“And she’s made me feel unwanted ever since.”

Major Warburton-Stoke coughed awkwardly. “Yes, but now you’re a grown woman with your own life. You’d be a welcome visitor. I’d welcome a visit from you. Why don’t you come?”

Belinda reached up and stroked his cheek. “It’s sweet of you, Daddy. Maybe a little later, but right now I still have to stay down here. There will be an inquest. We’ll have to testify. And I have to sort out what I want done to my little cottage.”

“Very well,” he said. “At least let me take you somewhere decent and buy you a slap-up luncheon. And you can tell me all your news.”

“All right,” Belinda said.

“I’d better see if this place has a room for me. I don’t fancy another long train journey today. So give me a few minutes, all right?”

Belinda watched him go, then came over to me. “I should have introduced you but there didn’t seem to be a right moment. Will you come to lunch with us?”

“I think you two should enjoy some time alone,” I replied. “Who knows, this may signal a new chapter in your relationship.”

“Not unless he strangles the wicked witch.” She grinned. “Do you think I’m doing the right thing, staying on down here?”

“It’s all about Jago, isn’t it?”

She had the grace to blush. “Do you think I’m being silly?”

“It depends what you have in mind.”

“I mean, he was so sweet, so concerned about me. He really cares, Georgie. But it can’t work, can it?”

“He’s not exactly a peasant boy, Belinda. He did go to Oxford. He’s an educated man.”

“I mean the whole problem with class. Look at poor Rose. Never really accepted. Never felt she belonged. I wonder what she will do now. Do you think she’ll rebuild?”

“I doubt it,” I said. “She was lonely, even when Tony was alive. I’m sure now that Mrs. Mannering put the doubts into her head that Tony wanted to kill her. That way she’d have a motive for murder. No, I bet she moves back to Bath to be near her mum.” I looked up as a bright idea struck me. “You could buy the property, build the house you want on it.”

“No thank you. I always felt there was some kind of gloom hanging over that place, didn’t you? Maybe it is cursed. And it’s too remote.”

“Not as remote as White Sails.”

“No, that really is a bit much. I don’t think I’m very good at roughing it.”

“So you don’t want a place down here?”

Again she blushed. “Jago reckons that his boss’s charmed life is about to end. He thinks the government will take over the property and I’d be able to buy it for a song.”