cheek, and she pressed her lips tightly together.
"Enough, Sean." Iubdan looked like an old man as he stepped out of I the shadows, and the light showed the lines and furrows of grief on his face. He moved to take my brother by the arm and steer him back, away from Niamh who stood frozen in the center of the room. "Enough, Son. A man of Sevenwaters does not raise his hand in anger against a woman. Sit down. Let us all sit Page 39
down." He was a strong man, my father. So strong, at times, he put the rest of us to shame.
"Perhaps you should leave us, Liadan. We can at least spare you this."
"No!" Niamh's voice was shrill with panic. "No! I want her here. I want my sister here!"
Father glanced at me, raised his brows.
"I'll stay," I said, and my voice came out sounding like a stranger's. "I promised." I glanced at Conor where he sat, ashen faced, his mouth set in a line. He had told me not to feel guilt for what must unfold.
But he could not have foreseen this. I scowled at him.
Ton didn't tell me it would be like this
!
I did not know. This, I would have done much to prevent. Still, it unfolds as it must.
"Now," said Father wearily, when we were all seated, Niamh and I on a bench together, for she had grasped my hand again and this time she was not letting go. "We will get no more out of you tonight; I
can see that. I understand also what the answer to my question is, although you did not give it.
But it is clear to me you do not comprehend the import of what you have done. Were this merely a youthful escapade, a giving-in to the madness of Imbolc, a surrendering to the urges of the body, it might be more readily accepted, if not excused. Such an error is common enough and can be overlooked if it occurs but once."
"But—" Niamh began.
"Keep silent, girl." Her mouth snapped shut as Liam spoke, but her eyes were angry. "Your father speaks wisely. You should hear what Conor has to say. He must bear some responsibility for this himself; it is in part his own error of judgment that has brought this ill on us. What have you to tell us, Brother?"
I had never heard my uncle utter a word of criticism against his brothers or sister, not in all the years since my childhood. There was some old hurt here that I could guess at only dimly.
"Indeed," said Conor very quietly, looking direct at Niamh with his serene, gray eyes, those eyes that saw so much and held it all in their depths. "It was I who decided to bring him here; it was I who believed it was time for him to step forth and be seen. Despite the heartbreak he has caused, despite who he is, Ciaran is a fine young man and, until now, a credit to the brotherhood. He is very able. Very apt."
"Some credit," Sean growled. "Give him one chance to show himself in public and the first thing he does is seduce the daughter of die house. Very apt indeed."
"That's enough, Sean." Iubdan was keeping his tone steady at some cost. "Your youth makes you speak rashly. This is as much Niamh's doing as the young man's. He has had a sheltered upbringing and perhaps did not fully understand the significance of his actions."
"Ciaran has been with the brotherhood many years, though he is still but one and twenty."
Conor still looked straight at Niamh, and in the lamplight his long, ascetic face was as pale as his robe. "He has, as I
said, been an exemplary student. Until now. Apt to learn. Willing. Disciplined. Skilled with words, and with other talents he has barely begun to recognize in himself. Niamh, this young man is not for you."
"He told me," said Niamh, her voice cracking. "He told me. He loves me. I love him. There's nothing as important as that. Nothing!" Her words were defiant, but underneath it she was scared. Scared of what
Conor had not said.
"There can be no union between you and this young man." Liam spoke heavily, as if some untold grief weighed on him. "You will be suitably married as soon as possible, and you will leave Sevenwaters.
Page 40
None must know of
"Enough, Sean." Iubdan looked like an old man as he stepped out of I the shadows, and the light showed the lines and furrows of grief on his face. He moved to take my brother by the arm and steer him back, away from Niamh who stood frozen in the center of the room. "Enough, Son. A man of Sevenwaters does not raise his hand in anger against a woman. Sit down. Let us all sit Page 39
down." He was a strong man, my father. So strong, at times, he put the rest of us to shame.
"Perhaps you should leave us, Liadan. We can at least spare you this."
"No!" Niamh's voice was shrill with panic. "No! I want her here. I want my sister here!"
Father glanced at me, raised his brows.
"I'll stay," I said, and my voice came out sounding like a stranger's. "I promised." I glanced at Conor where he sat, ashen faced, his mouth set in a line. He had told me not to feel guilt for what must unfold.
But he could not have foreseen this. I scowled at him.
Ton didn't tell me it would be like this
!
I did not know. This, I would have done much to prevent. Still, it unfolds as it must.
"Now," said Father wearily, when we were all seated, Niamh and I on a bench together, for she had grasped my hand again and this time she was not letting go. "We will get no more out of you tonight; I
can see that. I understand also what the answer to my question is, although you did not give it.
But it is clear to me you do not comprehend the import of what you have done. Were this merely a youthful escapade, a giving-in to the madness of Imbolc, a surrendering to the urges of the body, it might be more readily accepted, if not excused. Such an error is common enough and can be overlooked if it occurs but once."
"But—" Niamh began.
"Keep silent, girl." Her mouth snapped shut as Liam spoke, but her eyes were angry. "Your father speaks wisely. You should hear what Conor has to say. He must bear some responsibility for this himself; it is in part his own error of judgment that has brought this ill on us. What have you to tell us, Brother?"
I had never heard my uncle utter a word of criticism against his brothers or sister, not in all the years since my childhood. There was some old hurt here that I could guess at only dimly.
"Indeed," said Conor very quietly, looking direct at Niamh with his serene, gray eyes, those eyes that saw so much and held it all in their depths. "It was I who decided to bring him here; it was I who believed it was time for him to step forth and be seen. Despite the heartbreak he has caused, despite who he is, Ciaran is a fine young man and, until now, a credit to the brotherhood. He is very able. Very apt."
"Some credit," Sean growled. "Give him one chance to show himself in public and the first thing he does is seduce the daughter of die house. Very apt indeed."
"That's enough, Sean." Iubdan was keeping his tone steady at some cost. "Your youth makes you speak rashly. This is as much Niamh's doing as the young man's. He has had a sheltered upbringing and perhaps did not fully understand the significance of his actions."
"Ciaran has been with the brotherhood many years, though he is still but one and twenty."
Conor still looked straight at Niamh, and in the lamplight his long, ascetic face was as pale as his robe. "He has, as I
said, been an exemplary student. Until now. Apt to learn. Willing. Disciplined. Skilled with words, and with other talents he has barely begun to recognize in himself. Niamh, this young man is not for you."
"He told me," said Niamh, her voice cracking. "He told me. He loves me. I love him. There's nothing as important as that. Nothing!" Her words were defiant, but underneath it she was scared. Scared of what
Conor had not said.
"There can be no union between you and this young man." Liam spoke heavily, as if some untold grief weighed on him. "You will be suitably married as soon as possible, and you will leave Sevenwaters.
Page 40
None must know of
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