"Forgive me, where are my manners?" Iago said with a smile as he extended a hand to the other gentleman. "Iago Armin. I'm new to your charming town. I've bought that rambling old manor house out in the bush, the agent tells me a Will Kemp used to own it." He gave a self-effacing smile, which turned into a small sneer as he looked over the crowd. If Iago was reading the other fellow correctly, he was a bit of a conscious or unconscious snob. A calculated gesture. "Quite a gathering," he said as he took another sip of wine.

He blinked as a constable abruptly appeared in front of them, hard to miss in his dark uniform with WARWICKSHIRE POLICE emblazoned on it. Damned plodder, showing up at an inopportune time. Oh well. Iago reminded himself he was here to observe and learn- launching schemes of any kind would have to wait. Besides, the plodder might be useful at some point. "It's quite lovely, Constable Macbeth," he said, squinting through the gathering gloom at the copper's nameplate. "This all promises to be a delightful evening."