“No,” Hazel said. “Catherine Catesby died at Knightstone, but was buried in her family chapel at Stoneleigh, I think. There was a memorial at Knightstone that was later moved, or lost, I forget which.” She nodded at the book. “There could be something in there about it.”

“Thanks so much for your time,” Lucy said. “I really appreciate it. And the book,” she added. “I’ll get back to you with any questions and let you know as and when we uncover the Tudor gardens.”

“And I’ll get in touch with you if I come across anything that might be useful,” Hazel promised. “Good luck!”

As she walked back to the car park, passing an art exhibition in the old barn on the way, Lucy reflected that she might not have discovered anything to do with Catherine Catesby at Chastleton, but she had the book and she had found out a little bit about what Charlie had been researching just before he died. The suggestion of a link between Robert Catesby and the Knights Hospitaller was intriguing. They needed to find out more about that, although perhaps not from Gabriel, as he hadn’t been particularly supportive of the garden project.

She slid into the car and put her bag down next to her. Then she shrank back against the seat instinctively as Persis hurried past. She was searching the pockets of her jacket for change for the ticket machine and didn’t notice her, but Lucy, looking over in the direction she had come from, saw Gabriel himself leaning against the bonnet of a silver estate car.

He saw her and raised a hand in greeting, sauntering over. Cursing under her breath, Lucy lowered the window.

“Hi!” Gabriel was smiling widely, perhaps a little too widely. There was an anxious expression in his eyes and a false note of bonhomie in his voice. “Fancy seeing you! What are you doing here?”

His stance, leaning on the roof of the car and bending down to peer inside, seemed rather aggressive to Lucy. Resisting the urge simply to drive off, she leaned away from the window, silently offering thanks that she had put the book in her bag.

“Oh, I’m just taking a look around,” she said. “I’m visiting my sister, Cleo, in Highworth and she recommended a visit here. It’s beautiful, isn’t it. What about you?”

It didn’t seem to have occurred to Gabriel that he might also have to account for himself. He gaped like a fish for a moment and then Persis popped up next to him. She also seemed a little tense.

“Hi, Lucy!” she said. “What a coincidence seeing you here!”

“Isn’t it,” Lucy agreed blandly.

“We’ve come to see the exhibition,” Persis went on, “haven’t we, Gabe?” Her gaze darted to him. “Aunt Marilynne has some of her work on show.” She turned back to Lucy. “Perhaps you saw it?”

“I saw there was an exhibition, but I didn’t go in,” Lucy said. “I wanted to get back to my sister’s for tea. Maybe next time.”