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"I glanced at Goblin. He looked solemn and remote, his eyes on those opposite me.

" 'When you see her tomorrow. . . ' Aunt Queen began, but then she broke off.

" 'Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow,' I murmured. 'How long must I endure until I see her? I want to go to the house now and climb the vines to her window. ¡¯

" 'No, darling, don't even contemplate such a thing. Oh, we never should have gone to Mayfair Medical, but how did I know that the little heiress would be in the Grand Lumini¨¨re Caf¨¦?¡¯

"Jasmine refilled my plate with plenty more of the chicken and rice. I started eating again.

" 'I don't trust anybody now except Mona,' I said. 'I love you, you know that, but I'm in love with her, and I know, positively know, that I will never love anyone as I do her. I know it!¡¯

" 'Quinn, dear, it's time for the worst tidbit of gossip. ¡¯

" 'I can take anything,' I said between forkfuls.

" 'They've already arranged a husband for Mona,' said Aunt Queen gently. 'It's her cousin Pierce. ¡¯

" 'She told me that, too,' I said, fudging just a little. I gestured to Jasmine for more wine.

" 'Did she tell you that Pierce is her first cousin?¡¯

"Even I was shocked by that. But I didn't answer.

" 'Oh, darling,' Aunt Queen said with a sigh, 'I want to set our course for Europe right away, but we're not going to be able to take Mona Mayfair. ¡¯

" 'Well, I can assure you,' I said, 'I'm not getting on any plane for anywhere without her. ' "

Chapter28

28

"THE NIGHT HAD too many hours, and surely the following morning would be an agony, or so I thought. Aunt Queen, Nash and I parted at about ten o'clock -- after more insubstantial and agonizing conversation about the Mayfairs -- with my promising to consider the European trip even if Mona's family wouldn't allow her to go, and my promising that if I remained behind, I would accept Nash as a new teacher.

"That part was easy for me. I liked Nash completely, and I believed his firm assurances that he would be entirely happy at Blackwood Manor if we were meant to stay there.

"When I went upstairs I found Big Ramona awake and the window open near the fireplace and a brisk breeze blowing through the room. Now, it was our custom to sleep with the air-conditioning on during warm nights such as these, so I was a bit surprised by this, and by the fact that Big Ramona climbed out of bed and came a-whispering to me as soon as I closed the door.

" 'It's Goblin!' she said. 'He opened that window! I'm telling you, it's the God's truth. I shut it twice and he opened it twice. He's down there! Look at the screen on your computer. See what he wrote!¡¯

" 'You saw the keys move?' I asked her.

"The words were 'COME DOWN. ¡¯

" 'The keys move! Boy, I saw the window open and shut, are you listening to me! Do you see what's happening to you with Goblin? He's getting stronger and stronger, Quinn. ¡¯

"I went to the window and looked down over the east lawn. I saw him standing in the glow of the floodlights on the side of the house. He was dressed in a long flannel nightshirt, as was my custom by this hour, but I, of course, was still in my pants and shirt.

" 'Quinn, you go to Confession,' said Big Ramona. 'You tell the priest what you've done with this ghost! Don't you realize he's from the Devil? Now I know he was the one who broke all that glass. ¡¯

"I didn't bother to argue with her. I went downstairs and out to him by the cemetery where he was wandering barefoot like a lost soul.

" 'You go to Europe with Mona, you leave me,' he said. His lips were scarcely moving, but I could see his hair mussed in the breeze.

" 'I won't leave you. Come with me,' I said. 'Why can't you? I don't understand. ¡¯

"He didn't answer.

" 'I'm worried about you,' I said aloud and under my breath, 'worried about your feelings. You've become closer to me ever since you attacked the mysterious stranger. You've learned more things. ' Again there came no response whatsoever.