“Besides, he fancies you. I can tell that. He wouldn’t want to harm you.”

“Do you think so?” She sounded almost hopeful.

“Let’s try and get some sleep, shall we?” I said. “Perhaps things will look brighter tomorrow. Perhaps the police will have turned up some useful evidence that will clear your name.”

“I do hope so,” she said.

I tried to sleep but again was plagued by strange dreams. Again I was running down dark corridors looking for something. I didn’t know what it was but when I found it everything would be all right. And then the hallways turned into a prison and Belinda was in one of the cells. I could hear her calling for me. Help me, Georgie. You are the only one who can help me. And when I found the cell, I looked in it, but it wasn’t Belinda behind those bars, it was Darcy. I awoke, clammy with sweat. Was this some sort of awful warning? Was Darcy in danger somewhere? Beside me Belinda was blissfully asleep. I lay listening to the night noises, the cry of a screech owl, the sigh of the wind until eventually I managed to fall back to sleep.

THE NEXT MORNING I awoke with a crick in my neck, having slept on the outside edge of a sagging mattress. I sat up, delighted to find that the fire had been banked up while we were sleeping and that the room was pleasantly warm. Hooray for servants, I thought, remembering again my first days alone in London when I had learned how to light my own fires. Outside the window the first rays of sun were shining on the water of the estuary. I spotted movement in the grounds and saw two policemens’ helmets among the trees. I wondered what sort of clues they were looking for or if they’d actually found a good lead. This made me a trifle more optimistic. The police were here. They were actively working on the case. As the inspector had said, I didn’t need to trouble my little head with it. Except that I probably wouldn’t take his advice!

I heard a sigh coming from the bed. I looked around. Belinda opened her eyes, looking rested and beautiful as ever. I don’t know how she did it. No wonder men found her irresistible if she woke up looking like that every morning!

“Oh goody. There’s a fire,” she said. “Do you think they’ll be bringing tea? I’m starving, actually. I wonder when breakfast will be ready.”

“You certainly bounce back from adversity quickly,” I said.

“I had a good night’s sleep. It works wonders on the constitution and I do feel more hopeful today.” She sat up, stretched like a cat, then got up, putting on her dressing gown.