The Headsman's Rest
Hello, my name is Eustache and I work as a courier. During my travels, I like to visit places that have, shall we say, a curious history. Here, I will tell you the best places to stay, what the accommodation and food is like, and what you might expect to see as you spend the night in some of the most interesting and out-of-the way places in this great country of ours and beyond – but be warned, wherever you think might be lurking in the shadows, you’re probably right… The journey from Paris to the small town not far from Béthune was relatively smooth and trouble-free. Happily, I encountered no robbers on the road, no damsels in distress and no aristocratic families whose coach wheels somehow got stuck in the mud of the roadside. No. This journey had been pleasant enough, though long, amid a countryside gently turning from shades of emerald green to the golds and reds of early autumn. I delivered the letter I was carrying. Its recipient threw a bag of coins on the desk before me f...