parents to another. Her only consolation was that summer was coming.
‘At least the cows have started giving more milk now that there’s more grass, and we can start the cheesemaking. And there have been good catches of fish down in the Shannon. Cliar, you can start salting the load that Marcus brought in this morning.’
Cliar sighed. This was a job she hated, gutting the fish and placing them between layers of salt in big wooden barrels. Her arms would sting from the salt for days and, even worse, she could not get rid of the smell of fish from her skin and clothes. She would even go swimming in the icy Shannon to try to remove the smell, but it didn’t work. Maude had given her some scented soap, and that helped a little. After two hours of gutting and salting, she had more than enough. Tuan, coming to look for her in the kitchen, found her crying as she pulled the slimy red innards into piles and flung them onto the dung heap. Flies had gathered around her and she waved them away angrily.
‘I hate this kitchen,’ she said, and Tuan realised that he had never heard her sound so angry. ‘It’s like being in hell.One day I’ll just run away from here. I don’t care what happens to me, but at least I won’t have to gut another fish or chop another onion.’
‘Dump those and come with me to the roof,’ said Tuan. ‘Quick, before anyone sees. Maude has some news for us.’
Maude indeed had news, and she told her tale with a white, shocked face. The worst had happened.
Maude had been alone in her chamber with Gile. Because of her flight from the castle she was in disgrace and had been told to help Margaret with packing away valuables into the chests of the Great Hall. But instead she had sneaked back upstairs and was lying in a shaft of sunlight with a very contented dog. Gile was snoring slightly with his paws in the air while she quietly deloused him. She heard a noise on the other side of the thin partition; Sir Richard had come into his chamber to talk privately to Lady Johanna.
Maude listened intently. Sir Richard was speaking in Latin. She knew by experience that when her guardians spoke Latin, they wished to keep what they were saying as secret as possible. Maude’s Latin, thought not as good as Matthieu’s, was good enough to follow most of their conversation. At first they talked about the attacks to thenorth of Bunratty, but then she heard Tuan’s name mentioned and her ears strained even harder to hear what was being said.
‘It will be a pity to harm the child, for he’s a good enough boy. But nothing else can be done; the Mac Conmaras must be taught that they cannot take me for a fool.’ Sir Richard’s voice was harsh.
‘That’s true enough,’ said Lady Johanna. ‘But how are we to do it? We cannot do anything in the castle, for he is well liked and there would be uproar from the children and the servants. You must do it quietly and quickly, away from Bunratty.’
‘That I know,’ said Lord De Clare. ‘It is better that I should not be here when it is done, so once I have left for Dysert O’Dea, Fat John will take the child out of the castle. He will make up some story about meeting his family, of returning him to them. He will do what is necessary; hit him from behind like a dog when his mind is elsewhere. Then he can send his son Godric with the body to lay it out where it will be found by the Mac Conmaras, somewhere on the borders of their land. That will teach them to have respect for me again.’
Lady Johanna sighed. ‘And when will this be?’
‘I leave tomorrow at dawn. After I have left, Fat Johnwill take him away. Then he will continue south to tell Prior Outlaw to join me at Dysert.’
‘And you do not think Tuan will be suspicious? There is no love between him and Fat John.’
‘I think not, but if he is, Fat John will drug him and carry him out of the castle over his saddle.’
Maude put her hand over her mouth. She was shaking as if with cold, although the
‘At least the cows have started giving more milk now that there’s more grass, and we can start the cheesemaking. And there have been good catches of fish down in the Shannon. Cliar, you can start salting the load that Marcus brought in this morning.’
Cliar sighed. This was a job she hated, gutting the fish and placing them between layers of salt in big wooden barrels. Her arms would sting from the salt for days and, even worse, she could not get rid of the smell of fish from her skin and clothes. She would even go swimming in the icy Shannon to try to remove the smell, but it didn’t work. Maude had given her some scented soap, and that helped a little. After two hours of gutting and salting, she had more than enough. Tuan, coming to look for her in the kitchen, found her crying as she pulled the slimy red innards into piles and flung them onto the dung heap. Flies had gathered around her and she waved them away angrily.
‘I hate this kitchen,’ she said, and Tuan realised that he had never heard her sound so angry. ‘It’s like being in hell.One day I’ll just run away from here. I don’t care what happens to me, but at least I won’t have to gut another fish or chop another onion.’
‘Dump those and come with me to the roof,’ said Tuan. ‘Quick, before anyone sees. Maude has some news for us.’
Maude indeed had news, and she told her tale with a white, shocked face. The worst had happened.
Maude had been alone in her chamber with Gile. Because of her flight from the castle she was in disgrace and had been told to help Margaret with packing away valuables into the chests of the Great Hall. But instead she had sneaked back upstairs and was lying in a shaft of sunlight with a very contented dog. Gile was snoring slightly with his paws in the air while she quietly deloused him. She heard a noise on the other side of the thin partition; Sir Richard had come into his chamber to talk privately to Lady Johanna.
Maude listened intently. Sir Richard was speaking in Latin. She knew by experience that when her guardians spoke Latin, they wished to keep what they were saying as secret as possible. Maude’s Latin, thought not as good as Matthieu’s, was good enough to follow most of their conversation. At first they talked about the attacks to thenorth of Bunratty, but then she heard Tuan’s name mentioned and her ears strained even harder to hear what was being said.
‘It will be a pity to harm the child, for he’s a good enough boy. But nothing else can be done; the Mac Conmaras must be taught that they cannot take me for a fool.’ Sir Richard’s voice was harsh.
‘That’s true enough,’ said Lady Johanna. ‘But how are we to do it? We cannot do anything in the castle, for he is well liked and there would be uproar from the children and the servants. You must do it quietly and quickly, away from Bunratty.’
‘That I know,’ said Lord De Clare. ‘It is better that I should not be here when it is done, so once I have left for Dysert O’Dea, Fat John will take the child out of the castle. He will make up some story about meeting his family, of returning him to them. He will do what is necessary; hit him from behind like a dog when his mind is elsewhere. Then he can send his son Godric with the body to lay it out where it will be found by the Mac Conmaras, somewhere on the borders of their land. That will teach them to have respect for me again.’
Lady Johanna sighed. ‘And when will this be?’
‘I leave tomorrow at dawn. After I have left, Fat Johnwill take him away. Then he will continue south to tell Prior Outlaw to join me at Dysert.’
‘And you do not think Tuan will be suspicious? There is no love between him and Fat John.’
‘I think not, but if he is, Fat John will drug him and carry him out of the castle over his saddle.’
Maude put her hand over her mouth. She was shaking as if with cold, although the
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