‘I’ve been wondering,’ Grenville said suddenly, ‘if Jeremy’s girlfriend can have had anything to do with it.’

‘Would she have reason to wish you harm?’ George asked mildly. ‘It would be in her interest, surely, to get on with her boyfriend’s parents.’

‘Oh, I don’t think she’s got anything against me personally,’ Grenville said. ‘I’ve only met the girl once. She was pleasant enough, I suppose, if you like the type. I prefer something a bit more feminine in a woman. No, I think she might have her own reasons for wanting bad publicity for the estate.’ He paused. ‘She’s one of those animal rights activists. They’re mad as hatters, of course, the lot of them. Jeremy met her when she came to the Cadver with a bunch of hunt saboteurs at New Year. In the old days you could have set the dogs on them, but he did the right thing and talked to them. They don’t understand the importance of field sports in the countryside. They’d be up on the moor, if we let them, coming between the shooters and the grouse.’

‘And you think that because she disapproves of the hunting and shooting on the estate she would make up stories to the press?’

‘I don’t know what to think,’ Grenville said. ‘ But she was here on Friday night when Ursula made that scene. I suppose that has some relevance. They’re sentimental, those animal rights people. Robin-strokers, I call them. The thought of two little pussy cats poisoned might have provoked her into action.’

‘Ursula didn’t call the police on Saturday morning to tell them about the poisoning,’ George said. ‘ She was already dead by then. Presumably the calls to the police and the newspapers were, made by the same person.’

‘There you are, then,’ Grenville said. ‘That just shows the extent to which they’ll go. I want you to talk to the girl, George. Frighten her. Get her to tell you what’s going on.’

‘It seems a surprising relationship,’ Molly said, almost to herself. ‘A young woman with views like that and the manager of a big estate. It seems doomed to failure.’

‘Perhaps she’s leading him on,’ Marcus said. ‘Perhaps she’s only going out with him so she can get close to us and cause us trouble.’

‘You mean she’s some sort of spy?’ Olivia was dismissive. ‘ I hardly think that’s likely.’