“It’s these unexplained deaths,” I said. “One each day since I arrived. The man shot in the orchard, the garage owner who fell off a bridge, the old lady found gassed—and yesterday there was also a horrible incident in Newton Abbott. A telephone operator was electrocuted when she tried to plug in her headphones.”

“That doesn’t sound right,” Darcy said. “There would be no way that electric wires would be anywhere near telephone wires.”

“That makes it four deaths in four days,” I said. “So I couldn’t help worrying that someone might have died this morning.”

“As far as I know we’re all hale and hearty here,” he said. “No corpses lying in the hallways.”

“It’s not funny, Darcy,” I snapped. “It’s horrible.”

He reached across and stroked my cheek. “Yes, I suppose it is. Especially when you’ve actually seen one of those corpses. But there’s nothing we can do about it, Georgie, and it doesn’t concern us. Maybe your telephone operator was deliberately killed because she eavesdropped on a conversation, but the others—well, as far as I can see they can’t be connected or even be murders. A cluster of sad accidents, that’s all.”

His hand slid from my cheek down to my chin and he pulled me toward him to give me a kiss.

“Darcy, not in public,” I said.

He grinned. “You weren’t so modest about it last night, I seem to remember. Inviting me into your bedchamber, suggesting that we run off to a desert island together in full hearing of everyone else. In fact, I had no idea that you were such a hot little piece.”

“Oh, dear.” I put my hands to my face. “Don’t remind me. I feel absolutely awful.”

“Don’t apologize. I rather liked it. In fact, I’m looking for a time when you can show me more.”

“Stop it.” I slapped his hand and he laughed. “Maybe it’s your true nature coming out. Maybe you take after your mother after all.”

“God, I hope not,” I said.

“By the way, was that your grandfather we saw last night? Looked exactly like him.”

“Yes, it was. My mother’s here too. She and Noel Coward are working on a play together and Granddad came down to help look after them.”

“Your mother and Noel Coward—what an unlikely pair.” Darcy chuckled. “So she’s going back to the theater, is she? The big blond German man is nicht mehr?”

“He’s gone to stay with his family for Christmas,” I said. “And between ourselves I see the beginning of the end. I think she’s only toying with the idea of acting again. She does so love being adored.”

“Don’t we all?” Darcy gave me the most wonderful smile that melted me all the way to my toes.