‘Anyway,’ he continued, ‘from what I remember, there were renovations going on. There wasn’t anyone present apart from my father but the place was a mess. There were brushes and tools … it was like he’d been building something. I never thought much of it before but now I’m not so sure. What if he built somewhere to hide the things that no one else should see? Some kind of secret compartment or room?’ He gazed at me in mute appeal; he needed me to agree with him even if Aifric really had just been redecorating.

I considered Byron’s words and stepped back to get the best vantage point. The study was a perfect oblong and there were no signs of anything out of place. I had to trust his instincts, however. He watched me carefully. ‘Do you see anything?’

‘Not at this minute,’ I said truthfully. ‘Despite the age of most of the buildings in the Highlands, you’d be surprised at how few secret rooms there are. Even the ones that do exist are usually easy to find.’

Byron pointed behind himself. ‘I’ve not just been practising the art of lock picking,’ he told me. ‘I’ve also been scouting things here. The library is on the other side of this wall and a store cupboard in the opposite direction. The dimensions of the library are wrong. It’s cleverly concealed because of the shelving but, if there is a secret room here, it’s behind this wall.’

There was an easy way to find out. I edged from one side to the other, thumping the wall at strategic points. Thud. Thud. Thud. Dup. I grinned. Dup. Dup. Thud. ‘It looks like plaster but there’s definitely something behind here. It’s hollow. We need to find a way in.’

Byron’s eyes flashed in grim delight as if he were not sure whether to be pleased or dismayed that his suspicions were proving correct. He nodded decisively. ‘Step back,’ he said.

I did as he asked, thinking that maybe I was blocking his line of vision. As soon as I was out the way, he flicked his wrist and a little fireball coalesced in front of him.

I scratched my head. ‘Er…’

The fireball grew in size, hissing and crackling. Within the confines of the small study, the heat was immense and I was forced to turn my head. With one intense glare, Byron sent the fireball smack into the hollow part of the wall. The plaster crumbled almost immediately; it wasn’t just the fire but the force of the fireball that did considerable damage.

Dark billowing smoke filled the space. Coughing, I darted to the window and yanked it open. ‘If anyone is outside…’ I began.

Byron wiped his streaming eyes. ‘No one’s there. They’re all either upstairs or at the stag party. I made sure of it.’

I sighed. ‘All the same, I’m not sure wanton destruction was the best way to go.’

As the smoke cleared, I saw him shrug nonchalantly. ‘I’ve been planning this for a long time, Integrity. I wasn’t sure anything was here but I covered every eventuality. Trust me. I know what I’m doing.’