It was tempting. To be free of the night, to be free of the need for blood. If he could place his trust in that strange woman...
He did talk about it to Danny, to Wendy and to Lawson.
Wendy sighed. "I know what it means to you.. and still… I can only think that I am alive now because of what you are… but I have to think of what is best for you."
"I do not fully trust Miss Mattox.. she is brilliant, I grant you. But I am not sure about her ethics… and then you have to make plans if you want to resume life as a normal human being. You have gaps in your knowledge and in your cover as a cousin from England… and you will not be able to hypnotize people and make them forget your lapses."
"And without your hypnotic powers you will be less effective as a canvasser." Wendy interrupted "People will be able to slam doors on your face."
"You need to acquire a marketable skill. "Lawson contnued" Probably take classes o line or something. I could recommend you for a job… and you need a nest egg. "
"I do have one… the jewels"
"Eventually they will run out and you need to be able to make a living.. and now you spend nothing on groceries… Going shopping will be a shock for you."
"I can find a way?"
"I have to warn you not to expect too much from the change. I have seen in in others, they put all their hopes, all their plans on this one thing. They get that one thing, and they see that a lot of problems do not magically disappear… you may be human again. But you will still be in a century that is not your own, and a world you do not fully understand. Your family will still be dead. You will have been the instrument – even unwitting – for the deaths of your sister, your mother, and Genevieve. That will not change."
"And do you think that Kisasi will let you go?" Danny interjected. "He might not like it if you escape his punishment. He might kill Miss Mattox for it."
-0-
"In the end we decided not to decide. As I told Heather would think about it… and I thought.. each time I rose from the coffin I thought how I'd like to see the sun… as I fed on an entranced woman I thought about eating real food. But then I wondered if Kisasi would let Heather live if she interfered with its revenge… and also the practicalities that Lawson had explained to me… and well… I thought about it…"
"And then we had the Rupert Clark incident."
-0-
Leonore had been unconscious for a couple of days in the hospital and when she woke up she found flowers by her bedside with a card "To my favorite lady - Rupert Clark." Memories flooded her… some pleasant, some not so…but he had helped her when she needed it… Good old Rupert…
He had been there the next day modest and charming. She had made a mention to what should not be talked about and he had shaken his head… "No need to go over it. Over and done. Nothing to apologize for." And his sincere smile melted her heat.
A couple of visits later and he had let her know that he was in financial difficulties… and would like a job. She hired him immediately over Louis' objections.
Unbeknownst to her Clark had met Danny who recognized him.. "So you are hunting for the Benchley's treasure?" he told Danny harshly "You are welcome to it.:
"What do you want to do here?"
"None of your business… Remember, you are the ex-con, not me. And I have the best relationship with Mrs. Grady. She will believe anything I tell you about you…So the best thing for you to do is not to say that you know me."
-0-
"And so I said nothing"
"Not even to Amos?"
"I was afraid of what he might do…I did not like Clark, but still did not like to see him slaughtered."
-0-
She was there… floating over the cliff…looking back….
"Genevieve.." Amos said. "It is you…"
She gestured to him. Did she smile? Or recoil in fear? He could not see her expression…
"I am sorry… I did not mean…"
She vanished leaving him staring ahead into the emptiness….
-0-
"The curious thing about Mother is how she had cowed us, Uncle Louis and me" Dinah avowed. "She had been away a few days at the hospital… one would think that we would seize the opportunity to dig in the cellar, see what she had hidden there… but we did not dare…. Instead we talked about Clark and talked and talked."
-0-
"Dinah, we hid certain things from you, to protect you, but now you are old enough. Your father embezzled from the company. Quite a large amount. I was going to expose him, and I talked to your mother about it. She told me not to cause a scandal. She would talk to him and offer him the chance to make restitution. But he had already gotten away... and your mother let him go. She said that it was a small price to get rid of him. And that was it. The money was gone and she added it to the losses column. And no more was said about Mr. Grady. She reported him missing, that was all, and several years, she had him declared dead."
"And Clark?"
"Clark was a friend, who somehow was there. He acted as if she regretted that your mother was already married, and did not look happy about the way your father treated your mother. He was a stalwart friend... or looked like it. But I have known quite a bit of sleazy people, and Clark IS sleazy. Your mother takes everyone at face value, but I can recognize the type. Nothing will make me believe that he did not have a hand in the embezzling, that he encouraged your mother not to report it not to cause scandal.. and that he shared the money with your father...I know it."
"And now he is courting Mother..."
"And as usual, our opinion does not count."