"When I rose, I knew that something was going on at the Benchley mansion, but it was muddled. I imagined that Dame Alice had died, and that they were handling it.
"I should go to offer my condolences, which would allow me to meet them and get information, but I was not going to go immediately. had to satisfy my hunger first. I learned that waiting too long to feed made it worse for me and for my victim. I learned that the hard way. So, I flew away to find a proper source, someone that I could enthrall, feed from, and made to forget what had happened.
"It was no problem, the young woman looked strong and healthy and certainly could spare what I took from her. But her blood washed away the madness that I had taken from Nuri. That's when I realized what a dangerous thing I had done.
"I went to Benchley Mansion, hoping that all the commotion had to do with Dame Alice's death. But along the way I met Mrs. Agnes Moore."
-0-
"You! You stole my daughter!"
"Your daughter, madam? I do not even know her."
"Patience has run away with that fellow Thatcher. And it is your fault!"
"How can it be my fault what he has done?
"You employ him! You are his accomplice.!"
"I am merely his employer. I have no control over what he does when he is not working."
"No, I can tell, you helped him."
-0-
"She was not wrong, but she had no reason for suspicion. As far as the world knew I merely hired Thatcher because of some business concern and had no reason to be involved in his private life. But that did not keep her from making wild accusations.
"She reminded me of Aunt Hepzibah. Same jumping to conclusions, same self-righteous anger, and desire to hurt. I remembered what I had done to Aunt Hepzibah and was afraid that I might do the same to Agnes Moore. I made the best excuse I could and basically, ran away, shouting at her that she was crazy.
"Then as I came closer to the door I was met by Miriam, who was trembling."
-0-
"He killed her. Thomas killed Nuri. She was not dead… She had been locked up because she was crazy. She escaped and tried to kill Thomas. He killed her instead."
-0-
"So, there it was, the disaster that I had precipitated because I shared the emotions of both Mimi and Nuri. I had meant well, but that changed nothing.
"Then I realized what would come next, and I raced to meet Zayda. I should be able to stop her."
-0-
Zayda lowered the chalice she had lifted. It is done" She told Titus "Thomas Benchley and his children will be cursed. They will be as beastly outside as they are inside. Wolves they are? Well, wolves they will be."
"They deserve it." Titus said "All those honeyed words about how they mourned Nuri, and how they wished to help us out. Liars all of them. Giving us a few coins and allowing us to stay in their property so that we would not ask questions."
Amos Benchley burst in. "What have you done, Zayda?"
"What needed to be done."
"You have cursed Nuri's children."