Free Deed of Murder by Cora Harrison Page A

accurately by that shadow; for more than thirty years she had watched it from the schoolhouse window. ‘Well, I must be getting back to Ballinalacken – the hunters will have returned,’ she said. ‘What would you boys like to do? I’m going to suggest to Brigid and Cumhal that they stay here. After Mass at Kilfenora cathedral tomorrow at noon, my visitors will go home. Do you want to stay here at Cahermacnaghten or come back to Ballinalacken with me?’
    She looked at her scholars and saw signs of doubt on their faces. Fachtnan was not here – he would normally have given the lead. Eventually Moylan said tactfully, ‘You have enough to do without having us to look after, Brehon. Shall we stay here?’
    ‘Just go and have a word with Brigid about this, will you, and if it is all right by her, then you can stay here tonight.’ She understood. They were tired of the splendours of Ballinalacken castle and wanted to be back with their muddy field, their balls and hurling games, thought Mara. ‘I will see you all at Eamon’s burial service at Noughaval tomorrow,’ she added. Turlough would understand that she would not be able to accompany him to the cathedral tomorrow.
    ‘I’ve thought of something, Brehon,’ said Moylan tentatively. ‘You’ll be busy tomorrow with your guests and everything, but would you trust us to make a search of the mountain area around the flax garden and see whether we can find the deed? After all, it might have just slipped out and fallen into a hole somewhere.’
    ‘That would be good,’ said Aidan enthusiastically. ‘We could divide the area between us. Danann could come too; he’d enjoy that.’
    ‘I’ll have a word with Cumhal and see whether he can spare Danann,’ promised Mara. Better still, perhaps Cumhal might go, also, and keep an eye on all. She did not normally fuss about her scholars, thinking that they needed to gain habits of self-reliance under her care, but now she suddenly felt vulnerable. Would the girl sitting opposite her now be dead if she had accompanied Eamon, or was her mind moving in quite the wrong direction?
    Was the murder of the young lawyer the result of anger, rather than of greed? Thoughtfully, she wiped the entries on the board clean with her damp sponge and waited until she heard the boys’ voices talking to Brigid at the door of the kitchen house before turning to her remaining scholar.
    Fiona had not followed the boys out but sat and waited demurely to speak until Mara had looked at her. ‘You’d prefer me to go back with you, is that it?’ she asked.
    ‘That’s it,’ said Mara firmly. ‘I feel worried about you. And I’d like you to promise me that you will not go off with anyone again without asking my permission.’
    ‘I’m not likely to,’ said Fiona sadly. ‘I’ve learned my lesson, I suppose.’
    But what was the lesson? wondered Mara as they both rode in silence across to Ballinalacken Castle.
    Not to arise jealousy in the minds of young men. Was that it?
    Could the murder of Eamon have been the result of a young man’s anger?
    Or was it a matter of retaining a profitable business?
    Or could there have been some other motive?

Seven
    Bretha Nemed
    (Laws for Professional People)
    There are three skills that give status to a fili (poet):
    The knowledge that lights up the world
    The ability to chant in rhyme
    To be able to tell the future
    T he hunting party had brought back immense appetites and very loud voices. Mara sat at the end of the table and watched the face of her husband at the top of the table. He had had a very good day. The sport had been excellent and he had spent the lovely sunny April day out in the fresh air on the stony mountain in the company of his nearest relations, allies and friends. He smiled down at his wife and lifted a glass in salute and Mara lifted her glass in return to him – one of the precious set of glasses that her father, the first Brehon of the Burren, the first ollamh of the law school of