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to recognize the voices of my brother and Louisa Thorpe. The tour of the house had obviously come to an end, though apparently Frank had lingered with Sir Ralph, who was explaining to him the finer points of medieval combat.
    ‘Not at all the sort of thing to interest
me
,’ said Mrs Thorpe, ‘and dear Sir Ralph can be rather tedious at times. Amelia seems quite interested but, of course, such matters may be of use to her when writing her novels. She is relatedto you, isn’t she?’
    ‘Yes. She is second cousin to Charlotte and me. We share great-grandparents.’
    So far the conversation was so mundane that I was about to reveal myself but then I realized that to do so would cause us all great embarrassment.
    ‘Oh, dear Mr Tyler, my necklace has come adrift – I fear the clasp has given way. Can you rescue it for me?’
    ‘I’m not very good at this sort of thing but I’ll do my best. It’s a pity Charlotte isn’t here. She’s got very agile fingers.’
    ‘Oh no, Mr Tyler, I’m sure you are just as agile – in every possible way!’ Her voice was low and seductive. I could scarcely believe my ears, the remark was so blatant – so bold and vulgar. She had not known my brother for a day. I felt sorry for poor George, who was rather a fool where women were concerned. Once or twice I had been obliged to rescue him from some predatory and utterly unsuitable female who saw an agreeable rich man who would perhaps offer matrimony and a life of comfort. If the right woman came along I would not stand in her way but the right woman would certainly not behave like Mrs Thorpe.
    ‘There,’ he said, ‘I think the clasp is quite securely fastened now. You won’t lose your pearls.’
    ‘They are not real ones, I’m afraid. Mr Thorpe left me in a poor way when he died – nothing but a small annuity – everything else to his greedy family, who always hated me. Amelia was left almost as badly off but at least she was able to buy a decent house and she had her writing to sustain her. I was obliged to move to a small cottage and I sold all my jewellery including my real pearls.’
    ‘Well, these are a very good imitation.’
    ‘Do you know how to tell if pearls are real?’ she asked.
    ‘Aren’t you supposed to bite them or something?’
    ‘Yes, but not really a bite – just slide your teeth over them. Real pearls feel gritty. Fake pearls are smooth. Try it!’
    I recalled that her necklace was quite short. I could picture her encouraging my brother to put his mouth close to her neck. There was a certain amount of giggling, chuckling and murmuring: an ‘Oh, Mr Tyler!’ and a ‘Very smooth indeed, Mrs Thorpe!’
    I felt nauseated. Then, mercifully, the bell went for luncheon.

CHAPTER FIVE
    Amelia Denby was rather annoyed by a last-minute disruption of her dinner arrangements.
    ‘Eleven at dinner!’ she exclaimed. ‘That’s such an awkward number.’
    ‘Better than thirteen, surely,’ said her husband.
    Lady Denby ignored him. ‘It’s too late to invite anyone else to make up the numbers.’
    ‘But you always invite General and Colonel Hartley together,’ protested Sir Ralph amiably. ‘We know the old man enjoys poor health and can’t come very often. We never know until the last minute if he feels up to it. He
is
eighty after all and half-crippled.’
    ‘Yes, in the usual run of things it doesn’t matter but it’s awkward when I have other guests. Never mind, we’ll have to make the best of it and shuffle people round the table.’
    Thus it came about that I found myself sitting opposite Louisa Thorpe with the Colonel next to her and Frank Lawrence on my left. As soon as I saw Lieut-Colonel John Hartley, I realized he was indeed the gentleman on horseback I had seen from the roof, talking to the hermit. Then I had thought there was something odd about his appearance.I had not seen him clearly when he arrived before dinner, as there was some delay helping his father out of the carriage and there was