from Annelise in the morning—she’ll be taking the twins to the stables for their Saturday trail ride—but I’ll need the Mini later on, when I’m ready to come home.”
“No problem,” said Mr. Barlow. “Where have you been keeping yourself, Lori?” he went on conversationally. “Haven’t seen you in the village for ages.”
“I was at the Guy Fawkes Day committee meeting yesterday,” I said, taken aback.
“Were you?” he said. “You must have been keeping your head down—a wise thing to do when Peggy Taxman’s in charge. Did you stay for tea and buns afterwards?”
“No,” I said. “I had to get home.”
“Well, don’t be in such a hurry to leave next time,” Mr. Barlow scolded. “I miss our little chats. I’ll drop the Mini off at Anscombe Manor by noon tomorrow.”
I thanked him, said good night, and hung up. I was bemused by his comment regarding our little chats. I didn’t think it had been “ages” since he and I had enjoyed a tête-à-tête, but perhaps it had seemed like ages to him. He was, after all, an old man living on his own. I made a mental note to visit him soon, then turned to the next item on the evening’s agenda.
I called Annelise into the kitchen, to give her the bad news as well as the good news about her car. She accepted both calmly— Annelise was preternaturally unflappable—but when I described the exact location of the potholes, she folded her arms and surveyed me disapprovingly.
“Why were you going to Lizzie Black’s?” she asked.
“Who’s Lizzie Black?” I responded artlessly.
“She’s a crackbrained old crone who believes in all sorts of outlandish nonsense,” Annelise replied, “and she lives at the end of the lane you say you were exploring. Did someone in the village tell you about her?” She raised an eyebrow. “Did someone in Finch tell you to ask Lizzie Black about vampires?”
Aunt Dimity: Vampire Hunter
101
“Why would I ask anyone about vampires?” I said with a tolerant smile.
“Because you’ve been looking for reasons to fret about Rob and Will ever since they started school,” she replied. “If it’s not chlorine gas, it’s measles. After what they told us the other night, I’m willing to bet my wedding dress that you’ve worked yourself into a lather about Rendor, the Destroyer of Souls.”
“I haven’t worked myself into a—” I began, but Annelise silenced me with an impatient cluck.
“Let me tell you about Lizzie Black, Lori,” she said. “My youngest brother, Tony, bumped into her while she was collecting berries in the woods, and do you know what she told him?”
“No,” I said.
“She sat Tony down on a tree stump and told him all about the Butterfly Man,” said Annelise. “Sounds sweet, doesn’t it? Harmless?”
“Butterfl ies don’t exactly fi ll me with terror,” I admitted.
“Just wait.” Annelise’s voice took on a sugary, singsong quality, as if she were telling a fairy tale to a young child. “The Butterfly Man catches little children in his net and takes them to his dark house in the forest. When he gets them inside, he pins them to a board and drops camphor on their heads until they’re dead.” Annelise fl ung her hands into the air. “Tony was eight years old, Lori!
He believed every word that mad old biddy said! It took us the longest time to figure out why he was afraid to leave the house, but when we did, Mum went up to Hilltop Farm to have a word with Lizzie. And do you know what Lizzie told Mum?”
“No,” I said.
“Lizzie told my mother that she’d better watch out for the Butterfly Man or he’d pin her to one of his boards!” Annelise shook her head. “Lizzie’s barking, Lori, daft as a brush, and she enjoys frightening gullible people. You shouldn’t get mixed up with her.”
“Thanks for the warning,” I said. “As a matter of fact, I have one for you, too. The twins may have embroidered their story the other
102 Nancy Atherton
night, but I have reason to believe that they saw someone in the woods on Sunday. Kit and I reexamined the ground today and found footprints up there.”
Annelise’s eyebrows rose.
“Kit’s putting the stable hands on high alert,” I went on, “and I’d like you to keep a close watch on the boys while you’re at Anscombe Manor tomorrow. Not that you don’t always keep an eye on them, but—”
“I won’t let Will and Rob out of my sight,” Annelise stated firmly. She would have said more, but a shuddering yawn interrupted her.
“Why don’t you turn in?” I suggested. “I’ll take the boys upstairs and get them settled.”
“All right,” she said, suppressing another yawn. “I don’t know why I’m so tired. It must be the weather.”