Malachi laughed at that. A warm, light sound that dared not stretch the limits of his polite smile.

“Of course,” he said. “Besides the one I have already mentioned, sir, there was that of the child stealing candles from my church.”

James had called himself Bram then, so it was hardly even a lie.

“St. Hilda’s Catholic, that is,” the priest clarified quickly. “I believe his name was Bram Ward. I caught him in the act, taking the nicest of candles from one of my altars, and I attempted to stop the boy by approaching him. It was my fault in assuming that the child would be spooked. Instead, he ran off with them.”