Although my father had subtly and gently been preparing me to take over the role of Head Witch ever since I was born, it was only once I had been inducted into the coven that my instruction began in earnest. These sessions always took place at nighttime. Withers, though not a witch himself, was always complicit and helped make sure my absence from the house was not detected. Later, when I was old enough to warrant my own lady’s maid, Father found Violet for me. It has been such a boon, all these years, to have someone in my everyday life who knows about the existence of the coven, and of my place within it. We attend coven meetings together, and if I need to go out on coven business I am accompanied by Violet. This system has served us well over the years. Were I to venture out unchaperoned, eyebrows would be raised and questions asked, not least by Mama. Fortunately, my mother is a sound sleeper, so that all those secret hours spent in the company of my Lazarus tutors went unnoticed by her, even if she did have cause, from time to time, to comment on my apparent tiredness, or the dark circles beneath my eyes.

However much I disliked the subterfuge involved, how I reveled in those hours I spent learning to become a fully-fledged Lazarus witch! It is our custom that several members of the coven should undertake to instruct a young witch. Some will have only a small part to play. This was the case with dear Lord Grimes, who introduced me to the ceremonial duties that are expected of a Head Witch. His role as Master of the Chalice is a somber and important one, but he is such a sweet man, and took such pains to make sure I was neither bored nor confused, that I quickly grasped the formal elements of my future role. There were others who listened to me recite the creeds and incantations, and still others who had me sing until I was word perfect with our songs of celebration and thanksgiving. Most of my tutoring fell to two people, and the first of these was, naturally, Father, who spent long hours hearing my defense of the functions and duties of the Lazarus Coven, challenging my assumptions, truly making me think hard about what was expected of me.