‘I have had a message from the other side,’ said Bridget. ‘They tell me to ask you to be ready. It’s time for me to hand over to you. Are you ready, Bee?’ She turned to Bee and placed her calloused hand over hers. ‘Bee, you need to come and start spending time with me. I have to show you the herbs. It will take some learning. Which ones to use and how. We have herbs here in Tarabeg and out on the Nephin Beg that grow nowhere else. It’s a mystery to many why the people in Tarabeg live so long, but not to me. One of us in Tarabeg was always going to be chosen and the spirits have good reason for choosing you.’

Bee felt almost faint, not only at the news, but because of the added weight of responsibility.

‘It’s you, Bee, and that means my time here must be coming to an end.’

Bee’s eyes welled with tears and she turned to face Bridget, whose own eyes had also filled. She squeezed Bridget’s hand tight and held on. ‘I already know,’ she said. ‘I hear voices on the wind. I heard Angela this morning. She was calling my name and I looked to see had Mary Kate heard it too, but she hadn’t. I heard Rory’s voice too – that was stronger and he was trying to tell me something, but I couldn’t tell what it was.’

‘That is just the beginning. They are helping you from the other side. You have to find ways to sit and listen and let them in. It takes total quiet, and time, but don’t worry, I will teach you just like Annie taught me. We’ll start with the first herbs tomorrow.’

Bridget swivelled in her seat to look at Mary Kate, who was leading Keeva’s sons and Finn up the stairs to bed. It was as if she had never been away. ‘I brought Finn into the world, Bee, but I’ve been under attack from bad spirits ever since. As soon as I left Sarah that day, she slipped away from us – in this very house. They all blamed me around here, I could hear them, but it wasn’t me. I’ve never lost a single child or mother, and that’s more than can be said for the doctor. It was Shona’s work. She waited for me to leave and then she got her spell in and did her worst. Shona may be dead now, but I can feel her still. She is here, no longer in body, but here nonetheless, still haunting this village. There is something she wants and she won’t settle until she’s got it, she never has.’

‘What do you think it can be?’ asked Bee.

‘There was one thing that kept Shona as strong as she was, Bee – revenge. My guess is she won’t rest until she’s had it. Listen hard to Rory and Angela. They’ll only bring messages that you need to hear and there’s no doubt they’re warning you. Listen to them. Be still, concentrate and let them in. And come to my house tomorrow morning, we need to start work.’