‘We met the priest in the street – he insisted on coming.’

He led the men to the bedroom.

Edith, Una and Sorina waited in silence. They heard the scrape of a chair and the doctor coughing. He and the priest were talking as they came into the kitchen.

‘Who did this? Was it you?’ said the priest, pointing at Edith. ‘Just as I thought – you.’

‘It was suicide,’ said Edith.

‘I don’t believe it was,’ said the doctor. ‘It’s difficult to shoot oneself in the head with a hunting gun.’

‘And the butcher was a God-fearing man – he would never do such a thing,’ said the priest.

They were joined by the mayor. ‘There’s quite a crowd outside,’ he said and looked round the kitchen. ‘I hear the butcher has been shot dead. What happened?’

Edith noticed the mayor seemed remarkably cheerful.

‘The butcher has been murdered by this woman…’ he pointed at Edith.

‘No,’ said Una. ‘I shot him.’ The priest, the doctor and the mayor stared at her. ‘I did it. That word – you just said it. Yes, murder. I murdered him.’

‘Mother,’ said Sorina, ‘don’t say that.’

‘Better lock her up,’ said the priest to the mayor. ‘She’s confessed to the murder.’

‘Don’t be too hasty, Priest,’ said Edith. ‘Nothing is that simple.’

The priest was horrified to be spoken to in such a manner by a woman.

‘It’s what the law demands – justice,’ he said.

‘Justice,’ said Edith, repeating the word as if to see how it tasted. ‘Justice. Yes, that is what’s wanted here.’

‘Out,’ the priest shouted. ‘You two women, out now. Una stays. Misha, fetch the elders.’

‘No,’ said Misha.

‘I agree,’ said Edith. ‘I wouldn’t do that.’

‘You have the audacity to tell me what we should do?’

‘Doctor,’ said Edith. ‘How many times did Sorina come to you? With, of course, her grandfather’s permission.’

She had seen how Sorina had sunk into her chair when the priest spoke and she was certain that her instinct was correct.

‘Don’t answer that,’ said the priest. ‘No woman should question our judgement.’

And Edith knew she was right.

‘Well, Mayor?’ continued the priest. ‘Don’t you agree? This is a matter for the elders.’

The mayor poured himself a cup of tea, added honey and stirred it with a small teaspoon. A lightness of heart had engulfed him when he’d heard of the butcher’s death. ‘I couldn’t imagine the butcher owning such delicate spoons,’ he said.

‘He didn’t,’ said Una. ‘They were part of my mother’s dowry.’

‘Doctor, perhaps you would answer the question,’ said the mayor.

‘This is preposterous,’ said the priest.

‘Twice,’ said the doctor. ‘I had no choice.’

‘And each time it was for what reason?’ asked Edith.

‘None of your business,’ said the priest.