She had left it too late. The narrow hole out of the cave was already filled to the ceiling with the tumbling roil of flood water. All that was left for her was the little pocket of air trapped in the roof of the cave, and as she turned her face upwards to breathe into it another surge of water bellowed into the cave and the level of water leaped from waist-height to her shoulders. Her gown was filled with water, the current swirling around her whole body. Pushed and pulled by the torrent she lost her footing and fell, with a roaring noise in her head as the water rushed into her ears, her nose and her mouth. Hunger for life threw her upwards again, to the last little hollow of air in the roof of the cave. But as she reached for it her head cracked against the ceiling of the cave and her open choking mouth tasted only water. Alys moaned.

'What's the matter?' Hugo's voice pulled her back to the present, to her dangerous gamble, to his arm comfortingly around her. 'Did you say something?'

'Nothing!' Alys said brightly.

A great squall like a dark curtain spread down along the valley, blotting out the hills all around them.

'The river's up,' said Hugo with satisfaction. 'The witch is drowned.' He shook the water out of his eyes and pressed the roan horse into a canter. 'All speed for home,' he said.

Gossip about Morach's sudden departure from the castle could not be prevented. Too many people had known that she had ridden out with Alys, and seen Alys return alone with Hugo. William had seen nothing, but the other huntsmen had seen that notorious sight – a witch change herself into a hare – and would not remain silent for ever. But the word could be kept from Catherine. Hugo summoned the women into the gallery while Catherine slept before supper and told them that if he heard one word – one word – spoken out of turn about Morach in Catherine's presence, he would beat that woman and turn her out of the castle in her shift.

The women opened their eyes wide and muttered among themselves.

'She is drowned,' Hugo said baldly. 'With my own eyes I saw her fall into the river and drown. And the man or woman who denies that is calling me a liar.' His hand lightly touched his belt where his broadsword would hang. 'I would kill a man for that, and beat a woman. I cannot stop you chattering among yourselves' – he swept them with his dark accusing look – 'no power on earth could prevent that. But one word of suspicion or doubt before Lady Catherine and you will wish you had been born mute.'

Only Eliza found the courage to speak up. 'What about Alys?' she asked.

'Alys stays with us,' Hugo said. 'She is a good friend to our family. She will care for Lady Catherine now, and for my son when he is born. It will be as it was before Morach came to the castle. You can forget Morach. She is gone.'

He waited in case there should be a reply and then he smiled his joyless commanding smile and walked from the gallery to seek his father.

Alys was there before him, sitting in the twilit chamber on a stool at the feet of the old lord, giving him the news before Hugo should come. 'Morach's gone,' she said without preamble.

The old lord looked sharply at her. Alys nodded. 'She and I were up on the high moor together. She was making some mischief with candlewax dolls and I went with her, to stop her. Hugo was out with his hounds and they saw her, and chased her down a cave and left her there to drown.' The old lord said nothing, waiting. 'She was a witch,' Alys said harshly. 'It's good that she's dead.' 'And you are not,' the old lord said slowly. Alys turned her pale face up to him. 'No, my lord,' she said gently. 'Not at my ordeal, when Catherine hated me and tested me so harshly; and not now. I have made my peace with Catherine and I am her friend. I am in love with your son, and I love and honour you. Tell me that I can stay in your household, under your protection. I am free of Morach and I am free of the past.'

The old lord sighed and rested his hand on her hand. 'What of your power?' he asked. 'You lost it when Morach came and when Hugo would not love you.'

Alys gleamed up at him. 'I have it back,' she said. 'Morach had stolen it from me and stolen my health as well. She knew I would stand between her and you. She knew I would protect you and yours from her witchcraft. She made me ill and weak and she was starting to work her ill will against you all. Now that she is dead I have my power back and I can keep you safe. Tell me that I may live here under your protection, as your vassal.'

The old lord smiled down into Alys' bright face. 'Yes,' he said softly. 'Of course. I wanted you by me from the first day I saw you. Don't make trouble between Catherine and Hugo, I want a legitimate heir, and after this one I want another. You and Hugo can be what you will to each other – but don't distress my daughter-in-law while she is carrying my grandson.'

Alys nodded obediently, took his caressing hand and kissed it. 'I have news for you,' she said. 'Good news.' The old lord waited, his eyebrows raised. 'I am with child,' Alys said. 'Hugo's child. He lay with me the night he came home from Newcastle. I am not like Catherine, hard to please, hard to conceive. I am with child to Hugo. I have missed two times. The baby will be born near the Christmas feast.'

The old lord gleamed. 'That's good!' he said. 'That's good news indeed. And d'you think it will be a son, Alys? Can you tell if it will be a boy?'

Alys nodded. 'A boy,' she said. 'A strong, handsome boy. A grandson for you, my lord. I shall be proud to be his mother.'

The old lord nodded. 'Well enough, well enough,' he said rapidly. 'And it means that Hugo will likely stay here until your child is born. Between you and Catherine, I shall keep him fast at home.'

'Yes,' Alys said eagerly. 'Catherine could not keep him home but he will stay for me. I will keep Hugo home for us both, my lord. I want him to leave for London or on his voyage as little as you do.'

The old lord barked his sharp laugh. 'Enchant him then,' he said. 'And keep him by you.' He paused for a moment and looked at her with pity. 'Don't overleap yourself, Alys,' he said gently. 'You will never be his wife. You will always be Catherine's lady. Whatever goes on at court – and I say nothing about that -whatever goes on at court, we are simple people here. Catherine is your mistress, you serve her well. Hugo is your lover and also your lord. I don't deny I am fond of you, Alys, but if you forget what is owed to your masters I would throw you from the castle tomorrow.

'Serve Catherine honourably and well and let Hugo take his pleasure with you when he wishes. That was how I kept my women. A wife for the heirs, and a woman for pleasure. That's order and sense. That's how it should be done.'

Alys kept her head down and her resentment hidden.

'Yes, my lord,' she said submissively.

David took her by the sleeve as she passed him by on the ill-lit stairs.

'I hear your kinswoman is dead,' he said softly.

'Yes,' Alys replied steadily. Her voice did not quaver, her face was serene.

'A hard death for a woman – drowning in cold river water,' David said.

Alys faced him down. 'Yes,' she said.

'And what of you now?' David pursued.

Alys smiled into his face. 'I shall care for Lady Catherine,' she said. 'I shall serve and honour Lord Hugh, and his son. What else?'

David drew her a little closer, pulled at her sleeve so that she leaned down and his mouth was near to her ear. 'I remember you when you were a fey wild thing off the moor,' he said. 'I saw you naked, changing your rags for the whore's shift. I heard that you took the ordeal for witchcraft. I saw you sicken and pine for the young lord. Now I ask you. What next?'

Alys twitched her sleeve from his grip, straightened up. 'Nothing,' she said blandly. 'I will serve Lady Catherine and help her during the birth. I will obey my Lord Hugh and honour his son. There is nothing more.'

The dwarf nodded. His smile gleamed at her in the darkness. 'I wondered,' he said. 'I truly wondered about you. I thought you had the power to turn this castle on its ears. When you brought in the old woman, the witch, with all her power, I thought you were about to act. I have been watching you and wondering when you would make your move. I have had you in my mind for the new lady of the castle. So close as you are to the old lord! So powerful in your witchery to tame Hugo's wildness! And if you had a child – as you foresaw in your dream – such a wife you would be for him!'

Alys took a sharp breath but she held her gaze steady on his dark, angry, little face.

'What went wrong?' the dwarf asked curiously. 'What went wrong between you and the old witch? You were on your way, weren't you? The old witch was within Catherine's confidence, you and she would have attended the birth alone. What would it have been? Stillbirth? Strangled with the cord? Breech? Coming backwards and drowning in the blood?' He laughed, a sharp cruel laugh. 'But you were in too much of a hurry, weren't you?' he said. 'Wanted Catherine dead and out of the way and Hugo all your own? I saw you pining and fading and losing your looks. It was eating you inside like a bellyful of worms, wasn't it, little Alys? So you hexed Catherine into the river, didn't you? Hexed her into deep water, wearing her thick furs so that she would drown.'

Alys was as white as skimmed milk. 'Nonsense,' she said bravely.

'And the old one pulled her out,' the dwarf said. 'D'you know? I rather liked the old one, your mother.'

'She wasn't my mother,' Alys said. Her whole face felt stiff, unnatural. 'I just lived with her. My real mother died in a fire.'

'Fire?' the dwarf said acutely. 'I never heard that before?'