Lunch brought Robert and Bridget Argylle for a visit. Mary and I went up to change and tidy ourselves, returning to the anticipation of warm company.

‘You are very fortunate in having the wonderful Mrs Lenister,’ Robert Argylle said, helping himself to fish.

‘Mrs Lenister is an asset.’ Miss Gillies looked pleased. She wore her best jewels and the flowered dress I had seen when the doctor visited. Fires kept out most of the cold and the dull shine of beeswax on the furniture gave it a new life; it was as if Iskar itself had been released from some curse.

‘It is good to see you looking so well,’ Bridget said to her friend. ‘Things are finally settling down after these terrible earlier months.’

She turned to me and whispered, ‘And you too. I have thought on your recent visits that you had seemed troubled. Today, that is not so and Mary looks well too. Credit must be due your way.’

‘And how do you find us now?’ Argylle asked me. ‘Now that you have been here a while?’

‘The island is very beautiful.’

‘Wait until the spring and summer and you shall see it in all its glory then.’ But he looked away quickly and I knew that they all expected me to be gone by then.

‘How do you communicate with Mary?’ Bridget leaned in close to ask me this.

‘We write notes,’ I said, ‘don’t we, Mary?’

‘Such an obvious thing,’ Bridget said, ‘although I do not know that I would have thought of it.’ She gave Mary a warm smile. ‘And what do you tell in these notes of yours?’

I thought of the secret conversations that we had had and was grateful that Mary could not say.

‘We talk of everyday things, although words are not needed as much as you might think. We have an understanding.’ I gestured at Mary.

They all watched her curiously and this time she nodded and smiled. A look of astonishment came over Miss Gillies’ face. My heart soared. Against the conquering of the undead, the conquering of Miss Gillies’ prejudice was nothing. If I could fight ghosts, I could fight to keep Mary at Iskar.

Too soon, it was time for the guests to go and Bridget pressed her palm to mine and leaned in. ‘Promise that you will visit me very soon. I have missed you.’ And then in a whisper, ‘Well done with Mary; I have not seen her grin like that in a long while. I had not thought it possible.’

The atmosphere left its goodwill upon the air and Miss Gillies was lively and chatty, engaging even Mary in her smiles.