“You see,” Anna said with a smug grin. “You probably didn’t think I could shoot someone when you first met me, either.”

“Of course, I didn’t,” Elizabeth admitted. “You were like a little mouse, but you grew into a tiger.”

“Freddie is already a tiger. You don’t know her background. She was raised on a farm, so she’s used to hard work and slaughtering animals.”

“Oh dear, I don’t think we’ll need to slaughter anyone, or at least I hope not,” Elizabeth teased her.

Anna refused to be discouraged. “What are you going to do for your next prediction?”

“I don’t think I really need to do anything much. My last prediction killed a man, after all. How do I top that?”

“And you think Madame Ophelia is going to be terrified on the basis of a horse-race win, a found will, and the death of a man she never even set eyes on?”

Elizabeth frowned. “Anna, you are far too astute. You may also be entirely correct. I probably do need another prediction, just to seal it.”

“And it should be of hair-curling importance,” Mother Bates said, still engrossed in her needlework.

How did she do that? Elizabeth would either forget the needlework to think or think and end up stabbing herself with the needle.

“Hair curling, I like that,” Anna said. “I think Freddie would, too.”

“I wish you could help, Anna,” Elizabeth said wistfully. “I trust you, but Freddie is so innocent. . . .”

“She’s very pretty.”

Naturally, Anna thought so, but . . .

“Jake thinks so, too,” Anna said as if reading her mind.

“Did he say so?”

“Grudgingly, I think,” Anna admitted.

“He’s jealous.”

“Maybe a little.”

“She seems very nice. Very sweet,” Elizabeth added, reminding her.

“She has brothers. Older brothers. She can stand up for herself. You should hear the way she argues with our professors.”

“Arguing with professors can’t require that much courage.”

“You’d be amazed,” Anna said. “And as you suggested, Freddie came up with an idea.”

Elizabeth listened to the idea with great interest. Then she considered the matter for a long moment. “I think I need to talk to Jake.”

—

When Gideon arrived home, he could hardly wait for Elizabeth to finish her enthusiastic greeting before telling her he had a lot of news. He let her pour him a small glass of whiskey and then forgot to drink it as he told her and his mother about his visits with Cybil and the two con men, Coleman and Waterson.

“And Waterson is the same man who called on Cybil about that unfortunate girl?” his mother asked to clarify.

“I can’t be certain, but she said her Mr. Waterson had rather distinctive side-whiskers, and the one who visited me did, too.”

“But how can he be working on both of these projects at the same time?” his mother marveled.