The witching hour - By Anne Rice Page 0,503

and the thirteen witches,” said Fielding, looking up once more at Peter. “That was the story, and that was the promise.”

Randall shook his head. “It was a riddle. Stella never knew for sure what it meant.”

“Saved?” asked young Wheatfield. “You mean like a Christian being saved?”

“Saved! Hallelujah!” said Margaret Ann, and downed her drink, spilling a few drops of it on her dress. “The Mayfairs are going to heaven. I knew with all this money, somebody would work something out!”

“You’re drunk, Margaret Ann,” whispered Cecilia. “And so am I!”

They touched their glasses in a toast.

“Stella was trying to get together the thirteen witches at those parties?” asked Rowan.

“Yes,” said Fielding. “That was exactly what she was trying to do. She called herself a witch, and so did Mary Beth, her mother, she never made any bones about it, she said she had the power, and she could see ‘the man.’ ”

“I’m not going to allow this … ” said Gifford, her voice rising hysterically.

“Why? Why is it so scary?” asked Rowan softly. “Why isn’t it just old legends? And who is ‘the man’!”

Silence. They were all studying her, each waiting perhaps for the other to speak. Lauren looked almost angry as she stared at Rowan. Lily looked faintly suspicious. They knew she was deceiving them.

“You know it’s not old legends,” said Fielding under his breath.

“Because they believed it!” said Gifford, her chin raised, her lip trembling. “Because people have done bad things in the name of believing this old foolishness.”

“But what bad things?” asked Rowan. “You mean what Carlotta did to my mother?”

“I mean the things that Cortland did,” said Gifford. She was shaking now, clearly on the edge of hysterics. “That’s what I mean.” She glared at Ryan, and then at her son, Pierce, and then back at Rowan. “And yes, Carlotta too. They all betrayed your mother. Oh, there are so many things you don’t know.”

“Shhhh, Gifford, too much to drink,” whispered Lily.

“Go inside, Gifford,” said Randall.

Ryan took his wife by the arm, bending to whisper in her ear. Pierce left his place and came around to assist. Together they drew Gifford away from the group.

Felice was whispering anxiously to Magdalene, and someone on the edge of the circle was trying to gather up all the children and get them to come away. A little girl in a pinafore was saying, “I want to know … ”

“I want to know,” said Rowan. “What did they do?”

“Yes, tell us about Stella,” said Beatrice, glancing uneasily at Gifford, who was now crying against Ryan’s shoulder as he tried to lead her farther away.

“They believed in Black Magic, that’s what they did,” said Fielding, “and they believed in the thirteen witches and the doorway, but they never figured out how to make it all work.”

“Well, what did they think it meant?” asked Beatrice. “I think all this is fascinating. Do tell.”

“And you’ll tell it to the whole country club,” said Randall, “just the way you always have.”

“And why shouldn’t I?” said Beatrice. “Is somebody going to come burn one of us at the stake!”

Gifford was being forced into the house by Ryan. Pierce closed the French doors behind them.

“No, I want to know,” said Beatrice, stepping forward and folding her arms. “Stella didn’t know the meaning? Well, who did?”

“Julien,” said Peter. “My grandfather. He knew. He knew and he told Mary Beth. He left it in writing, but Mary Beth destroyed the written record, and she told it to Stella but Stella never really understood.”

“Stella never paid attention to anything,” said Fielding.

“No, never to anything at all,” said Lily sadly. “Poor Stella. She thought it was all parties, and bootleg liquor and her crazy friends.”

“She didn’t believe it all really,” said Fielding. “That was the problem right there. She wanted to play with it. And when something went wrong, she became afraid, and drowned her fears in her bootleg champagne. She saw things that would have convinced anyone, but still she didn’t believe in the doorway or the promise or the thirteen witches until it was too late and Julien and Mary Beth were both gone.”

“So she broke the chain of information?” Rowan asked. “That’s what you’re saying. They’d given her secrets along with the necklace and everything else?”

“The necklace was never all that important,” said Lily. “Carlotta made a big fuss about the necklace. It’s just that you can’t take the necklace away … well, you’re not supposed to take the necklace from the one who inherits it. It’s your