‘What do the spirits say to you?’ asked Daisy. ‘I mean, is it like ghosts?’

‘No, no.’ Angela gave a patronizing titter. ‘I shall quote the great Mr Steiner. “Common sense which is not led astray can decide of itself whether the element of truth rules in what anyone says. If someone speaks of spiritual worlds, you must take account of everything: the manner of speaking, the seriousness with which things are treated, the logic which is developed, and so on, and then it will be possible to judge whether what is presented as information about the spiritual world is charlatanism, or whether it has foundation.”’

‘I don’t understand,’ said Daisy.

‘Oh, I do,’ Rose put in quickly. ‘This is fascinating. Is your son a vegetarian as well?’

‘Alas, no. But he will come round. We females mature very quickly and can grasp metaphysical concepts much better than gentlemen can. May I hope you will join our society?’

‘I should like that very much.’

‘The subscription fee is two guineas.’

‘I will get my father’s secretary to send you the money,’ said Rose.

‘You want Jarvis to do what?’ roared the earl at dinner that night.

‘It’s a very interesting concept, Pa. I think we would all be better off eating vegetables.’

‘If you are interested in her son, I would drop that interest now,’ said Lady Polly. ‘Mrs Barrington-Bruce telephoned me to ask how you were and I told her you were visiting Mrs Stockton. “Keep her away from that place” is what she said. “The son is not to be trusted.”’

‘But I promised!’

‘Then un-promise.’

The earl glared at his daughter. He felt he was almost beginning to dislike her. She was so beautiful and yet all she did was run around behaving in a weird way and putting her reputation at risk. He signalled to the butler. ‘Nothing but vegetables for Lady Rose and Miss Levine from now on.’

‘Very good, my lord.’

CHAPTER SIX

Mad, bad, and dangerous to know

Lady Caroline Lamb

Three weeks went past without Harry finding a single clue. Rose went to parties and the theatre, wondering all the time what Harry was doing and why he had not tried to contact her.

Lady Polly had not hired a lady’s maid for her, saying that Humphrey would help out. Everywhere that Rose and Daisy went, Humphrey went too, watching, always watching.

It was useless to complain. Lady Polly was delighted that her daughter was at last behaving like a débutante, and as Humphrey was quick to claim the credit for this, she praised her lady’s maid and urged her on to further effort.

She did not know that Humphrey had a sinister reason for watching her daughter closely.