As I walked back up the drive I was overtaken by the ancient motorcar containing the two remaining Misses Ffrench-Finch and Miss Prendergast.

“Hop in, do,” they twittered as they opened the door for me. “Much too nasty to walk today.”

I climbed up and squeezed in beside them. “Thank you,” I said. “It’s certainly treacherous underfoot.”

“We just heard an ambulance going past,” one of them said.

“I’m afraid there was an accident and a van went off the road,” I said. “Someone was killed.”

“How terrible,” Miss Prendergast said. “Was he a local man?”

“The butcher from town. He was delivering geese to Lady Hawse-Gorzley. I expect he was running late,” I said.

“Such a tragedy. On Christmas Day too,” one of the Misses Ffrench-Finch said (I hadn’t quite worked out which was which). “So much sadness at the moment. That man from the garage falling off the bridge on his way home and our poor sister. We debated long and hard over whether we should join the festivities, but dear Lizzie said that Effie would not have wanted us to sit at home moping. Such a tower of strength, our dear Effie. How we miss her.”

“I’m so sorry for you,” Miss Prendergast said. “If there’s anything I can do to help, you know I’ll always be here.”

“Most kind, my dear. You have been a great comfort to us. It was a blessing the day you moved into this village.”

We pulled up outside the house.

“I just saw the local wild woman.” I looked down the driveway, thinking that I saw a movement among the hedges.

“Wild Sal? Yes, one does see her from time to time,” one of the Misses Ffrench-Finch said. “In fact, Cook tells me that she came to the back door on the night our dear sister died. Knocked on the door quite late and asked for food. Cook said it was snowing and she felt so badly that she brought her into the kitchen and fed her.”

The chauffeur opened the door. I alighted first and helped the old ladies out of the motor. But the cogs were whirring inside my head. So another person had been in the house that night after the front door was locked. And not only another person but one who was a descendant of the witch, and who had just given me a strange warning.

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

CHRISTMAS DAY IN TIME FOR THE BANQUET