“And a brother doesn’t go away without telling his brother where and why,” I said, deciding I would pretend I hadn’t heard the last part of his speech. “He sounded upset. Sad. I wish he had explained a little more.”

“So you do care about him.” An edge in his voice now; if I’d thought the jealous anger of that earlier time was absent, I’d been wrong.

“Only as I would care about any person who was a guest in my house and was unhappy,” I said. “Aidan, I have to go. And you’re supposed to be resting.”

“Clodagh?”

“Yes?”

“I spoke out of turn then; said more than I should have. I didn’t mean to offend you. I have the highest regard for you.” He took my hand and lifted it to his lips. “I know it is the wrong time to speak of such matters. Your baby brother . . . you must be so worried.”

“I wasn’t offended,” I said, withdrawing my hand from his and turning away before he could see how close I was to bursting into tears. Those few gently spoken words had almost undone my best efforts to keep control of myself. I ached for him to put his arms around me and tell me everything was going to be all right. That was foolish. Nobody could make this better, not so easily. “Now you should go to rest, and I’m needed upstairs. Goodbye, Aidan.” I made myself walk away and not look back.

As I passed the door to Mother’s chamber it opened and Muirrin came out, looking wretched.

“Are you all right?” I asked her. Silly question; one look at her had told me the answer must be no.

“I’ll cope,” my eldest sister said in a brittle tone that sounded so like Mother’s it jolted me. “Clodagh, you know Father didn’t want her to go into the nursery. I’m wondering if he was wrong.”

“Why?” I croaked, my nerves jangling in alarm.

There was a strained silence. “I’ve tried everything,” Muirrin said eventually. There were dark circles under her eyes. “I don’t seem to be able to help her. We must do something to snap her out of this trance. She won’t listen to reason, Clodagh. With Finbar gone, milk fever is almost inevitable. She won’t let me touch her; insists that if we try to relieve the pressure in her breasts there won’t be anything for the baby to drink when he comes home. She won’t even listen to Father, not properly.”