“Adrian, you’re terrible,” Julian said. “But it might be fun. There’s certainly no point in trying to talk to Ceddy tonight. Come on, Simon. Stop sulking. He’d never have adopted you anyway.”

“I’ve just remembered what a gorgeous Polish officer and I once got up to during a séance in Vienna,” Virginia said dreamily. “So naughty. Such fun.”

“Then come along, everyone. It’s all set up in Lady Hortense’s sitting room.” Princess Charlotte tried to herd everyone out of the dining room.

“Who is Lady Hortense?” I asked as we filed out of the dining room.

“The wife of an eighteenth-century duke,” Charlotte replied. “A very powerful medium, apparently. Had ectoplasm floating around all over the place, and violins playing themselves in midair. I have felt her presence most strongly in that room, and I’m sure she’ll help with this dreadful Marcel business.”

“I am certainly not attending your ridiculous séance,” Edwina said. “Come, Irene.”

“But, Mama, what if the spirits do have a suggestion for making Cedric see sense?” Irene hesitated, unsure whether to disobey her mother then followed her aunts in the other direction, with the Starlings in hot pursuit.

Jack glanced at me. “Are you going along with this mumbo-jumbo?” he asked.

“I’ve never been to a séance before,” I said. “I played around with a Ouija board at school and it was rather frightening, so I have to confess to being a teeny bit curious. What about you?”

“No, thanks. I don’t go for stuff I can’t explain.”

“Don’t you want the chance to connect with your father, perhaps?”

“You really believe that could happen?”

“But if it could—wouldn’t you want to hear his voice once?”

He stared hard at me. Then he said, “All right. What have I got to lose? And if I can’t go to the pub, there’s nothing else to do here.”

We fell into step, side by side, and hurried after the disappearing forms of the older women. Lady Hortense’s sitting room was a small, square and rather cluttered space, made smaller by the circle of chairs around a table, and by the heavy, brocade drapes, closed at both windows. On the table was a solitary candle in a tall candlestick, a pencil and pad and a Ouija board.

“Everyone, take a seat around the table,” Charlotte said. I pulled up a chair between Irene and Jack.

Charlotte lit the candle and had one of the Starlings turn off the electric light. How different faces looked in the flickering flame. Those heavy drapes now seemed to hang ominously close. I began to wish I hadn’t come.

“All hold hands on the table,” Charlotte commanded.

Irene’s hand was icy cold. Jack’s was reassuring.

“Isn’t this exciting?” I heard one of the Starlings whisper. “Feel my hand. It’s all aquiver.”