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did notinclude Theo Williams. It took all of her courage to close the door behind her, whereupon, she sat at the dressing table and burst into tears.
    Finally, exhausted and spent, she began to remove the jewels from her hair and was startled by a knock at her door. It proved to be the maid who had readied her for the ball and had come to help Anne out of her beautiful ball gown on which she had pinned so many hopes. She then helped Anne to don a night rail, blew out the bedside candle and silently departed. Too worn out even to cry herself to sleep, Anne closed her eyes and prayed for she knew not what.
    She thought perhaps she had dozed a bit before a gentle knock roused her. She could scarcely imagine what the maid might have forgotten and hurried to open the door without lighting a candle or donning a wrap. “What is it?” she asked as she pulled the door wide.
    There stood Mr. Williams
sans
shoes or jacket, a candle in his hand and a finger to his lips.
    “Mr. Williams!” she hissed in disapproval whilst her heart leapt with unbridled joy. In the glow of the candle, his shadow climbed even taller than he and his eyes looked black yet the most tender she had ever seen them.
    “Her Grace has given me my conge.”
    Anne felt the tears start in her eyes but refused to give them free reign. “I am so very sorry, Theo. It is good of you to tell me. I shall arise extra early for breakfast. I do so enjoy our breakfasts together,” she said, her voice faltering.
    “I should be most distressed if you rose early on my account; dawn is but a few hours away.”
    “Oh,” she said, the sudden pain in her chest threatening to rob her of breath. “Then, I shall not see you again?”
    “It would seem not. Would you…Would you come with me?” he asked as he held out his hand to her.
    “Go with you? But where?” She knew she should immediately slam the door between herself and temptation but found she simply could not.
    “Only to the portrait gallery. We must identify our ghost at the very least.”
    “Yes, oh yes, of course!” She felt greatly relieved that his intentions were thoroughly innocent and indulged herself in a moment of speculation; how his eyes should have twinkled if he had guessed the thoughts that crossed her mind! “I shall just be a moment.” She flew to find something with which to cover her night rail and came away with the peacock blue shawl which she wrapped firmly about herself. Going again to the door, she took the hand he held out still and quietly shut the door behind her.
    She had moved down the passageways of Dunsmere in near darkness on more than one occasion and had never felt even a flicker of fear. However, in spite of the warmth of Theo’s hand clasping her own, she could not help but feel as if peril lingered in the depths of each and every shadow. “I cannot rightly recall; are apparitions tied to one place or might they appear anywhere?” she asked in a voice that, much to her chagrin, quavered. “I do believe I shall scream if a ghost appears right before our very eyes.” She shivered and leaned in closer to Theo who responded by putting his arm around her shoulders.
    “I am far from an authority on the subject, but I am persuaded I have heard tell of ghosts who have appeared according to their will. However, you mustn’t scream; someone shall hear you.”
    “Yes, of course, you are most correct.” She put a hand to her mouth to suppress any whimpering of a spontaneous nature and forced herself to go on until they reached the staircase. “The gallery is down this flight and on the far side of the ballroom. Do be careful of this step, just here,” she advised, “as it will squeak if you do not tread upon it lightly.”
    “I fear I am much too much man to tread on any step lightly,” he bantered as the step did, indeed, creak under the weight of the tallest man Anne had ever before met. She had always fancied she would feel overshadowed in the presence of such a giant and