‘What is this nonsense? You’re fifteen years old. Where would you go? Without me you have no resources, no home, no safety. You’d last a few days at most before you came running back. This is a young girl’s folly, no more.’

‘Brother.’ Mistress Della’s voice was cold and clear. ‘I am no young girl, and I, too, want to hear this story from your lips.’ She looked across at Cara. ‘You’ll always have a home with me, child. If you need it.’

‘What are you talking about?’ Tóla blustered. ‘What home?’

‘You are not my only living kinsman, Tóla. There are several households where Cara and I would be welcome.’

He opened his mouth and closed it again. For the moment, she had silenced him.

‘Grim,’ I reminded him. ‘Bardán. Where are they?’

‘Gone,’ Tóla said. ‘Walked away this morning without explanation.’

‘Bollocks,’ said Cúan. ‘If Grim had left here, he would have come down to Winterfalls. What about the urgent message?’

‘I know nothing of any message.’

‘Now that really is a lie,’ Cúan said. ‘The fellow who brought it up here told me he’d passed it on to you in person, and you’d promised Grim would be told.’

‘Where is he?’ Something terrible had happened, I knew it. Grim wouldn’t just walk off.

Tóla folded his arms. ‘Who knows? Don’t look so surprised, Mistress Blackthorn. Grim was employed here not only as a builder but also as the wild man’s keeper. We know how unreliable Bardán is. Didn’t he walk off the job once before? And Grim has taken his duties all too seriously. I imagine he followed Bardán, out of concern the wild man might . . . might injure himself. Or wander off the path and into . . . well, who knows? Wolf Glen is an odd place.’

My jaw was clenched so tight it hurt. He would go on lying, he would go on denying the truth until it was too late. We had already wasted precious time. But I had no idea where to start looking.

‘Mistress Blackthorn?’ Cúan had released the horses, which stood by calmly. He had his hand on Ripple’s collar and was looking at me in question.

I had been stupid. ‘Untie the leash,’ I said. ‘Let her go.’

Set free, Ripple bolted in the direction of the barn. Grim must be there, surely. And still alive. Or was it only that it was the last place the dog had seen him? Tóla began a protest about folk wandering uninvited all over his land, but it was not his permission I needed. ‘Cara?’

‘We’d best all go,’ she said.

‘You’ll find nothing there,’ Tóla said. ‘I have nothing to hide.’ Which was, I suspected, the biggest lie of all.