Nina could understand. How she envied people who found, and recognised, the right one. She figured that both Conor and Tess had done this. About Tom, she was starting to have doubts. ‘I can appreciate all of that,’ she said. ‘That sort of connection is what most of us want. But—’

‘But compared to many women, my burden was light. Is that what you were going to say?’

‘Yes.’

‘I agree. Your father was never cruel. Well, not physically, at any rate. He was cold, though. And he was controlling. Do you have any idea what it’s like to be trapped with someone you don’t love?’

‘As it happens, I do. That’s beside the point, though.’

‘The truth, Nina, is that I loved Leo. He was funny and kind. He had a brain. He was wasted as a priest. He should have had another life with a wife and a family. Over the years, his memory has got distorted. People talk about the card games, but those were for company as much as anything else. He just happened to be a good poker player. And they say he was a moneylender. What of it? He lent money to people who needed it. He didn’t charge interest. Where was the harm in that?’ She tucked her pale blonde hair behind her ears. ‘I wanted to be with Leo. He said he wanted the same. He told me he’d leave the priesthood so we could be together.’

The sitting room felt like it didn’t contain enough air. Nina shook her head. ‘Seriously, what were you going to do? Abandon me and Hugh so you could run away with the parish priest?’

‘No! I couldn’t have done that. I would have arranged it so that you could be with us.’

‘Oh, come on, Dad wouldn’t have allowed you to take us away.’

Her mother stood up and walked towards the window. ‘I hadn’t got everything figured out, but I was confident that it would happen. We would be together. And then …’ Her words tapered off.

‘And then what?’ asked Nina.