Liza began gently massaging Hanna’s calves, which calmed her a little, but only a little. “You might have to accept that there are some things you can’t fix.”

“Is that a dig about this weekend?”

“Well,”—leaning forward, Liza pressed a kiss to Hanna’s knee—”it has got us trapped in a castle with two dead bodies and a killer on the loose, so it hasn’t been your best plan.”

Hanna kicked at her, softly but in a way that signalled genuine displeasure. “You realise that’s a big part of why I’m not okay with this?”

“Because it’s ruined our holiday?”

“Because”—Hanna reached down with an oddly sincere tenderness—”the idea of something happening to you frightens me. The idea of something happening to you because of something I’ve done fucking kills me.”

Liza didn’t want to say, “Now you’re being silly,” but she did think it quite loudly. Getting up, she sat herself on the bed next to Hanna and put her arm around her. “Okay, then since you, y’know, married me, you might need to reel some of that in a bit. Because in case you haven’t noticed, I can be a handful.”

“I’ve mostly managed.”

“I’m serious.” A hug turned into a squeeze. “You can’t keep freaking out every time I do something that might be new or dangerous.”

“You walked into a shed that might have had an armed murderer in it.”

Okay, that had been a bit irresponsible. “And I was fine. And somebody had to because especially with Belloc dead, it really is just us now. And I don’t trust the other guests an inch.”

“Not even the sultry blonde one?”

“Especially not the sultry blonde one.” Liza paused. That was mostly true, but this seemed like a be-honest-with-your-wife moment. “Although I don’t think she was lying about the footman. And she might be right about the vicar.”

Until two seconds ago, Hanna had been relaxing, albeit slightly. “Hold on, what about the vicar?”

Liza gave an apologetic grimace. “She said he wasn’t who he seems.”

“How incredibly helpful,” Hanna replied with a tone of withering vindication.

“Yeah, she was a bit vague. But he knew far too much about gunshots.”

Hanna’s left eyebrow rose a half-inch. “Perhaps he works in a very violent parish?”