PAT WASN’T EXPECTING anywhere in Rodington Court to be a happy environment, but even so, the icy atmosphere in the drawing room was startling. Preston and Victoria were nowhere to be seen. Bill was in the corner hiding behind a three-day-old newspaper; Jimmy stood by the fireplace, and if he’d had a tail it would have been lashing. Lady Anna was seated on the settee with Jack. Pat could not think that remotely appropriate, and her face probably gave away her disapproval because Lady Anna gave her a frozen glare and said, “You do realise I don’t have blacks?”

“Sorry?”

“I didn’t bring funereal garments.” She spat the words out. “Since I didn’t expect my husband to die. And I am hardly going to squeeze into my mother’s old clothes.”

“I really didn’t expect you to,” Pat said, moving to the tea tray.

“For heaven’s sake, nobody cares,” Jimmy added. “If I was going to criticise your behaviour—”

Lady Anna’s knuckles whitened. “You had better not.”

“No, don’t,” Bill said, putting the newspaper down. “We’ve enough to deal with as it is.”

“Caused by her blasted rotten husband.” Jimmy’s voice was shaking. “I don’t know if you have any idea how ghastly this is going to be for everyone, Anna.”

“You can hardly blame me because someone stabbed Maurice. Blame him, blame me, it’s never your fault, is it? You’re always the golden boy—”

“If you mean I didn’t ruin the family with my damn fool goings-on—”

“Jim!”

The Yoxall siblings glowered at each other. Fen jumped in. “You may blame Lady Anna for her choice of husband, Jimmy, though I don’t think you’ve much of a leg to stand on when it comes to personal affairs.” Bill’s eyes widened sharply. “But you can’t blame her for what happened to Mr. Haworth, since Lady Anna is one of the few of us to have an alibi.”

Lady Anna’s nostrils flared. “I beg your pardon. I am not aware you know my movements.”

“We all do,” Fen said. “You were with Mr. Bouvier-Lynes in your bedroom yesterday morning, before lunch. Isn’t that right?”

Lady Anna looked as though she’d been slapped, down to the reddening of her cheeks. “You impertinent, ill-bred child. How dare you?”

Fen had gone rather pink herself, but held her ground. “It’s what he said. Is that not the case? I’ll apologise if I’m misinformed.”

“You are not misinformed,” Jack said through his teeth. He held up both hands as Lady Anna swung round to him. “My first concern was to establish your innocence.”

“Who ever doubted it?” Lady Anna demanded, pitch rising.

“Jack was good enough to say that only someone who knew the house well would have thought to use an ornamental dagger for murder,” Jimmy said. “Like you, Anna, or me.”

“Or Victoria,” Lady Anna flashed.