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Angelica could reply, the butler appeared in the sitting room doorway. “Mr. Hamilton Scott is here,” he announced. “Shall I show him in, miss?”
    Simon Fear leaned against the white picket fence and stared at the sprawling mansion. From his vantage point Simon could see clearly into the sitting room window.
    How considerate of Mr. Pierce to pull the curtains back for me, Simon thought.
    A carriage came clattering by, pulled by two handsome black horses. Simon bent and pretended to clean something off his boot. When the carriage had passed, he took his place again beside the fence.
    He saw Hamilton Scott enter the room and make his way to the couch where Angelica and Liza were seated. Hamilton bowed low and kissed Angelica’s hand.
    How very gallant you are, Hamilton, in yourboyish way, Simon thought cruelly, feeling the three-clawed pendant heat up under his shirt.
    How unfortunate for you, Hamilton, that the next funeral will be yours. And then I shall be the one in the sitting room, bowing low to kiss dear Angelica’s hand.

Chapter 7

    O ne month later Angelica was holding on to Hamilton’s arm as they pushed their way through the laughing, celebrating crowd. “Wait for me! My shoe is caught in a plank!” Liza called.
    Angelica called impatiently back to her cousin. “Hurry! We don’t want to miss Aunt Lavinia!”
    â€œAnd I want to get a good look at this paddlewheel boat!” Hamilton declared.
    Liza managed to get her shoe free from the dock and moved quickly to her cousin, holding up the hem of her long gray dress.
    â€œDo you see Aunt Lavinia?” Angelica asked. “There are so many people here to see the boat off, it looks like Mardi Gras all over again!”
    As they moved closer to the boat, Angelica could see that a red carpet had been spread down thegangplank. Smiling passengers, their arms loaded with farewell presents, stopped on deck to wave goodbye to friends and family on shore.
    A brass band played march music beside the gangplank. White and yellow streamers had been strung along the top of the pier. Horse-drawn taxis pulled up to let off more passengers.
    â€œThere she is!” Liza exclaimed. “Aunt Lee! Aunt Lee!”
    Angelica and Hamilton pushed past a man pulling an enormous black steamer trunk and hurried up to greet Angelica’s aunt Lavinia.
    â€œWhy,
there
you are!” Aunt Lavinia cried happily. “My goodness. I thought I missed you!”
    Angelica’s aunt was a large, robust-looking woman. Her blue traveling bonnet matched the blue of her eyes. Her round cheeks were flushed with excitement. She had traveled to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, but now was returning home to Memphis.
    There were hugs all around. Angelica introduced Hamilton, who said something, but his words were drowned out by an ear-shattering blast from the boat whistle.
    â€œOh, my, I had better be boarding!” Aunt Lavinia exclaimed. “It was so nice of you to see an old aunt off!”
    More hugs. Then Angelica’s aunt gathered her belongings in her arms and started toward the gangplank.
    â€œShe is a dear,” Liza said, waving to her aunt.
    â€œThis boat will make it upriver to Memphis in no time,” Hamilton remarked. “Look. It has
two
paddle wheels. That should double its speed.”
    Another blast of the whistle made Angelica cover her ears. She tugged on Hamilton’s arm. “There is no one on that pier,” she said, pointing. “Come on. We can get a better view when the boat pulls away. We shall be right on the water.”
    Liza hesitated. “That pier is roped off, Angelica. I do not think they want us to stand there.”
    â€œWe can stand there if we want,” Hamilton said. “Come on. I want to be as close as I can when the boat starts to move.”
    With Hamilton in the lead, the three of them ducked under the rope and stepped out to the edge of the pier. Below them the water