Kate meets her living doll and names her. The two play dress-up and begin to bond as master and servant, but there is much that they both must learn about each other and the mysterious Shadows House.

The debut continues in the garden labyrinth as the dolls set out to find their shadow masters. They end up helping each other, and an unexpected duo forms. Edward tries to get his plan back on track. Kate has an unexpected encounter with an admirer.

Kate searches for Emilico in Lord Grandfather's wing. John springs into action, and Kate gets some help from the other children and a strange new friend. As Edward's plan nears fruition, will the children of Shadows House be able to stop him?

Kate and Emilico have resolved to become Star Bearers in order to close in on the secrets of the house, and begin to make moves in order to gather information. But just as they are about to get started in earnest, the living dolls all gather in the great hall for a rejoicing party where they are attacked by a huge mass of scorches, leading to a second incident of phantom mayhem.

The Star Bearers have determined that the soot pipes are the origin of the phantoms. For now, in order to quell the disorder in the children's wing, Barbara punishes the Belle twins, who broke the coffee carafes, by assigning them to cleaning the soot pipes. However, having been unable to ascertain the true culprit behind the incidents, the Star Bearers turn their suspicions on Kate.

Kate and the others have deduced the identity of Master Robe, the culprit behind the phantom mayhem, who then tells them of the cruel secret of Shadows House.

The phantom mayhem has ended in the worst possible way, and as the house tries to settle back into its usual routine, Kate and Emilico's suspicions and fears give rise to an unshakeable determination.