“My oath, yes. I mean, it was a pretty big shock when some bloke turns up at the sheep station and tells me that I’m connected to a posh family in England and then that I’m not only connected, I’m supposedly the heir. I mean, my mum told me that my dad came from some kind of gentry, but that he’d turned his nose up at all that sort of stuff and liked Australia better, where everyone is equal. I have to say I agree with him. This sort of thing, it’s all bloody rubbish, isn’t it?” He laughed and ran his fingers through his blonde hair. “Your Grace.” He shook his head in disbelief. “That’s what one of the servants called me: Your Grace. Can you imagine? Me! I don’t think I can take it, Georgie. It’s too ridiculous for words.”

“I expect most people in your position feel the same way,” I said. “My brother certainly didn’t want to be a duke, or to take over the running of the estate. And I’m sure nobody wants to be king. I know my cousin the Prince of Wales, doesn’t. He told me once he’d do anything to get out of it, and he hopes his father will live to ninety-nine. But our sort of people are brought up to do our duty.”

“So what’s your duty supposed to be?” he asked.

“To marry well,” I said. “There’s no other option open to me. I’m not trained for any kind of career or profession.”

“So you’ll marry who they tell you to, will you?”

I had to smile. “Actually, no. I already turned down a Romanian prince. Everyone was furious with me, but I couldn’t have married him.”

“You turned down being a princess?”

“Possibly a queen someday,” I agreed. “But he was awful, Jack. He was worse than awful. So I made up my mind that I’ll only marry for love.”

“So your lecture about doing your duty doesn’t apply to you?” He gave me a friendly grin.

I found myself observing him. Could someone who had just stabbed his uncle be so relaxed and easy with me? He’d insisted over and over that he didn’t want to be duke, or to have this lifestyle, and money didn’t seem important to him. But perhaps he was just a good actor.

“I’d better go and round up everyone,” I said. “The inspector is ready to talk to us in the library.”

“Stone the crows,” he said. “Does he have any ideas yet about who might have done it?”

“Give him a chance. He’s not a miracle worker. He’s only just taken a look at the crime scene, and I’m sure he won’t have the police surgeon’s report yet.”