'Feasting Dead' Summary

Colonel Hapgood, a concerned father, sends his son Denis to visit a distant relative's chateau in the French countryside. Denis develops an affection for these visits, but Hapgood, troubled by the strange behavior of his relative, M. Vaignon, and an unsettling atmosphere at the chateau, decides to end the visits. Ironically, M. Vaignon sends a similar request to Hapgood, asking for an end to the visits. Meanwhile, Denis's French friend, Raoul, an older man who worked at the chateau, arrives in England to continue their friendship. Hapgood is immediately disturbed by Raoul's unsettling appearance, lacking distinct features. His unease intensifies as Denis falls ill and weakens progressively. As Denis's health deteriorates, Hapgood wrestles with the terrifying question: is the menace to his son a product of his troubled mind or a sinister force embodied by Raoul, an emissary of the unseen?