“ ‘No, that can never be. Please understand how much I love Mona and how much I respect you and know you to be of fine character. But you can see spirits, mon fils, and you can catch the scent of the dead. You know that buried here in this spot are mutations who should never have been born to this family. Take my confidence, mon fils, that if you marry Mona your children may be these mutations as well. That you can catch the scent is proof of it, I must confess.’

“ ‘Are you telling me you killed and buried Mona’s child here?’ I demanded.

“ ‘No. Mona’s child is living,’ he answered. ‘Its destiny is a different matter, I can well say. But there must be no more of such creatures, not by the name of Mayfair, and Mona will never have any other name.’

“ ‘You’re wrong!’ I said.

“ ‘Don’t despise me, Tarquin, for your own sake,’ he said. He seemed endlessly patient. ‘I thought if I explained things to you it would be easier. And maybe it will be in the course of time.’

“ ‘Tarquin!’ I heard my name called. I turned to my left. In the broad gateway by the pool it was Michael Curry there who had called out to me and beside him stood Rowan Mayfair, and both were looking at me as though I had done something wrong.

“I rose immediately.

“They came towards me. They were both in casual, at-home dress. And Michael had a build on him in his blue work shirt that made my mouth water.

“Rowan spoke first. She was kindly. ‘What are you doing here, Tarquin?’ she asked.

“ ‘Well, I’m speaking to Julien,’ I said. ‘We were just having hot chocolate and visiting here.’ I turned and gestured to the right but Julien wasn’t there. I glanced at the table and then looked back to it. Except for my bouquet there was nothing there. No thermal silver pitcher, no cups, no animal crackers, nothing.

“The breath went out of me.

“ ‘My God,’ I said. I made the Sign of the Cross. ‘I tell you, I was speaking to him. I burnt my tongue on the second cup of hot chocolate. The pitcher, it was silver. He let me in at the front gate! He was telling me that I couldn’t be with Mona, he said we were related. I . . .’ I stopped. I sank down in the chair.

“Nobody knew better than me what had happened! Yet my eyes searched the garden for him. And again I stared at the empty table. I laid my hand on the bouquet. And where was Goblin? Why hadn’t Goblin warned me? How impatient I’d been with Goblin, and Goblin had let me fend for myself!