respect and you should have been invited to this party anyway, considering itâs for a bunch of our kind from Tennessee. Loralyn told me that their grove was destroyed a few days after Christmas.â
Ella Mae gasped. âHow awful!â The loss of a grove meant the end of magic for the people living nearby. If they didnât relocate to a new town with a source of power, theyâd eventually lose their gifts. âMaybe the Gaynors are actually going to help others for a change. Iâd love to see that.â She let Chewy back into her house and then jiggled her car keys. âIâll drive, though you might regret it later when the bouncers toss me out. When Loralyn and I get together, thereâs always some drama.â
âYouâre on a quest,â Suzy said. âThereâs supposed to be drama. The dull stories never make it into the books.â
âThe stories are all wrong anyway,â Ella Mae said. âThe real versions are locked away in secret libraries like the one in my motherâs house. I can only imagine what tales the Gaynors have hidden inside theirs.â
âOh, what Iâd give to find out!â Suzy cried. âJust be on your best behavior. We really need to see their copy of
Lake Lore of the Americas
. If they have one, that is.â
âThey must,â Ella Mae said firmly. And under her breath, she added, âAnd Iâll do anything to get it from them.â
â¢Â â¢Â â¢
Dozens of cars blocked Rolling Viewâs circular driveway so Ella Mae parked her Jeep on the side of Sulphur Springs Road. At the entrance of the Gaynorsâ Georgian mansion, a woman clad in black pants, a white blouse, and a burgundy vest took their coats while a man in matching uniform offered them a glass of champagne.
âI like the way this party is starting,â Suzy said and took a sip. âHmm, nice bubbly.â
Ella Mae glanced at the enormous portrait of Opal Gaynor hanging over a mahogany hall table. Opal must have been about sixteen when she sat for the painting. She was dressed in a debutanteâs gown of shimmering white, and though her waves of golden hair and regal features were lovely, her eyes were cold and calculating, lending her a hardness that didnât suit her tender age or demure posture.
âAn example of what good breeding looks like,â said a haughty voice from behind Ella Mae. âYou should take notes.â
Ella Mae turned and gave Loralyn Gaynor a polite smile. âI apologize for being here without an invitation. Suzy asked me to accompany her and I couldnât say no.â She forced herself to smile even wider. âThe parties at Rolling View are always the most talked-about events of the season, and since Suzy didnât want to come alone, I didnât want her to miss out.â
âHow generous of you,â Loralyn said with icy courtesy. She smoothed her strapless black gown and pivoted to welcome Suzy as if they were the best of friends. Hugging her, she exclaimed, âYouâre gorgeous! I told you that moisturizing facial would make you radiant.â
Suzy gave Ella Mae a helpless shrug. âLoralyn keeps trying to make me glamorous.â She gestured at the luxurious surroundings. âSpeaking of glamour, you must give me the grand tour. This place is divine. Iâd also like to thank your mother for putting me on the guest list. Is she around?â
âSheâs in the kitchen instructing the caterers,â Loralyn said. She glanced behind her to make sure that none of the hired help was within earshot. A waiter saw her looking and moved forward with a tray of hors dâoeuvres, but Loralyn waved him off with an impatient flick of the wrist and whispered, âWeâre entertaining the upper crust from a small town west of Chattanooga. Their grove is gone. Forever.â She tried to sound sympathetic but failed. Ella Mae wondered if the Gaynors were
L. Sprague de Camp, Catherine Crook de Camp
Volume 2 The Eugenics Wars