BOOK 3

So was hers.

She shrugged irritably and turned back into the room to begin unpacking.

When she went downstairs with Connie half an hour later, it was with a mixture of relief and disappointment that she learned Brand was no longer in the house.

*He had some business to attend to at the airport,' Veronica said. 'Mr Ryder is a very busy man.'

Who can't afford to waste his valuable time on riffraff like Connie and me, thought Isabella, noting the smug lift to the other woman's voice. She didn't think she much liked Veronica.

'Yes,' she said sweetly. 'My husband has always been active.'

She was rewarded by Veronica's quick frown, and after that she and Connie were left to their own devices. They heard the housekeeper's heels tapping smartly on the floor as she made her way along one of the polished hardwood corridors.

They spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the extensive grounds, which, to Connie's delight, included a fishpond, natural woods and a swimming pool.

By the time they re