Jack pushed a hand through his hair, disarranging its sleekness. “There’s no point sugar-coating this, is there? When a husband dies, especially an unkind one, the police look first to the wife. Murder is so often a family affair. And perhaps I’m wrong, but I doubt I’d have seen a wall ornament as a weapon. One might well conclude the killer knew the house intimately.” Jimmy’s cheeks darkened. Jack shook his head. “I’m talking about what an outsider might think, not what I think. And I know not to think it, because I bade farewell to Maurice, went straight to Anna’s room, and remained with her until luncheon. Disapprove all you like, but I’d rather save her neck than her name. I can only add that I hope this discussion will remain private and I have no intention of repeating it to anyone except, if need be, the police.”

“You really are a damned cad,” Jimmy remarked, voice shaking. “Conducting this under my father’s roof—”

“Does it make a difference if one keeps one’s mistress in London?” Jack snapped, his normally smooth tone fracturing at last. Jimmy moved, but Bill grabbed him.

“Steady. Steady. Your sister is a grown woman, Jim. You may not like it, but Jack’s not wrong about where suspicion might fall. And it’s probably best to have this out here instead of in front of your parents, isn’t it?”

Jimmy cast Jack a look of loathing. “It ought not have been necessary. What are your intentions now?”

Jack blinked at that. “My what?”

“Your intentions. You can’t expect me not to ask, since you’ve shared your business so generously with us. And given Anna has already brought one damned smirking fortune-hunter into the family—”

“Jimmy!” Bill barked. “For God’s sake. This is not the time or the place. In fact it’s the least of our worries, would you not say?”

“It isn’t yours at all,” Jack said. “I know what I want, but it will be Anna’s choice. And I hardly think it’s right to discuss the matter with Maurice barely cold.”

They glared at each other for a moment, then Jimmy threw up his hands and turned on his heel. Jack relaxed visibly, the movement making Pat realise how tense he’d been.

“How did you go to Lady Anna’s room?” she asked, keeping her voice calm as though this were a normal question. “What route?”

“Up the west stairs.”

“Did anyone see you?”

“Well, I didn’t see anyone,” Jack said. “Which isn’t the same thing of course. The place felt deserted, though.”

“And what time was this?”

“Very shortly after Maurice left me. Which, if he went straight to the East Wing, would be around half past eleven.”