Ever since reading the Mayfair Witches Trilogy, I have argued with people over who is the 8th Mayfair Witch. Some say it is Katherine because she was Marguerite's daughter and was named by her mother as the Legacy designee, so some will argue that is all she was. Some will say it was Julien, her brother, because not only could he see Lasher, he was the only male who could communicate with the spirit, get him to do his bidding and because he ran family matters and the Plantation.
Who do I think is the 8th Witch? Katherine of course! Here are some extracts to back my claim: (anything in italic is my explanation to the extracts)
From the novel "Lasher" pg 398:
I stood in the warmth and I heard its voice for the first time in my head, its private confiding voice:
'I have broken my vow to Deborah.'
'Which was what?' I asked.
.... 'Betrayed by her husband and sons, she was, and before that, by her father. Aye, her father. And I took my vengenance upon him,' it said. 'I took my vengeance on him for what he and his ilk had done to her and to me!'
.... 'You understand what I say?' it asked. I vowed to Deborah that I would never smile upon a male child, nor favor a male over a female.'
From the novel "Lasher" pg 380:
Of course Marguerite rectified this mistake as soon as possible, giving birth in 1830 to Katherine, who was to become her heiress and designee of the legacy - my darling little sister. But a coldness by then existed between mother and daughter, and was never healed in Marie Claudette's lifetime.
Also I personally suspect that Marie Claudette took one look at Katherine and thought, 'What an idiot,' for that is just what Katherine turned out to be. But a female witch was needed, and Marie Claudette would lay eyes upon a granddaughter befire she died, so on to this little witless baby who was bawling in the cradle Marie Claudette passed the great emerald.
These two extracts show that Katherine is indeed the eighth witch as Lasher had promised that only a female would be favoured, not to say that he was not extremely fond of Julien and that the emerald was passed onto Katherine from her grandmother, not mother, Marie Claudette, the 6th witch. And as you would know, there was the Legacy, which was passed down through the generations to ONLY the Mayfair witches and Katherine was also passed this, once again making her the witch.
Now, as a baby, it is true, Katherine either did not see or chose not to acknowledge Lasher, but he did hover over her, always trying to gain her attention and he did see her as the witch and the pathway to the next witch, as he states and he asks Julien to take care of Katherine because she is weak, but through her, stronger shall come.
From the novel "Lasher" pg 384:
For what had happened you see was that Lasher had tired of her! He had gone on to serve Marguerite and to hover about Katherine, the new baby.
From the novel "Lasher" pg 406:
'I shall continue,' he said. 'Protect Katherine until she can bear a girl child. Carry on the line; Katherine is weak, strong ones will come, it must happen.'
Yes, as you see, Lasher saw Katherine as weak, but still the witch to carry on what he had started, the quest to become flesh. Now, I am not saying that Julien was not a witch, most of the Mayfair family had supernatural/witch powers, but the line from Suzanne, the first witch, were mostly the strongest and they were the pathway for Lasher. Julien was a very strong witch and he was a caretaker for Lasher and he provided with his incestuous affairs with many family members, Katherine being just one of them, a powerful line that would enable him to become flesh. Don't forget, that Michael Curry is Julien's great-great-grandson.
Now, as for the Mayfair emerald and Katherine never wearing it and Katherine never using Lasher as a witch, she most certainly did. She just did not do it as the witches before her as she is the weakest witch and she was very Catholic and seemingly born innocent. She thought Lasher was evil and at one point stated that she would not have any children as she was afraid that the evil seed would be carried on.
From the novel "Lasher" pg 422:
And she was horrified. She didn't want to have a child, for fear the evil seed would be carried on. 'I shall die a virgin,' she said, 'and that will be the end. There will be no more witches.'
So she knew she was a witch, a Mayfair witch at that.
From the novel "Lasher" pg 425:
I came inside, and on the floor of the parlor found my blessed sister and her man. I almost killed him. Indeed, I had him by the neck and was pounding him with my fist, when Katherine, to my horror, cried out:
'Come now, my Lasher. Be my avenger. Stop him from destroying the one I love.'
Shrieking and sobbing, she fell to the floor in a faint. But Lasher was there. I felt him surrounding me in the darkness, as if he were a great creature of the sea and I a helpless victim. Darkness wrapped itself around me in the shell of the double parlor below, and then I felt the thing stretch out and stroke the walls, and come together again.
'Hold back, Julien,' Lasher said. 'The witch loves this mortal man. Be careful. She has used ancient and sanctified words to call me.'
From the novel, "The Witching Hour" pg 487:
At last Katherine threatened to run away if her wishes were not granted; and Marguerite gave her official consent to a small church wedding. In a daguerreotype taken after the ceremony, Katherine is wearing the Mayfair emerald.
Katherine and Darcy moved into the house on First Street in 1858, and Monahan became the most fashionable architect and builder in uptown New Orleans. Many witnesses of the period mention Katherine's beauty and Darcy's charm, and what fun it was to attend the balls given by the two in their new home. The Mayfair emerald is mentioned any number of times.
And lastly, Katherine gave birth to Mary Beth, the ninth witch, how can someone who is not a witch, give birth to the next Mayfair witch?
Now I have shown that Katherine did have events, or I have shown at least one even that is Lasher related and I have shown that she was passed on the emerald necklace and wore it of her own will and she was seen as the witch, even though it was seen that she had deserted all by turning her back on everything, especially after Darcy died of yellow fever. But it was a case of she is and was the weakest witch, but she did what she was to do and that was to continue the line and produce a stronger witch, which is what she did in Mary Beth.