“She is pretty competitive,” Charlotte conceded. “But she certainly would not accept the plants if they were stolen.”
“Thanks for your time, Charlotte. This must have been hard to digest.”
Back in the car, Paul Cairns speed-dialled his second-in-command. “Jones, you need to research Lady Barker-Worthington’s nephew Rob – we might be on to something.” Paul Cairns disconnected and they drove home in silence.
+++
Back home, Paul Cairns and Lynx found the others in the living room; Annie’s cheeks were flushed as she eagerly listened to my explanations on how to research gardening advice on the web. At least Bud looked up, yawned, and trotted to the door to greet them.
Annie Cairns looked at her watch. “Coffee time and – talk time!” She marched to the kitchen, knowing that we would follow – which we did.
Paul Cairns told us what he and Lynx had learned from Charlotte and that he was expecting to hear from Jones; Lynx added some of her thoughts.
“Wasn’t it odd to meet in the Viking room?”
“No, Ken. It is good to know that nobody could listen in to the interview – especially her ladyship.”
I was still wondering when Bud laid his paw on my knee.
In a small compass... 
Darn it. The dog intrigued me. Now I’ll have to read the first 55 posts… 😉
Thank you very much for your kind feedback. Happy reading. 🙂