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Authors: Cora Harrison
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going over to Rathborney and giving him something to think about,’ he said grimly and she had the impression that he was not listening to her words, ‘but Aine persuaded me not to do it. It’s just as well. I might kill him if I saw that smug face of his.’
‘You were very wise not to do that,’ said Mara. ‘This is the trouble with having children, Muiris: when they are little, and they hurt themselves, you can pick them up and kiss them better, but when they grow up, sometimes you
have to let them grieve in their own way and just be there for them when they turn to you. Aoife will get over this, you know. I would advise you to keep away from Rory and to say nothing to him.’
‘I wondered could I do anything within the law?’ His voice was hopeful as he looked up at her questioningly.
Mara shook her head. ‘Not unless there was some sort of legal contract and there isn’t. Muiris, I think she is just as well without him. It’s hard on her now, but no doubt some other young man will come around and there will be a match made for her.’ Busily her mind trawled through the number of eligible young men in the district. The trouble was that Muiris O‘Heynes was an outsider; most people on the Burren belonged to one of the four clans: O’Brien, O‘Lochlainn, MacNamara or O’Connor. Despite all Aoife’s beauty and the evident prosperity of the family, fathers would not encourage their sons to think of her.
‘Forget Rory,’ she said decisively. ‘That’s my advice to you, Muiris, don’t try to do any harm to him; you will only injure yourself if you do that.’
‘Well, I’d better be getting back home,’ said Muiris. ‘Thanks for the invitation, Brehon. I’ll try and persuade her to go.’ He looked downhearted, but Mara could think of no further comfort to give him. There were no relations, as far as she knew, to whom Aoife could be sent; the poor girl would just have to swallow the disappointment and endure the pitying looks for a while.
And, she thought, as she turned to go back through the woodland, Muiris had said nothing about his accusation to Brigid about Rory being responsible for Sorley’s death. She was glad of that. It sounded most improbable. At the
moment it appeared as though Rory had far more to gain from Sorley alive than from Sorley dead.
‘So, do you think that this Sheedy has anything to do with the killing of Sorley the silversmith, Brehon?’ asked Fachtnan. Mara looked around her schoolhouse. Ordinarily on the afternoon before the celebrations of Samhain, her six scholars would be in an excited, fidgety state, unable to concentrate on their studies, but now the excitement of this unexpected and unexplained death kept them alert and interested.
‘And what about Giolla the beekeeper?’ asked twelve-year-old Hugh.
‘No one would murder a man because of a few bees, birdbrain,’ said Aidan scornfully.
‘It’s possible, though unlikely,’ said Mara. ‘He is very attached to his bees – Aidan, don’t keep using that silly expression, birdbrain . You’re nearly fifteen now, so it’s time for you to express yourself in a more grown-up way. However, let’s go back to Fachtnan’s question. I need to look at the map that we made a few years ago of everyone’s holding on the Burren, but I think that Sheedy’s land does not really come too near Sorley’s silver mine. However it may be that some of the mountain is common land. Thank you, Enda, yes, spread the map out on my table. Stand around it, all of you.’
‘There’s Lios Mac Sioda, is that where he lives?’ Ten-year-old Shane picked it out with lightning speed.
‘That’s right,’ said Mara. ‘And below that, on the lane
between the mountains, are two small farms: Lios na gCat and Lios Mac Taidhg.’
‘Who owns these?’ asked Fachtnan with a puzzled frown. ‘I thought that just Sheedy lived up that lane.’
‘I think that Sorley the silversmith bought them when he bought Newtown Castle,’
‘You were very wise not to do that,’ said Mara. ‘This is the trouble with having children, Muiris: when they are little, and they hurt themselves, you can pick them up and kiss them better, but when they grow up, sometimes you
have to let them grieve in their own way and just be there for them when they turn to you. Aoife will get over this, you know. I would advise you to keep away from Rory and to say nothing to him.’
‘I wondered could I do anything within the law?’ His voice was hopeful as he looked up at her questioningly.
Mara shook her head. ‘Not unless there was some sort of legal contract and there isn’t. Muiris, I think she is just as well without him. It’s hard on her now, but no doubt some other young man will come around and there will be a match made for her.’ Busily her mind trawled through the number of eligible young men in the district. The trouble was that Muiris O‘Heynes was an outsider; most people on the Burren belonged to one of the four clans: O’Brien, O‘Lochlainn, MacNamara or O’Connor. Despite all Aoife’s beauty and the evident prosperity of the family, fathers would not encourage their sons to think of her.
‘Forget Rory,’ she said decisively. ‘That’s my advice to you, Muiris, don’t try to do any harm to him; you will only injure yourself if you do that.’
‘Well, I’d better be getting back home,’ said Muiris. ‘Thanks for the invitation, Brehon. I’ll try and persuade her to go.’ He looked downhearted, but Mara could think of no further comfort to give him. There were no relations, as far as she knew, to whom Aoife could be sent; the poor girl would just have to swallow the disappointment and endure the pitying looks for a while.
And, she thought, as she turned to go back through the woodland, Muiris had said nothing about his accusation to Brigid about Rory being responsible for Sorley’s death. She was glad of that. It sounded most improbable. At the
moment it appeared as though Rory had far more to gain from Sorley alive than from Sorley dead.
‘So, do you think that this Sheedy has anything to do with the killing of Sorley the silversmith, Brehon?’ asked Fachtnan. Mara looked around her schoolhouse. Ordinarily on the afternoon before the celebrations of Samhain, her six scholars would be in an excited, fidgety state, unable to concentrate on their studies, but now the excitement of this unexpected and unexplained death kept them alert and interested.
‘And what about Giolla the beekeeper?’ asked twelve-year-old Hugh.
‘No one would murder a man because of a few bees, birdbrain,’ said Aidan scornfully.
‘It’s possible, though unlikely,’ said Mara. ‘He is very attached to his bees – Aidan, don’t keep using that silly expression, birdbrain . You’re nearly fifteen now, so it’s time for you to express yourself in a more grown-up way. However, let’s go back to Fachtnan’s question. I need to look at the map that we made a few years ago of everyone’s holding on the Burren, but I think that Sheedy’s land does not really come too near Sorley’s silver mine. However it may be that some of the mountain is common land. Thank you, Enda, yes, spread the map out on my table. Stand around it, all of you.’
‘There’s Lios Mac Sioda, is that where he lives?’ Ten-year-old Shane picked it out with lightning speed.
‘That’s right,’ said Mara. ‘And below that, on the lane
between the mountains, are two small farms: Lios na gCat and Lios Mac Taidhg.’
‘Who owns these?’ asked Fachtnan with a puzzled frown. ‘I thought that just Sheedy lived up that lane.’
‘I think that Sorley the silversmith bought them when he bought Newtown Castle,’
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