‘If that is all you have to say,’ muttered Rose, ‘I may as well ring off.’

‘What?’

‘Goodbye.’

Rose put down the receiver and emerged from the box brushing tears from her eyes.

‘Bad time?’ asked Daisy, putting an arm around her shoulders.

‘I fear my mother is sadly disappointed in me,’ said Rose.

‘There now. Everything will work out all right, you’ll see.’

‘Trouble?’ asked Harry, walking up to them.

‘My mother is angry with me,’ said Rose. ‘I suppose it is only to be expected.’

Becket said, ‘If you could spare me a few minutes of your time, sir.’

‘Go ahead,’ said Rose. ‘Daisy and I will take a little walk.’

‘What is it, Becket?’ asked Harry as he admired Rose’s slim figure as she walked away.

‘Captain, me and Daisy were wondering if you could see your way to setting us up in a little business.’

‘I suppose I must. Can you wait until this case is over?’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘What sort of business?’

‘Daisy wanted that dress salon, but that’s off the cards now. I wanted a pub, but Daisy really wouldn’t like it.’

‘I often have more work at the detective agency than I can handle,’ said Harry. ‘I could extend the business to take in you and Daisy. You both have worked with me on previous cases. Why the long face? Oh, I know. Do not worry. I will find you both a tidy apartment somewhere. Daisy can work a few months and then retire as a married lady before the baby arrives.’

‘Oh, thank you, sir.’

‘Then let us rejoin the ladies. I think my ring looks very well on Lady Rose’s finger.’

‘I said I would help them with it later.’

‘Help them with what?’

‘Lady Rose was trying it on and it’s stuck on her finger – they can’t get it off.’

‘I should have known,’ said Harry, half to himself.

Daisy was elated when Becket told her the news about their future. Both were so happy that they failed to notice that Harry appeared to be sunk in gloom and that Rose kept casting anxious little glances in his direction.

When they got back to the castle and Rose and Daisy had retreated upstairs, Rose said fretfully, ‘I must get this ring off!’

‘Why? I happened to notice the captain was quite pleased you were wearing it.’

‘It’s just .. . oh, did you notice how sour he was towards me when we came back from Inveraray?’

‘No. I was too happy about working as a detective and having a little place of our own. Let’s go down to the kitchen. Maybe Cook can suggest something.’

The cook, Mrs Burridge, was a thin woman who looked as if she barely ate. ‘Goose grease is what you need,’ she said. ‘I’ll warm some up and we’ll get to work, my lady.’

She heated up a little bowl of the grease and then began to work it gently into Rose’s ring finger. Then she pulled hard. There was a plop! The ring shot off Rose’s finger, skittered and flashed over the stone flags of the kitchen and down a drain in the corner.