‘His name is Eustace Hamilton,’ the boy said, turning away from her. ‘The Duke of Chalkley.’

Rosa thought she should perhaps not be as surprised as she was. It was not unknown for the gentleman of the house to visit a servant’s room at night. Still, it came as a shock.

‘Whatever happens,’ the boy said, ‘don’t let her ride the carousel.’

‘Who?’

But he was already turning to leave.

‘Oh, please don’t go!’ Rosa cried. ‘Tell me who your mother is.’

It was no use. The boy was already at the door. He unlocked it, slipped out and closed it quietly behind him. Rosa finally risked putting the twins back in their cribs and then hurried after him, but by the time she opened the door, the corridor was empty. She sighed. The child probably knew the endless rooms and corridors of Raven Hall far better than she did. It was pointless trying to search for him. Instead she returned to the Winter Garden book and sat down in the rocking chair with it on her lap.

Her fingers fumbled over the pages, worried that the carousel might vanish again, but it sprang up as it had before. And this time she noticed something else about the page. There was a pull-down tab in the sky above the carousel. Rosa had seen this on other pages scattered throughout the book. One pulled the tab down to reveal a previously hidden detail, like a fairy, or an orchid, or a frog. She was almost certain that there had not been a tab on this page before.

Slowly she reached out to pull the tab. Since it was in the sky, she expected to reveal a picture of a star or perhaps one of the many birds or butterflies that filled the garden. Instead the tab revealed two words written in the sky: Dear Rosa.

She stared at them and, before her eyes, more words appeared written in stars in the night sky, until an entire message sparkled before her on the page:

Dear Rosa,

You are invited to enter an unusual competition.

I am looking for the most magical, spectacular, remarkable pleasure garden this world has to offer. A garden that brings wonder and amazement to people’s lives.

The winner will be picked at the end of next year, upon New Year’s Eve.

They will be required to give up the most wondrous part of their garden. In return, the prize will be one wish – from the last of the Winter Garden’s magic.

Yours sincerely,

The Spider Queen