I had just pondered these things when Inspector Lafite turned up, the last person any of us wanted to see.

“Lady Georgiana. We meet again. And do I understand correctly that you were the one who discovered this body?” he asked. “I find this most interesting.”

“Yes, your man was with me. I saw the foot sticking out and he parted the branches to reveal the man lying there.” I made sure he knew that his man was part of this equation.

“And how did you come to be strolling through the garden of Sir Toby Groper? Was this a usual occupation for you? You had done it before, perhaps?”

I tried not to let my face show annoyance. He was so clearly trying to trap me into confessing that I often took a shortcut across Sir Toby’s property.

“That’s simple to answer,” I said. “I wanted to meet this gardener for myself. I wanted him to have a chance to see me face-to-face and realize that I was not the one he saw sneaking into Sir Toby’s house. Since I was under the supervision of your men, I took one of them with me. The gardener’s wife said he had not returned home from work. On our way back to Sir Toby’s house we noticed the small door in the wall, found it unlocked and followed the path. That’s when we saw the foot.”

“A second murder,” he said. “One must ask oneself why this man was killed.”

“Presumably because he knew who the murderer of Sir Toby was,” I said.

His eyes narrowed. He stroked his extravagant mustache.

“Precisely, young lady. And if he was the only witness to the murderer entering the house? Why, he must be silenced forever.”

I looked at him and had to laugh. “Surely even you cannot suspect me of this second crime,” I said. “For one thing I was in town all day, in the company of one of your men, and for another, I just don’t think I possess the strength to kill a man of his size by stabbing him with a garden tool.”

“Perhaps yes, perhaps no,” he said. “My men will be examining the murder weapon for fingerprints. And do not think you are in the clear because you went to town. I am told that this man had been dead for some time when you found him. Perhaps since before you took your nice little trip to town to create your alibi.”

I could feel my anger rising. “May I remind you, Inspector, that your own men are standing guard outside our house? And outside Sir Toby’s house too. How do you think I got past them?”