“Oh, I’m so sorry, my dears,” Winn said. “I know you were hoping for a nest.”

“Oh, Winn, one could be just as interesting as a nest,” John said. “You always think in terms of quantity.”

“I find you do as well, John,” Winn said tartly, narrowing her eyes. “At least when it comes to the number of rolls on your plate.”

“But it really is incredibly interesting,” Alva said, discovering a need to defend their ghost. “It’s been … putting hauntings in people’s heads. Oh! And it possessed Sam once, and he talked to it!”

That set them buzzing with questions, and at least a minute passed before any one voice could be picked out of the noise.

“But how exciting,” Winn was saying, with a charming disregard for the sanctity of her firstborn’s brain. “And how clever of you, darling, to think of using a mathematical pattern to engage it.”

“What did it feel like?” Maggie asked.

“Why didn’t you tell me about this when I was up there?” Benedict demanded. “I should have given you both exams!”

John had been listening intently throughout and carefully finished chewing a piece of chicken before he spoke. “What I want to know is, how did you figure out it was only the one entity?”

“Alva solved it,” Sam said, beaming across the table at her. For all the world like I’m his prize cow, she thought, but instead of rancor, pride filled her. “She was the first to see the hauntings were connected to the people being haunted.”

“Was she,” John said. “Clever, my girl, very clever of you.”

Heat came into her face, and Alva covered her disarray by taking a sip of wine. The pride was growing, swelling within her until she was warm and happy all over. It was a dangerous suite of emotions, she knew, but maybe she could enjoy the glow for a night.…

“I should say it was,” Winn said, looking impressed, and Benedict winked at her. “So tell us what you’ve found out on this trip.…”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

The next morning Alva woke to a message from Sam requesting that she meet him in the lobby of their hotel. She hurried to get ready, still wrapped in the golden glow of the night before. She remembered she’d brought some fashion catalogues back from Paris with her and wondered if Maggie would enjoy them.

Not that she’d be seeing Maggie, Alva reminded herself. But she could always mail the catalogues, and Maggie would probably enjoy looking at all the beautiful illustrations.… Maybe they could even keep up a correspondence, in a small way.…