Blackwood Farm - Anne Rice [206]
“ ‘Well, that’s no problem,’ I said hastily. ‘These guys come on at six a.m. and they want to be home in front of the television with a beer in hand by four o’clock in the afternoon.’
“But my speedy rejoinder hadn’t taken the edge off Aunt Queen’s response to this last remark on the part of Stirling, as I had hoped.
“ ‘You’re saying that everything Quinn saw . . . happened?’ she asked.
“ ‘Yes, I am saying that,’ said Stirling. ‘He’s sane; if he testified in a court of law, I’d believe him. I believe him here and now.’
“ ‘Stirling Oliver,’ said Aunt Queen, ‘are you telling me that the swamps hereabouts are infested with vampires?’
“ ‘No, I’m not telling you that, Mrs. McQueen, because if I did, you’d think me mad and disregard everything else that I told you. Let’s just say that Petronia is a creature of nocturnal habits and accustomed to having Sugar Devil Island to herself. Now, one night when she thought herself to be alone, she was caught up short by the landlord, and consequently began a game of cat and mouse with him, and has been his enemy ever since.’
“ ‘You do believe all this,’ Aunt Queen said.
“ ‘Oh, definitely. But the important thing is this. Do what the creature wants right now. Refurbish the Hermitage. And remove Quinn from the vicinity. Take the trip to Europe. And expect to have big long-distance phone bills in every hotel. This young man is very much in love with Mona Mayfair, that I know full well from what I saw with my own eyes.’
“ ‘I don’t know what to say to you, Mr. Oliver,’ Aunt Queen responded. She was discouraged. But I was overwhelmingly glad to be believed, though not to leave Mona for a moment.
“ ‘Mrs. McQueen,’ said Stirling. ‘It is best that Quinn leave here with you now, you know that. The refurbishing of the island can well take place without him, and if he never sees Petronia again, all the better for him, surely you agree.’
“ ‘Yes, I do.’
“ ‘Then forgive me for this, but I’m going to say something to you which is going to make it simpler for Quinn to come to his decision. Please believe that I use this power respectfully.’
“ ‘Which power is this?’
“ ‘The same one Petronia claimed to have,’ said Stirling, ‘and when I came into this room today I used it, accidentally as always, unwillingly as always. But I couldn’t help but know that your doctor had been here earlier, and he had told you that this trip to Europe would have to be your very last.’
“ ‘Oh, dear,’ she sighed. ‘I didn’t want Quinn to know.’
“ ‘But I should know!’ I said at once. I was chilled to the bone. ‘Aunt Queen, we’re going! I had no idea the doctor was here. I just have to discuss this with Mona; Mona will understand everything.’ My heart ached.
“Jasmine appeared out of nowhere at this opportune moment and declared with full authority, ‘That doctor said there should be no trip to Europe, that’s what he said! And then Aunt Queen said she was going and then that doctor said this trip had to be her last, that’s what happened here this morning, I know because I heard!’
“ ‘We’ll go,’ I declared. ‘We’ll all go together, and we’ll stay as long as we can.’ Oh my precious Mona, what else can I do?
“ ‘It’s the best thing,’ said Stirling. ‘You asked me to come here, to listen to these stories, and I tell you, based on all I’ve heard, including this unforgivable little mental eavesdropping, that you should take Quinn away from here, away from Petronia’s temper and whims and go. You have a great prize to give your nephew in this trip. Give it to him while you can. And give it to yourself. You deserve to have this great gift from him.’
“ ‘Yes, that’s so true, Aunt Queen,’ I said. ‘Stirling, you’re a magician with words. You’ve teased out the truth of it. We’re going. I only need to talk to Mona.’
“ ‘Well, I think this