‘It’s a bit like going to confession or something, isn’t it?’ Marie-Claire whispered.

‘What will our penance be, I wonder?’ Brigid chuckled and Marie-Claire giggled.

‘I feel like a naughty child, it’s weird.’

‘She has to keep control. That’s how she can save face,’ Brigid observed sagely. ‘I had to do it myself many times when I was a young Reverend Mother in charge of older nuns.’

‘Not easy I suppose.’

‘What’s not easy?’ Imelda appeared at the door carrying a tea tray. Marie-Claire jumped up to take it from her.

‘Being a young Reverend Mother in charge of older nuns,’ Brigid said mildly.

‘Oh! Well that was no bother to you, I’m sure. You’re bossy enough.’ Imelda handed her a mug of tea.

‘Hmmm, when faced with rudeness and bad manners you needed to be bossy sometimes,’ Brigid reciprocated tartly.

A frigid silence descended on the trio.

Realizing that she’d overstepped the mark, Imelda sought a safe topic. ‘Er . . . I believe you were in France for a while.’

‘I was.’

‘And how did that go?’ Imelda handed her sister a plate with a selection of pastries.

‘It was absolutely wonderful.’ Brigid took a custard slice. ‘I’d only had a very brief stay at Keelin and Armand’s, years ago. It was so delightful to get to know the people in the village, and take walks on Canigou,’ she enthused.

‘I like walking Canigou too,’ Imelda admitted, relaxing a little.

‘Perhaps we might walk it together someday?’ Brigid seized her opening.

‘Er . . . well . . . ah . . . I don’t think I’m flavour of the month with my daughter and her husband right now.’ Imelda was stunned at her sister’s invitation. Was Brigid in her right mind?

‘Well, that’s one of the reasons we came to see you, Imelda. Keelin, Marie-Claire and I are going to Scotland for a long weekend, Thursday to Sunday, and we wondered would you like to come with us so we could spend time together and heal old wounds,’ Brigid asked.

‘Keelin wants me to go?’ Imelda could hardly believe her ears.

‘Granny, Maman is very unhappy about being estranged from you, and she’s very hurt by what you said about Papa – as am I, by the way. But she feels we all have to make an effort to resolve our issues so we can put the past behind us and move on,’ Marie-Claire said bluntly, feeling that her grandmother was getting a very soft ride from Brigid. ‘If she’s prepared to do it so should you.’

‘And why Scotland?’ Imelda ignored her granddaughter’s last comment.