The sound of rustling skirts from the first landing made me stop in my tracks. I didn't wish to be discovered eavesdropping outside the laird's study, and turned back toward the door. The landing here was wide, and a tapestry covered one wall almost from floor to ceiling. My feet would show, but it couldn't be helped.
Lurking like a rat behind the arras, I heard the steps from below slow as they approached the door, and stop at the far side of the landing, as the unseen visitor realized, as I had, the private nature of the brothers' conversation.
"No," Colum was saying, calmer now. "No, of course not. The woman's a witch, or next thing to it."
"Aye, but—" Dougal's response was cut short by his brother's impatient tones.
"I've said I'll attend to it, man. Don't worry yourself over it, little brother; I'll see she's done rightly by." A note of grudging affection had crept into Colum's voice.
"I'll tell ye, man. I've written the Duke as he may have leave to hunt the lands above Erlick—he's keen to have a shot at the stags there. I mean to send Jamie along wi' him; may be as he still has some feeling for the lad—"
Dougal interrupted with something in Gaelic, evidently a coarse remark, for Colum laughed and said, "Nay, I reckon Jamie's big enough to have a care for himself. But if the Duke's a mind to intercede for him with His Royal Majesty, it's the lad's best chance for a pardon. If ye will, I'll tell His Grace you'll go as well. You can aid Jamie as ye may, and you'll be out of the way while I settle matters here."
There was a muffled thump from the far side of the landing, and I risked peeping out. It was the girl Laoghaire, pale as the plastered wall behind her. She was holding a tray with a decanter; a pewter cup had fallen from the tray to the carpeted floor, making the sound I had heard.
"What's that?" Colum's voice, suddenly sharp, spoke from inside the study. Laoghaire dropped the tray on the table next to the door, almost upsetting the decanter in her haste, and turning, fled precipitately.
I could hear Dougal's footsteps approaching the door, and knew I would never make it down the stairs without discovery. I barely had time to wriggle out of my hiding place and pick up the fallen cup, before the door opened.
"Oh, it's you." Dougal sounded mildly surprised. "Is that the stuff Mrs. Fitz sent for Colum's raw throat?"
"Yes," I said glibly. "She says she hopes he'll be better presently."
"I'll do." Moving more slowly, Colum came into view in the open door. He smiled at me. "Thank Mrs. Fitz for me. And my thanks to you, my dear, for bringing it. Will ye sit a moment while I drink it?"
The conversation I had overheard had effectually made me forget my original purpose, but I now remembered my intention of borrowing a book. Dougal excused himself, and I followed Colum slowly into his library, where he offered me the run of his shelves.
Colum's color was still high, the quarrel with his brother still fresh in his mind, but he answered my questions about the books with a good approximation of his usual poise. Only the brightness of his eyes and a certain tenseness of posture betrayed his thoughts.
I found one or two herbals that looked interesting and put them aside while I browsed a novel.
Colum crossed to the birds' cage, no doubt intending to soothe himself as per his usual custom by watching the beautiful little self-absorbed creatures hop about amongst the branches, each a world unto itself.
The sound of shouts from outside attracted my attention. From this high point, the fields behind the castle were visible, all the way to the loch. A small group of horsemen was sweeping around the end of the loch, shouting with exhilaration, as the rain pelted them on.
As they drew nearer, I could see that they weren't men after all, but boys, mostly teenagers, but with a younger lad here and there on a pony, pressing hard to stay up with the older youths. I wondered if Hamish was with them, and quickly found the telltale spot of bright hair, gleaming wildly from Cobhar's back in the middle of the pack.
The gang came charging toward the castle, headed for one of the innumerable stone walls that separated one field from another. One, two, three, four, the older boys on their mounts popped over the wall with the careless ease born of experience.
It was doubtless my imagination that made the bay seem to hang back a moment, for Cobhar followed the other horses with apparent eagerness. He charged the fence, set himself, braced and leapt.
He seemed to do it just as the others had, and yet something happened. Perhaps a hesitation by his rider, a too-hard pulling on the reins, or a not-quite-firm seat. For the front hooves struck the wall just a few inches too low, and horse, rider and all, somersaulted over the wall in the most spectacular parabola of doom I had ever seen.