Suddenly I’d had enough. If this person was cowardly enough to plan horrid little accidents and set a trap for my brother, then I was going to put a stop to him right now. I stood up and started to wander apparently aimlessly, bending to pick a sprig of heather here and there, but all the time making my way closer to those trees. When I was close enough, I darted behind the nearest pine then moved from tree to tree, just as our stalker was doing. I caught sight of him again as he crept through deep shadow to the next large pine.

Right, my lad, I thought. He was making quite a bit of noise. He would have been useless stalking a deer. I, in contrast, moved silently. He had no idea I was behind him until I leaped out and pounced.

“Got you!” I shouted, grabbing at the collar of his jacket. “All right. Let’s take a look at you then, you miserable specimen.” In truth I was rather relieved to find that he was a miserable specimen. I don’t know what I would have done if I’d leaped out on a hulking six-footer armed with a gun or knife. As it was he gave a little squeak, tried to flee and was yanked backward by me, almost sitting down in the process.

“The constable’s just up there on the bank,” I said. “He’ll be here in two seconds if I call him, so you’d better confess.”

“My dear young lady, I’ve done nothing wrong. Unhand me, I beg you,” he said. I recognized the voice at the same moment I staggered with him into a patch of sunlight.

“Mr. Beverley!” I said in a shocked tone. “What were you up to?”

“Your ladyship! Nothing, I assure you nothing at all,” he said, most flustered now as I released my hold on him. “I was just trying to—well, you know, it’s silly really, but I have always had a crush, as it were, on your dear mother. I couldn’t believe my luck when I saw she was here. So I was seizing the chance to get a little closer to her, that’s all.”

“You were spying on her. You were going to eavesdrop and then reveal all in your column. I know how you news papermen work.”

“Oh no, I assure you.”

“You do run a gossip column, don’t you?”

“Yes, but . . .”

“So you were just doing your job and going to report gossip.”

He looked red faced and crestfallen now, like a deflated balloon. “Well, I do have to confess . . .”

“You’re very lucky I don’t turn you in to our police constable,” I said. “I could, you know. Someone has been setting traps on our estate. You could well be a prime suspect.”