Paul’s visit to Captain Golightly the previous day had eventually borne fruit. As a result of his persistence, he’d managed to get three names out of him of people who could be considered as Mellanby’s arch enemies. Two were fellow Members of Parliament who despised him for what they saw as his unforgivable political stance, and one was a man who’d made the mistake of fighting a duel with him. Paul was still trying to analyse all the information he’d gathered from Golightly and from his prickly conversations with the trio of possible suspects. Over a late breakfast with Hannah, he told her about the duel.

‘What provoked it?’ she asked.

‘The man believed that Sir Roger had designs on his wife.’

‘And did he?’

‘Captain Golightly claimed that his friend was innocent of the charge. But when someone challenges you to a duel, he can’t be ignored. Sir Roger, it seems, was very proficient with a sword in his hand and could have sliced the fellow to ribbons. In the event,’ said Paul, ‘he contented himself with inflicting wounds that were utterly humiliating. His accuser, Hugh Denley by name, more or less crawled away and would have had great difficulty sitting down.’

‘That would have left him embittered.’

‘When I spoke to him, Denley refused to be drawn on that point.’

‘Was he still angry?’

‘He had good cause to be, Hannah. Losing the duel was bad enough but, when his wife realised that he’d thought her capable of encouraging another man’s interest, she took umbrage and stormed out of the house.’

‘Who can blame her?’

‘Would you have done the same in similar circumstances?’

‘I’d never have been stupid enough to marry a man who couldn’t hold his own in a duel. So,’ she said, ‘you now have three suspects. It’s a start.’

‘Captain Golightly has promised to come up with some other suggestions today. Now that I’ve won his trust, he’s ready to cooperate.’

‘That’s good news, Paul, but you mustn’t assign the entire day to him. We have our final performance this evening and I need you to accompany me to the party afterwards.’

‘I’ll be there, my love.’

‘To be honest, I’m not looking forward to it.’

‘That’s understandable,’ said Paul. ‘After your triumph on that stage, you must be sad at the prospect of parting company with Lady Macbeth.’

‘Far from it!’ she retorted. ‘I’ve never discarded a role more willingly. It’s been a bane in every sense. Then there’s the small matter of the invasion of my dressing room by no less a person than the Prince Regent, as ugly and odious a man as I’ve ever seen at close quarters. I felt threatened, Paul.’

‘You can forget him, my love.’

‘What if he pursues me?’