The Hellfire Club

turned it over to her, all of a sudden everything had a new name.' He looked back, grinning at the others. 'Georgina's romantic conception of herself extended to her domain. These people tend to be dictatorial.'

Frank Neary was a clever man. Dart could not keep his eye on her all afternoon, and she needed only a few seconds.

'That's where your poet went wrong,' Neary said. 'We got all this from Agnes Brotherhood, so you have to take into account that she never really cared for Georgina. Lily, on the other hand, worshiped her. Lily detested Katherine Mannheim because she didn't give Georgina the proper respect. Agnes told us that Katherine Mannheim saw right through Georgina the first time she met her, and Georgina hated her for it.'

Tidball said, 'According to Agnes, Georgina was jealous. But the entire subject still seemed to make her nervous.'

The path curved around the left side of a meadow and disappeared into the trees on its far side, where several large, upright gray stones were dimly visible. 'Here it is, the famous Mist Field.'

'Mist Field,' Nora said. 'Why does that sound familiar?'

'Mr Desmond, do you write every day?' Tidball asked.

'Only way to get anything done. Get up at six, scribble an ode before going to the office. Nights, I'm back at it from nine to eleven. By the way, please call me Norman.'

They began moving up the path again.

'Are you part of a community of poets?'

'We Language poets like to get together at a nice little saloon called Gilhoolie's.'

'How would you define Language poetry?'

'Exactly what it sounds like,' Dart said. 'Language, as much of it as possible.'

'Have you ever read Katherine Mannheim's poetry?' asked Neary.

'Never touch the stuff.'

Neary gave him a puzzled look.

'Why did Agnes think Georgina was jealous of Katherine Mannheim?' Nora asked.

'Georgina was used to being the center of attention. Especially with men. Instead, they were drooling over this pretty young thing. Being the kind of person she was, it took her a couple of weeks to understand what was going on. Lily Melville set her straight.'

'Should have thrown the bitch out right then,' Dart said.

Neary seemed startled by his choice of words. 'Eventually she decided to do that, but she didn't want to act in any way that might injure her reputation. She was worried about finances, and sending away a guest could look like a distress signal. Here are the Song Pillars and Monty's Glen. Impressive, aren't they?'

A short distance from the path, six tall boulders with flat ends had been placed in a circle around a natural clearing. The other members of Lily Melville's group were already drifting back to the path, and a sixtyish woman in a turquoise exercise suit came up to them and introduced herself as Dorothea Bach, a retired high school teacher. She wanted to know all about Mr Desmond's poetry.

'My odes and elegies were originally inspired by my own high school English teacher.' He began spouting nonsense which thrilled Dorothea down to her bright blue running shoes. Fascinated, Tidball moved a step nearer.

Nora hurried up beside Neary, who was moving toward the boulder. He turned to her with a conciliatory smile, apologizing in advance for what he had to say. 'To hear your husband talk, you'd think he didn't know anything about poetry at all.'

'I need your help.'

'Another imaginary stone?' He held out his arm.

'No, I-'

Dart stroked the back of her neck 'Don't let me break up this private moment, but I couldn't bear that woman a second longer.'

Neary turned to Nora with a questioning look. She shook her head.

They passed through the Pillars and walked to the center of the clearing. 'Every single time I come here, I think about going back in time to one of the great summers and listening to the conversation here. I get goose bumps. Right here, great writers sat down and talked about what they were working on. Wouldn't you like to have heard that?'

'Must have been a stitch,' Dart said.

'You're a piece of work, Norman,' Neary said.

'Humble laborer in the vineyards,' Dart said.

'All in all, Norman, I wouldn't say that humility is your strong suit.'

'Maybe you boys should leave us alone,' Dart said. 'After a while, little old swishes start to get on my nerves.'

Frank Tidball looked as if he had been struck on the back of his head with a brick, and Frank Neary was enraged and weary in a manner to which he had clearly grown accustomed long ago. 'That's it. This man is a lunatic, and he frightens me.'

'I should frighten you,' Dart said, glimmering with pleasure.

Neary held his ground. 'Good-bye, Mrs Desmond, I wish you luck.'

Dart laughed at him - every word he said was ridiculous.

'Frank, I know my husband has offended you, but what were you saying about Georgina's money troubles? It might be very important to me.' Nora had seen the money problem like the hint of a clue to an answer, and it was too important to be allowed to escape.

'I have no problem with you, Mrs Desmond.' He gave a contemptuous glance at Dart, who briskly stepped forward and grinned down at him.

Neary refused to be intimidated. 'Georgina's trust fund wasn't large enough to pay for all the servants and upkeep or the food and drink for the guests. Her father indulged her for a long time, but in 1938 he lost patience. He cut her off, or seriously cut her back, I'm not sure which. Georgina was almost hysterical.'

'Lily Melville told us that she had the whole place renovated the next year,' Nora said.

'He must have relented. I'm sure that he was used to giving her whatever she wanted.'

'Tale of Two Bitches,' Dart said.

'I've spent enough time with this madman,' Neary said. 'Let's go.' Tidball was staring at Dick Dart. Neary touched his elbow as if to awaken him, and Tidball spun away and marched toward the edge of the clearing. Neary followed him without looking back. They passed through the Pillars and moved toward the path with a suggestion of flight.

'Let's amble back to the house and meet the dear little Pinto. Something has occurred to me. Can you guess what?'

Before Nora could tell Dart that she could not read his mind, she read his mind. 'You want Marian Cullinan.'

He patted her head and grinned. 'Probably time for me to bid farewell to older women. And Maid Marian has two great advantages.'

She began to walk over the matted grass toward the boulders. 'Which are?'

'One, you don't like her. She's fair Natalie all over again, wants to steal your man. Let's punish the cow - hey, it's what you want to do anyhow.'

'And the second advantage?'

'Marian undoubtedly owns a nice car.'

Heads down, moving a little faster than was necessary, Neary and Tidball were already most of the way across the meadow. Dart indulgently watched them wade through the long grass. 'Lots of fun in store for us tonight, sweetie-pie.'90

Marian Cullinan's eager face appeared at her window as they approached the front of Main House, and when they came inside she was waiting for them, taking in Dart with theatrical awe. 'Norman, you made Lily's day. She wants to take you on all of her tours.'

'Entirely reciprocated. Reminds me of some of my dearest friends.'

'Isn't he off the scale when it comes to charm, Mrs Desmond?'