Olwen sat alone by the fire in the basement of her woodland cottage. Candles and the firelight provided the only illumination in the room. The large table stood behind her, with a top of plain scrubbed oak. Heavy old-fashioned cupboards lined the walls. The floor was composed of large stone slabs, worn smooth by many years of feet.
Her sketch of Sarah stood on the mantelpiece. She picked it up and studied it. As if in a fit of absent-mindedness she began to hum a simple melody…
* * *
Sarah was settled on a garden bench at the eastern end of the terrace. Her bike was propped against the house wall behind her. She was glancing at a book on traditional rural crafts, such as thatching, basket weaving and hedge laying. She hummed the same melody as Olwen.
She had a view to her left of the l
