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Back Heir to Sevenwaters Save as PDF
Chapters (22)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Dedication
  4. Acknowledgements
  5. CHAPTER 1
  6. CHAPTER 2
  7. CHAPTER 3
  8. CHAPTER 4
  9. CHAPTER 5
  10. CHAPTER 6
  11. CHAPTER 7
  12. CHAPTER 8
  13. CHAPTER 9
  14. CHAPTER 10
  15. CHAPTER 11
  16. CHAPTER 12
  17. CHAPTER 13
  18. CHAPTER 14
  19. CHAPTER 15
  20. CHAPTER 16
  21. CHAPTER 17
  22. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

“Today, on the way up to the Pudding Bowl, what really happened? Where did you disappear to?”

Cathal’s features closed up, becoming impenetrable. “I’ve no idea what you mean,” he said.

“You do, Cathal.” I was not sure how hard to push this. “I don’t believe you lost your way; that wouldn’t happen to any of Johnny’s men. You must have gone somewhere. You couldn’t have missed us on that track.”

“You seem so certain, Clodagh. And yet with every second breath, it seems, you or another of your family warns me of uncanny folk out in the forest, paths that have minds of their own and any number of oddities to be wary of. I suppose you and your sisters credited every word of the old woman’s silly tale tonight. And you speak to me about truth.”

It had been a mistake to think it was worth trying to talk to him. “Forget I mentioned it,” I said. “I’d best go back to the others.”

“Before Aidan gets jealous?” Then, at my look, he added, “The soft-voiced musician has a nasty temper on occasion. But you’ve seen that. And I don’t think you’re quite as lacking in imagination as I first believed.”

“From you, I suppose that remark could be construed as a compliment. I don’t anticipate a broken heart, Cathal. I’m made of stronger stuff than that.”

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 4

Now there were only three Inis Eala men left at Sevenwaters: Johnny, Aidan and Cathal. The atmosphere was tense as they waited for word from Gareth. He was to send a message as soon as he had spoken with Eoin. Two mornings after our ride to the Pudding Bowl, Father called me to join him and Johnny in the small council chamber. I sat opposite the two of them at the table; Aidan was stationed by the door, acting as a guard.

“We’re wrestling with a decision, Clodagh.” Father came straight to the point. “It relates to Gareth’s mission and the question of a council. Perhaps Gareth can placate Eoin, perhaps not. He must at least persuade him that there was no ulterior motive in my decision to grant Deirdre’s hand to a southerner. Still, Eoin being the kind of man he is, the need to call a council is pressing. There have been simmering tensions between north and south since you and Deirdre were little children, and this is likely to inflame them. It could drag Sevenwaters into a full-scale conflict. What we need is a regional treaty.”

I remembered the words people generally used when referring to Eoin of Lough Gall: testy, difficult, volatile, influential. “Will Gareth raise that idea with Eoin?” I asked.