‘She only went to Longwater. She’ll be back before supper time. Why don’t you ask her yourself?’ All those words, and with him staring at her. Blackthorn would be proud of her.

’You know where those notes are, don’t you? Show me.’

‘I . . . I . . .’ Curse it! No, she wrote. The pen wanted to write, Stop it! You’re scaring me! but she made it draw a little picture of an owl instead, and beside it, May I go now please?

‘Just one more –’ Ségán began.

The door flew open and with a shrill barking the white terrier, Bramble, came hurtling in, closely followed by a furious Mhairi. ‘What is this?’ Flidais’s maidservant demanded. ‘Four of you questioning one young girl, and all behind closed doors with not another woman in sight! What would Lady Flidais think? You should be ashamed of yourselves! Come, Cara. Whatever this was, it’s finished. Bramble, stop that noise!’

Chapter Thirty-one: Bardán

31

~Bardán~

Night. Dark night. The moon hiding away. Scared to show her face. What might she see? Murderers and thieves, beatings and killings and blood, so much blood . . . Dáire, her sweet face peaceful, sleeping her last long sleep. Sleeping in a sea of blood, the sheet dyed violent red. He had thought he might die of grief. Would have made an end of himself. But there had been Brígh. Tiny, struggling, crying those wrenching sobs. Bloody herself, until he cleaned her and swaddled her and carried her down to Longwater, looking for help. They came up and helped him bury Dáire. They would have taken Brígh from him. Said he was out of his mind with sorrow, which he was, then. Said he couldn’t cope on his own, told him the babe was too small for goat’s milk, told him she’d have a better home with them, told him all sorts of things. It’s coming back now, in the dark, while not far off Grim stands on his hands and hauls himself up on ropes and does what he does to hold off his own demons.

They were right about one thing. He couldn’t be father and mother to Brígh and earn a living as well. But he wouldn’t give his child to Dáire’s kinsfolk. Once they had her they’d make her theirs forever. They would not let Bardán be her father. They’d never approved of Dáire marrying a man like him. If he let them take his child, if he let them raise her, Brígh would be lost to him forever.