In the front pew Briony held Rosalee’s hand and pointed out to her, as she did every year, the wooden pieces of the nativity. Rosalee listened with the same rapt attention as she did every year. When the priest finally arrived, all the grubby altar boys were in place, some smelling suspiciously of cigarettes.

The Mass began. The twins and all the Cavanaghs took it seriously. A calm fell on to the church that was to Briony’s mind a little piece of heaven on earth.

Beside her, Rosalee was gasping and Briony held her hand gently. The Mass was long as always on Christmas Eve, and the number attending Communion was great. Rosalee was asleep against Briony’s arm. Rather than wake her sister, she got Tommy to take her weight while she took Communion herself.

He looked down on her, and as he did, his face blanched. Her head rolled to the side, and her eyes, half-closed, saw nothing. He realised immediately she was dead. Putting his arms around her he pulled her against his coat. He sat like that until the end of the Mass, holding back a great urge to cry for the woman who had known nothing of malice, of the world, who was still an innocent.

Just after the final blessing Father Tierney asked the congregation to listen to his last few words with serious attention. He then cleared his throat.

‘In church this evening we have a woman who has been with this community since a child.’ Everyone looked at Briony. ‘Well, she’s always been pretty free with her money, as we all know.’ There was scattered laughter at this and Briony felt her face burning. ‘Now this same women and her two nephews, the terrible twins as I called them when they were my altar boys...’ He looked at the twins in a mock stern way over his pince nez glasses and there was more laughter. ‘Well, the fact is, these three have donated over twenty thousand pounds to my orphans’ fund.’ He paused for the intake of breath he knew would be forthcoming and wasn’t disappointed. ‘So I wanted to thank them publicly and to make a point of acknowledging the respect I have for them all. Firstly as good Catholics, and secondly as very, very good and kind people. The Cavanaghs.’

His Irish voice rose on the last two words and the church went wild. The clapping was loud and long.

Briony and the twins sat stunned at what the priest had done. Not one of them had expected it. Father Tierney came down and made the sign of the cross in front of the altar and then shook hands with the twins and Briony, thanking them once more.