I was sore from lack of sleep and the day ahead settled on me like a sigh. I felt again the smoothness of the stone and the depth of dismay fell deeper still. Who had placed it in my room? Although my thoughts flew immediately to Greer and her dislike, I had no proof. And if it was her – was that because she wished to unbalance me, or was there a motive more sinister? If it was the latter, I must not let the idea unsettle me. Even if the pebbles were instruments of witchcraft, it did not follow that they had agency. I, like Miss Gillies, did not accept such things could hold real power – but did Greer believe it?

And William’s falling from grace … had Greer played a part in that too? I noticed again that she had made a strange arrangement of my shoes and in a fit of rebellion I laid them flat on the floor with a slap.

From the dresser, I took the photograph that Miss Gillies had sent me all those months ago and studied it again. The picture was now changed by what I knew; it seemed to me that Hettie’s hand, which rested on William’s shoulder, had a proprietary grasp and his eyes, which had at first looked so innocent, now appeared to contain every wickedness. Hettie’s expression was dark and unreadable but seemed to see beyond what we could see. I studied William and tried to imagine him undertaking the crimes of which he was accused. It was then that I noticed the flaw that threw the dark shadow across his face now bled into Mary’s image. Had that been there before? I could not remember.

As I entered the corridor, my eyes were drawn to the door to William’s wing. Would I find evidence there of his nature? I tried the handle but it was locked. I thought that I would feel disappointment but what I experienced was relief.

As I washed, I heard again that scrape and slur of sound above me, as if something was being pulled or pushed across the floor. My pulse quickened, and then came a rattling, as whatever it was crossed the rug and met the floorboards. I knew in that instant what it reminded me of: Clara with a toy carriage, kneeling in the hall and driving it along on the imaginary journey that played out in her head.

I took the garret stairs at a run. Hettie’s door was already open.