Page 27 of Of Fate and Phantoms
"He did, however the incident has stayed with him because the man bore such a remarkable resemblance to you. Your son assumed it was a coincidence."
"It is."
I fanned my fingers in my lap, stretching the muscles in frustration. "Or could there be another explanation?"
The prince strode up to me. He would have been imposing in his youth, with his erect posture and the disdainful curl of his lip, but a mere mist didn't make me quake. "What are you implying?"
I glanced at Lincoln. He nodded at me to go on. "Could that man be your son by a mistress?" I asked.
The ghost shimmered and broke apart. The mist circled me, swirling and swirling until it became a blur of white. I got quite dizzy trying to follow it.
"Enough!" I shouted. "Be still and answer me."
The corner of Lincoln's mouth lifted as the ghost stilled.
"You command me." The prince's voice softened in wonder.
"I do," I said huffily. "My question is indelicate and I didn't want to ask it, but I had to. Your family may be in danger from this man. We must find him. If you can tell us anything about him, it would help our search."
"I can't tell you anything. I don't know of anyone resembling me closely enough to pass as me, nor have I ever had a mistress. There. Satisfied?"
"Thank you. That will be all. You may return to your afterlife."
The mist rose in the air. "I hope I will not be disturbed again."
"I hope that too. Very much so."
His brows shot up but then his face dissolved away and finally he disappeared altogether.
"He's gone," I said.
Lincoln rose and opened the door to let the others back in.
"We heard you shouting, Charlie," Seth said, frowning in concern. "Is everything all right?"
"He's a pompous, overbearing man." I drank the rest of my tea then refilled the cup from the pot and drank half of that.
"Need something stronger?" Cook asked.
"No, thank you. The prince insists that he's never had a mistress." I locked gazes with Lincoln. "It seems your theory is correct. So now what do we do?"
"We investigate the possibility of a person changing into the likeness of another human, as opposed to the likeness of a beast," he said. "And we see if we can trace the imposter."
Everyone began speaking at once, a dozen questions tossed out, until Lincoln lifted a finger for silence.
"Lady Gillingham may have some knowledge about shifting shape," he said.
I quickly explained to Alice that Lady Gillingham was like our two friends from school who could change form. She was not shocked or disgusted. Like me, very little perturbed her.
"Invite her to tea and see what you can learn about her," Lincoln said to me. "I will ask questions in Whitechapel where the palace footman lost the imposter. Seth and Gus will come with me."
"You think you'll get answers from East Enders?" I scoffed. "They don't like strangers asking questions."
He simply looked at me with those fathomless black eyes of his.
"Oh. Right. You've done this before."
He stood. "It's growing late. We'll go tomorrow."
