Chapters (22)
This was the reason he had seen fit to assault me in public? It defied belief. “Finished?” I asked, squashing the urge to ask him what he meant or to make the obvious retort that it was none of his business whom I danced with.
“Clodagh!” Aidan’s voice came from not far away, its tone concerned. “Clodagh, where are you?”
“He’s smitten,” Cathal said, removing his hands abruptly from my arms. At that moment something stirred behind him, a shadow, a figure perhaps twenty paces away, hardly more than a slight disturbance in the many shades of gray between here and the gates. I blinked and it was gone. “Make sure you’re not,” Cathal went on. “There’s nothing but harm in it. Now you’d best go before my friend gets entirely the wrong idea. Ah, Aidan, there you are. We thought we saw something, a little stray dog maybe, but it’s gone.”
“A dog.” Aidan’s tone conveyed complete disbelief. His sunny smile had vanished. His eyes judged first Cathal, then me.
“Excuse me,” I said, and passed between them with my chin up and my heart thumping. I headed straight for the house, collecting Eilis on the way. I did not report to Johnny or to my father. Cathal was right: I would not spoil Deirdre’s party by making accusations against one of my cousin’s trusted warriors. I would simply stay out of both men’s way. Cathal was devious. Everything about him set me on edge. I had liked Aidan when he came to Sevenwaters last spring, and I liked him even more now. But I had not liked that look of jealousy and doubt in his eyes. Let the two of them sort this out between them, whatever it was. For now, I had had quite enough of men.
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 2
On the day of Deirdre’s wedding, the household at Sevenwaters also observed Meán Earraigh, the ritual for spring’s balance point. Ciarán had taken no part in the previous evening’s festivities, but he emerged to help Conor conduct the rite. This druid uncle of my father’s was tall and pale, with hair of a deep fiery red and intense mulberry-colored eyes. Ciarán was a man who seemed solitary even when in company. Although he was Conor’s half-brother, he was much younger, of an age with my father.