Joanna Barton learned of Ursula’s death from her mother and that in itself was unusual. It was Saturday evening and she had switched the phone through from the house to the pottery where she was working. Simon was out. He had disappeared the evening before as soon as they had left the Cadver.

‘It’s the pipeline project,’ he had said. ‘I’ll book into that hotel on the Solway where we used to stay, then I can make an early start. You don’t mind, do you?’

How could she mind? How could she deny him anything?

All the same, she protested. She liked his company. She felt really low at the moment and needed someone around.

‘But it’s the weekend! They can’t expect you to work at the weekend.’

‘It’s a rushed job,’ he had said. ‘And I get a bonus if I finish on time.’

When the phone rang in the pottery she assumed it was Simon. He usually phoned her when he was working away, to tell her that he was fine. He assumed that she worried about him. He rarely gave her a phone number where she could contact him and she thought sometimes that he could have a quite separate life away from her, another woman, perhaps, even children. He was away from home so much.

But it was her mother on the end of the line and the contact was so surprising that at first she did not recognise the voice. Olivia usually communicated with her daughter through a third party. She would send Jeremy to the Old School House with a message, or the housekeeper would ring and relay the information that Mrs Grenville would like to see Joanna at the house.

‘Mother,’ Joanna said abruptly. ‘What do you want?’

‘It’s about Ursula Ottway,’ Olivia said. ‘I suppose you’ve heard that she’s dead.’

‘No!’ Joanna said. ‘I didn’t know.’

‘I’m surprised,’ Olivia said. ‘I should have thought you’d see the undertaker going to the farm …’

How did you find out? Joanna wondered. How do you know everything that goes on in the valley when you’re stuck in the Cadver? What spy brought you the information this time?

‘No,’ Joanna said shortly. ‘I’ve been working.’

‘I want to talk to you about Ursula Ottway. I don’t suppose you saw her yesterday.’

‘Of course I saw her yesterday. We all saw her. She came storming into the house in the middle of dinner.’

‘Not then,’ Olivia said sharply. ‘Later. Did you see her later?’

Joanna was not surprised by the question. She had always known her mother was a witch.

‘No,’ she said. ‘Of course not. Why should I?’

Olivia seemed satisfied by the answer.

‘I don’t know,’ she said. ‘She was such a strange woman, don’t you think? It’s a tragedy, of course, but I can’t help thinking that it’s all for the best.’