Fachtnan,’ said Mara honestly. ‘You see there seems to be a quite a few people who hated Sorley and then this sudden death – well, it just worries me a little. I feel that it is a murder.’
‘Are you thinking about Cathal the sea captain, Brehon?’ asked Shane.
‘What about Daire?’ asked Enda.
‘Why do you say that, Enda?’ Mara was interested. Had Daire told of his unfair treatment last night? As far as she knew her lads had not seen him for a long time before. ‘Did Daire say anything to you?’
Enda shook his head. ‘No, it was Rory who told me,’ he said and added thoughtfully, ‘in fact, he told me at great length how much Daire had hated Sorley and how unfair the silversmith had been to Daire and how he had refused to warrant him as a silversmith and had cheated him.’
‘At great length?’ Mara raised an eyebrow and Enda nodded.
‘I got the feeling that I was supposed to take that information to you, Brehon,’ he said astutely.
‘Sorley was a moneylender; Brigid told us that,’ said Aidan eagerly. ‘Could you find out anything about that, Brehon?’
‘Has anyone borrowed money from him? We could go around the Burren asking about that,’ proposed Moylan.
‘Is there anyone else that you suspect, Brehon?’ asked Fachtnan.
‘I saw Sorley’s son, on Wednesday night,’ said Mara quietly. ‘His name is Cuan and Sorley has rejected him as an unsatisfactory son quite recently. He gave him a farm of twenty acres, but the lad is not used to farming and I don’t think that things have worked out for him. I think that if we are making a list of those who had reason to dislike this man Sorley, we might have to put Cuan’s name on it.’
‘It couldn’t have been legal, though, could it, Brehon?’ asked Enda. ‘I mean Sorley’s repudiation of his son. After all, he would have had to come to you and I don’t remember any such case.’
‘Unless he went to the Brehon at Kinvarra,’ said Mara. ‘I don’t think that could be the position, though. I’m sure that, out of courtesy, I would have been notified. Though, I can’t remember being notified about the divorce granted against Sorley’s wife, either, but then that was about seven or eight years ago; perhaps I’ve forgotten, or perhaps Sorley was not living at the Burren at all at that time. He had a house in Galway as well as a castle in Kinvarra. I know that he bought Newtown Castle from the O’Lochlainn about twenty years ago, but he didn’t live there much, I think.’
‘Exactly how old was Cuan when he was rejected, Brehon?’ asked Enda alertly.
Mara looked at him with respect. ‘Why do you ask that, Enda?’
‘Well, if he were under seventeen, even by a day, then it
is illegal, and, come to think of it,’ he added, his blue eyes thoughtful, ‘even if he were over seventeen a mountain farm of twenty acres would not, in the eyes of the law, be suitable provision for the son of such a rich man.’
‘Well done, Enda,’ Mara eyed him jubilantly. ‘That is my feeling exactly.’
The church was still half-empty when they entered. The six scholars sat in the back row while Mara went further up the church looking keenly at the row of people in the top right-hand seat; Una was there with her faithful maidservant on one side and Rory on the other side. Daire was in the same row and also a middle-aged man – probably Sorley’s steward, surmised Mara. She glanced around from time to time as the church began to fill. Toin came in, leaning heavily on his stick and on the arm of a body-servant. She saw that he too glanced around the church after he had seated himself beside her. He was obviously looking for someone and expected to see them at the back of the church. Mara’s eyes followed his and she saw Cuan, Sorley’s rejected son, slip in through the door; with him was a plain-faced, middle-aged woman in a threadbare cloak.
Just as the door to the vestry opened to admit the altar servers with their tapers
‘Are you thinking about Cathal the sea captain, Brehon?’ asked Shane.
‘What about Daire?’ asked Enda.
‘Why do you say that, Enda?’ Mara was interested. Had Daire told of his unfair treatment last night? As far as she knew her lads had not seen him for a long time before. ‘Did Daire say anything to you?’
Enda shook his head. ‘No, it was Rory who told me,’ he said and added thoughtfully, ‘in fact, he told me at great length how much Daire had hated Sorley and how unfair the silversmith had been to Daire and how he had refused to warrant him as a silversmith and had cheated him.’
‘At great length?’ Mara raised an eyebrow and Enda nodded.
‘I got the feeling that I was supposed to take that information to you, Brehon,’ he said astutely.
‘Sorley was a moneylender; Brigid told us that,’ said Aidan eagerly. ‘Could you find out anything about that, Brehon?’
‘Has anyone borrowed money from him? We could go around the Burren asking about that,’ proposed Moylan.
‘Is there anyone else that you suspect, Brehon?’ asked Fachtnan.
‘I saw Sorley’s son, on Wednesday night,’ said Mara quietly. ‘His name is Cuan and Sorley has rejected him as an unsatisfactory son quite recently. He gave him a farm of twenty acres, but the lad is not used to farming and I don’t think that things have worked out for him. I think that if we are making a list of those who had reason to dislike this man Sorley, we might have to put Cuan’s name on it.’
‘It couldn’t have been legal, though, could it, Brehon?’ asked Enda. ‘I mean Sorley’s repudiation of his son. After all, he would have had to come to you and I don’t remember any such case.’
‘Unless he went to the Brehon at Kinvarra,’ said Mara. ‘I don’t think that could be the position, though. I’m sure that, out of courtesy, I would have been notified. Though, I can’t remember being notified about the divorce granted against Sorley’s wife, either, but then that was about seven or eight years ago; perhaps I’ve forgotten, or perhaps Sorley was not living at the Burren at all at that time. He had a house in Galway as well as a castle in Kinvarra. I know that he bought Newtown Castle from the O’Lochlainn about twenty years ago, but he didn’t live there much, I think.’
‘Exactly how old was Cuan when he was rejected, Brehon?’ asked Enda alertly.
Mara looked at him with respect. ‘Why do you ask that, Enda?’
‘Well, if he were under seventeen, even by a day, then it
is illegal, and, come to think of it,’ he added, his blue eyes thoughtful, ‘even if he were over seventeen a mountain farm of twenty acres would not, in the eyes of the law, be suitable provision for the son of such a rich man.’
‘Well done, Enda,’ Mara eyed him jubilantly. ‘That is my feeling exactly.’
The church was still half-empty when they entered. The six scholars sat in the back row while Mara went further up the church looking keenly at the row of people in the top right-hand seat; Una was there with her faithful maidservant on one side and Rory on the other side. Daire was in the same row and also a middle-aged man – probably Sorley’s steward, surmised Mara. She glanced around from time to time as the church began to fill. Toin came in, leaning heavily on his stick and on the arm of a body-servant. She saw that he too glanced around the church after he had seated himself beside her. He was obviously looking for someone and expected to see them at the back of the church. Mara’s eyes followed his and she saw Cuan, Sorley’s rejected son, slip in through the door; with him was a plain-faced, middle-aged woman in a threadbare cloak.
Just as the door to the vestry opened to admit the altar servers with their tapers
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