'Yes, I'll take it.'

He said without embarrassment:

'Rather different from finding lost cats. Mrs Fortescue told my wife what you charge per day. This will be higher, I suppose.' Cordelia said:

'The daily rate is the same whatever the job. The final bill depends on the time taken, whether I have to use either of my staff, and the level of expenses. These can sometimes be high. But as I'll be a guest on the island, there will be no hotel bills. When do you want me to arrive?'

'The launch from Courcy – it's called Shearwater – will be at Speymouth jetty to meet the nine thirty-three from Waterloo. Your ticket's in this envelope. My wife has telephoned to let Mr Gorringe know that she's bringing a secretary-companion to help her with various odd jobs during the weekend. You'll be expected.'

So Clarissa Lisle had been confident that she would take the job. And why not? She had taken it. And she was apparently equally confident of being able to get her way with Ambrose Gorringe. Her excuse for including a secretary in the party was surely rather thin and Cordelia wondered how far it had been believed. To arrive for a country-house weekend accompanied by one's private detective was permissible for royalty, but in any less elevated guest showed a lack of confidence in one's host, while to bring one incognito might reasonably be regarded as a breach of etiquette. It wasn't going to be easy to protect Miss Lisle without betraying that she was there under false pretences, a discovery which would hardly be agreeable for either her host or fellow guests. She said:

'I need to know who else will be on the island and anything you can tell me about them.'

'There's not much I can tell. There'll be about one. hundred people on the island by Saturday afternoon when the cast and invited audience arrive. But the house party is small. My wife, of course, with Tolly – Miss Tolgarth – her dresser. Then my wife's stepson, Simon Lessing, will be there.