Purgatory of the Werewolf - The Wolf of Dorian Gray (Book 2)

Chapter 4 - Lady Helena Part 2

"When you are done reminiscing, you may visit the kitchen. The cook may have some hot stew ready for you and my steward will provide you with some wine."

He gave her his most gracious bow. "Thank you, My Lady."

As the younger man left the room, Lady Helena turned her gaze back to the painting. "Where have you gone Mr. Gray?"

Several hours passed and the fire had died down. Lady Helena was dozing and having a most rousing dream—reliving some of the debaucheries of her youth. The rest of the house was quiet as well, with most of the staff either dismissed or in bed for the evening. Even Lord Crawley had gone abed after indulging in two bottles of the finest red wine the house had to offer.

Only Lucious remained awake and he was certain something was amiss. With a low whistle, he summoned his faithful dog to his side and the two began to patrol the grounds outside. The Scottish Deerhound had bristly gray hair, was nearly a meter tall and weighed almost fifty kilograms. He was a hunting dog that Lucious prized for his keen sight and speed. His ability to kill silently had earned him the name of Wolf. Lucious turned the dog loose with a command to find prey. "Wolv, FAH-ee shin." Immediately, the animal ran off through the garden and headed towards the outer wall. Lucious followed slowly behind while loading his double-barreled flintlock shotgun.

Dorian peered through the darkness. He knew there must be very little light outside the high wall surrounding the estate and was amazed that he could see so clearly. His eyes had adjusted to the black night and he could make out the familiar walls and garden of Lady Helena's estate as if it was daylight. The grounds were silent and he could see no movement. The house he had entered many times before was now sealed tightly. Dorian would have to find another way in. He remembered his desperate leap onto the trellis of his own house. His jump had been much higher than should have been possible. Could he repeat that same jump here and make it over the slanted top of the wall? It was over three meters high. He would have to try.

He measured the distance with his eyes and took a deep breath. Taking three quick strides, he threw himself up and forward with all his might—and bounced off the porous stone of the outer wall. With a curse, he crashed back to the earth. He rubbed his bruised shoulder and whispered absent-mindedly. "Less forward and more height then." Dorian looked around for a moment to make sure no alarm had been raised. Then he walked forward until he was almost touching the wall. This time he crouched down, bending deeply at the knees. He sprang upward with all his might. Dorian's eyes widened in surprise as the wall flew by his face, his entire upper body clearing the top of the wall. Unprepared for this result, he flung out his arms wildly as gravity smashed him onto the slanted stone below. He began to slide backward until his hands found purchase and he pulled himself up. With a breath of relief, Dorian planned his landing before pushing off and sliding to the garden on the other side of the wall. This time he landed in a balanced crouch.

Suddenly, a dark gray dog burst from the opposite side of the yard. The animal had a growl in his throat and was coming on fast. Without thinking, Dorian exploded toward the animal. The hunting dog was momentarily confused by his prey charging him and slowed down. Just before slamming into the dog, Dorian suddenly changed direction and headed straight for the side entrance of the house. Happy to be back in pursuit, the dog let loose a series of barks and resumed running at full speed. The animal was fast, but still unable to catch Dorian as he reached a gate. Without breaking stride, Dorian jumped onto the bars of the metal gate and used the rungs to pull himself upward. He pushed off the top of the gate and began climbing the wall towards the window two meters above. Now out of reach of the snapping dog below, Dorian planted his feet on the ledge and seized the wooden pane of the closed window. It was locked. Looking down into the garden, Dorian saw a man approaching. He was still far away but had a shotgun leveled and was preparing to fire. Dorian's arms strained against the wood and metal lock. With a deep grunt, he put all of his strength into lifting and was rewarded with a crack as the lock and wood split apart. He immediately slammed open the window and dove inside. So much for entering undetected.