The Witching Hour (Lives of the Mayfair Witches 1)

"No ladders thrown down yet, am I right, Lasher?" His whisper seemed to die on the empty air.

Nothing but the hum of the bees, and the mingled sounds of the workmen--the low grind of a lawn mower just starting up, and the sound of the diesel leaf blowers navigating the paths. He glanced at his watch. The air-conditioning men were due any minute. He had sketched out a system of eight different heat pumps which would provide both cooling and heating, and the worst problem would be the placement of the equipment, what with the attics filled with boxes and furniture and other items. Maybe they could go directly to the roof.

Then there were the floors. Yes, he had to get an estimate on the floors right away. The floor of the parlor was still very beautifully finished, apparently from the time Stella had used it as a dance floor. But the other floors were deeply soiled and dull. Of course nobody would do any interior painting or floor finishing until the plasterers were out. They made too much dust. And the painters, he had to go see how they were coming along on the outside. They had to wait until the roofers had sealed the parapet walls at the top. But the painters had plenty of work to do sanding and preparing the window frames and the shutters. And what else? Oh, the phone system, yes, Rowan wanted something state of the art. I mean the house was so big. And then there was the cabana, and that old servants' quarters building way at the back. He was thinking of turning a small contractor loose on that little building now, for an entire renovation.

Ah, this was fun. But why was he getting away with it? That was the question. Who was biding whose time?

He didn't want to confess to Rowan that he couldn't shake an underlying apprehensiveness, an underlying certainty that they were being watched. That the house itself was something alive. Maybe it was only the lingering impression of the images in the attic--of all the skirts gathered around him, of all of them earth-bound and here. He didn't really believe in ghosts in that sense. But the place had absorbed the personalities of all the Mayfairs, hadn't it, as old houses are supposed to do. And it seemed every time he turned that he was about to see someone or something that really wasn't there.

What a surprise to step into the parlor and see only the sunlight and the solemn neglected furniture. The enormous mirrors, towering over the room like guardians. The old pictures lifeless and dim in their frames. For a long moment he looked at the soft portrait of Stella--a painted photograph. So sweet her smile, and her black shining marcelled hair. Out of the corners of her eyes, she looked at him, through the filth that clung to the dim glass.

"Did you want something, Mr. Mike?" the young cleaning woman asked him. He shook his head.

He turned back and looked at the empty rocker. Had it moved? This was foolish. He was inviting something to happen. He closed his notebook and went back to work.

Joseph, the decorator, was waiting for him in the dining room.

And Eugenia was here. Eugenia wanted to work. Surely there was something she could do. Nobody knew this house the way she did, she'd worked in this house for five years, she had. Eugenia had told her son this very morning that she was not too old to work, that she would work until she dropped dead.

Did Dr. Mayfair want silk for these draperies? asked the decorator. Was she sure about that? He had a score of damasks and velvets to show her that wouldn't cost half as much.

When Michael met Rowan for lunch at Mayfair and Mayfair she was still signing. He was surprised at the ease and trust with which Ryan greeted him and began to explain things.

"It was always the custom before Antha and Deirdre to make bequests at a time such as this," he said, "and Rowan wants to revive the custom. We're making a list now of the Mayfairs who might accept a bequest, and Beatrice is already on the phone to anybody and everybody in the family. Please understand this isn't as insane as it sounds. Most Mayfairs have money in the bank, and always have had. Nevertheless, there are cousins in college, and a couple in medical school, and others who are saving to buy a first home. You know--that sort of thing. I think it's commendable of Rowan to want to revive the custom. And of course considering the size of the estate ... "

Nevertheless there was something cunning in Ryan, something calculating and watchful. And wasn't that natural? He seemed to be testing Michael with these riffs of information. Michael only nodded, and shrugged. "Sounds great."

By late afternoon, Michael and Rowan were back at the house conferring with the men around the pool. The stench of the muck that had been dredged from the bottom was unbearable. Shirtless and barefooted, the men carried it away in wheelbarrows. There were no real leaks in the old cement. You could tell because there was no sogginess in the ground anywhere. The foreman told Michael they could have the whole thing patched and replastered by the middle of next week.

"Sooner if you can," said Rowan. "I don't mind paying you overtime to work this weekend. Bring it back fast. I can't stand the sight of it the way it is now."

They were glad for the extra paychecks. In fact, just about every workman on the place was happy to work the weekend.

All new heating and filtering equipment was being installed for the pool. The gas connections were satisfactory. The new electric service was already going in.

And Michael got on the phone to another painting crew to take care of the cabana. Sure, they'd work Saturday, for time and a half. Wouldn't take much to paint its wooden doors, and refit its shower, lavatory, and small changing rooms.

"So what color do you want the house to be?" Michael asked. "They'll get to the outside painting faster than you think. And you want the cabana and the garconniere painted the same color, don't you?"

"Tell me what you want," she said.

"I'd leave it the violet color it's always been. The dark green shutters go with it just fine. I'd keep the whole scheme, actually--blue for the roofs of the porches, and gray for the porch floors, and black for the cast iron. By the way, I found a little man who can replace the pieces of the iron that are missing. He's already making the molds. He has his own shop back by the river. Did anyone tell you about the iron fence that runs around this property?"

"Tell me."

"It's even older than the house. It was the early nineteenth century version of chain link. That is, it was prefab. And it goes all the way down First Street and turns on Camp because that's how big the property once was. Now, we should paint it, just a nice coat of black paint is all it needs, just like the railings ... "

"Bring in all the crews you need," she said. "The violet color is perfect. And if you have to make a decision without me, make it. Make it loo

k like you think it should look. Spend what you think ought to be spent."

"You're a contractor's dream, darling," he said. "We're off to a roaring start. Gotta go. See that man who just came out the back door? He's coming to tell me he ran into a problem with the upstairs bathroom walls. I knew he would."

"Don't work too hard," she said in his ear, her deep velvety voice bringing the chills up on him. A nice little throb of excitement caught him between the legs as she crushed her breasts against his arm. No time for it.

"Work too hard? I'm just warming up. And let me tell you something else, Rowan. There are a couple of damn near irresistible houses I'd like to tackle in this town when we're through here. I see the future, Rowan. I see Great Expectations with offices on Magazine Street. I could bring those houses back slowly and carefully and ride out the bad market. This house is only the first."

"How much do you need to pick them up?"

"Honey, I have the money to do that," he said, kissing her quickly. "I've got plenty of money. Ask your cousin Ryan if you don't believe me. If he hasn't already run a complete credit check on me, I'd be very surprised."

"Michael, if he says one wrong word to you ... "

"Rowan, I'm in paradise. Relax!"

Saturday and Sunday rolled by at the same grand pace. The gardeners worked until after dark mowing down the weeds and digging the old cast-iron furniture out of the brush.

Rowan and Michael and Aaron set up the old table and chairs in the center of the lawn, and there they had their lunch each day.

Aaron was making some progress with Julien's books, but they were mostly lists of names, with brief enigmatic statements. No real autobiography at all. "So far, my most unkind guess is that these are lists of successful vendettas." He read a sampling.

" 'April 4, 1889 Hendrickson paid out as he deserved.'

" 'May 9, 1889, Carlos paid in kind.'

" 'June 7, 1889, furious with Wendell for his display of temper last night. Showed him a thing or two. No more worries there.'

"It goes on like that," said Aaron, "page after page, book after book. Occasionally there are little maps and drawings, and financial notes. But for the most part that's all it is. I'd say there are approximately twenty-two entries per year. I've yet to come upon a coherent full paragraph. No, if the autobiography exists, it's not here."