Amanda, as always, sat at the front of the church. Behind her thirteen members of the congregation shuffled prayer books. The Reverend William Westbourne stood in the pulpit issuing words of Hell and damnation; an old fashioned zealot that put even the most devout Christian to shame. The five strong choir fidgeted. Miss James, their myopic leader, cast disapproving looks in their direction. An ageing organist blew on white fingers in readiness to play disjointed chords of the hymn to follow.

Then the church door opened and ignoring the vicar’s glare, a stranger came to sit down beside Amanda. As they prayed, Amanda could hear her muttering, ‘Bloody hypocrite.’

During the hymn, Onward Christian Soldiers, Amanda glanced sideways to meet the sad eyes of the young woman. In that moment, a secret knowledge passed between them and Amanda recognised the once pretty, eleven year old girl who had attended Sunday School before both she and her parents left the village amid malicious gossip.

Then Amanda recalled a policeman visiting the vicarage and her father’s angry protestations above her mother’s weeping. Three weeks later, Reverend Westbourne said in a cold tone, ‘Your mother’s dead,’ and she remembered local women rallying around the poor, grieving vicar and small daughter who’s mother had taken a fatal overdose.

Over the decade, members of his flock had died or moved into nursing homes. The village expanded with new development while pews at St. Sebastian’s became emptier and emptier. Now as the last chorus dwindled into a shaky finale, the woman beside her rose up shouting, ‘Bloody hypocrite!’ against a wave of startled coughs and gasps.

Amanda got up. Rested a hand on the young woman’s shoulder. ‘Bloody hypocrite!’ she joined in as tears of past shame mingled with great relief blurred her vision.

The Reverend Westbourne, standing in front of the altar, groaned and swayed before he collapsed down onto the unforgiving stone floor. Turning, both Amanda and the woman walked down the aisle and out into a sleety morning while inside the church, Miss James tried to remember the resuscitation procedure for heart attacks.