“Then we have to make sure they don’t,” I said. “Once the dead man has been correctly identified they will have new motives and new suspects.”

“Yes.” He nodded emphatically, clearly trying to convince himself.

I reached across and stroked his cheek. He grabbed my hand and kissed it, then looked at me, my fingers still on his lips. “Oh, Georgie,” he said, “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Me too.” Then I yelled, “Watch it!” as he leaned across to kiss me and we headed for a ditch beside the road.

We drove into the hustle and bustle of Dublin and found Zou Zou sitting in the foyer, getting admiring looks from all who passed. Today, along with the dark mink, she was wearing an emerald green hat perched to one side with a feather curling down her cheek. She stood up as we approached. “There you both are. Would you like a drink or a late breakfast or should we get going?”

“We’ve eaten, thank you,” Darcy said. He picked up the suitcase that lay at her feet. “Is this your luggage? You’ve checked out of the Shelbourne, then?” He looked around at the elegant foyer. “You’re sure you want to exchange this for lodging with my aunt Oona? It’s not too late to change your mind and it’s no problem to pick you up here, you know.”

“Darling, I’m positively dying to stay with your aunt Oona. There are so few true eccentrics in the world any longer. It will be an adventure.”

“I hope you’ll feel the same way in a few days,” Darcy said. “Actually I was thinking that you might want to fly your little aeroplane home while you can. There is supposed to be a spate of bad weather coming in. You might find yourself stuck here for a while.”

“I really am getting the distinct impression that you don’t want me anymore,” she said, making me read an incredible amount of double meaning into those words.

Darcy looked embarrassed. “Zou Zou, I’m delighted to have you around. It’s just that . . . well, I know you have an incredibly busy social life and Christmas is rapidly approaching and you’d be missing all kinds of parties.”

She laughed. “I don’t think it’s that at all. You’d rather not have me around playing gooseberry when you want to be alone with your lady love.”

“This is hardly a time for being alone with my lady love,” Darcy replied. “We’re all here for one purpose and that is to prove my father’s innocence.”