Then there was Borough Market, nestled up against the side of the cathedral, its bustle and color an unending source of culinary and sensual delight. When Jack could get up to London for the weekend, they began it with a trip to the market.

She now had a family connection in London as well, Jack’s cousin, Duncan, and Duncan’s partner, Gemma, and their two boys. With the zeal of the newly wed, Winnie hoped that she might encourage the couple to take the same step. She knew the dangers of meddling, of course, but she also knew that sometimes a sympathetic ear and a bit of a gentle nudge were all it took to set things in motion.

And then there were her parishioners, some of whom she was beginning to know and like. One in particular was her neighbor, Frances Liu, a woman near her own age who had been stricken a few years ago by the mysterious and debilitating Guillain-Barré syndrome. As Fanny remained partially paralyzed and housebound, Winnie had quickly got into the habit of stopping in after work as often as she could, and she took the sacraments to her on Sundays.

On the latter occasions, Winnie felt the disapproval of Fanny’s flatmate, Elaine, but she hadn’t discovered whether the woman’s hostility was personal or ideological. Nor had she quite worked out the exact nature of the relationship between the two women, but she sensed that Elaine perceived her as a threat and knew she must tread carefully. Winnie had no wish to make Fanny’s life any more difficult. Perhaps if she could learn more about Elaine, she could draw her out – and then there was the fact that Elaine was a striking woman, and Winnie’s curiosity was naturally piqued.

Resolving to make more of an effort next time she saw the two flatmates, Winnie finished her sandwich and began tidying up. She’d just dried her plate and cup when the rectory phone rang.

“I was just thinking of you,” she said when she heard Fanny Liu’s voice. “I thought I’d pop by after work-”