Few could endure the optics of a bawling old woman. Naturally, some of the bystanders were compelled to mediate.

“Come on, Eilis! Look at Mrs. Boebert. She’s so old and can barely walk on her own these days. You can’t possibly think she came to you, despite the difficulty, just so she could slander you in public, right?

“Besides, nobody wants an unresolvable conflict among ourselves, right? This is a small place, Eilis. Tell, uh, that girl to apologize and get this over with.”

“Amen to that! We are a tight-knit community. We know everyone here, drink the same water, and live under the same sky. It doesn’t do any of us good if the community splits because of something so trivial, right? Something as trivial as picking a fight with a little kid, too! If I may be frank, Eilis, do you really think that young lass is as trustworthy as you hope?”

Their comments were like thorns stinging Deirdre’s chest.

Eilis, however, was having none of it. “That’s enough!” She erupted in rage.

Even