She might have added more detailed information but George had moved on to the small room which Ursula had called the office. It contained a kitchen stool and a huge roll-top desk. George opened the desk and looked at the mound of paper inside with a perverse satisfaction. Here, at last, there was something to get his teeth into. Molly was horrified by the thought of the task and said she would go to the kitchen to make tea. When she brought him a mug, and another glass of whisky, he had scarcely made any impact on the chaos.

‘There are receipts for the sale of lambs going back to 1969,’ he said, almost in admiration. He hardly looked up at her and left the tea undrunk on the windowsill, while he set in an orderly pile Sally’s school reports and some uncompleted football pools. Ursula, it seemed, threw nothing away.

It was more than an hour before Molly saw him again. She had suggested that they bring all the paper into the kitchen where they could sort through it together, but he said he preferred to do it alone. He could concentrate better. He put on his overcoat and stood at the desk and all she heard was the rustle of paper and an occasional whistle of astonishment.

‘Well,’ she said when he emerged finally and came into the kitchen stamping his feet. ‘Was it worth it?’

‘Oh yes,’ he said smugly. He was pale with the cold and stood with his back to the Aga, his hands against the oven door. ‘I think so.’

‘Well?’ she repeated.

‘Marcus Grenville’s been trying to get Ursula out of Back Rigg since Fred died,’ George said.

‘I know,’ Molly said. ‘It was common knowledge. He wanted the house as a sort of holiday home for the syndicate who shoot on the hill. There’s no suitable accommodation for them on the estate and he was afraid it might make them look elsewhere. He’d miss the income they generate. Apparently, he even suggested putting them up at the Cadver but Olivia wouldn’t have it.’

‘Did you know that recently Ursula had been to see a solicitor to fight her case?’

‘No,’ Molly said. ‘She hadn’t told me that.’

‘There’s a copy of a letter that the solicitor sent to Marcus last week. Listen: “My client feels that she is being put under pressure to return the tenancy of Back Rigg farmhouse to the estate. She instructs me to inform you that she considers your frequent visits and telephone calls as harassment and if you do not behave towards her in a more reasonable manner she will pursue the matter through the court.”’

‘How could she do that?’ Molly said. ‘She had no money.’