“Why was it so important to you to find the will, Mrs. . . . ?” Gideon asked, purposely using the wrong title.

“It’s Miss. Miss Miles,” Cybil said. “And you must be Mr. Bates.”

“Yes, and I’m also an attorney, so I’m naturally interested.” He sounded as if he really didn’t know Cybil, which made Elizabeth absurdly proud.

“It’s rather a silly story because my uncle was so eccentric,” Cybil explained somewhat apologetically. “Uncle was quite wealthy. His wife died many years ago, and his only son is somewhat of a . . . Well, I suppose you could call him a black sheep and a bit of a wastrel. Uncle had told my cousin he was cutting him off without a cent and leaving all of his fortune to me.”

“Why would he leave his fortune to a woman?” the only other male in the room asked. Elizabeth remembered him as Cindy’s unbelieving father.

That earned him a black look from Cybil and Elizabeth, but his wife said, “She told you he was eccentric.”

“There’s a difference between eccentric and foolish,” the man said.

Even Gideon glared at him this time, but he seemed oblivious.

“I also said my cousin is a wastrel,” Cybil said patiently. “He would have squandered his father’s fortune, but my uncle wanted it used for a worthy cause. He trusted me to carry out his wishes.”

“What worthy cause did your uncle want you to support?” Persephone asked. Elizabeth hadn’t even noticed her enter the room.

Cybil turned to her, her cheeks still flush with excitement. “He left that to my good judgment. I told you. He trusted me.”

“I assume you have registered the will for probate,” Gideon said.

“Oh yes. I consulted an attorney when my uncle died, and he told me exactly what to do.”

“What would have happened if you hadn’t found the will?” the young woman named Tilly asked.

“Then the uncle would be considered to have died without a legal will and the rules of intestacy would have applied,” Gideon said.

“What does that mean?” Tilly asked with a confused frown.

“It means my irresponsible cousin would have inherited everything, as my uncle’s only child, so you see how important it was to find the will.” Cybil turned back to Elizabeth. “That is why I cannot thank you enough for helping me.”

“I really didn’t do anything,” she said.

“You are far too modest, Mrs. Bates,” Persephone said. “You have now made two accurate predictions.”

“Two?” the other gentleman said. “What was the first?”

Elizabeth waved his question away. “Nothing important.” But Elizabeth noticed Persephone hadn’t counted her recognition that the two women at the trial séance were fakes.

Gideon grinned. “The other one was something about who would win a horse race.”

“Now, that would be a good talent to have,” the man said. “Does she do that often?”

“Never before,” Gideon said.

“Or since,” Elizabeth added. “So embarrassing.”