‘What we’ll tell Laird Anstruther and his Edinburgh cronies is that no one from Pittenweem was responsible. That it was the incomers who were out of control and who sought to put an end to the woman they believed to be a witch.’

The bailies stared at him, then each other as the idea slowly took hold. He could almost hear their thoughts whirring.

Patrick continued, ‘We’ve heard from the Stuart brothers about what happened down at the harbour —’ Patrick found his notes, as if he hadn’t seen for himself exactly what had occurred. ‘The lynching. It’s clearly an English custom. We’ll remind them of that. The idea to dunk Mrs Cornfoot didn’t originate from anyone here. We’ll say it was the Englishman who roused the folk.’

There were nods of approval.

‘It wasn’t just him,’ objected Bailie Cook. ‘They’ll never believe one person was responsible. We’ll have to provide other names.’

‘We should add a local one as well, so as not to appear biased,’ said Bailie Bell.

‘Och, I have just the one,’ said Patrick, snapping his fingers. ‘Rob Dalzell.’

Robert Vernour frowned. ‘His da’s the skipper on the George, isn’t he?’

‘Aye,’ said Patrick. ‘And you ken what that means, don’t you, lads?’

Slow, sly grins broke out.

‘What he’ll pay to have his son kept from trial, let alone gaol,’ added Bailie Cleiland, rubbing his hands together.

‘What he’ll pay to us,’ corrected Patrick. ‘Unfortunately, we could probably get a great deal more if we kept his name out of it altogether. But too many people saw him. Saw what he did to the witch.’ A vision of stomping boots, of a fist slamming into Janet’s head arose.

The men mumbled among themselves.

‘Who else?’ asked Robert Vernour.

Patrick returned to his notes. ‘There’s a Walter Watson from Burntisland been identified, and a watchman from the Orkneys. He’s staying at the Cod and Sole up in Backgate.’

‘What about the four who dragged her onto the Sophia?’ asked Cook.

‘Aye, I’ve their names here — and the Englishman among them. We’ll have to provide the lairds with their names as well,’ said Patrick, putting the page down. That his own son had been omitted from the list, he did not mention. ‘Eight will suffice. Especially if we emphasise the role of England and the Orkneys in this.’

Relaxing, the men looked to their drinks, which had remained largely untouched.

A thought suddenly occurred to Patrick. ‘What we’ll also highlight to the lairds is that it all could have been much worse. If not for mobilising the soldiers when we did and our own guards, more women might have met the same fate.’

The men exchanged cautious looks that, as the reverend’s words sank in, transformed into wide smiles.