“Some things never change,” Cooper said on a grin.
“I’ve always wanted to go to New Orleans,” Hannah admitted. “Not because of this story or anything because I know it’s going to get ugly, but it’s always been on my list of places I want to visit.”
“Then we’ll go,” Cooper promised her.
“You’re right about this story going to a bad place,” Abigail said. “Josette was at the height of her fame when one of her poisonings went wrong and a woman died. Apparently, she had a weak heart. Word got out from one of the house slaves that Josette had arranged the entire thing and the people who had been heralding her as a savior weeks before started turning on Josette quickly. She convinced herself it was because of the color of her skin but it no longer mattered.
“Clement showed up again and offered her a way out. He told her that she could move away with him, start a new life, and maybe in a few years the hoopla would die down. As much as she didn’t want to leave, Josette didn’t want to end up at the end of a rope even more. She agreed to marry him ... and then found out they were moving to the wilds of Kentucky ... and Kentucky was indeed wild at that time.
“Kentucky was a territory before 1792 and only joined the United States after that. It was an untamed land with native Americans and warring traders. Clement didn’t want to continue trading if he didn’t have to and instead, he started a farm. He insisted that Josette use her magic to help with his crops, and even though she longed for the city, she knew she had to make the best of her circumstances.
“She had one confidant, a local native woman who taught her about the land, and that woman would later tell the witches who came to gather information that Josette had decided to give Clement what he wanted because she was already planning on killing him off. In those days, men controlled the property and wealth. She knew she wouldn’t be able to lay claim to it if she didn’t bear a child for him ... so that’s how the twins came to be.”
“He’s sounds like a peach of a husband,” Hannah groused.
“Like I said, he’s not a victim in the story. Josette isn’t either. She had children with Clement because she planned on killing him. The children would be able to inherit the land even if she couldn’t because of her skin color.”
“Oh.” Realization dawned on Hannah. “Because she was half black she couldn’t inherit property.”
“Again, Kentucky was a territory at the time, not a state. Josette didn’t want to take any chances, though. She was determined to be able claim the property for herself, so she hatched a plot against Clement. What she didn’t realize is that the natives in the area — including the woman she thought was her friend — had figured out that she wasn’t exactly trustworthy.”
Things began to slide into place in Hannah’s head. “The woman told Clement.”
“She did. Do you know why?”
“Because she wanted to do the same thing as Josette. She wanted the property. With Josette out of the way, she could move in on Clement.”
“She wanted status,” Abigail clarified. “And, quite frankly, the natives were treated more poorly than Josette at that time. I have sympathy for them. Unfortunately, they went about seeking power in the wrong way.
“The book tells a story of the earth opening up and swallowing Josette as the children played in a field and Clement had to make a choice. Clement was painted as a good father who raced to save his girls, but that’s not what happened.
“Josette found out what her ‘friend’ had done and they got into a terrible fight. Magic was thrown around — because the other woman was a shaman of sorts — but Josette was much stronger and had no problem dispatching her enemy. Her daughters, though, witnessed the takedown and didn’t understand. They were magical like their mother and had never seen anybody die.
“The scene was described as bloody and awful, and when Josette realized the girls were watching, she frightened them with her black eyes and wild hair. They lashed out with their combined magic and killed their mother. In an attempt to cover it up, they created a large hole in the ground, which subsequently connected to a river and created the creek you’re so fond of.”
Hannah nodded in understanding. “So, it was magic but not out of the blue like they said.”
“Clement didn’t want anyone to find out the girls were magical. The natives were superstitious and might’ve gone after them, so he was right to worry. He wasn’t overly broken up about Josette’s death, though. Once he found out what she had planned for him, he conspired to murder her, too. The girls made it so that wasn’t necessary ... and he appreciated it.
“Reports vary on how good of a father he was,” she continued, not breaking stride. “The girls were well fed and made sure his crops continued to thrive. They were very attached to each other, but those who saw them interact said there was something weird about them. They were identical twins with different eye and hair color.”
“Then they weren’t identical,” Cooper argued.
Abigail held out her hands and shrugged. “All I know is that anyone who saw them said they were exactly identical ... except for the color of their hair and eyes. There is an explanation for it, too. This is my theory, not fact, but I believe Amelia was albino. Her hair wasn’t blond, it was without pigmentation. Her eyes were pale blue because they were also lacking in pigmentation.”
“Is that somehow important?” Cooper queried. “I mean ... why does it matter?”
“Because the
