Two bottles of wine, a red and a white, were placed on every table, and the waitstaff started buzzing around the room. I had heard the castle staff were given an entire wing to stay in and I wondered how they felt about it. The kitchen staff clearly brought their A game, as dinner was delicious. It started with a crab and langoustine fresh herb salad, followed by lamb, spring vegetables and roasted potatoes. After the day of horseback riding, murder accusations and fresh air in the garden, I was ravenous.

Again, we shared our table with the May cousins, who didn’t greet us and spoke only among themselves. Even my most extroverted self could not charm them into conversation. I went so far as to comment on the weather, as every Brit can dish about the weather for at least a minute. Not these folks.

The atmosphere in the dining room could only be described as oppressive. I had the sense that everyone was shoveling their food in as fast as they could so that they could escape back to their rooms.

Much to my surprise, both the May and Portis families, including Piper, were in attendance. To me, this was taking the “keep calm and carry on” sentiment a bit too far. If it were me, and my groom was found dead and foul play was suspected, I’d be ripping the castle apart brick by brick, trying to find his killer.

Both families had new faces at their tables. Men in suits, who looked somber and serious and very protective. Had to be their attorneys. I supposed if the families weren’t allowed to leave the castle while the investigation was happening, then it only made sense that they brought their lawyers in to protect their interests. Still, it was unsettling.

I took a bite of my perfectly roasted potatoes and glanced at Piper. I didn’t want to stare but she looked distraught. Her complexion was gray, she had dark circles under her eyes, her hair was in a messy bun, and she was wearing a navy blue chemise that I suspected was her mother’s, as it seemed a bit loose and, frankly, matronly.

She moved her food around with her fork, and never lifted her gaze from her plate. The misery pouring off her made my heart pinch. I didn’t know if she had loved Dooney but she certainly looked stricken with grief. Whether it was for Dooney or the lost chance to leap up into high society, I couldn’t say.

Both Andre and Viv were unusually quiet, and I wondered if the detective telling them that they were suspects was making them feel self-conscious. While I completely understood it and expected nothing less, the somberness that permeated every inch of the room was giving me indigestion.