Edith stared out of the window. Above the roof of the henhouse the night sky was clear, freckled with a fistful of stars.

‘I’m going to write down some of my grandmother’s stories and one of my own. And, once you and Lena are married, I’ll be gone.’

Misha laughed. ‘If,’ he said.

‘There are no ifs. Tell me about your mother.’

‘She’s pregnant.’

‘No!’

‘Yes – and she’s happy, she even laughs. The cobbler looks younger. At first, I thought any day she would wake up, and the enchantment would be broken. Even my stepfather thought that.’

‘Stepfather?’ said Edith.

‘You know the truth,’ said Misha.

‘I do, but I wasn’t sure you did.’

‘I had time on the mountain to think. Mountains do that. They were here long before man, long before we had the weapon of words. The butcher has cast doubt on Mother, told everyone that she’s not well in the head.’

‘No one can believe that,’ said Edith.

‘No one can afford not to believe everything he says. We’ve been isolated all winter and the butcher made sure that if anyone needed anything only he could supply it. So now they’re all even more indebted to the butcher.’

‘What of Sorina?’ asked Edith.

‘She’s lived at the butcher’s since you ran off. He insisted he needed someone to keep house for him. Una dragged her there, Sorina begging her mother not to make her go but Una was hearing none of it. Half the village witnessed the scene. Sorina looks older than her years. I tried to tell Una whose child I am but she wouldn’t listen.’ He finished his wine. ‘I should go – it’s late.’

‘Thank you,’ said Edith.

‘For what? For not bringing you the letter?’

‘For being a good and brave friend.’

Misha stood up to leave. ‘Lock your door and be careful, Edith,’ he said.

‘Misha told me you’d found your voice,’ said Flora when she came the next morning with a pot of honey. ‘And we have lots to talk about. How on earth did you survive all winter?’ But it became apparent that Edith didn’t want to talk about it and Flora changed the subject.

‘The butcher called a meeting of the elders yesterday,’ she said. ‘I heard this morning that he wants you arrested.’

‘For what?’ asked Edith. ‘Not wanting to marry him?’

‘The mayor’s son claimed he saw you attack his friend.’

‘Do you think I’m capable of that?’

‘Of course I don’t.’

‘Why is the mayor’s son lying?’ said Edith. ‘He ran off when his friend was considering attacking me. Did the rest of the hunting party bring them back to the village?’