I nodded, agreeing with this. “But I’m with you on fleeing as soon as we can. Since your builder can’t do anything until he’s renovated Trengilly, why don’t you leave a key with him and ask him to get in touch when he’s had a chance to inspect the place.”

“Good idea,” Belinda said. “We’ll make our excuses and go in the morning.”

“Do you think it’s all right to leave Rose in the lurch like this? I mean, what if we go and then we find that she has had a horrible accident?”

“We can’t stay on indefinitely, can we? She’ll have to make up her mind what she wants to do with her life. And I still think the whole thing is in her head.”

“I don’t know about you, but I could do with a good cup of tea,” I said. “This sort of weather has chilled me to the marrow. And those little cakes and scones yesterday were heavenly, weren’t they?”

Belinda agreed that they were. As we entered the long gallery where tea was served we heard voices.

“Tony must be back,” Belinda said. “Oh God. All right. Let’s face the music, shall we?”

As we came closer we noticed that the hair appearing above the back of the armchair was dark, not fair. And parted in the middle.

Rose looked up from her teacup, with a strained smile on her face. “Ah, here they are now,” she said. “A surprise for you, Belinda. Look who is here.”

“Uncle Francis,” Belinda exclaimed.

“He stopped by to give his compliments,” Rose said. “He had just heard that I now lived here and he wanted to congratulate me on my marriage. Apparently he remembered me fondly from my childhood, and my mother’s cooking. Wasn’t that sweet.”

“Very sweet,” Belinda said in a voice that could have cut glass.

“And also delighted to find my one and only niece here too,” Uncle Francis said. “I was hoping to give my regards to young Tony Summers as well. I remember him from those years. A fine young yachtsman, I remember. Does he still sail?”

“We have a small sailboat,” Rose said, “but I don’t think he has much time for sailing. He’s very busy with the property and the farm.”

“He should come and crew for me,” Uncle Francis said. “I’ve a forty-footer. Handles a rough sea splendidly. So when do you expect that rogue of a husband to return home, Rose?”

“I’ve no idea. He comes home when he’s hungry, usually. But why do you say he’s a rogue?”