‘What was she ambitious for?’
The two men exchanged a glance. It was Brother Dathal who responded.
‘Power, I suppose. Power over people; power over men.’
‘I understand she bullied little Sister Gorman.’
‘It’s the first that we have heard of it,’ replied Adamrae. ‘But Gorman always kept herself to herself.’
‘And you said that Muirgel was jealous. Of whom was she jealous?’ she asked, turning to Dathal.
‘Of Sister Canair obviously. Ask among her companions from Moville. We never met her until we started our journey although we heard many things on the excursion to Ardmore. You do not journey with a small group for several days without picking up the things that others try to hide. Muirgel was jealous of Sister Canair, with an intensity that alarmed us.’
‘What was the cause of her jealousy?’
‘I think that there was a hate embedded in Sister Muirgel that could have developed into violence.’
‘It was said that Muirgel was jealous of Canair because of … of Brother Cian.’
‘Who told you this?’
‘Brother Bairne,’ replied Dathal.
‘Were you concerned then when Sister Canair did not join you on the morning the ship sailed, and Sister Muirgel took charge?’
Brother Adamrae gave a shake of his head and answered.
‘It might have been a cause for concern but for two things. Firstly, Sister Canair had not accompanied us to Ardmore. She went to visit someone before we reached the Abbey. It was logical to assume she did not even come to Ardmore. Secondly, Sister Muirgel stayed at the Abbey with us until we came to the quay and found there was no Canair and that we had to get aboard or miss the sailing. Dathal and I would have come aboard anyway, Canair or no Canair, because we would not have considered forgoing our chance to travel to Iberia and finish our task of tracing the ancient history of our people.’
Fidelma was thinking carefully.
‘I still have a question.’
Brother Dathal smiled.
‘Questions always provoke more questions.’
‘Are you sure that Muirgel was jealous of Sister Canair and Cian? I have been told that Muirgel wanted to end the affair with Cian.’
‘Well, Bairne has his problems. He was moonstruck on Muirgel.But Muirgel did dislike Canair. She might well have been hungry for power and for the little brief authority that Canair had.’
Brother Adamrae nodded decisively.
‘I think we have helped you all we can, Sister. I don’t believe you will find the answers you want among our gossip. You have doubtless talked about this to Brother Bairne or will do so?’ He rose and opened the cabin door, and Fidelma left, in a greater state of confusion than before.
Cian looked up in surprise as Fidelma knocked on his cabin door and entered.
‘What can I do for you?’ he asked. ‘Have you come to bemoan the past again?’
Fidelma answered him coldly. ‘I was looking for Brother Bairne, who shares your cabin.’
‘As you can see, he is not here.’
‘As I can see,’ confirmed Fidelma. ‘Where would I find him?’
‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’ quipped Cian sarcastically.
Fidelma stared at him with distaste.
‘You should remember in what context that question was asked before making it into a joke,’ she replied, withdrawing before he could respond.
She found Brother Bairne seated at the meal table on the mess deck, looking dolefully at a mug of mead. His eyes were red-rimmed and there was little need to ask about his emotional state.
He looked up as she entered and sat down near him.
‘I know,’ he said, ‘a few questions. I have heard all about your investigation. Yes, I was in love with Muirgel. No, I did not see her after last evening when the storm rose.’
Fidelma took in his statement without apparent surprise.
‘You told me that you were from Moville, didn’t you?’
‘I was training there in order to preach the Word among the heathen,’ he confirmed.
‘Did you know Sister Muirgel well there?’
‘I told you that I was in love …’
‘With respect, that is not the same thing as knowing someone.’
‘I knew her for several months.’
‘And, of course, you knew Sister Crella?’
‘Of course. They were more or less inseparable. Muirgel and Crella seemed to share everything.’
‘Including boyfriends?’
Brother Bairne flushed but said nothing.
‘Did Muirgel return your feelings for her?’
‘You have no doubt asked Sister Crella for her opinion?’
‘I’ll take that as a negative answer. Unrequited love is hard to bear, Bairne. Did you hate Muirgel for rejecting you?’
‘Of course not. I loved her.’
‘It’s just that I wondered why you chose to quote from the Book of Hosea this morning.’
‘I was upset. I did not think. I wished to hit out …’
‘You wished to hurt Muirgel?’
‘I … I don’t think so. Had Muirgel turned to me I would have loved and protected her. But she rejected my love and turned to people who could and did hurt her. Even that one-armed bastard that I am forced to share my cabin with was able to have his way with her …’
‘Brother Cian?’ queried Fidelma.
‘Cian! If only I had trained as a warrior I would have taught him a lesson.’
‘You told Dathal and Adamrae that he had had an affair with Muirgel? That Muirgel still felt for him and that she was jealous of Canair because of the fact that Cian was now having an affair with her.’
‘I knew that he had dropped her for Sister Canair; for the same reason he finishes with all his women. Canair had more to offer him for the time being.’
‘And Muirgel was jealous?’
‘What does anyone feel when they have been rejected?’
Fidelma found herself blushing. She wondered if Bairne knew about her past but the young man was staring at the drink on the table.
‘When was the last time you saw Muirgel?’
‘Saw her? Last evening, I suppose. I spoke to her through her cabin door just before midnight.’
‘Through the door? What do you mean exactly?’
‘She did not open it when I knocked. I asked if she was better and whether I could fetch her anything. She called through the door that all she wanted was to be left alone. Then I went to bed.’
‘Did you get up during the night?’
He shook his head.
‘When did you get up then?’
‘It was just about dawn, I think. I needed to find the defectora.’ He used the Latin term out of politeness rather than the colloquial one.
‘Ah yes. I am told you did not use the defectora by the stern cabins but apparently made your way to the one in the bow of the ship. That was a long way to go. Why was that?’
Brother Bairne looked at her in surprise.
‘I suppose that I had forgotten about the defectora at the stern. I am not sure.’
‘And when you returned, was anyone about?’
‘I saw that bastard Cian at the door of Muirgel’s cabin. He said something about checking that everyone was all right after the storm. I waited, for I wondered if he was trying to get back with Muirgel. But a few seconds later he re-emerged and said he could not find her.’
‘And then you learnt that there was no sign of her on board?’
Brother Bairne leant across the table and stared at her closely.
‘If you want to know the truth, Sister, then I’ll tell you. I don’t believe that Muirgel fell overboard. I believe that she was pushed. And I’ll tell you who did it.’
He paused dramatically so that she finally had to prompt him: ‘Who did it?’
‘Sister Crella.’
Fidelma tried to make her face inscrutable.
‘You have told me who; now tell me why.’
‘Jealousy!’
Fidelma examined Bairne’s intent expression cautiously.
‘What would she be jealous of?’
‘Of Muirgel, of course! Ask her. It’s all to do with that self-opinionated bast-’