“But does anyone walk down a long hall naked?” she asked. “Wouldn’t he at least put a robe on until he got here? He might have run into you or Mrs. Mannering, after all.”

“Perhaps there is a robe somewhere among those bedclothes.”

“Oh yes. That’s possible. He could have stripped off the bedclothes in a fit of impatient passion. But I made it quite clear to him, Georgie. I really did.”

“I know,” I said. “I was coming back from the bathroom and I overheard some of it.”

“But if anyone else overheard some of it?” Belinda said. “If anyone else spotted Tony going into my room. That creepy Mannering woman. I bet she spies on all of us. If she testifies that he crept into my room, I’m done for. She might even lie and say I invited him.”

“Why would she do that? Did you detect any special dislike from Mrs. Mannering?”

“Not exactly. Not the way she dislikes Rose.” She took a sip of the brandy, shuddered and said, “It’s impossible, isn’t it?”

“Of course it is. Everything’s going to be all right.” I put a hand on her shoulder.

Belinda covered it with her own hand. “I’m so glad you’re here. I don’t know what I would have done if I’d been alone. You do believe me, don’t you?”

“Of course I do. We’ve known each other for years. I know very well when you are lying. And anyway, why would you want to kill Tony? You’ve had enough experience with men to stop his advances if you didn’t want him.”

“But why kill him in my room? Why put him on my bed? If anyone had a grudge against Tony, why not lurk around a dark corner, stab him in the back and then creep out again? For that matter, why take the risk that you’d be caught inside the house? Why not follow him to a distant corner of the property and then escape by sea?”

She stopped suddenly and put a hand to her mouth. “Uncle Francis!” she said. “That’s who did it. How very clever. He came to the house this afternoon on the pretense of wanting to pay his respects to Rose and see his beloved niece again, and while he was here, he had a good opportunity to scout things out. And didn’t he say he’d see himself out? I bet he never went at all. He found a disused room to hide out in until the proper time came to strike. He has killed two birds with one stone, don’t you see? Not only Tony and his mooring leases but if I’m found guilty of murder and I hang, he’ll get the money and the properties.”

“Do you really think your uncle is capable of murder to get what he wants?”