“Don’t worry, miss. Your house will be in good hands. There will be a constable on guard outside until this little matter is cleared up. Now off you go.”

“Her ladyship needs to collect some belongings before she goes. She can’t leave without so much as a toothbrush.”

“Very well,” he said. “Rogers, go with the young lady and keep an eye on her. We don’t want her mucking about with valuable evidence.”

I stomped up the stairs, fuming with indignation, threw various illogical articles into a bag, and then realized something. “My toothbrush, soap, and flannel are in that bathroom,” I said.

“I don’t think you can touch anything in there,” the constable said, looking worried.

“I don’t think I’d want to use any of them again after this,” I replied.

“Darling, I’m sure we can go to my chemist and buy you a new toothbrush,” Belinda soothed. “Let’s just go. This place is beginning to depress me.”

“Got what you need, then?” The inspector halfheartedly raised his hat as we left.

“What a horrid man,” Belinda said as soon as the door closed. “I wouldn’t mind seeing him floating in a bathtub.”

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Belinda Warburton-Stoke’s mews cottage
3 Seville Mews
Knightsbridge
London
Still Friday

As soon as we reached Belinda’s mews cottage, I asked to use her telephone and called Castle Rannoch. The call was answered, as usual, by Hamilton, the butler.

“Hello? Castle Rannoch here. His Grace’s butler speaking.” Our elderly butler has never learned to be comfortable with telephones.

“Hello, Hamilton, this is Lady Georgiana,” I shouted, because the line was particularly bad and Hamilton has been growing increasingly deaf.

“I’m afraid her ladyship is not in residence at the moment,” came the soft Scottish voice.

“Hamilton, this is Lady Georgiana. I am telephoning from London,” I positively shouted into the phone. “I wish to leave a message for His Grace.”

“I believe His Grace is somewhere out on the estate at the moment,” he replied in his calm Scottish voice.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Hamilton. You know perfectly well that he’s not on the estate. He could not possibly be in Scotland yet unless he has developed wings. Please tell him to telephone me the moment he gets home. It is vitally important and he will be in serious trouble if he doesn’t do so. Now let me give you the number at which I can be reached.”

It took a good deal of yelling and spelling before he had successfully noted the number. I put down the phone in annoyance. “He’s already persuaded our butler to lie for him.”

“My dear, I think you should consider the fact that your brother may well be guilty,” Belinda said. “Come and have a cup of tea. You’ll feel better.”

When I took the teacup I found, to my horror, that my hand was shaking. This had been a most vexing day.