‘Yes. I discovered that the deceased had taken an overdose of belladonna.’

‘It would not be in the public interest to ask you to specify the amount of the dose. You are satisfied that it was sufficient in itself to cause death?’

‘Yes, I am quite certain of that.’ This was the outline of the inquest which Jonathan gave to Deborah when he and Mrs Bradley (who, after all, had not been called as a witness) returned to the manor house. The verdict of death by poison but without sufficient evidence to show how or by whom the poison was administered had been anticipated. What also occasioned no surprise was the Coroner’s Warrant which was issued to the police inspector who was present, and the intimation that the inquest would be adjourned to allow the police to make some further enquiries.

‘The interesting thing is,’ said Mrs Bradley, later, ‘that if the two deaths are connected, and the persons were murdered, the murderer must either have had alternative plans, one of which depended on snowy weather, or else the murders were committed on the spur of the moment.’

‘One would think,’ said Jonathan, ‘that it would be easy to detect both the murderer and the method if the murders were suddenly thought of and were executed at short notice. I would plump for careful, long-term planning and then a patient hope that the weather would at some time fit in. These deaths were planned for deep snow, without a doubt. The snow must have been the deciding factor. Don’t you think so?’

‘Yes, I’m sure it was. It hid the body, it covered vital tracks, and it brought with it the right temperature … or, rather, the right temperature brought the snow. I shall be thankful for all the help the students will be able to give.’

‘Miss Hughes’ young schoolmarms, do you mean? What on earth can they do to help?’

‘I don’t know yet, but it may be that a series of regional surveys would help our enquiry. The students could carry these out more quickly than we could. I must see Miss Hughes about it. The students perhaps could undertake to show that the geography, particularly the topography, of even very small areas may help to account for the mentality, prejudices, speech and reactions of the people who live there. They could apply their findings to Gloucestershire.’

‘Old stuff,’ said Jonathan rudely.

‘I was hoping it might be new to the students,’ said his aunt. ‘They can begin with obvious analogies; the people of Scandinavia and the people of Spain, for example.’

‘Lovely!’ said Deborah derisively. Mrs Bradley cackled.

‘Think of something else, then, between you,’ she said benignly. ‘You both know what we want to do. We’ve got to find out how Mrs Whittier got to that field, and for that the ground must be quartered.’

‘We’ll try your idea first,’ said Jonathan.