It was a short ride to Tadhg and Aisling's new house. Eamon, who had been involved with the planning of the house, knew that it was situated in a valley halfway between the Kavanagh house and the Dolan house.

When the men reached the valley, they set to work on the house right away. The wall lacked a few stones here and there, but that was soon mended. It was time to thatch the roof.

The men grabbed long beams that were lying on the ground and lifted them up to the top of the house. They laid the beams across the open space, then other men on the ground began to hand bundles of straw up to the men on the roof.

The men worked quickly, sped along by the promise of food and drink. They joked and sang as they worked, sometimes pushing each other good-naturedly.

Eamon, who was up on the roof, helped spread the thatch over the beams. Once the whole roof was covered, the men on the ground handed up lengths of rope. The men on the roof tied rocks to the ends of the ropes and draped the ropes over the straw, letting the rocks dangle off the roof.

The men climbed carefully down from the roof. By this time, the women had arrived with food, and Tadhg was sitting in a chair outside the house, Aisling upon his lap. Conall handed Tadhg a cup of poitín. Tadhg drank from the cup, then handed it to Aisling, who took the cup and drank. Their hands were still bound loosely together, so there was a moment of confusion during the exchange of the cup.

The watchers laughed at the couple's clumsiness, but the incident was quickly forgotten. Soon nearly every guest had a cup of the strong poitín in hand. Tadhg and Aisling stood, each placing a hand on one side of their cup.

Tadhg's eyes flashed around the assembled company, and he nodded to Eamon before he began to speak.

"Friends and relatives, so fond and dear, 'tis our greatest pleasure to have you here.

When many years this day has passed, fondest memories will always last.

So we drink a cup of Irish mead, and ask God's blessing in your hour of need."

Tadhg raised his cup in the air, then he and Aisling both drank again.

The company waited for the fraction of a second, then began to speak in unison. Eamon found pleasure in the way his voice blended with the voices of the other people as they spoke the traditional words, his voice rising and falling in the same cadences as theirs. A chill ran down his spine at the solemnity of the moment.

"On this special day, our wish to you, the goodness of the old, the best of the new.

God bless you both who drink this mead, may it always fill your every need."

Now the guests returned the couple's toast with a toast of their own. The spell was broken and conversations broke out anew. Someone brought out a whistle, and another produced a set of pipes. Tadhg called for his bodhrán and set Aisling to the side. One onlooker called, "Giving up on your wife so soon, Tadhg? "

Aisling put her hands on her hips, feigning anger as she turned her face partially away from her husband. Tadhg grinned and gave Aisling a kiss. "God forbid!" He said fervently. The watchers laughed and Tadhg took up his bodhrán again.

The pipes, whistle, and fiddle began to play and Tadhg joined in. Soon another person produced a set of spoons and began to keep rhythm with Tadhg. Someone had lit a fire in Tadhg and Aisling's hearth and soon another was started outside.

There were several girls, but none of them was as fine as Orla, Eamon decided. Some he had teased or kissed before and some tried to catch his attention now, but he was not in the mood for girls. Eamon took his cup of poitín and found a quiet spot at the corner of the house where he could watch the musicians and dancers.

"Eamon?" Tadhg had come up beside him quietly.

Eamon started, nearly spilling his drink. He swore softly and looked at Tadhg. "Shouldn't you be with Aisling?"

Tadhg laughed, sipping at his poitín. "I've been with her for the past hour, Eamon, and I'll be with her for the rest of my life. Besides, she shooed me away. She knows I'm wanting to talk with people."

"And you're coming to me first? It's flattered I am." Eamon leaned against the wall, crossing one leg over the other.

Tadhg nudged Eamon with his shoulder. "Don't be like that. You'll be married someday; you'll see." He paused. "And now I'm married...Eamon...I'll have a family."

Eamon raised an eyebrow. "You're not wanting the life of a highwayman anymore?"

Tadhg shook his head. "No, that's not it! I still want it, and I'll be needing it more than ever now! But..." he paused, "if...if I die, there'll be no one to look after Aisling." He ran his fingers through his hair worriedly. "She'll have my family and hers, but I'd not want her to be depending on them."

Eamon sighed, staring at the ground. "I'm thinking it's no secret to you that I'm not in favor of you riding out with me. I don't want you harmed - it's for that reason that I don't want you to go. But it's right you are - it's a fine way to take care of a family, if we do it right." He looked Tadhg in the eye. "I've vowed that you'll not come to harm while you're with me."

Tadhg returned Eamon's gaze. "You can't be promising that, and you know it." For once, Tadhg was serious, even grim.

"I can promise whatever I like!" Eamon snapped. He shook his head to clear it and gazed sadly at Tadhg. "Tá brón orm," he apologized hastily. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Tadhg. If...if something does happen to you, how do you want me to look after Aisling? Would you have me marry her?"

Tadhg hesitated. "I don't know..."

"What if I'm already married?" Eamon pressed. "What would I do then?"

"Then...just see that she's provided for." Tadhg turned his cup in his hands, staring at it as though it had the answers to all his worries.

"I'll do that." Eamon put his hand on Tadhg's shoulder and was about to say more when the fiddle, pipes, and whistle came to an abrupt halt. Eamon realized that the noise of the wedding party had quieted.

The two men stepped out from the corner of the house and saw five men on horseback. Three were soldiers and two appeared to be noblemen. They had seemingly just ridden up, for none of them had dismounted. They simply sat on their horses, surveying the gaiety in front of the new house.

Tadg choked on his poitín. "Eamon, it's-"

"I know. Máirtín Newell." Eamon clenched his cup.

"What is he doing here?" Tadhg strode forward with Eamon close behind.

As they neared the horsemen, Mártín spoke to the assembled people. "What is this?" He scanned the people, waiting for an answer.

Tadgh stepped forward before Eamon could say anything. "'Tis a wedding. Cén fáth?" Eamon was surprised at his friend's boldness. Tadhg was impertinent, but he was not one for confrontations.

Máirtín shrugged his shoulders. "I wanted to know. Isn't that enough?" His eyes traveled over the people until they fell on Aisling, who had frozen a little way from Tadhg's side. "God, I wish it were a few centuries earlier!" He said in a low voice to his companion. "Or that the lord's right was still in use!" Mártín urged his horse forward a few steps. "Your husband is lucky," he told Aisling quietly, as though telling a great secret.

"G...go raibh maith agat, my lord," Aisling whispered, curtseying and staring at the ground. Her face had gone white.

Tadhg probably had no inkling of what the "lord's right" was, but he clearly disliked the sound of it, for he pulled Aisling closer to him. "Aye, my lord, I am lucky," he agreed.

Máirtín's lips curled upwards. He shifted in the saddle, then dismounted, watching the couple. Tadgh's arm tightened around Aisling. Without thinking, Eamon took a step closer to Máirtín and moved a hand to his belt, where his pistol would normally rest.

Máirtín paused, his eyes flicked from Tadhg to Eamon. His eyes narrowed. "You...you're Eamon Gallagher, aren't you?"

Eamon cursed himself for drawing Máirtín's attention. Better me than Tadhg or Aisling, he thought. "Aye," he answered, giving Máirtín a small, mocking bow. "That's my name. Don't wear it out."

Máirtín frowned. "I'll wear you out if you're not careful." He looked Eamon up and down, surveying his coat and boots. "You've done well for yourself, it seems."

"Aye, and I'll keep doing well for myself." Eamon spoke confidently, then stopped himself from saying anything else. He realized that thepoitín was getting to him and that he needed to be careful. The two soldiers were glancing at him, the fire glinting on their bayonets. They were simply curious, but Eamon knew that their curiosity could prove dangerous.

Máirtín crossed his arms over his chest and stood for a moment, seeming to consider something. Eamon held his breath until the young lord raised his head, a small smile playing around the corners of his mouth. "You're confident - that's good." He mounted his horse again and called to Tadhg and Aisling, "I wish you happiness in your marriage." He wheeled his horse and the four other riders followed him into the night.

Slowly, the people began to talk again. The musicians began to play again, and soon everything had gone back to normal. Tadhg still had his arm around Aisling's shoulders, but the couple was laughing at something.

Eamon took a step back. What just happened? He shook his head in confusion. Máirtín had ridden away without getting anyone in trouble. An uncomfortable feeling settled in the pit of his stomach and he drained the rest of his poitín, hoping to banish the feeling.

"Eamon! Come sing with us!" Someone called, beckoning him to join a group of people. Eamon glanced out in the direction that Máirtín and the soldiers had ridden off. He forced himself to smile and refilled his cup of poitín before joining the group.

***

Tá brón orm - I'm sorry

Poitín - An alcoholic drink made mostly from potatoes