you. They are anxious to meet you tonight. Stop your crying now and be brave.

One by one, my siblings are dropped off at a strange place. There is little we can do but stare off into the night; our fear has left us speechless. Now I sit alone, shaking and sobbing quietly. I pray to Jesus to come get me and take me to Heaven. My mother liked this place and spoke of it often when she rocked me to sleep. Perhaps my mother will be waiting for me there. But my hopes die as the carriage pulls up to a large dark house. I plead to the lady to take me home; I don’t like it here. She smiles at me and gives me a hug as we leave the carriage. Geoffrey, this is a wonderful place and the people will make you happy. You will never go hungry again, I promise you. Now, be brave and use your manners. This will be your new family for a time until your father finds a good job.

The knock on the door brings a scurry of footsteps inside the house. A tall, thin man opens the door and stares at me. Madam, please enter with the little urchin. His lordship is waiting for you.

I stare hard at the shiny floor as we walk down a long hallway behind the strange man carrying a lamp. He opens a door and bids us to enter a large room with an open fire in the corner. I have never seen anything like this. A large dog that had been lying by the fire, gets up and comes over to sniff my shoes. My fear takes on a new face and I jump behind the lady who holds tight to my hand. I am so occupied with the huge dog, I do not see the man and woman seated by the fire. The man stands and encourages me to come closer. Boomer, go to bed, he tells the dog. His voice is deep and loud, filling me with a new fear. I try to hide behind the lady but she pushes me in front of her and forces me to step forward.

So, this is the little lad you spoke about. Quite thin, I say. The man advances toward me. I raise my eyes to look at him and am surprised to see him smile at me. What is your name, lad? Come forward into the light so my lady can see you better.

My mother taught me my manners so I answer dutifully. Geoffrey Garland, sir. And then I question him as I have never learned to wait for an invitation to speak. Sir, what is that animal? I ask and point to the dog lying beside the fire.

He smiles and I swallow a lump in my throat. Oh, that is a dog, Geoffrey. A man’s best friend, I say. You will learn to like him. Never saw one before now, Geoffrey? You would be wise to make friends with him as he does not like strangers. His smile fascinates me as my father hardly smiled when he spoke to us children.

The lady who brought me here is making arrangements to leave and I cling to her skirt. This is a strange place that fills me with a new fear. She quickly releases my hand and, warning me to mind my manners, makes her departure. I am left standing alone in this huge room and as I look around at the dark corners, I start to shake. The excitement of the day’s activities is too much for my starved body, and I collapse on the floor. The man quickly gathers me up in his arms and puts me in a chair by the fire. I can hear him tell the tall man to bring a glass of warm cider and a piece of bread and cheese. I look at his concerned face fearfully. Are you my new father? I ask in a weak voice.

He looks at me closely, studying my pinched face and seeing my fear, he assures me that I am in a safe place. Geoffrey, you have been put in my care until your father can get a good job. You are too young to understand what has happened tonight. Drink the cider and eat the bread and cheese. It will give you back your strength. When you are finished, our butler will take you to your bedroom. In the morning, we will discuss your place in our home.

I am left with this tall man called a butler. The man with the kind smile takes his dog and his lady and leaves the room. I pick up the thick slice of fresh bread and marvel at the cheese. I never had cheese before but I used to look at it in the butcher’s shop. As the warm cider fills my belly with a delicious feeling, I look around the room again. My new home is less fearful now but my memory of my mother collapsed on the floor floods my mind. When I finish the bread and cheese, the butler motions me to follow him down the long hallway. He opens a door to reveal a steep stairway. I am glad he has a lamp because it is very dark here. At the top of the stairs, there is another long hallway with lots of doors. I think there must be many children in this house. When the butler opens a door at the end of the hallway, I enter a small bedroom that has a lamp lit on a table beside a bed. On the bed, I am surprised to see night clothes. The butler shows me a tin pot under the bed to use when I need it and I marvel that I don’t have to share it. A wash basin and jug of water sit on the table. I have never seen anything so fine before. My fear leaves me in my anticipation to sleep in this wonderful bed. When the butler pulls at my jacket, I scream and jump away.

Steady now, you urchin! he says to me. I will undress you and get you ready for bed. Hold still now! He scolds as I try to hold on to my clothes. I have been dressing myself since I was two years old. I start to cry as he strips away my patched clothes. I am shivering in the cold air. He pushes the tin pot at me. You need to pee in this, young master. It will be dark when I take the light away. I manage a thin stream of urine as I cry harder. He slips the nightdress over my head and tells me to get into bed. Without another word, he leaves me in the dark. I pull the blankets over my head and cry in my pillow. I cry for my mother and father to come for me. I don’t like this scary place. I pray to Jesus to come get me and take me to Heaven like He did my sister. I cry until I fall asleep.

I wake up in the middle of the night. I am confused and scared. A man sits on my bed and is pulling my blankets up over my shoulders. I must have kicked them off while I was sleeping.

Are you Jesus? I ask. My heart leaps with joy. I prayed He would come and take me away.

No, Master Geoffrey. I am your guardian. His deep, rich voice soothes my fears. I want to see if you are sleeping well. Go back to sleep now. Tomorrow is a better day. I close my eyes and fall back to sleep. I dream of green fields and flowers.

* * * * *

CHAPTER TWO

I shiver under my blankets as the tall, thin man lays out my clothes. No one has dressed me before and I am anxious to show him that I can do it.

I am not a baby, sir! I cry as he pulls at my warm blanket. But in the end, he wins and I stand on the cold floor shaking with fright. As he pulls the nightdress over my head leaving me naked in the cold room, I am horrified. My father never undressed me.

Quickly now, little master, use that tin pot so I can dress your bare bum. I stare at his thin face and the chicken-like beak of a nose that is red. I obey his wishes, watching a stream of yellow urine fill the tin pot. Not knowing what to do with it, I put it back under the bed. But he quickly retrieves it and places it by the chair, shaking his head.

The Master awaits you downstairs, little urchin. Now get these clothes on and no more fussing. I have dressed hundreds of boys. He tells me as he roughly pulls a white shirt over my head.

I have never seen clothes like these and want to take a closer look. The shirt has lace on the sleeves which show under the soft, dark green jacket. My trousers are a light color that I have never seen before but the shoes fascinate me. They are shiny black with a fancy button on the top. They do not hurt my toes like my old ones did. When I am dressed, the butler takes his hand and pats down my tangled curls. Giving me a final look, he picks up the lamp and motions me to follow him.

We retrace our steps of last night, past the closed doors in the hallway and down the steep stairs. My new shoes make little noise on the wooden stairs as I closely follow the butler. There are no windows; it is very dark. I am sure there are monsters hiding here in the dark shadows. As I pass the closed doors, I think the other children must already be downstairs.

The master sits alone at a large table laden with food. Lamps light the room as the drapes are pulled and a bright fire burns in the corner of the room. I look around fearfully for the large dog but it is not here. My eyes stare at the mounds of food; it would feed my family for many days I think.

Good morning, young Geoffrey, the man with the kind smile says. He is appraising my new clothes and a wide smile appears. Yes, there is much to eat here but you will start small. This rich food can make you sick until you get used to it. The butler will make up a plate of your favorite food. Please take a seat so we can begin our breakfast. He motions to a chair beside his. I look around for the rest of the family as I am sure he must have many children to feed. But there is no one here; even the lady is absent.

He must have read my thoughts as he proceeds to tell me the lady will not appear until dinner and then I could meet her again. We do not have any children, Geoffrey. You will bring me great joy, I am sure. Now, please sit, and choose your breakfast. I will help you with your choices.

A plate is quickly filled with eggs, a slice of ham, toast with honey, slices of oranges and something called jam on a warm biscuit. When a tall glass of milk is placed by my plate, I am overwhelmed. My hand is shaking as I pick up the glass and drink the cold milk. This is the second time in my life that I tasted milk and I like it so much, I drink the whole glass. A smile that grows so big, even his eyes smile, appears on the man’s face as he watches me. He does not know that I am thinking of that magic jug of milk that appeared one morning on our kitchen table. This thought causes me great pain and I look down at the rich food on my plate.

You must eat it all, master Geoffrey, says the butler who stands behind me. He immediately fills the empty glass with milk. I glance up at him as he leans over me picking a fork from an array of silverware and passes it to me. We will start with the eggs, little master. These are called scrambled and are very good for you.

I look around me, unsure what I should do. But my mother taught me to thank God before I eat so I bend my head, offering a quiet thanks. When I finish eating, my belly is so full it hurts. The kind man gets up from his chair and comes to me.

Now we will have a talk, Geoffrey. There is much for you to learn. His voice is kind and I am not afraid of him anymore. I follow him to another room which is also dark but he pulls the drapes so I can see outside. I run to the window and look out on a green field. At the far end of the field, there are trees. It looks like a picture in one of my books and I turn to ask him how this picture is here.

Yes, Geoffrey, this is real. I have many acres of land for you to explore. I even have a pony for you to ride, when I go riding over these fields. I will teach you many things if you are a good boy, Geoffrey. Now for our talk. Please sit in this chair and listen carefully. He looks down at me with a strange look. I see a sudden frown on his face and I quickly sit down in a soft chair. I do not want to displease this kind man so I cross my hands on my lap and look up at him with a smile. His dark eyes study mine before he turns his head.

It is a long time for someone to talk. His name is Lord Brightwood but I am to call him master. He explains that he often takes in young boys from poor families until they are old enough to go to school. My heart jumps at the thought of going to school. I will stay with him until I am six or seven and learn many things. He never mentions his lady so I guess she does not mind that I came to live with them. While he is explaining how different my life will be, the butler comes in with warm cider and cookies. Even though my belly is still full from breakfast, I drink the sweet tasting drink and eat two cookies.

The butler takes me to a small closet where I can relieve myself, once again filling a tin pot with urine which seems to please the strange butler. He watches with fascination as the yellow urine flows into the tin pot. When I finish and wipe my hands on a wet towel he hands me, I return to the room with all the books. The kind man is still sitting in his chair, smoking a pipe, waiting for me.

We are going for a walk in the gardens, little master. I will show you many pretty flowers. Do you like pretty flowers? he asks.

I have not seen flowers, sir, except in books. I answer truthfully. I want to tell him about my street but he is not interested. He tells me to forget that life as I have a new life to learn.

"Let those memories stay in the past, Geoffrey. Explore your new world and I will show you so many wonderful things. You are a handsome young boy and I am glad you