Weyward

Kate continues to settle into the cottage as spring approaches. She has already read most of the volumes in her aunt’s library but finds a note inside one book, sent by someone named Emily from Kirkby’s Books & Gifts. This is the local bookseller, and Kate goes in search of Emily, assuming she works at the shop. She proves to be the 50-something-year-old owner of the store and a friend of Violet’s. She is struck by how much Kate looks like her great-aunt. Emily invites Kate to visit the farm where she and her husband, Mike, live. It’s nearly closing time, but she asks Kate to stop by again for a longer chat. Kate feels the impulse to ask for a job at the shop but suppresses it.

On the walk back to the cottage, Kate stops at the church graveyard to seek out family tombstones. She finds her grandfather, Graham, buried there. His tombstone inscription says that he was a loyal brother, and Violet is buried nearby. Aside from her name, Violet’s tombstone carries an inscribed letter “W.” Back at home, Kate looks through Violet’s jewelry box and finds an oval pendant. It is inscribed with a “W” that is the exact match for the one on Violet’s tombstone.

Altha is back in the courtroom to hear the next witness testify at her trial. As she surveys the crowd gathered to condemn her, she thinks of the word “witch.” Altha and her mother regarded themselves as healers, not witches. In fact, Altha’s name means “healer.” In the years shortly before her mother died, Altha remembers that Jennet changed. Rumors began to circulate about witches who were being tried and executed in the region. Jennet made a point of attending regular religious services to avoid attracting suspicion. She also sent away her beloved crow because it might be viewed as a witch’s familiar.

The next witness at the trial is the local parson, Reverend Goode. The minister vouches for the Weywards as regular churchgoers. He also says that sometimes they helped their patients, and sometimes the patients died. When the judge presses him, he admits that he was the person who first reported the accusation of witchcraft in John Milburn’s death. This was based on the concerns of Grace’s father, William Metcalfe.

The next day, Violet doesn’t see Frederick until lunch. Graham confides that Frederick is nursing a hangover, and Violet realizes that her brother doesn’t like their cousin. Later, the family bowls on the grass until everyone tires from the heat. Frederick and Violet go to fetch some lemonade, and Frederik pours brandy from his flask into Violet’s glass. The entire group relaxes on lawn chairs and grows drowsy. Violet closes her eyes but feels the sting of an insect bite on her cheek. Both Lord Rupert and Graham have dozed off by the time Frederick suggests a stroll in the woods alone with Violet. Slightly dizzy from the brandy, she consents.

Kate goes to the doctor and learns that her baby will be a girl, as she anticipated. Afterward, she calls her mother with the news. Her mother is overjoyed but very concerned about Simon, whom she suspects was abusive to Kate. The next day, Kate walks to Orton Hall, determined to get some answers about her aunt’s past. Both Violet and Graham were disinherited under mysterious circumstances, and Kate wants to question the current owner of the hall about it.

A withered old man opens the door and agrees to speak to her. He leads her upstairs through the dust and debris to a room where he apparently lives alone. Kate is unnerved to find insect wings covering all the interior surfaces of the house. The lord of the manor says that the building was infested with them. His mind wanders, but he explains that the infestation ended the previous August when “she had released [him] at last” (159). Kate tries to make sense of his ramblings, but he grows agitated when he sees her bee brooch and demands that she leave at once.

Back in the dungeon, Altha thinks of the years just before her mother’s death. She had begun to change and wither. One night, she took her beloved crow and released it into the woods, commanding it not to return to keep it safe. Jennet finally succumbed to a sweating sickness that Altha was unable to cure. Before she died, Jennet made Altha promise to keep their secret.

At the trial the following day, William Metcalfe takes the stand. He still believes that Jennet and Altha killed his wife. He has no proof that Altha was involved in John’s death other than the fact that Altha resembles her mother, and he exclaims, “You must cut her out, like bad flesh from meat! You must hang her!” (167). Altha breaks down in tears as Metcalfe is led from the courtroom. She is now certain that she will be condemned.