“I . . . I suppose so, although we won’t know until this evening.”

“If you can make room for her, you can telephone us,” Elizabeth said, ending the discussion. She doubted anyone involved would miss this. “What do you suppose Miss Miles wants to know from her uncle?”

“I really don’t know. More advice, I believe, is what she asked for.”

“On how to use her uncle’s money, I assume,” Elizabeth said. “I wonder if she has consulted my husband yet.”

“Don’t you know?” Persephone asked in surprise.

“My husband never discusses his clients with us. Attorneys must maintain confidentiality. Sort of like mediums, I imagine,” Elizabeth added.

“I suppose,” Persephone said faintly. “So I can tell Madame Ophelia that you’ll attend the séance this evening?”

“Yes. I don’t want to disappoint Miss Miles, although you understand I can make no promises. I do not control what happens, and I had nothing at all to contribute at the last séance, you will recall. It’s entirely possible that my so-called powers have vanished as suddenly as they first appeared.”

Persephone gave her what was probably intended to be a reassuring smile. “Madame Ophelia considers that highly unlikely. She has every confidence in you, Mrs. Bates.”

“That’s sweet of her,” Elizabeth said, not daring to glance at her mother-in-law.

Persephone was as good as her word. As soon as they had arranged the time of the evening’s séance, she took her leave. The moment the front door closed behind her, Elizabeth turned to her mother-in-law. “That was very sneaky of you, Mother Bates.”

Mother Bates made no attempt to pretend she didn’t understand. “I saw an opportunity to attend the séance and didn’t want to let it pass. You can’t blame me. You’re having all the fun and I’m sitting home writing letters no one will even read.”

Elizabeth conjured up some outrage. “If no one reads these letters, why are we writing them?”

“Oh, I suppose someone glances over them to see the subject and puts them in a pile. It’s not what the letter says that matters so much. What matters is how many of them there are. The legislators need to know how much people care and how important it is. And stop trying to change the subject. You know I’m dying to attend another séance.”

Elizabeth actually winced. “Please don’t say ‘dying’ and ‘séance’ in the same breath.”

Mother Bates laughed. “You know what I meant. I could understand if it were real or if you thought it was real, but you know it’s all fake.”

“Which is why I don’t understand why you are so anxious to attend another one!”

“But it’s so interesting, although I do feel sorry for the people who really believe.”