‘Believe me, he will. But if you do this you will always regret it. I know. It will stain you for ever.’
‘I am already stained.’
‘There is a difference. The horrors you suffered were perpetrated by evil men. Do this and the horror will be on your soul and yours alone.’
Wullis heard this through a sea of pain. He thought it could get no worse. But the fire flared higher into his belly and his body spasmed. He twisted on the ground, drawing his knees up towards his abdomen. The skin split and his entrails bulged against his shirt.
Opening his eyes he saw Chara and Kaelin wading back across the stream. And all he could do to stem the pain was to scream . . .
And scream.
The death of Parsis Feld, the Eldacre forge owner, caused quite a stir in the town. A married man with three sons, and a doting wife, his heart gave out while he was being ‘entertained’ in the town’s most illustrious brothel. Yet even this news was dwarfed by the revelations that followed. The Varlish community reacted with astonishment when it was learned that forty per cent of Parsis Feld’s business empire was in fact owned by a highland woman.
The sons of Parsis Feld were outraged. None of them wished to continue their father’s business, but were seeking to sell it and retire to graceful homes far away in the south. Now the amount they could expect was almost halved.
The eldest son, Jorain Feld, took his complaint to the Moidart, and so it was that on a bright autumn morning Galliott the Borderer, with ten soldiers, rode to Maev’s home.
Galliott was uneasy. As captain of the Watch he had many informants, and had known for some time about Maev Ring’s astonishing successes. They did not concern him, for Maev Ring conducted herself with a commendable lack of ostentation. He did wonder at times what on earth she did with the money she earned, but apart from that he turned a blind eye to her business dealings. Now, despite Maev’s attempts to remain inconspicuous, her name was being spoken all over town.
Galliott reined in his mount in the yard behind the house and dismounted.
Maev herself walked out to greet him. ‘What can I do for you, captain?’ she asked.
‘Is Jaim here?’ he replied.
‘No. He has gone north on an errand for me.’
Galliott was relieved. The last person he wanted around at this bitter moment was Jaim Grymauch. ‘I am sorry, Maev, but I am here to escort you to Eldacre Castle. The Moidart wishes to question you.’
‘Shall I harness my buggy, captain, or are you to drag me there in chains?’ There was anger in her green eyes.
‘Harness your buggy, madam, by all means. I shall drive it for you.’
‘I am quite capable of driving it myself, captain.’
‘Very well.’
Crowds gathered in Old Hills to watch Maev Ring as she passed. They noted the way she sat, head high and proud as she steered the pony. There was no fear showing. In Eldacre itself more crowds lined the streets, many just anxious to catch a glimpse of the ‘rich clanswoman’.
Maev rode her buggy through the great gates of the castle and followed Galliott to the steps leading into the castle proper. Galliott dismounted, passed the reins of his horse to a servant, then assisted Maev from the buggy. He walked with her through the great doors, then led her up a flight of stairs to the first level. There he bade her sit upon a velvet-covered couch in a red-carpeted corridor, and seated himself beside her. ‘Answer all questions truthfully, Maev,’ he said. ‘Do not make him angry. You have broken no law. Hold to that.’
‘I have expected this moment for some years,’ she said, with a sigh. ‘I am prepared for it.’
‘Wait here. I will see if the lord is ready to see you.’
Galliott strolled away. He returned some twenty minutes later to lead Maev along the corridor, and up a further flight of stairs. Tapping on a door, he opened it. Maev found herself in a circular room, with white-plastered brickwork. The floor was fitted with a thick grey carpet on whose centre the fawn in brambles motif had been skilfully embroidered. The Moidart was sitting at a desk beneath a tall window. Maev had never been this close to the lord. His white hair was drawn back in a tight ponytail, his hawklike features were tanned, and his dark eyes radiated power. He was dressed in black, though his tunic was edged in silver, and white lace cuffs showed at the wrist.