“Of course. I understand. You have your orders,” Belinda said. She turned back to him. “Thank you, Jago. It seems you’re a man of many talents.”

“You don’t know half of them,” he replied with a flirtatious glance. I felt an odd pang of jealousy, or was it regret. I was now a married woman. There would be no more flirting in my life. Then I remembered the goings-on among the British aristocrats in Kenya. They didn’t seem to care that they were married. Goodness, I’d never want to live like that. I should be happy I had such a wonderful husband.

“Well, that was a turn up for the books, wasn’t it?” Belinda said as we heard the gate closing behind us and we started to walk away. “I wonder if he really does work there or if he was also on the property illegally? He certainly was anxious to get rid of us, wasn’t he?”

“He’s probably a groundskeeper, or watchman, and trying to do his job,” I said.

“Or he’s using the property to store items he’s smuggled?” Belinda said. “It’s convenient that there’s a dock. Perhaps he keeps his stash in the outbuildings.”

“Belinda, why are you so sure he’s a smuggler?” I asked.

“Why else would someone creep into White Sails in the middle of the night?” Belinda shook her head in exasperation. “And why would we miraculously find him here the next day? And you know what? I wouldn’t be at all surprised if my uncle Francis was in on it too. ‘See a man about a dog.’ That’s what he said. I remember that was his expression when he was up to something shady and wanted to keep it from my grandmother.”

“Anyway, it’s none of our business,” I said. “I’ve seen the house from the outside and it is lovely and being well looked after, so you should be happy. And now I suppose we should get back and face the music.”

“Oh dear.” Belinda sighed. “I’m in no rush to get back to Trewoma, are you?”

“I can’t say that I am,” I agreed.

“So you feel it too, do you? The tension. And a strange atmosphere. Rose is clearly ill at ease.”

“Well, wouldn’t you be with a housekeeper like that hovering all the time and disregarding your orders? I wonder Rose doesn’t sack her and get in someone more friendly.”

“Doesn’t dare, I suppose. I’m beginning to have more sympathy for poor Rose. It can’t be easy when everyone knows you were the cook’s daughter.”

“And apparently everyone adored Jonquil, including Tony,” I pointed out.