Glancing around the empty common room of the Inn, Natalie sighed silently and eased down into a chair at a table not too close to the hearth. She drew her tarot cards from her handbag, and after shuffling the deck and laying them out in the pattern she most preferred, Natalie frowned at what she was seeing. The cards told her an evil woman was at work. Natalie studied the cards further, but could see no other interpretation. An evil woman was trying to come between two lovers.

Sitting back in the chair, Natalie continued to study the cards. They were telling her what she already suspected and as she reviewed the past few days of her life, she knew the truth of the cards. She glanced up when she heard someone enter the room, expecting it to be the Innkeeper bringing her tea. She sat straighter when she saw it was Ben Stokes.

"Beggin' your pardon, mam'e, I was wonderin' if you need me for anythin' else 'afore I head back?"

"No, Ben, that will be all. Thank you for your assistance."

"Twas nothin', mam'e... I'm... I'm sorry nothin' worked out like it was s'posed ta."

"As am I, Ben..."

He bowed once, eyes on the floor.

"Safe journey, mam'e."

Ben turned to leave the room as Natalie looked back at the table and the cards still laid out on top of it. She - and Joshua - had only suspected about a witch, the evil woman, but Ben...

"Ben! Wait!"

He turned back to face the Countess, a touch of concern in his eyes.

"Yes'm, somethin' wrong?"

"Don't leave yet, Ben."

"Beggin' your pardon, mam'e, but Mister Joshua told me to come back as soon as I could."

"I'll explain your tardiness to Mister Collins. I need to talk to you, Ben, ask you something that I think only you can answer. Please, sit down."

He hesitated a moment, uncomfortable with both the idea of sitting while in the Countess' presence and with her asking him questions.

"Please, Ben."

Reluctantly he took the chair opposite her at the table, and glanced down at her tarot cards. Natalie too looked at them once more, then met Ben's gaze. She did not want to frighten the already uneasy man, and smiled gently.

"Ben, are you aware that I, along with you and Mister Collins, know of

Barnabas'... true fate?"

"Aye, mam'e. I know you tired to help..."

"Are you also aware that... Joshua Collins and I were married two days ago?"

Ben looked down and nodded.

"Aye. The servants was talkin' about it, kind of surprised."

"It was a surprise to me as well, Ben."

"I don't understand, mum."

"I had every intention of saying no. That was my decision, my plan. I was prepared to say no right until the second I heard myself say yes."

"Why'd you do that?"

"I honestly do not know, Ben. There have been other things that I've done that I did not want to do, that I can't explain away... except by one possibility."

"Yes'm?"

"Witchcraft, ben. Has the witch returned?"

"Victoria Winters, you mean? No one knows what become of her, and she weren't no witch, not ever."

"No, Ben, not Victoria Winters. We both know she was not the true witch. I mean Angelique. Has Angelique returned?"

"How... how would I know that? She's dead, I buried her myself! I don't know how she come to be at Miss Winters' trial, but she was dead when she done it."

"I know, Ben, but that does not necessarily mean she can not or will not come back. We all know you were her unwilling servant before, and it stands to reason she would enlist your services again if she needed them. So, I ask you again, has Angelique returned?"

Ben fidgeted in his chair and swallowed hard a time or two. He looked down at his hands and shook his head when he finally answered.

"I... I can't say, mam'e."

"Can't, or won't."

"I... I can't, mam'e."

Ben looked up and met Natalie's gaze, his eyes pleading with her to understand. She smiled slowly.

"Very well, Ben, you needn't say another word."

He sighed with relief and continued to watch the Countess in the chair across from him. He could see she was carefully considering her next words.

"Ben, to your knowledge, has the witch returned and used her powers against Joshua Collins or myself?"

Ben swallowed hard, then nodded his head yes. Natalie stiffened.

"Against Joshua?"

Ben nodded and held up two fingers.

"Against both of us?"

Again Ben nodded yes.

"Was it a spell?"

Ben shook his head no.

"A potion?"

Another affirmative nod.

"Designed to make us do something she wanted us to do, but that we might not desire?"

Again Ben nodded yes.

Natalie was silent for several long minutes as she considered Ben's answers and the message of the cards. She looked up and met Stokes' gaze.

"Knowing how her mind works, I need not ask you about motive, I can easily guess. Has she achieved her goal; will she now leave us alone?"

Ben nodded yes to the first part of the question, then shrugged his shoulders. Natalie nodded her understanding.

"Thank you, Ben. You have confirmed what I - and Joshua Collins - have suspected for several days... Ben would you object to remaining here over night? I have much to consider, and I may need your assistance again come morning."

"Mister Joshua said..."

"I know what he said, but he need not know how far away I wished to be

before we stopped for the night, does he?"

"No'm, I guess not."

"Find the Innkeeper, tell him I wish to see him."

Ben nodded as he stood and headed for the door, but turned back toward

Natalie when she again called his name.

"Ben... thank you."

He nodded once and was gone. Natalie glanced at her tarot cards, then gathered them up and returned them to her handbag. The cards could not help her make the decision she now must, but Ben's information could.