She is called the banchomarbae (female heir). If she marries a landless man or a stranger from another kingdom, she makes the decisions and pays his fines and debts. After her death, the property of a banchomarbae reverts to her own kin and does not pass to her husband and sons. Two or three times during the night Mara woke and walked to her window, leaning out as far as she could and looking anxiously over towards the school. There were no sounds from the enclosure and no lights either. Brigid had made up a bed for Nuala in her living room, but it seemed as though all slept. Most importantly, Fachtnan must have continued to sleep. Each time Mara breathed a sigh of relief as she returned to her own bed – to rest, but not to sleep. What had happened? It seemed from Oisín’s evidence that Fachtnan had returned at the usual time in the afternoon. Brigid had thought she saw him go to the kitchen house and she was probably right. Brigid usually was right. But was the poisonous drug that he swallowed given to him during the day?
