WHAT REASON COULD Countess Irmtraut have had for going out into the rain? And why had she denied it? I realized I should pass this information along to DCI Pelham, but I was loath to cast suspicion until I was absolutely sure. I think it must have had something to do with sticking up for my own kind and an instinctive dislike of the DCI. Should I confront Irmtraut and tell her I knew she had been out? I’d have to wait for the right moment, but it was looking more and more as if I might just have a plausible suspect. But as to the opportunity to slip Bobo a drink with Veronal in it—when could that have happened? The servants did indicate that they could hear nothing from the kitchen if they were eating their meal. And if Irmtraut answered the front door, could she have invited Bobo in, fed her a drink, killed her and dumped her body outside all without being seen or overheard? I supposed it might be possible. The servants clearly weren’t enamored with Irmtraut and probably stayed as far away as possible without being obviously rude. However, Irmtraut wasn’t to know that. If she’d invited Bobo in and then killed her, she was taking an enormous risk.

I HAD A cup of tea brought to me in the morning room, read the newspapers, which included pictures of myself with Princess Marina at the play the previous night, and waited for the others to show up. Eventually they both did. Irmtraut looked rather bleary-eyed.

“I did not sleep well last night,” she said. “This place does not feel agreeable to me. I hear it is haunted. I myself spotted a ghost, I think.”

“You did? Was it a white lady?” I asked.

“No. A fat man,” she said shortly. “He walked through a wall.”

“I think that would have been King George the First,” I said.

“I don’t care which king he was, I do not want him walking through my walls.”

“I also found it hard to sleep last night,” I said. “So how did you get to sleep in the end? Do you have any sleeping drafts with you?”

“The draft in my room does not help me sleep,” she said angrily. “It blows in under the door and hits me in the face. It is most disagreeable.”

Marina smiled. “She means medicine to help you sleep, Traudi. I have some Veronal if you need some. I always carry it when I travel because it’s hard to sleep in strange houses, isn’t it?”

“Thank you, but like Irmtraut I try not to take those things,” I replied. “It makes me rather groggy in the mornings.” I was watching Irmtraut’s face. Was she looking away on purpose?

“So what would you like to do today, Marina?” I asked.

“You promised to take me shopping,” she said. “Let’s start with Harrods, shall we?”