“I honestly don’t. We’ll have to see how it shakes out, I suppose.” He saw her frown and returned a shrug. “With Haworth gone I should be able to unpick the Earl’s mess, which will remove a lot of the financial pressure on Jimmy, and a great deal of the nervous tension. As long as he isn’t arrested for murder.”

Pat stepped back. “Yes. That. We should probably go and deal with it, shouldn’t we?”

“I dare say.” Bill interlaced his fingers and stretched them. “What do you think, old girl, as a hunter? Corner the blighter now, or keep quiet and drop a word in the police’s ear when they arrive?”

Pat considered. “The latter, if we can pull it off. He’s clever and rather quick—he hasn’t missed an opportunity to tell Lady Anna she’s in trouble if she doesn’t support his alibi. Would you say he’s dangerous?”

“He’s a killer, but from behind. That might be cowardly, or it might be cold-blooded. I think we have to assume the latter.”

“Then let’s keep it to ourselves. Don’t give him a chance to prepare a reaction.”

Bill nodded. “Sounds good. And means I’m inclined not to tell Jimmy our deduction, he being an oaf, as discussed.”

“But I will tell Fen,” Pat said, detecting a hint. “She isn’t the featherbrain you think.”

“My respect for her good sense has increased dramatically, believe me,” Bill said. “Shall we go?”

Pat nodded. “You go now and tree the blighter. I’ll meet you downstairs.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Pat hurried to her room. She had a faint hope Fen might be there waiting for her, based on nothing but wanting it to be true, and was nevertheless a tiny bit disappointed that it wasn’t. She would doubtless be downstairs, with Jimmy, probably rather irritated. Pat got her things together, guiltily aware that she hadn’t listened earlier. She ought to have stopped and explained her flash of realisation, but she’d been so desperate to know if she was right, if the memory of those three single drops of blood, the tell-tale heart, had been correct. It was the kind of focus she had on the hunt, brushing away all other concerns and distractions. It now, far too late, occurred to her she’d been rude.