I hesitated, considering my limited driving experience and whether I could handle a big powerful motorcar like this. Having never owned a motorcar, my driving had been limited to the estate wagon on the grounds of Castle Rannoch or into the nearest villages, where the only traffic on the road would be an occasional Highland cow or sheep. I’d taken out our ancient Rolls a few times but usually it was the chauffeur who drove while I sat in the backseat. But I pushed these thoughts hurriedly from my mind, trying to come to terms with everything. One thought, more than others, shouted in my head and I blurted out, “Why would you go to him? You told me what he thinks of you. Would he even want to see you?”

Darcy gave a hopeless little chuckle. “Probably not. In fact almost definitely not. He’ll probably tell me to go to hell, but someone has to be there for him. He’s his own worst enemy, Georgie. He’ll lose his temper and say stupid things he doesn’t mean and alienate the jury. Someone has to stick up for him and there’s nobody else.”

“What about your sisters?”

“He doesn’t like them any better than he does me. And besides, one is in India and they are both busy with their own families. They’ve little children and husbands. They just can’t drop everything and rush over to Ireland. And they don’t know anything about courts and legal procedure and how to investigate a crime.”

I didn’t want to ask whether he thought his father was innocent. A man with a violent temper who hated his own son and who had had everything he loved taken from him might well have been tempted to commit murder.

“I’ve no idea how one gets from York to Holyhead and the ferry.” He was already walking ahead of me back to the motorcar, talking more to himself than me. “Change in Manchester?” He turned back to me. “You’ll be all right driving back to London? I don’t think there should be snow on the roads south of here. I’ll write down the address for you. It’s Eaton Square. You know it, of course. It’s just around the corner from your place. Explain what happened. . . .”

The words were just coming out of his mouth, as if he couldn’t control them. I caught up with him and put a hand on his arm. “Darcy, calm down. I’ll come with you.”

He shook his head violently. “No. Absolutely not. I don’t want you there.”