“Very well,” I said. “But we must do something. A girl has been murdered. We can’t let it be hushed up just so that a wedding can go forward.”

“Of course,” he said. “But this is a royal palace and it will need to go through the correct channels. I will pass this information on to His Majesty’s private secretary and see how I am instructed to proceed. And in the meantime please behave as if nothing is amiss. The word will have gone around that you summoned me late at night. You might want to think up a plausible explanation for that.”

“All right, I’ll try,” I said. “Although my brain isn’t working very well at the moment.”

“I’ll escort you back to your front door.” He took my arm and steered me along the narrow pavement while I wracked my brains thinking of something plausible to say.

“Oh, there you are, your ladyship.” The same maid came to meet me in the foyer. “Is everything all right? Major Beauchamp-Chough looked quite upset and he wanted a flashlight.”

“Yes, my fault, I suppose,” I said. “I was wearing a very valuable diamond brooch lent to me by Her Majesty for the occasion and the pin must have come loose. I realized it must have fallen off when I got out of the car and I knew how upset Her Majesty would be if something happened to it, so I’m ashamed to say I panicked.”

“You could have asked us to help you find it, my lady,” she said. “There’s enough servants still awake.”

“Actually I didn’t want word to get back to Her Majesty,” I said. “So please don’t mention it, all right?”

“But did the major find it for you?”

“Yes, he did, thank goodness.” I gave her what I hoped was a convincing smile. “And he’s taken it away for safekeeping, ready to be returned to Buckingham Palace in the morning. Now that I know the clasp is loose I won’t risk wearing it again.”

“Well, that’s good then, isn’t it, my lady?” She gave me an encouraging smile. “Everything’s all right and we can all go to bed.”

“Yes. Everything’s all right. But I would appreciate a glass of brandy to warm me up. I’m really cold now.”

“Of course, my lady. Would you like the brandy in hot milk?”

“That’s a lovely idea.” I smiled at her again.

“I’ll bring it up to your room,” she said.

“Oh, that’s not necessary.”

“No trouble, my lady. You go up and I’ll bring the hot milk.”

Why couldn’t Queenie be more like that, I thought as I trudged up the two flights of stairs. Cheerful, willing, thinking of my needs. I sighed. Queenie would probably be snoring on my bed when I got to my room.