said, but she gave a satisfied nod. Mairéad would have to look elsewhere for a lover. Enda would keep his mind on his work until the examination was passed and he had established himself as a lawyer.
‘I just wondered, Enda, if you could find some opportunity to look at Rory’s wrist. You see, Muiris implies that he has a possible bee sting there and that might just, though not necessarily, have some relevance to the death of Sorley. It’s not an investigation yet; I haven’t completely made up my mind, but bee stings fade, so if you could think of something, Enda …’
He was gone with a quick nod and without a sideways glance at Mairéad, who watched him from the shadow of the hawthorn hedge.
Enda took a long time over chatting with Rory. Obviously he took his mission seriously. His eyes never strayed towards Mairéad who was tossing her red curls impatiently. Mara watched him with some compassion, but also with
some compunction. She was right, she knew, but that did not stop her feeling guilty and rather sorry for him. Most farm lads of his age would be getting betrothed by now; their fathers would be looking out for a suitable small farm so that they could set up in their own right. Enda, with his brains, his looks and his charm, would probably end up as a wealthy man, but for now he had to concentrate on his studies and avoid any unwise entanglements. Let him pass his examinations, get a position as an aigne in the service of some taoiseach or with some Brehon and then he could think about marriage.
Enda and Rory were now wrestling playfully: Rory pretending to cuff Enda. And then the two heads were bent together looking at something. After a few minutes Enda left with some joke shouted back. Rory lifted his hand in a parting salutation and the light from the bonfire showed as a red flash on his wrist.
‘He is wearing a silver bracelet, Brehon,’ said Enda in a low voice as he returned. ‘I think the silversmith, Sorley, probably gave it to him. I admired it and eventually he allowed me to slip it on. I pretended that I didn’t want to give it back so I had time to have a good look at his wrist.’
‘And?’
‘Muiris is probably right,’ said Enda. ‘There is still a slight lump just on the back of his right wrist.’
‘I see,’ said Mara thoughtfully. Of course it was natural that Sorley should give Rory a present of a silver bracelet and equally natural that he should wear it at Samhain . He was a showy young man and jewellery like that would have been part of the price that Sorley was willing to pay in order to secure a husband for his plain daughter. On the other
hand, it was not natural to slip the bracelet over a sore wrist; why not wear it on the left wrist?
Unless, of course, thought Mara, Rory’s was the hand that pushed over the hive of bees and caused the death of the silversmith.
SEVEN
CÁIN LÁNAMNA (THE LAW OF COUPLES)
In the case of a divorce, desired by husband and wife, the property is divided between them.
when a divorce between a man and woman of equal status occurs, the woman gets one-sixth of the fleeces,, but if the wool has been combed she gets one-third of it and if the cloth has been already woven she gets a half
In the same way, the husband gets five-sixths of the flax standing in the field, but only a half if the flax has been turned into linen .
‘I THINK,’ SAID MARA to her scholars, as they lined up in the schoolhouse after breakfast on Friday morning, looking clean and neat in snowy white linen léine and well-combed hair, ‘I think that we will go to the All Saints’ Mass at Rathborney today instead of to Noughaval as usual. I
would like to have a look around the graveyard and you can all be of help to me.’
‘Does that mean that you are definitely considering the death of Sorley to be murder?’ enquired Fachtnan after a moment’s silence while the boys looked at each other and then at Fachtnan as the eldest scholar.
‘I’m not sure,
‘I just wondered, Enda, if you could find some opportunity to look at Rory’s wrist. You see, Muiris implies that he has a possible bee sting there and that might just, though not necessarily, have some relevance to the death of Sorley. It’s not an investigation yet; I haven’t completely made up my mind, but bee stings fade, so if you could think of something, Enda …’
He was gone with a quick nod and without a sideways glance at Mairéad, who watched him from the shadow of the hawthorn hedge.
Enda took a long time over chatting with Rory. Obviously he took his mission seriously. His eyes never strayed towards Mairéad who was tossing her red curls impatiently. Mara watched him with some compassion, but also with
some compunction. She was right, she knew, but that did not stop her feeling guilty and rather sorry for him. Most farm lads of his age would be getting betrothed by now; their fathers would be looking out for a suitable small farm so that they could set up in their own right. Enda, with his brains, his looks and his charm, would probably end up as a wealthy man, but for now he had to concentrate on his studies and avoid any unwise entanglements. Let him pass his examinations, get a position as an aigne in the service of some taoiseach or with some Brehon and then he could think about marriage.
Enda and Rory were now wrestling playfully: Rory pretending to cuff Enda. And then the two heads were bent together looking at something. After a few minutes Enda left with some joke shouted back. Rory lifted his hand in a parting salutation and the light from the bonfire showed as a red flash on his wrist.
‘He is wearing a silver bracelet, Brehon,’ said Enda in a low voice as he returned. ‘I think the silversmith, Sorley, probably gave it to him. I admired it and eventually he allowed me to slip it on. I pretended that I didn’t want to give it back so I had time to have a good look at his wrist.’
‘And?’
‘Muiris is probably right,’ said Enda. ‘There is still a slight lump just on the back of his right wrist.’
‘I see,’ said Mara thoughtfully. Of course it was natural that Sorley should give Rory a present of a silver bracelet and equally natural that he should wear it at Samhain . He was a showy young man and jewellery like that would have been part of the price that Sorley was willing to pay in order to secure a husband for his plain daughter. On the other
hand, it was not natural to slip the bracelet over a sore wrist; why not wear it on the left wrist?
Unless, of course, thought Mara, Rory’s was the hand that pushed over the hive of bees and caused the death of the silversmith.
SEVEN
CÁIN LÁNAMNA (THE LAW OF COUPLES)
In the case of a divorce, desired by husband and wife, the property is divided between them.
when a divorce between a man and woman of equal status occurs, the woman gets one-sixth of the fleeces,, but if the wool has been combed she gets one-third of it and if the cloth has been already woven she gets a half
In the same way, the husband gets five-sixths of the flax standing in the field, but only a half if the flax has been turned into linen .
‘I THINK,’ SAID MARA to her scholars, as they lined up in the schoolhouse after breakfast on Friday morning, looking clean and neat in snowy white linen léine and well-combed hair, ‘I think that we will go to the All Saints’ Mass at Rathborney today instead of to Noughaval as usual. I
would like to have a look around the graveyard and you can all be of help to me.’
‘Does that mean that you are definitely considering the death of Sorley to be murder?’ enquired Fachtnan after a moment’s silence while the boys looked at each other and then at Fachtnan as the eldest scholar.
‘I’m not sure,
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