I had tried to be courteous. Under the circumstances, I thought I’d done quite well. But this was too much. My hand itched to slap his supercilious cheek, but I suspected he would only laugh at me if I did. I took a deep breath. “If you imagine my upbringing has been a pampered one with a bevy of servants rushing to fulfill my every whim, you’re wrong,” I said.

“Oh, don’t bother justifying yourself to me, please.” The tone was one of unutterable weariness. “Your little display before, with Aidan, illustrated quite clearly that you’re deaf to any good counsel I try to give you. As for your life history, I couldn’t be less interested. I’m certain it’s as much of a bore as your harp playing.”

“I may not be an expert musician,” I said in a furious whisper, for the song had reached its end and the applause that had greeted it was dying down, “but other people seemed to enjoy listening.”

“Hardly the most critical audience,” observed Cathal. The men were beginning another song, this one with actions suggesting a range of animals: bear, deer, fish, hare. “Half of them are your family.”

I felt my cheeks flush with annoyance. “And half of them aren’t,” I retorted.

“Ah, yes, but that half consists of virile young men, Clodagh.” Cathal had not lowered his voice, and I was glad the rousing chorus from the warriors masked his speech from everyone else. “They don’t give a toss whether you play well or abominably. They’re simply enjoying looking at you in your nice gray gown and imagining taking the pins out of your hair, one by one, and then starting on those laces—”

“That’s enough!” Cathal’s eyes had traveled to the front fastening of my gown, and my cheeks were burning. “I’ve never heard such complete rubbish!” I turned my back on him, intending to walk away, but Muirrin was watching us, so I stayed where I was, trembling with fury. “And anyway,” I said without turning, “what did you mean last night with those dire warnings about Aidan?”

“You’re actually prepared to listen to an explanation?”

I wasn’t sure how the conversation had got here. I’d intended never to discuss the topic with him again, since I knew I would not take any advice such a dubious character might have to offer. “An explanation is long overdue,” I said, trying for a chilly tone.

“I’ve got bruises from where you grabbed me. It was a strange way to try to make a point.”

“I don’t think you’ll want to hear it,” Cathal said, surprising me.

“Then you shouldn’t have tried so hard to tell me. Go on, say it, whatever it is. They’ll be finished singing soon.”