"We believe you," said Roberta firmly. "I think, too, that you know whose spirit this might be."
"David's first wife," whispered Lady Snetton.
CRASH!
We all spun round, shocked by the sudden noise. A painting which had been hanging above the fireplace had just plunged to the ground, splintering the frame and splitting the canvas. I could still see the remains of the picture, which was a portrait of the lady sitting before us. Even now, flames from the fire were licking at the ruined portrait, and I leapt from my seat to beat them out.
"Oh, do you see?" cried lady Snetton. "If you can't banish this hateful spirit, I swear I'll be forced from my own house!"
I inspected the back of the ruined painting, where the hanging-cord had parted to leave two frayed ends. The sudden fall could have been a coincidence, especially as the frame was an older one which had been reused, but the timing had been impeccable. I shifted my investigation to the wall, and was just inspecting the area around the brass hook set deep into the plaster when Roberta called out to me.
"Mr Jones, would you see if you can find a small glass vial in our things?"
I hastened to obey, and I confess my hands were unsteady as I searched in the haversacks. I was still shaken by the falling painting, which had given me much to think about. It seemed that spirits could appear in different guises, and it shocked me that they could also interact with physical objects. If this were the case, then what could possibly prevent a ghost from placing its hand over a sleeping person's mouth, choking them to death? After all, whether flesh or wood or metal, matter was matter, and the force required to snap a strong piece of hanging-cord could be applied just as effectively to someone's throat. A shiver ran up my spine at the thought, for there is nothing I find more terrifying than the idea of being attacked in my sleep, when I am completely unable to defend myself. With an ordinary intruder, locked doors and windows served as a warning, for they had to be broken down to gain access. But what of a spirit that could slip beneath the door, or slither down the chimney despite a fire burning in the hearth?
I checked those haversacks three times over, but in spite of my troubled thoughts I was certain there was no glass vial. "I'm sorry, Miss Twickham. I can't find the item you need."
"No matter. It's not important." While I'd been searching the bags, Roberta had been comforting Lady Snetton, reassuring her that we would do our very best to free the house of the malevolent presence. Now, she offered a suggestion. "Your ladyship, why don't you take afternoon tea with a friend, so we might work in peace?"
"But I thought I might watch as you—"
"I advise against it," said Roberta briskly, laying a hand on her ladyship's sleeve. "In my experience, phantoms are most unwilling to depart, and many put up a very good fight indeed. I would not want you to witness the spectacle, for it can be most distressing."
"Are you sure? If I do not witness this… capture… with my own eyes, how will I know you've succeeded?"
"I assure you, once the phantom has departed you will feel a difference in this house."
"Oh, my dear. You are a great comfort," said Lady Snetton, squeezing Roberta's hand. "Succeed in banishing this spirit, and you can name your own price."
"For a difficult case such as this, twenty pounds is our usual rate," said Roberta smoothly.
Lady Snetton blinked, and I wasn't surprised. Twenty pounds was an immense sum, and easily four times the largest invoice I'd processed that morning. Why, I would scarcely earn that much in the next six months!
"Of course, I would never charge a friend of Lady Fotherington-Eames such a large amount," continued Roberta. "Therefore, as long as today's extraction proceeds as planned, I would expect to invoice you no more than ten pounds."
"Done, and I'll be glad to pay it," said Lady Snetton, looking relieved.
I admired Roberta's tactics, for despite the substantial discount, she'd still managed to obtain promise of twice the usual rate. This gave me pause, because I now wondered whether she expected the banishing to be twice as difficult also. That was not something I wished to contemplate, not with the professor lying abed half a city away, and only my inexperienced help to catch this wayward spirit.
Lady Snetton rang for a maid, and together they departed for the upper reaches of the house. "We'll wait until she's gone out," Roberta murmured to me. "I don't like them witnessing our methods."
"Are you afraid she won't see ten pounds of value?"
"She can afford it," said Roberta, unmoved. "But I'd rather she didn't reveal all to her friends. A little mystery goes a long way."
And it doesn't harm your income any, I wanted to say. Instead, I raised a point that had been troubling me. "You told me Lady Snetton was sceptical of your services, and yet she employed you without protest."
"No doubt she expressed reservations to her friends, but in reality she knew I was her only hope." Roberta smiled. "That's why father leaves this side of the business to me. He can be prickly, as I'm sure you've noticed."
I said nothing to this, and instead looked around the room. "Is the spirit of his Lordship's first wife truly present in this room with us?"
"We'll find out soon enough, Mr Jones. Now, will you help me with the equipment? There is lots to do,
