“Of other con men. No one is less violent than a con man, darling. You know that. And Anna will be with me.”

“Oh yes, Anna will make a perfectly adequate bodyguard.” He drained his whiskey glass and got up for a refill.

“Which is fine because I won’t need a bodyguard at all. You’ll see.”

When he had generously refilled his glass, he returned to sit beside Elizabeth on the love seat. “So how do you plan to convince this woman you’re a real medium?”

“It seems simple enough. I’m just going to predict things that will then actually happen.”

“But won’t this Madame woman just think you’re faking it the way she is?”

“At first she will, I’m sure. In fact, I’m counting on it. I’m not even going to try to convince her I’m legitimate.”

“Why not, dear?” his mother asked with a frown. “Isn’t that the whole point?”

“Yes, but if I’m trying to convince her, she’ll be suspicious. A real medium who is just discovering her powers would be skeptical herself, I imagine.”

Gideon supposed he could see some sort of twisted logic in that. “And then what?”

She gave him what could only have been called a pitying smile. “And then we figure out what to do next.”

—

Elizabeth was not at all surprised when Mrs. Vanderslice came to see Mrs. Bates the next afternoon. Mrs. Vanderslice had been visiting Madame Ophelia on Monday, Wednesday and Friday each week, so this morning would have been her next visit after the séance Elizabeth and Mrs. Bates had attended.

Although Mrs. Vanderslice was approximately the same age as Mother Bates, she now looked far older. David’s sudden death had drawn thick streaks of gray in her fair hair and deepened the frown lines in her face. Elizabeth knew a moment of guilt for planning to ruin the one thing that had finally inspired her to leave her bed. If only that thing didn’t threaten to ruin her in every other way.

After they had served her tea and discussed the weather and some gossip about mutual friends, Mrs. Vanderslice felt comfortable mentioning the real reason for her visit.

“Madame Ophelia was asking about you this morning,” she told Elizabeth.

“Was she?” Elizabeth asked in feigned surprise. “I hope she wasn’t offended that we didn’t return, but I didn’t want to try Gideon’s patience by asking for another visit. He finds the whole idea rather silly.”

“He wouldn’t if he would attend one,” Mrs. Vanderslice said. “I’m sure David would have a special message for him, too.”

“Did he have a special message for you this morning?” Elizabeth asked with the utmost sincerity.

“He always does. He . . . Well, actually, he asked me to invite you back.”

“He did?” Both Elizabeth and Mrs. Bates asked in unison.