When the Excisemen leave, Tristram examines Ludovic's hands and pronounces his innocence, since he is not wearing the ring that would have been so important to him. Together with Sarah, now a loyal accomplice and Eustacie's self-appointed chaperone, they conclude that the murderer must be the foppish "Beau" Basil, Lord Lavenham's heir in the absence of Ludovic, and they hatch a plan to break into his home at the Dower House in search of the ring.
When the Excisemen leave, Tristram examines Ludovic's hands and declares him innocent because he is not wearing the ring that would have been crucial to him. Alongside Sarah, now a loyal accomplice and Eustacie's self-appointed guardian, they deduce that the killer must be the refined "Beau" Basil, Lord Lavenham's heir in Ludovic's absence, and they devise a plan to infiltrate his residence at the Dower House.