“What do you mean?” Carina enquired.

“I mean that she had, I have learned now, made her plans just in case Giles was ever betrayed,” Lord Lynche replied. “As far as we knew, only three people knew of his existence – Newman, who is the essence of integrity, Mrs. Barnstaple, who had loved him as a child and his own valet, Robert, who had been with him for nearly twenty years.”

“They were all loyal and trustworthy,” Carina said quickly.

“Of course they were,” Lord Lynche agreed. “I would have trusted any of them with my own life. But my mother was determined to be prepared for every contingency.”

“What did she do? And how did she know that the Chief Constable had arrived?” Carina asked almost impatiently.

“I was just coming to that,” Lord Lynche answered. “When the Police arrived, Newman opened the door and, as you know, he brought Major Hartley into the library. He then questioned one of his men as to why they had come and, hearing the answer, slipped upstairs to my mother’s room. He was one of the people in The Castle who always kept her informed of everything that happened.”

Carina said nothing and Lord Lynche continued,

“My mother took the news quite calmly. She told him to go downstairs at once, but on the way to take the huge oil lamp that always stood in the sewing room next door to her bedroom and place it on a small table at the top of the stairs.”

“Did Newman know what she intended to do with it?” Carina asked.

“He had not the slightest idea and he never questioned her. All the servants and most other people did exactly what my mother required of them without argument.”

Lord Lynche smiled as he spoke and Carina could not help smiling too. It would have been a very brave person who would have dared to oppose the formidable Lady Lynche.

“Newman came downstairs,” Lord Lynche went on, “and my mother got out of bed and set fire to her bedroom. The curtains and covers burned like paper. She then moved slowly along the passage and stood waiting at the top of the stairs.”

Lord Lynche paused for a moment as if in an effort to keep his voice free of emotion.

Then, with superb self-control, he continued,

“She was well aware that all the servants were at supper. She had everything planned. She was prepared to burn down The Castle she loved more than anything else in the world except for her son Giles. No woman could in her own way have made a greater or more heart-searing sacrifice.”

“But it meant that she would also destroy her son,” Carina cried.

“My mother knew that Giles had been in a coma since he had fallen down and cut his forehead,” Lord Lynche replied.