"Only that she came over with the Baron. I didn't know who he was then. I knew he was important, of course, but not that important. Hans told me. He said this Baron Rudolph is the only son of this Grand Duke or something, and this Grand Duke is a sort of King. Not like our Queen, of course, but the ruler of this dukedom, or whatever it is. But it's different over there. It's like a lot of little countries all with their own kings and though they seem little to us, they're thought to be pretty big over there."

"I understand, Daisy."

"Well, I'm glad you do, Miss Pip, because it's more than I do. But what I'm telling you is that when Rudolph came back with your sister there was a regular to-do. You see, he's the heir and he's supposed to marry some sort of grand lady from one of those other places and there could be war if he didn't. There's always going to be war ... and they're afraid of that. So Baron Rudolph is supposed to marry this lady. That means having Miss France there he had to keep her out of the way."

"He was married to my sister so how could he possibly marry this grand lady?"

"Well, it seems he wasn't exactly married... ."

"He was. They were married near Dover before they left the country."

"Well, they said she was his mistress. That was all right with them. He'd had them before ... and all Grand Dukes had. But with marriage it was different ... if you understand me."

"Listen, Daisy, my sister was married to him in Birley Church. I saw—"

I stopped. I had seen that entry, hadn't I? In view of everything that had happened I was beginning to doubt it.

"I reckon it had to be one of them mock marriages," said Daisy. "It would be the only way and Baron Rudolph would have known it. He had to keep her out of the way ... or he should have done. But there was one part of the country where he was very popular ... and I believe he was there with her."

"You never saw her, Daisy?"

"Oh no. I was in the Graf's slosh."

"Where?"

"The slosh. They have a lot of them over there. They're very pretty. Like castles."

"Oh I see—a schloss."

"That's it. No, they didn't come to our slosh. The Graf was very loyal to the Grand Duke and he and the Grafin thought that Rudolph ought to settle down and learn how to rule the country, which he would have to do when the Grand Duke dies, and they thought he ought to do all he could to stop this war they were all worried about, which would come if he didn't marry this one they'd got for him."

"So all this time you never saw her. What about the child?"

"Child? What child is this you mean, Miss Pip?"

"My sister had a little boy. A son. She was very proud of him."

"I never heard nothing of that."  "Oh, Daisy, I wish I knew what happened."

"You know she was killed in that shooting lodge."

"Where exactly was the lodge?"

"It's not so far from the slosh. Right in the middle of the pine forest, it is. It was an awful shock when it happened. The town went into mourning for a whole month. They said it nearly broke the Grand Duke's heart ... his only son, you see. They looked for the murderers. High and low they searched. But they couldn't find them. They said it was political. You see, there's a nephew. He's to be the next Grand Duke when the old man dies."

"Do they think he killed them?"

"They don't dare go as far as to say that. But this Baron Sigmund ... you see he's a son of the old man's brother and next in line, which is because of Rudolph's death ... if you get my meaning. So if anybody wanted Rudolph out of the way it could be Sigmund ... though Hans thinks it could be someone who just wanted Rudolph out of the way, he being not what they considered right to be the next Grand Duke."

"So someone who wanted Rudolph out of the way murdered him in the shooting lodge ... and just because Fran-cine was with him she was shot too."

"That's about it. It's the general view. Nobody can be sure... .

"But what about the child? Where was he at the time?"

"Nobody's ever said nothing about a child, Miss Pip."

"It's a great mystery to me. I am sure Francine was truly married and I am sure there was a child. I want to know, Daisy. It's the only thing I really care about now."

"Oh, you wouldn't want to get muddled up in all that, Miss Pip. You ought to settle down and marry some nice young man. You haven't got to worry about money now, have you? Get married and have babies. I can tell you this. .. . there's nothing I can think of better than holding your own little baby in your arms... ."

"Oh, Daisy, it's lovely to think of you as a mother."

"You ought to see my little Hansie."

"I wish I could." I was looking straight at her. "Daisy," I went on, "why shouldn't I?"

The idea had come and it would not be dismissed. It excited me as I had not been excited for a long time. It would give me a reason for living; it would get me away from the atmosphere of furtive suspicion from which I could not escape. At the back of my mind was the thought that I might see Conrad again.

During the last weeks the possibility that there might be results from my encounter with him had occurred to me. Somehow I had rather hoped there would be. It would add very much to the complications of my life, but I think the joy it would have brought me would have compensated for that. It would have put me in a desperate situation ... but to have had a child, a living memory of the hours I had spent with Conrad, filled me with longing.

It was a strange mingling of relief and disappointment when I knew that I had definitely not become pregnant, and I felt I had to give myself a reason for living. And now that Daisy had appeared she had, in a way, opened a door for me.

"Daisy," I said, "how would it be if I came back with you?"

"You, Miss Pip! Back with me?"

"I have money now. I am free, thanks to my grandmother. I want to find that child of Francine's. He exists, I know. Sometimes I feel he is calling for me. He would be nearly four years old by now. If he's there I should like to see him. I want to make sure that he is well looked after."

"Well, as I said, I never heard nothing about no child, and I reckon there'd have been plenty of people to find out if there was one. They're very fond of a bit of gossip over there, just as they are everywhere."

"I am convinced that there is a child and that my sister was married. This is what I want to settle, Daisy."

"All right then. When do you want to go?"

"When do you leave?"

"I was to stay till one or two of the others went back, but I don't really want to wait that long. I'm missing my two Hanses very much, I can tell you."

"Could you come back with me? We could travel together. You'd be such a help to me as you've done it before. Could we go together?"

Daisy's eyes were sparkling. "I reckon we could manage that. How long would you want to wait?"

"I want to leave as soon as I can."

"I see no reason why we shouldn't go when you're ready."

"I could go to the town and stay in an inn somewhere while I look round."

"There are inns all right. But I'll tell you what. Why couldn't you stay with me until you got sorted out? You see, I've got a cottage, a lovely little place in the valley just below the slosh. We had it when I was going to have the baby. That was when Hans didn't want me to work no more. The Grafin is very good to her servants and she and Miss Tatiana gave me things to furnish it with. So you could stay with me till you found what you wanted."

"Oh, Daisy, that would be wonderful. That would help me a lot. I could then look round and find out what I ought to do. I want to do this. I want to do it so much. It needs thinking about though. I am going there and I am going to find out who killed my sister. I'm going to find her baby."

Daisy smiled at me indulgently. "Well, if you can do better than the Grand Duke's police and guards you are a bit of a marvel. Don't you think they tried to find the murderer?"

"Perhaps they didn't try hard enough. This is my sister ... my own flesh and blood."

"So you're going to be like one of them detectives, are you?"

"Yes, I am."

I was so excited. Life had taken on real meaning for me. I was as near happy as I had been since Conrad had gone. I felt I was emerging from the slough of despond at last.

I talked a great deal about my project with Grace, with Charles and of course with Daisy. Aunt Grace thought it was preposterous, but Charles said a little travel would do me no harm and if I could go back with Daisy I would have company, for travelling alone would have been impossible.

I let them talk about the difficulties. Aunt Grace tried to dissuade me. There was a home for me at Wisteria Cottage and I knew she was thinking of a husband for me in the not too distant future.

Cousin Arthur called at Wisteria Cottage. He was very affable, and being squire suited him. He was quite dignified when the old subservience dropped from him. He listened thoughtfully to my plans for travelling back with Daisy and was surprisingly understanding. "It will do you the world of good," he said. "It will get you away from here and that is what you need. My dear cousin, perhaps when you come back we can be the good friends I always hoped we should be."

He was looking at me rather wistfully and I was wondering what meaning lay behind his words. He was helpful in a practical way. He thought that travelling so far and through several countries I might be in need of some papers, a passport. He made enquiries and even conducted me to London to acquire these.

I said, "I should never have thought of it but for you, Cousin Arthur."

"I am very glad to be able to offer you some assistance," he answered.

"Cousin Arthur, is all going well at Greystone?"

"Oh yes. We are very quiet at the moment. I am not entertaining at all. Only the Glencorns have been once or twice, but they are such old friends. I do hope that when you come back you will visit me often. As you know, there would always be a home for you at Greystone Manor."

"It is good of you, Cousin Arthur. I don't know what my plans will be. I want to get this—er—holiday over first and then see how I feel."

"All very natural, dear Philippa. You have been through a trying time. Get right away and forget it, eh?"

"I will try."

I helped Aunt Grace move into Wisteria Cottage while I was making my preparations. I saw a great deal of Daisy for there were so many plans to be made. She described the country to me and something of the life she lived. She was very happy in her cottage in the valley close to what she persisted in calling the "slosh," and she told me that Hans came home every evening so that it was all very cosy and life had turned out romantically and happily for her.

"Of course," she commented, "some would have said I was a bad and wicked girl to go off with Hans. I never thought I was. I reckon if you love it's all right. After all, it's better than marrying someone for money ... or so it seems to me. Well, all's well that ends well, as they say, and Hans and me is very well, thank the Lord."

She didn't know how close I had come to doing what she had done, and I often wondered how different my life might have been if I had obeyed my natural impulses on that night.

However, as Daisy herself would be the first to admit, what was done was done, and we had to go on from there. It was a favourite expression of hers.

The more I thought of my decision the more it seemed like a miracle that I was able to do what in my heart I had always wanted to. I was going over there ... to Conrad's country. Would I see him again? What if there should be another chance? I should have to wait and see what life had to offer me. Perhaps he would not want to renew our acquaintance. That he was a man who must have had many love affairs I could readily believe, but I did think that his sense of chivalry would have stopped his casually seducing a young virgin. I liked to think that it was only because he had been carried away by his passion that he had done so, and that he had really intended that we should be together. Oh yes, I really did believe that he had cared for me.

"I tell you what you're going to be," said Daisy gleefully, "some sort of detective, that's what. Now there's something that's struck me. You're the same name as your sister and there was quite a bit about her in the papers. They called her 'the woman Ewell.' You see what I mean. Some people might remember the name. It might stop them telling you things if they thought you was snooping around. Do you follow me?"