Murder on the Rocks (A Lady Hardcastle Mystery #13)

An early night allowed for an early morning and I was up shortly after six. I knew there was no point in visiting Lady Hardcastle, who would be sound asleep until eight, so I did my Chinese exercises in my nightdress and then clambered back into bed to read the book I’d brought with me.

But there was a lot to do. We had at least one evildoer to catch, possibly as many as three, and we had little more than twenty-four hours to work out who he, she or they might be.

I couldn’t concentrate on the book so I got washed and dressed – yet another previously unseen outfit because heaven forfend I should be seen twice in the same dress – and set off for Lady Hardcastle’s room.

It was still not long past seven by my reckoning, so I braced myself for the inevitable grumbling and knocked.