His cheeks flushed red. ‘That’s offensive, Mistress Blackthorn. I’m at your door to ask for your help, not listen to your sly insults. I want what is best for my daughter. I’m well aware that being among other folk is difficult for Cara. If she has made a friend of you, I would not lightly sever that tie. She will need it more than ever now.’

There was a silence while I worked this out. I put it together with the fact that, on the day after Cara had been missing and then found, when it was still raining hard enough to make travel difficult and uncomfortable, if not impossible, her father was at Winterfalls with his guards and apparently heading back toward Wolf Glen. Without Cara. Why would she need my friendship more than ever if she was exactly where she wanted to be, back home at last?

‘Are you telling me you’ve left her at Prince Oran’s house again?’ My dismay and disapproval must have been all too obvious.

‘Your manner is not only blunt, it is discourteous,’ Tóla said. ‘Perhaps you learned that from your friend. The two of you are quick to speak out. You are all too ready to pass judgement on your betters.’

Could he mean Grim? A man of very few words at the best of times? As for betters, I would restrain myself from making comment on that ill-chosen word. If I were Cara I’d be running away from Wolf Glen, not to it. But I wouldn’t be doing the girl any favours if I made an enemy of her father. ‘Let me say it again, then, in terms less likely to offend. Is Cara back at Prince Oran’s house, Master Tóla? Will she be staying there for some time?’

‘I brought her down this morning. She will be staying indefinitely. Since neither Prince Oran nor his wife is there at present, I was able to speak only to the steward and one of Lady Flidais’s attendants. I made my position clear. There must be further restrictions on Cara’s movements. I cannot have her returning unannounced to Wolf Glen. Not until a . . . a certain project is completed.’ He narrowed his eyes at me. ‘Has Grim spoken to you of the work he is doing for me?’

Ah. Best tread carefully. ‘Not much. I know it’s a big building job. Stone, wood, thatching. Something that will keep him busy a while.’ After a bit I added, ‘And it’s well paid.’