Tristan looked back over his shoulder, then back at Pippa. It had come to this. The poor child.

"There's nobody there, Pippa. It's only in your mind. There there now," he added as she began to breathe heavily. He wanted to rush downstairs again, to get something to calm her down, but he was afraid to leave her in this state. Nor did he dare to try and bring her down the steep stairs while her mind was deranged.

When her body eased into crying, he reached out for the towel, dipped it into the warm water and dabbed her face with it. "There now. Easy now. You're perfectly safe here." He got up, walked over to the window and opened it, both to get rid of the worst of the smell, and to let the fresh air hit her face. Then he returned to her side. "Can you still see that figure?"