Afterward, Melanie told several amusing stories about her trip to Canada over the summer, and Cassie almost forgot about the remark. It was so good just to be surrounded by easy, friendly talk; not to feel shut out. And to be here by Diana's invitation, to see Diana smiling at her… she still could scarcely believe it.
When she was getting ready to leave, though, she got a shock. Diana handed her a neat pile of clothes– the gray sweater showed no trace of soot now-and said, “I'll take you home. Don't worry about your grandma's car. If you give me the keys, I'll have Chris Henderson drive it to your place.”
Cassie froze in the act of handing over the keys. “Henderson? You mean-you don't mean one of the
Henderson brothers.”
Diana smiled as she unlocked the Integra. “So you've heard of them. Chris is nice, really, just a little wild. Don't worry.”
As they drove off, Cassie remembered that the one playing keep away with her backpack had been called Doug, not Chris. But she still couldn't help feeling alarmed.
“We all know each other out here on Crowhaven Road,” Diana explained in a comforting tone. “See, there's Laurel's house, and the next one is Faye's. The kids who grew up here sort of stick together. It'll be okay.” ,
“Stick together?” Cassie had a sudden, disturbing idea.
“Yes.” Diana's voice was deliberately light. “We've got a sort of club…”
“The Club?” Cassie was so appalled she interrupted. “You mean-you're in it too? You and Laurel and Melanie?”
“Mm,” Diana said. “Well, here's your house. I'll call you tomorrow-maybe I could come over. And we can carpool to school on Monday…” She stopped at the expression on Cassie's face. “What is it, Cassie?” she said gently. “
Cassie was shaking her head. “I don't know… yes, I do know. I told you how I heard Faye and Suzan and Deborah talking the first day of school-that was how all the trouble started. I heard the kind of things they said, and I know they're in the Club. And it was so awful… I don't see how you could be in a club like that, with them.”
“It isn't what you think…” Diana's gentle voice trailed off. “And I can't really explain. But I'll tell you this –don't judge the Club by Faye. Although there's a lot of good in Faye too, if you look for it.”
Cassie thought you would have to look with a scanning electron microscope to find it. After a moment, she said so.
Diana laughed. “No, really. I've known her since we were babies. We've all known each other that long out here.”
“But…” Cassie looked at her worriedly. “Aren't you afraid of her? Don't you think she might try to do something terrible to you?”
“No,” Diana said. “I don't think so. For one thing, she's-made a sort of promise not to. And for another”-she looked at Cassie almost apologetically, although a smile was tugging at the corner of her lips-“well, don't hate me, but Faye happens to be my first cousin.”
Cassie gaped.
“We're mostly cousins up here,” Diana said softly. “Sometimes second and third, and all that, but lots even closer. Here's some herb tea Laurel made up for me over the summer,” she added, putting something in Cassie's hand. “Drink some tonight if you've been having trouble sleeping. It ought to help. I'll see you tomorrow morning.”
When Diana appeared at the door, her hair was pulled back in one long, exquisite French braid. It hung
down like a silk tassel. She had a packet of good-smelling dried leaves wrapped in cheesecloth in one hand.
“You said your mom had the flu, so I brought some tea for her. It's good for coughs and chills. Did you try that tea I gave you last night?”
Cassie nodded. “I couldn't believe it. I went right to sleep and woke up this morning feeling great. What was in it?”
“Well, for one thing, ground-up catnip,” Diana said, and then smiled at Cassie's reaction. “Don't worry; it doesn't have the same effect on humans as on cats. It's just relaxing.”
Was that what Diana had been doing that first morning Cassie had seen her? Making some kind of tea? Cassie didn't quite dare to admit she'd been spying that day, but she was pleased when Diana said she'd like to make the tea and give it to Cassie's mother personally.
“It's a simple herb and gem elixir for chills,” she said quietly to Mrs. Blake, and there was something reassuring about her voice. Cassie's mother hesitated a moment, then reached for the cup. She tasted it, and then looked up and smiled at Diana. Cassie felt warm all over.
Even Cassie's grandmother's seamed old face broke into a smile at the sight of Diana as she passed the two girls walking down the hall to Cassie's room.
“It must be great to have a grandmother like that,” Diana said. “She must be full of old stories.”
Cassie was relieved. She'd been afraid that Diana wouldn't be able to see past the mole and the stooped back and the coarse, grizzled hair. “She is pretty great,” she said, marveling at how much her own attitude had changed since that first day when she'd seen the figure in the doorway. “And it's nice to finally get to know her, since she's the only relative I have left. All my other grandparents are dead.”
“So are mine,” Diana said. “And my mom, too. It's sad, because I always wanted a little sister, but my mother died the same year I was born, and my dad never remarried, so there never was any chance.”
“I've wished for a sister too,” Cassie murmured.
There was a silence. Then Diana said, “This is a beautiful room.”
“I know,” Cassie said, looking around at the massive, shining furniture and the formal draperies and the stiff chairs. “It's beautiful, but it's like a museum. That's all my stuff that got shipped from home.” She pointed to a pile of belongings in the corner. “I tried to spread it around, but I was afraid of scratching something or breaking something.”
Diana laughed. “I wouldn't worry. These things have made it through the last three hundred years; they'll hold out a little longer. You just need to arrange the room so your stuff fits in with them. We could try it next weekend-I'm sure Laurel and Melanie would help too. It would be fun.”