“Absolute rubbish,” she snapped. “So how do you propose to get in touch with people at Scotland Yard?”

“I think I’d better motor up in person, as soon as I’m given leave to go,” Darcy said. “These things are better done in person anyway.”

“Don’t wait too long,” she said. “I want my son’s murder solved, and solved properly and quickly.”

“I’ll do my best, Your Grace. We all will. We all want the truth as much as you do,” Darcy said, looking around the rest of the group for confirmation. I nodded.

“Well, I am going to see whether we are to be fed today,” Edwina said. “Are you coming, Charlotte? Virginia?”

“I must say, I am a teeny bit peckish, even though in the circumstances it is not quite seemly,” Princess Charlotte said, getting to her feet with difficulty from the low armchair. Her sister took her arm while Irene clung to her mother. The three Starlings waited until the family had disappeared.

“We really think that we should pack our little bags and fly,” Adrian said. “We clearly are not wanted here—in fact, the old harpy will do a dance for joy when she sees the backs of us.”

“And we shouldn’t intrude on a family in mourning, should we, Jules?” Simon said. “It simply isn’t done.” And he mimicked the dowager duchess’s voice to a T.

“I’m afraid we’re all stuck here, whether we like it or not,” I said. “At least until they determine that we couldn’t have killed Cedric.”

“One of us, kill poor Ceddy?” Adrian demanded. “Duckie, there is no way I could have plunged the whopping-great knife into anyone’s back. I faint at the sight of blood.”

“I don’t see how anyone is going to be able to determine who killed Ceddy,” Simon said. “I mean, a house this size . . . It would be so easy to slip in and out without being seen. Especially early in the morning, and on a day like this. When it’s pouring rain, one doesn’t even want to look out of the window.”

“But there’s only one main entrance, isn’t there?” Belinda asked. She had been sitting at the back of the group by the window, remarkably silent for a while, and still had that petulant look on her face of someone thwarted. “Unless one braves the servants’ quarters.”

“There are French doors all the way down one side of the ballroom,” I said. “And I believe I saw French doors in other rooms too.”

Belinda sighed. “This is too, too tiresome. Let’s hope they arrest the wretched Australian and have done with it, so I can escape back to London.”

“Belinda—a few minutes ago, you were all set to marry him!” I exclaimed.

“That was before I knew that he had a violent temper and threw knives at people.”