Miss Fadden tactfully removed herself to supervise the preparations for dinner. She was always relieved to see them together again but she was a sentimental soul and the sight of their happiness always made her cry.

The strange disappearance of the pretty French Comtesse caused some speculation in London circles, but by the beginning of the Season, everyone had found more interesting things to talk about.

Lord Harold Webb felt quite himself again. It had been a truly terrible winter. He had started and trembled at every sound. He had shunned the company of Harry Russell, feeling sure that it was that gentleman’s black soul which had brought the ghost upon him.

Once more he was feted and petted by matchmaking mamas. Once more debutantes fluttered their fans and eyelashes at him.

He leaned against a pillar under the musicians’ gallery at Almack’s and drew a slow breath of relief. The world had once again righted itself, the sun shone during the day and the flambeaux and candles of the rich blazed to banish the night.

Neil Gow’s fiddlers were sawing away at a new waltz tune but for the moment he was content to watch the gaily shifting throng and know again that he was one of the handsomest and most sought-after men at the Assembly.

One of his former flirts, now Mrs. Annabelle Delacey, paused to speak to him as she walked around on her husband’s arm.

She was a vivacious redhead with a rather piercing voice.

“Why, ’tis Harold Webb!” she cried. “My dear man, you look a ghost of your former self. A very ghost! What on earth have you been up to?”

“There are no such things as ghosts!” screamed Webb suddenly, drowning out the noise of the fiddles above his head, drowning out the chatter of voices of the throng.

Mrs. Delacey drew back a pace in alarm.

But Webb went on shouting and shouting, “There are no such things as ghosts!” until they led him away.

“Really,” said Mrs. Delacey, much agitated, to her husband, “What was all that about? How strange to become so exercised. After all, we all know there aren’t any ghosts.”

Do we… ?