‘Not half as much as it’s getting on mine!’

Sir Geoffrey Dance, the old man of the House, and a very respectable businessman, was biting his perfectly manicured nails, a habit he had given up in the throes of adolescence. His six daughters and his wife stared out from a photograph on his desk. In his hand he held another photograph. It had been taken three Christmases ago at Berwick Manor at a Christmas theme party, with all the men dressed up as Santa’s gnomes. But even with the long false beard, no one could doubt it was indeed Geoffrey. On his lap sat a young girl of about seventeen, in a Santa Claus costume. On her long slim legs, which were wrapped around his waist, she wore fishnet stockings. The photograph had been taken from the side, and as he had nothing on the bottom half of his body, anyone could make anything they wanted from the photo. It was clear, from the pink buttocks on his lap, that the girl was devoid of briefs.

He felt a sinking sensation in his chest. The Manor had always been so private. They had never had a moment’s worry about anything being leaked. The upstairs function room had always been a place where men like himself could go and indulge themselves in anything that took their fancy without the slightest fear of its ever coming back to haunt them. That was what the large amounts of money guaranteed, and he had paid huge sums over the years. Now with Briony Cavanagh and Tommy Lane about to be brought to court, many secrets would be spilt. Not just his, but an awful lot of other people’s too.

The last thought cheered him.

He looked at the photograph again and saw in the background, as plain as day, the current Chancellor of the Exchequer. This made him smile as he picked up the receiver.

He was in the shit all right, but then so were a lot of other people.

Fenella Dumas went into the den, as Benedict called the office he used when working from home. Placing a cup of coffee on his desk, she said: ‘I think you should be ashamed of yourself, Ben, I do really.’

Benedict wiped a dry hand over his face and sighed heavily. ‘Give it a rest now, Fen.’