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" 'Well, my boy,' she said, lifting her glass of white wine for Jasmine to refill, 'I'm not sure I understand it myself, but the Mayfair family has always been viewed with suspicion. Dr. Rowan Mayfair, the genius behind Mayfair Medical, is perhaps the most universally admired of the clan, and she has immersed herself in public life and public service.

" 'But even Dr. Rowan is a mysterious figure. At one point she was so severely injured that all hope was given up, and then she made a miraculous recovery. ¡¯

" 'Well, you can't blame her for that, surely,' I interjected.

" 'Can't I?' said Aunt Queen. 'I can tell you it wasn't through the intercession of a saint that she came back from the dead. That much is true. ¡¯

" 'But what are you saying?¡¯

" 'As you saw, she's very restrained and sure of herself by nature,' Aunt Queen said. 'And perhaps she is a good person, perhaps she is a very good person. But the rest of the family is another matter. ¡¯

" 'But what do you mean? The lawyer was like a loaf of white bread. ' (Of course I was stealing Mona's words, but so what?)

" 'He's quite well respected,' Aunt Queen admitted, 'though his practice is mostly dedicated to the family. I'm speaking of other things. And surely you haven't forgotten that he manages our money. But there has been talk for years of congenital madness in the female line. Well, and in the male line as well. Mayfairs were drugged, locked in padded cells, even let their house on First Street fall into ruin at one time, though now that

Mr. Michael Curry has come it's wonderfully restored, or so they tell me. Then there's the matter of Michael himself, almost drowned once in the swimming pool. ¡¯

" 'But what could that mean?¡¯

" 'I don't know, darling, I'm only trying to convey that they're shrouded in mystery. It's a family with its own law firm and its own priest. Rather like the Medici, don't you think, and you know how the people of Florence used to rise against them and throw all their artworks out of the palazzo windows!¡¯

" 'As if the people of New Orleans would riot against the Mayfairs!' I scoffed. 'You're not telling me everything. ¡¯

" 'I don't know everything,' she replied. 'They're a haunted family and some say they're cursed. ¡¯

" 'You met Mona,' I said. 'You know she's lovable and brilliant. Besides, we're a haunted family, too. ¡¯

" 'Something's wrong,' said Aunt Queen. She hesitated.

"I saw her eyes veer off. She looked at the place where Goblin sat watching her very steadily. She knew he was there, and as I turned to him I saw that he was locked to her.

"She went on, eating tiny bits of chicken daintily as she talked:

" 'There are many old stories about Mayfair women having unusual powers -- an ability to call spirits, an ability to read minds, to know the future. But more than anything else there is this question of hereditary madness. ¡¯

" 'Mona can see Goblin, Aunt Queen,' I said, glancing at him and then back to her. 'She has that power. Where in the world for the rest of my life will I find a beautiful brilliant woman who can see and love Goblin?¡¯

"I glanced at him again. He stared coldly at Aunt Queen. And she was staring at the spot where he sat. I knew she was seeing something.

" 'You know anyone who marries me,' I went on, 'is marrying Goblin. ' I took his right hand and squeezed it. But he didn't respond.

" 'Don't be sad, Goblin. ¡¯

"Aunt Queen shook her head. 'Jasmine, more wine, please, darling. I think I'm getting drunk. Be sure Clem's on alert to help me to my room later. ¡¯

" 'I'll help you to your room,' I said. 'Those breakneck shoes don't scare me. I'm about to be married. ¡¯

" 'Quinn,' said Aunt Queen, 'did you see how they have taken Mona home? Now please forgive my candor, but it seems to me that they are very afraid of Mona forming any alliance that can lead to her getting pregnant. ¡¯

"Nash asked if he should excuse himself. Aunt Queen said absolutely not, and I also nodded to it.

" 'Nash, if we're all going to Europe together,' I said, 'you have to know who we are. ¡¯

"He sat back nursing his soda quietly.

" 'Quinn, am I being unfair,' Aunt Queen asked, 'if I suggest that something intimate might have happened between you?¡¯

"I was stunned. I couldn't answer them. I couldn't tell them all that Mona had told me -- the story of the strange child, that it had been a mutation, that it had been taken away. I couldn't pass on these confidences.