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cabin?”
    “Second class.”
    “Then he may not be a professional,” said Dillman. “There’d be much richer pickings in first class. Most thieves would start there.”
    “Not in every case,” argued Grandage. “The more wealth people have, the more care they take to protect it. Our safe is packedwith valuables that have been put there by first-class passengers. No, this was an opportunist theft by someone who knew exactly where to go. Mrs. Prendergast is heartbroken.”
    “Mrs. Prendergast?” echoed Genevieve.
    “The victim. When she discovered what had happened, she was mortified.”
    “Have you looked into the case, Mr. Grandage?”
    “I was hoping you’d do that,” said the other. “Calming down distraught women has never been my forte. Besides, I think you’d get more out of her than I managed. All that Mrs. Prendergast did when I was there was to burst into tears.”
    “I’ll go and see her as soon as we’ve finished here.”
    “Thank you, Miss Masefield. You’ll find her cabin number on the list.”
    “I’m surprised the purser doesn’t want to keep this crime to himself,” said Dillman. “He gave me the impression that he only had to wave a magic wand and culprits would rush forward to confess.”
    Grandage chuckled. “I wish that it
did
happen that way.”
    “At least we now have a reason to be on the
Marmora
.”
    “You have over four hundred and fifty reasons, Mr. Dillman, because that’s the number of passengers aboard and they all deserve to be safeguarded. Some, of course, need an even greater degree of protection.”
    “The royal party?”
    “Yes,” said Grandage.
    “But I understood that Mr. Kilhendry was looking after them.”
    “There’s a limit to how much time he can spend on guard. I don’t need to tell you how busy a purser is during a voyage. You’re at the mercy of everyone. It’s a twenty-four-hour nightmare. Brian Kilhendry is tireless, but even he can’t be in two places at the same time. We need to have contingency plans.”
    “What sort of contingency plans?” said Genevieve.
    “I’m looking at them,” replied Grandage, shifting his gaze fromone to the other. “I want you to keep a special eye on the royal party. It won’t be too onerous a job. The Princess Royal is known to be reserved. She likes to keep herself to herself.”
    “They must come on deck at some time,” said Dillman. “They have two teenage daughters. I can’t believe they’d do without daily exercise.”
    “I’m sure they won’t, Mr. Dillman. They’ll have a regular routine. The Duke has promised to let me know what that routine is so that you have some forewarning.”
    Genevieve was puzzled. “But why? Surely they’re not in danger?”
    “We can’t be certain of that. Like me, I daresay you hold the royal family in the highest esteem. We’re true patriots, as are many of the people aboard. But we are also carrying a number of foreign nationals.”
    “I’m one of them,” Dillman volunteered with a grin. “An arrogant American.”
    “You don’t pose any threat,” said Grandage, “and it may be that nobody else on the
Marmora
does, either. But we can’t take that risk. The British monarchy may be respected at home but it’s reviled in some countries. It’s not beyond the bounds of possibility that someone might want to strike a blow against it. A symbolic act, if you like, whether out of envy, spite, or political conviction.”
    “What are you asking us to do, Mr. Grandage?” said Genevieve.
    “Take on the role of unofficial bodyguards,” replied the other. “Look after the royal party. I have a strange feeling that your expertise will be needed.”

FOUR
    M abel Prendergast was a big, heavy woman in her sixties with silver hair that was brushed severely back and held in a bun. Her shoulders were hunched, her head held down, and her knees bent, as if she were apologizing for her size by trying to appear slightly smaller. Tears were still moistening the old