It was Saturday, the day before they were due to drive to Glencarron and visit Lady Evelyn’s grave. Salma proposed that they go on a forest walk. A shared activity, she believed, would bring them together and help mend the ruptures that had taken place between them these past few days. The weather was slightly better, and it was something she had always planned they would do, a positive way to end their holiday at the loch. To voice this suggestion, Salma had to rehearse and build up her strength. It no longer felt natural to take on a leadership role. She did not even sound confident as she spoke, but it was her duty to try. The future of their friendship was unclear. Iman neither spoke nor acted as if she was going to move in with Salma when they got back. All the declarations about being independent, all the accusations about Salma being domineering, were hardly pointing to a future under one roof. Besides, without her hijab, did Salma really want Iman in close proximity to David? In the past, it would have been easy to joke, ‘Gorgeous, keep away from my husband,’ now it wasn’t. And yet she would insist that Iman moved in with them. It was the right thing to do. The poor girl had nowhere else.

At breakfast, Salma explained to them again that the forest trails were graded by difficulty and time. Left to her own devices, she would have opted for the longest, most challenging route that involved a high climb. Iman too was quite willing to make the attempt. But it was tricky enough persuading Moni to go on any walk, let alone one that was anything but short and basic. ‘We can compromise,’ Moni said. ‘I could go with you half the way and then come back. You two can then do the rest of the walk.’

‘That’s fine.’ Iman gave her usual indifferent shrug. In the past she would have then looked at Salma to confirm the final verdict. Now she just turned and walked up the stairs to get dressed.

Salma, disappointed in her, turned to Moni. ‘That’s a good idea. Maybe you will change your mind and keep going with us. You might surprise yourself.’