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The next half an hour passed pleasantly enough with more wine and some tasty bread with a variety of dips served while Mollie got to know the others around the table. Carlos did seem to be a very nice man and his charm genuine rather than an affectation although he did seem a little nervous of his father, a man who Mollie was having a particularly hard time warming to although he had not really given her any reason not to like him. By contrast, both of Maria’s parents were lovely and Rosita was an absolute sweetheart! It was very easy to see why her big sister would do anything for her, up to and including getting cooked and eaten along with her daughters so that her husband would be free to marry her.

The first course, when it arrived, was a salad with small strips of grilled Ava meat which Mollie judged to be from the arm, probably around the bicep area, or lower leg. It was absolutely delicious and both the seasoning on the meat and the dressing on the salad itself was a perfect complement to the little girl’s natural flavour. Mollie fought her natural instinct, born of working for a long time in hospitality, to eat quickly and tried her best to keep pace with the others while joining in the conversation which was interesting and wide-ranging.

The next course consisted of three balls of haggis served on toasted ciabatta. Mollie had only had this once before, on holiday, and remembered it tasting rather like spicy sausage meat. Somewhat tentatively, she cut a small piece along with the end of the bread and tasted it. She was certainly not disappointed! It was similar in taste and texture to how she remembered but the quality was on a whole different level. Clearly the chefs they had working in that kitchen were masters of their craft!

After the haggis came a soup which the waiter informed them as it was served was made from Ava’s head. There were a mix of flavours in the rich broth which also contained small pieces of meat and some finely-chopped vegetables but Ava’s scrumptious taste was unmistakeable. As she tried her best to sip the soup from her spoon without slurping, Mollie wondered whether the usable meat had been stripped from the meat-girl’s skull and added to the pot or whether her whole little head, likely minus her hair, of course, had been bobbing around, her cute face surfacing from time to time until the meat fell away from the bone naturally.

The fourth course, the one they had all really been waiting for, was of course the most spectacular! Ava’s roasted carcass, minus the head, of course, the arms cut down to stumps and the legs severed just below the knee, her belly clearly stuffed but uncut and supported on a simple frame that left her meaty rump raised and ready for carving, was delivered to the table on a platter with the main roast surrounded by balls of stuffing, some roast vegetables and a selection of sausages and meatballs also crafted from Ava’s meat.

To be continued….