“Oh, it couldn’t have been an apple tree. They only live for about forty years and they’re neither tall nor strong enough to support a hanging.” Given the subject matter, the authority in Lady Marleigh’s tone was slightly disconcerting. As, for that matter, was Lady Miranda’s undimmed curiosity. “Is that so? What are the superior trees for hanging oneself? Well, let me show you this one and you can assess its merit as an instrument of self-destruction.”
