“That’s fascinating.” Lucy sat forward. “And is there any other mention of the Knights’ treasure in the village.”

Hazel smiled. “No. In point of fact Sir Thomas records that there was no treasure and that the garden that he designed at Knightstone ‘for the delight of my godson Robert Catesby and his wife, Catherine’ was in remembrance of the Order ‘to honor a treasured memory.’”

“That word treasure again,” Finn said. “In Sir Thomas’s case it seems it was the garden that was the treasured object.”

“Absolutely,” Hazel said. She smiled. “It’s a slippery word, isn’t it, treasure. But there is one final twist that you might like.” She selected a second sheet of paper. “Sir Thomas records that he has summoned his sister-in-law Anne Catesby to Lyveden to lay upon her the sacred trust of preserving the mantle of the Knights Prior and to take it back to Knightstone for safekeeping. There’s no record of whether Lady Catesby did so, however. Sir Thomas died a few days later and this was the time preceding the Gunpowder Plot—Anne Catesby’s main concern would surely have been whatever her son was up to, and the danger to her surviving grandson.”

“I’m not an expert on the Gunpowder Plot,” Finn said, “but didn’t Anne Catesby have to fight very hard to preserve her grandson’s inheritance after Robert was attainted a traitor?”

“Yes,” Hazel said. “Anne fought and won. Her own marriage settlement from Sir William Catesby was saved and she left it all to the younger Robert. He married Mary Percy, the daughter of another of the Gunpowder plotters.”

They finished their tea and left Hazel to start the process of authentication of the miniatures. “It goes without saying that we’ll keep in touch every step of the way,” Hazel said. “It’s going to be an exceptionally exciting time.”

“Poor Gabriel,” Lucy said as they got into the car, “he’s never going to get that key back now, is he?”

“As long as he gets a credit as the curator of the museum where it was found,” Finn said, “I’m sure he’ll be happy.”

“He’d be even happier if the mantle of the Prior of the Order of the Knights Hospitaller was found at Knightstone,” Lucy said. “I wonder... There’s one other treasure reference in the village, isn’t there?” Then as Finn looked blank, “the old memorial stone up at the church has a quotation about treasure on it.”

“I didn’t know that,” Finn said. “Let’s take a look at it on the way back.”

They had lunch in Stow-on-the-Wold before driving back to Knightstone and taking the narrow road up the hill to the church.

“Hazel told me when I last visited Chastleton that whilst Catherine is buried at Stoneleigh, there’s a memorial to her here,” Lucy said. “I assumed she meant in the church but it would be amazing if it was the stone.” They were approaching the old sarsen through the churchyard. Sun fell through the pointed leaves of the yew, shadows shifted and danced.