If Domnall had been in the men’s quarters they wouldn’t have dared say those things, and they wouldn’t have done what came next. Good man, Domnall; keeps the fellows in line as well as he can. But he was off talking to someone, so they grabbed their chance.

Didn’t see it coming. Thought they were finished with me. They sat down at the table and started talking among themselves. Acted as if I wasn’t there, which suited me fine. They were talking about women, the way men sometimes do, unseemly talk that I didn’t like, but I stayed there anyway. The mood they were in, if I’d walked out they’d have taken it as an insult.

‘Another thing,’ said one fellow. All of them had had too much ale, and it was showing. ‘Too many rules here. Stay in the men’s quarters overnight, no fraternising, don’t speak the wrong way to the ladies and so on.’

‘And no bothering the village girls,’ said one of the others. ‘Back home, the girls didn’t call it bothering, they called it fun.’

‘Fun?’ said a third man. ‘Not much of that around here. What’s a man to do? No work, no amusements, house full of tight-arsed maids and fat serving women . . .’

‘Oh, I don’t know,’ said someone else. ‘I reckon that Sinead might be up for something, if you asked the right way.’

‘That skinny bitch? Not her. Isn’t she Lady Sochla’s maid? You wouldn’t want to fall foul of the prince’s aunt.’

‘Why would the old woman need to know? Quickie up against the wall, that’s all I’m after, not a night in the girl’s bed.’

Someone laughed. ‘Since she sleeps in the old lady’s room, you’d hardly be wanting that, lad. What if you got the two of them mixed up? The shock would turn your hair white.’

‘Nice surprise for the old woman, though,’ one of them said. ‘Probably invite you back the next night.’

General guffawing at this. I was feeling pretty bad by this stage. Wanted to tell them to shut up, but didn’t want to draw attention by speaking out. Wished I was somewhere else. Common enough feeling these days.

‘Pity about Ciar. Now she was a real firebrand of a girl. Always ready, always willing, hundred different ways to please a man. What a waste.’

‘Come on, Niall, the girl’s dead. Show some respect.’

‘Just saying. If any of them had to go, shame it was her. Real woman. Juicy as a ripe plum. Should be more like her, then we’d all be satisfied.’

Then it came. ‘Hey, Grim! How about that woman of yours? Is she juicy? Lonely old bed, now you’re on night watch.’