‘Aye, c’mon then,’ Effie said, getting up and letting her skirt fall back down her thighs; she knew this would be their last chance to talk before Flora went back over the ridge. She jumped over the wall, expecting they would walk down the Street, but Flora turned instead up the alley between theirs and Old Fin’s, and round to the back. Effie felt a reflex of both disappointment and relief that it meant they wouldn’t pass the factor’s front door.

‘Why do you need to see Jayne?’ Effie asked as they immediately linked arms while they stepped past the cleits and over the sunken stones in the long grass. They had walked together like this since they were children. There was only eight months between them and Effie often felt they were more like sisters than friends.

‘It’s Mhairi and all her talk of curses. It’s got me spooked.’

‘You?’ Effie laughed. ‘But you don’t believe in such things!’

‘I didn’t used to,’ Flora sighed. ‘But I don’t know, when someone keeps telling you over and over that something bad’s coming . . .’

Effie was surprised by her friend’s newfound superstition. ‘You don’t really think that, do you?’

‘I didn’t till something bad did happen,’ Flora shrugged. ‘I’m just hoping this is it. Donald’s had a knock, but he’ll be fine, and the danger’s all passed.’

‘Flora, it was just an accident. There was nothing more to it than that.’

‘Wasn’t there? He is a McKinnon.’

Effie laughed. ‘Oh, Flora! The McKinnons’ curse isn’t real!’

‘Just like Jayne’s visions aren’t real?’ Flora asked back.