Pat felt hope leap, and made herself consider the matter dispassionately. “That’s possible, actually. Maybe. But we’ve been over the others. Unless it was a servant after all, but would one really demand money from a footman?”

“I really don’t know. The horrid man had an ace of some kind up his sleeve about someone, but—”

There was a sharp knock at the door. Fen removed her arm from Pat’s waist and called “Come in.”

Travers swished in and shut the door. “I hope it’s convenient, miss?”

“Yes, of course,” Fen said. “Have you got something?”

Pat wanted to shout aloud with frustration. She’d thought of something, had a sudden moment of intuition or memory or realisation that had wisped away again at the interruption. She resisted the temptation to ask the other two women to be quiet and let her think: it would not be politic to offend Fen’s henchwoman.

“I don’t know about something,” Travers was saying. “Mostly nothings, which might mean something. Nobody saw anyone going into the East Wing, and nobody rang for attendance there. Mr. Keynes and Miss Singh took tea in the library at eleven and Mary took it away at quarter to. The Earl was in his study with Mr. Yoxall until half past eleven, when Mr. Yoxall left him. The Earl rang the bell at twelve and sent for the Countess. Mary carried that message to her in her room, and she went downstairs. Nobody saw them after that.”

“So the Earl and the Countess were both seen at twelve, but not before or afterwards,” Fen said. “The Countess was in her room, wasn’t she? Alone?”

“That’s right, miss.”

“And the Earl was in his study alone. That means either of them could have moved around without seeing anyone else except for Jack going upstairs at half past, and Mary with the tea things at quarter to.”

“Ugh,” Pat said. “I’m not sure I want to ask them probing questions, you know. It would seem so dreadfully ill-mannered.”

“Murder is ill-mannered,” Fen said. “Gosh, that sounded rather good, didn’t it? Like an axiom in an etiquette book.”

“What sort of etiquette book—”

Fen flapped a hand at her. “Anything else, Travers? What about Lady Anna?”

“Lady Anna was in her room with her maid all morning, from breakfast onwards, going through her wardrobe. She dismissed the girl at twenty past eleven. After that she remained in her room until the gong.” Travers gave a meaningful sniff.

“We’ve heard about that,” Fen said.

“I dare say, miss. I didn’t find anyone who could swear to Mr. Bouvier-Lynes, Mr. Yoxall, or Mr. Merton until ten minutes to one, when Lady Anna rang for her maid to put her hair straight. Mr. Bouvier-Lynes was leaving her room as the girl arrived.”

“Oh dear.”