“He sure didn’t look like he was asleep, although he did seem frightened. Lord Almighty, I was certainly scared enough myself.”

“It was probably the result of his being in a strange bed, or maybe it was something he had for dinner.”

“We all ate the same things and none of the rest of us had nightmares,” said Franny.

We turned into the Weber drive. I was hoping that someone would still be up, but the house was dark. I rang the bell and when that didn’t bring an immediate response, pounded on the door. After a minute or two, a light came on and a man opened the door to the length of chain and peered out.

“I’m sorry to bother you at this time of night,” I said, “but my husband had an accident. I’m Mrs. Caine.”

“Caine?” For some reason that seemed to alarm him.

“We’re from New York. We’re staying at my husband’s family home.”

“Oh, yes. I was out in the barn when you came before.” He unloosed the chain and opened the door. He was stocky and balding, wearing pajamas.

“My husband fell and injured his leg. I’d like to use your phone to call a doctor.”

“Come in, come in.” He ushered us into the living room just as his wife came down the stairs, followed by Mrs. Reddy, both in their robes but seemingly wide awake.

“Mrs. Caine’s husband got hurt. She wants to call a doctor,” Emil Weber said.

“It’s his leg,” I said. “I think he may have dislocated something or maybe it’s broken.”

“I’ll call Dr. Fowler,” Mrs. Weber said. She went to the telephone stand in the corner, dialed and waited.

“That’s one thing we have here that I’ll bet you don’t have in New York,” said Mrs. Reddy. “A doctor who’s willing to come to your house at any time of the night.”

“It’s hard to find a doctor like that,” I agreed.

Dr. Fowler answered the call, seemingly almost immediately. Mrs. Weber identified me and then put me on the phone to describe Jack’s injury. I also mentioned his heart condition.

“Your husband almost certainly needs to be x-­rayed, and he may also need to be hospitalized for a while. I’ll be there in half an hour,” the doctor told me.

“Your man will get the best of care from Dr. Fowler,” said Mrs. Weber after I hung up. It seems to me now that she and her mother exchanged brief glances when I mentioned Duff’s nightmare, but I thought nothing of it at the time.

“And if your husband needs nursing, we’ve got a first-­class nurse right here in Stephanie,” said Mrs. Reddy.