Douglas bobbled his head from side to side, looking very much like a simple bird.

“I don’t see why he should,” Jenny called from behind me, playfully. “He is a duck, after all. Besides, I watched him dress on more than one occasion when he wasn’t,” she added with a nostalgic smile. “Not a bad figure. I suppose it’s really only fair.”

I felt my cheeks growing hot. “Rather bold,” I said.

She laughed. “Free spirit, Abigail. Losing one’s body has that effect.”

“You didn’t seem so blithe about privacy when I stepped into your room by accident.”

Her mischievous grin vanished into a dour pout. “That’s different,” she said, but relented with a shrug. “But if you insist. Come on, Douglas, let’s give the girl some space.” She tossed her arms up and dove backward, like a swimmer into a pool, pouring smoothly into the mossy floor behind her. The greenery trembled slightly, as if kissed by a gentle breeze, and in the blink of an eye the only sign that the spectral lady had ever been present was the pair of white gloves, pressed softly into the moss. Douglas waddled to the edge of the cabinet and dropped into a shallow glide. From the other side of the ivy curtain I heard his webbed feet splash down in the pond. Out of courtesy, I retrieved Jenny’s gloves and laid them folded on the log for her return.

The clothes fit brilliantly, and smelled faintly of pine and perfume. Jenny had even thought to provide a pair of thick, wool stockings, which cushioned my sore feet marvelously. I thanked Douglas for his discretion on the way out, keeping carefully to the hardwood path to avoid wetting my new, warm, woolen footwear. I padded down the staircase, and was nearly to the ground level when I heard the rapid knocking from the front room. Jackaby stuck his head out of the laboratory as I entered the hallway.

“Oh, Miss Rook, good. Go and see who it is, would you? Nearly finished with the eggs.” He made no indication that he had even noticed my change in attire.

“I thought they were nearly finished before I went upstairs,” I said as I passed.

“Different eggs,” he said, sliding back into the room. “The last ones were somewhat . . . uncooperative.”

I slid into the lobby and opened the bright red door to find an agitated Junior Detective Cane on the doorstep.

“Officer Cane!” I stepped aside and gestured for the young man to enter. “Please, come in! My goodness, you look dreadful! Have you slept at all?”