“But the risk of being seen when he went to collect the stag would be enormous. Besides, how could he drag it off the property? He’d be almost in full view of the castle all the way.”

“It does seem strange,” I agreed. “You don’t think . . .” I paused, weighing whether to say this. “You don’t think the trap was meant for you?”

“For me?”

“Everyone knows you like to take that walk in the mornings.”

“For me?” he repeated. “Someone wanting to harm me? But why? I’m a harmless sort of chap. No enemies that I can think of.”

“Perhaps someone wants to inherit Castle Rannoch,” I said, but my voice trailed off at the end. “So who would inherit Castle Rannoch if you died?”

“Why, Podge, of course,” he said.

Oh, golly, Podge, his son. Was he in danger too, and how could I warn his nanny without alarming her too much?

“And after Podge?”

“That pair who are working their way through my whisky. Murdoch’s the elder and then Lachan.” He looked at me and laughed. “But you’re not suggesting that they had something to do with this? Murdoch and Lachan? We’ve played together since we were boys.”

“Perhaps it was just a horrible practical joke that went too far,” I said.

“A practical joke? To set a trap that could take someone’s leg off? Not my idea of a joke.”

“I agree,” I said, “but they do seem like a wild pair. Perhaps they didn’t think the trap was very strong.”

“They know all about traps,” Binky said. “They had trouble with poachers a while back and they told me they were thinking of setting mantraps. I talked them out of it.”

“So this wasn’t a mantrap.”

“Oh no. Definitely meant for an animal.” He looked up at me sharply and then laughed. “What on earth put that into your head, Georgie? I mean to say, we’re no longer in the times of the clan wars. I can’t see any brazen Campbell sneaking onto the estate to have off my leg, nor any member of the Clan Rannoch trying to take over the castle. Who’d want it, for God’s sake? There’s no income from it. We had to sell off a good part of the land to pay the death duties, and all that’s left just produces enough for our daily needs. And as for living in the castle—well, I can understand those Americans complaining like billy-o. Of course the plumbing needs updating, and of course it would be a good idea to have central heating put in, but we’ve simply no money to do it.”

“Perhaps somebody wants the title,” I suggested. “It’s rather fun to be Your Grace, isn’t it?”