spotted hemlock

the man who grew tomatoes

say it with flowers

the nodding canaries

my bones will keep

adders on the heath

death of a delft blue

pageant of murder

the croaking raven

skeleton island

three quick and five dead

dance to your daddy

gory dew

lament for leto

a hearse on may-day

the murder of busy lizzie

a javelin for jonah

winking at the brim

convent on styx

late, late in the evening

noonday and night

fault in the structure

wraiths and changelings

First published in Great Britain by Michael Joseph Ltd., 52 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3EF

© 1978 by Gladys Mitchell

All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the Copyright owner.

ISBN 0 7181 1689 5

Phototypeset by Granada Graphics Ltd. Printed and bound by Redwood Burn.

“A hoop of gold to bind thy brothers in,

That the united vessel of their blood,

Mingled with venom of suggestion…

Shall never leak, though it do work as strong

As aconitum…”

Henry IV, Part 2, IV, sc.4

Chapter 1

Three Houses in Cornwall

^ »

‘A full family reunion can be a very chancy business,’ said Maria Porthcawl.

‘This one looks like being a chapter out of Ivy Compton Burnett,’ said Fiona Bute. ‘Mrs Plack has already thrown a fit of hysterics and retired to her bed with a migraine at the thought of all the cooking involved.’

Madre has left me to issue the invitations. Surely she must know better than to seat Rupert and Diana at the same table. They haven’t spoken a civil word to one another for years.’

‘They need not sit next to one another.’

‘Then what about Gamaliel? Does she know he’s black?’

‘I doubt whether she even knows of his existence. Anyway, it’s a legal adoption, so he counts as one of the family. Then there are Quentin and Millament, Diana’s twins.’

‘But they’re only twelve years old. Surely they won’t be expected to dine with the rest?’

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