originally published Historical Lovecraft, 2011
To avoid being conscripted into the Seven Years War, Mr. Villein, a younger cousin, takes up residence at Calipash Manor. Mr. Villein is a creep who has studied black magic, and when Lord Calipash marries Alys Fellingworth, a local girl Villein himself fancies, he plots revenge. Lord Calipash ends up conveniently dead, but not before knocking up Alys. To Villein's regret, the children (twins) are born healthy. But a little of his black magic and things go awry. Rosemary (the girl twin) has tiny, needle-sharp teeth at birth - which she uses to bite off her wet-nurse's nipple. She's also prone to, once a month, turning into a fish-humanoid, comeplete with gills. Her brother, Basil, is only slightly less weird.
Both twins are precocious in every way (including sexually), morbid, and creepy. As they grow to teen-hood, Villein realizes he may have a problem controlling them. He tricks Basil into being press-ganged into the navy, and proposes marriage to Rosemary (she accepts). Basil is believed to have run away and vanished.
One day, a mysterious stranger shows up and sways Rosemary into feeding him with a sob story about his being press-ganged and taken to sea and all his family gone. Villein, realizing who he is, attempts to raise a stink but is promptly shot by Rosemary. She and Basil live morbidly ever after.
An amusing and stylish little oddity, actually quite funny, about an 18th-century Addams family. I wouldn't mind reading more by Tanzer.
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