“So she should be. She’s playing for the county again this season and she should get a trial for the England schoolgirl side, though I doubt if she’ll make it. She’s not really a team player. Anyhow, who else played well?”

“The left half—is it Julia, Juliet?—had a good game. Caroline Barrington plays hockey like she does everything else—masses of energy, tearing off in all directions at once, unstoppable. I imagine she played her usual game—a little short on strategy but with endless goodwill. And you’ve got a bloody good goalie there. She only let the second one in because she slipped in the mud. They’re not a bad side at all,” Cordelia replied.

“Good, good,” said Chris vigorously. “Thanks again for standing in.”

“I don’t think I made too many blunders.”

“I’m sure you didn’t—but if you did I’m sure Caroline will let me know!” Chris said with a grin. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be on my way. I have to see the team captains about their matches and I’m sure you two have got plenty to talk over. Be seeing you. Thanks for the coffee.” She got to her feet.

“Don’t thank me, thank Paddy,” said Lindsay. “She’ll have a fit when she gets back and sees the state of her coffee jar and drinks cupboard.”

“Listen, if you two get her out, that’ll be the least of her worries,” said Chris as she left.

Cordelia slumped into the vacant armchair and immediately demanded information. “Are you going to tell me how the intrepid mountain goats got on while I was tearing up and down the sidelines risking my reputation? Can it be done?”

“It can be done, yes. It would need a certain amount of strength and skill. Cartwright would certainly have known where the stuff was kept and would have had the skill to erect the scaffolding, while Anthony Barrington would undoubtedly have had the strength and skill to perform the actual feat. But I’m not at all sure that Cartwright would have had the agility to get from the scaffolding into the room. And we don’t know how much Barrington would have known about the availability of materials on the building site. Certainly while we were up there I had a good look at the masonry and there were no signs of anyone having driven pitons into the pointing or stonework so Barrington couldn’t have done it that way—which would have been the natural method for him to have used.”