Heather and Harry looked stumped. Clearly this hadn’t come up in the game so far.

‘Um, I think about twenty minutes ago?’ Heather said after a long pause. ‘I saw Clementine – the victim, I mean – through the window, talking to another girl, not long before that, so it must have been around then.’

‘In that case, I was right here with my fiancé,’ Posy replied. Then, turning to Kit with her best, blinding, film star smile she planted a kiss right on his unsuspecting lips. ‘Wasn’t I, darling?’

Kit blinked at her. ‘Um, yes?’

Heather and Harry were still waiting for something more, Posy sensed, but she had no more information on her card. She nudged Kit in the ribs, and he remembered the game.

‘Oh, right. Um, I did see someone else heading away from the stables on my way here though. A man in a red hat.’

‘Did you see which way he went?’ Heather asked, eagerly.

‘Towards the cake stall, I think,’ Kit replied.

Posy waited until Heather and Harry were out of earshot before saying, ‘I thought Caro was by the cake stall.’

‘What do I know? The card said to send them after a man in a red hat.’ Kit’s gaze slid sideways to look at her. ‘I suppose yours said to kiss me?’

‘Afraid so.’

‘Hey, I’m definitely not complaining.’ He waggled his eyebrows at her. ‘And Anton will be thrilled to have found an actress who takes direction without arguing.’

‘These days I’m mostly grateful to have a job,’ she admitted.

Discovering that being a world-famous child didn’t automatically translate into being a castable woman had been a blow. Coming on the heels of the revelation that her parents had already spent all the money she’d earned from the movies she’d made as a minor, it had almost been the end of her acting career.

Even now, Uncle Sol’s words echoed in her ears at every rejection. You were a cute kid, but you’re not hot enough for lead roles. Plus some guys feel weird about lusting after girls they watched grow up. Give it a few years. Get some work done. Maybe you’ll be ready for a comeback by the time you’re twenty-five.

Dahlia was her comeback. She’d done it without her parents, without her famous film critic godfather, without even getting a nose job – even if it had taken a few more years than Sol had predicted. And she wasn’t going to lose it because of a few stupid photos and some two-bit blackmailer.

Kit turned slightly to meet her gaze. ‘Well, I’m glad you’ve got this job,’ he said. ‘I think we’re going to have a lot of fun, Posy Starling.’

Posy smiled. At least someone was glad she was here.