“ ‘That will be till six,’ she said. ‘Then we have dinner in the Grand Luminière Café.’

“ ‘You can dismiss me then or have my attendance, as you wish. I come with no strings attached.’

“ ‘You really do love me, don’t you?’

“ ‘Passionately and undyingly.’

“Our final kisses were long and lingering, and drunkenly sweet.

“Then Michael Curry saw me to the gate, which did need a key to unlock it.

“He took me in his arms. He held me tight, and he kissed me, European-style, on each cheek. ‘You’re a good boy, Quinn,’ he said.

“ ‘Thank you, Michael,’ I said. ‘I really adore her.’

“As soon as Goblin and I were securely in the back of the limousine I burst into tears.

“On and on we drove, and I couldn’t stop crying. And as we crossed the black waters of Lake Pontchartrain, Goblin put his arms around me and he said in his low voice, rather like Ariel in The Tempest, ‘I’m sorry, Quinn; if I were human, I would cry too.’ ”

CHAPTER 32

32

“IT HAD BEEN some time since Aunt Queen had held Full Court in her bedroom, or boudoir, as we called it on such occasions, but when I entered the house I was informed by an exquisitely dressed Jasmine—read slinky black cocktail dress and murderous high heels—that this was a special night.

“She was entertaining Nash, of course, because the two were getting on far better than Aunt Queen had ever dreamed, but also a visitor had arrived with gifts of stunning cameos such as Aunt Queen had never beheld. Jasmine threw in a bit of mockery with a roll of her eyes and a lift of her eyebrows. ‘All carved out of jewels,’ she said.

“I was solemnly requested to go upstairs, freshen up, put on my best black Italian suit with handmade English shirt and Church’s shoes and come down to meet the bearer of the stunning gifts. Since I was already pretty much dressed this didn’t involve much inconvenience.

“As to the courtly life, I welcomed the distraction. The liquor I’d drunk had worn off and left me electrified with love and concern for Mona, and I could not possibly have fallen asleep. The night seemed my enemy, with my frightened Goblin no doubt hovering near, and I wanted the lights and cheerful conversation of Aunt Queen’s room.

“ ‘Come, Goblin,’ I said, ‘let’s do this together. We’ve been apart too much lately, you know it. Come with me.’

“ ‘Evil, Quinn,’ he responded, with a sad face, which surprised me. Evil in Aunt Queen’s room? But he was dressed as I was, down to the hand-stitching of his collar and the lacquer of his shoe leather, and he came with me down the stairs. I felt his right hand in my left. I felt a gentle pressure, and then I felt his soft lips against my cheek.