‘Like Noah sending the birds out of the Ark,’ said Bourne. ‘At least it’ll be some time before we draw lots to see which of us is eaten first.’

Meredith glanced impatiently at him before turning to the Wilsons.

‘I am very much afraid that you seem to be stuck with us. It goes without saying that we will try to make your stay as comfortable as possible but’ – he raised both hands, indicating their surroundings – ‘it cannot be other than pretty grim for you. I’m sorry.’

Bourne said insistently: ‘I really do feel you should put them in the picture, Meredith. Don’t you think it’s unwise not to – if what you believe is true?’

To his surprise, Paul saw palpable worry and indecision – and something else? – cloud Meredith’s fleshy features. He removed his glasses, rubbed one eye as if to gain time, drew in a deep breath and sighed. He replaced his spectacles.

‘All right. I suppose if our friends are going to be staying with us, we should try to satisfy the undoubted curiosity they must have felt at meeting such a motley crew in this house.’

Bourne rose.

‘Good. Then Jeremy and I will leave you to get on with it. We’ve heard it all before.’

As they left, Pollard said: ‘Do you mind if I stay? I only got the vaguest outline when we were told you’d be here this week.’

‘By all means.’ Meredith looked at them, hesitated.

Carol thought: Either he doesn’t know how to begin or he is not at all sure if we’ll believe him. What on earth is he going to tell us?

‘Perhaps the best way I can begin is to tell you a little of the history of Ardvreck House.

‘It was built in eighteen-fifty-nine by a Glasgow tobacco merchant as a summer residence for himself and his family. He was a keen sailor and loved to spend part of the summer exploring the Western Isles – Mull, Skye, Harris, Lewis and so on. Although Townsend’s main house was in Glasgow, he often lived at Ardvreck House, entertaining lavishly.

‘He seems to have been a bit of an eccentric, being very fond of dogs. He declared that when he died he would return in the body of his favourite dog, a golden retriever. His heir saw to it that there would be no chance of that, for he personally shot all the dogs living at Ardvreck. Nevertheless he was not long here before he took a strong dislike to the place and rented it to a certain Arthur Bertram Howard.