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Male members of the Thyme Clan are easily identified by a
distinctive white tuft of hair in the shape of a question mark.
This hereditary forelock is traditionally known as the “Thyme
Streak.” Stroll through the castle’s portrait gallery, and you’ll
see that there hasn’t been a single Laird of Thyme without it!

Sir Willoughby believes the Clan to be under a curse, and that a family member
must die in tragic circumstances once every thirteen years. Willoughby’s mother,
Lady Isabel, drowned the summer he turned four. Thirteen years later his brother,
Deighton, got thrown from a horse and killed. Finally, old Sir Lyall Austin Thyme
was swept away by an avalanche whilst mountaineering, exactly one month before
Justin was born. According to Sir Willoughby’s calculations, one of them will fall
victim to the Thyme Curse this very year - but who will it be?

It is noteworthy that prior to Sir Willoughby, the Thyme Clan were not known for their
brains. The gene for genius came from Lady Isabel Trentine’s side of the family. She
was the daughter of Professor Basil E Trentine, though many suspect this was a
pseudonym to conceal his true identity. His little-known invention, (linen batteries),
earned him a pittance; he was shunned by the scientific community and eventually
died a senile an’ bitter old man. The Trentine family crest is the Siberian Nettle and
their clan motto is “Sententia Liber.”