Page 54 of The Missing Sister

‘Sure, I’ll be grand,’ he chuckled. ‘Though I’d like to see you take down the Essex Regiment, screaming like a banshee.’

‘I would to save you, Finn, I swear. What else was discussed at the meeting?’

‘Military business, darlin’. The less you know the better, so if you’re ever interrogated, you have little to tell. One thing I will say is that Tom Barry was there tonight. You remember him, right?’

‘I think so. Didn’t he fight for the British in the Great War?’

‘He did so, but he’s one of the most committed volunteers I know. We discussed the idea of proper training,’ Finn continued. ‘What with Tom Barry being a military man, he’d be a good one to run it. The rest of us are amateurs at the game of war – and that’s what we’re fighting: a war. We’ve not a chance unless we organise ourselves properly.’

‘I know, Finn. I keep thinking, how can a few Irish farmers, who’ve only held a pitchfork or a spade in their hands before now, take on the might of the British?’ Nuala sighed.

‘’Tis those Black and Tans who are the most vicious, Nuala. They were recruited from the British soldiers that came back from the trenches in France. They’re angry and used to bloodshed, which makes them savage. I’d say they’ve lost their consciences somewhere on those battlefields and they’ve scores to settle.’

‘Don’t frighten me, Finn, please.’ Nuala shuddered. ‘And you’ll be part of this training thing?’

‘I will indeed. It may make the difference between winning and losing. And we. Just. Can’t. Lose. To the British. Again.’ He gritted his teeth. ‘We’ve finally got our own government in the Dáil in Dublin. We voted our own in, which gives us a remit to form a republic. ’Tis our right now for Irishmen to run our country. And don’t you be listening to any of those up at the Big House if they tell you different.’

‘Of course not. But I don’t think Philip will. I’ve told him all about you.’

‘Me?’ Finn turned to look at her. ‘Who’s Philip?’

‘The man I’m looking after; the son of Sir Reginald.’

‘Don’t you be saying too much, Nuala. You never know what could slip out of your mouth. Now then, let’s talk of other things, like you and me being wed. Your daddy said we’ll need to be using Timoleague church to fit all your friends and family in.’

The two of them argued gently over the size of the guest list, then spoke of the little cottage near the schoolhouse in Clogagh that came with Finn’s job.

‘We’ll be brightening it up with a lick of paint, won’t we?’ said Nuala. ‘And Hannah can get material cheap from the dressmaker’s, so I can make some pretty curtains.’

‘Sure, you’ll be having it look a picture.’ Finn pulled her towards him and held her tightly in his arms. ‘We’ll be happy there, Nuala, I know we will.’

Nuala’s new routine settled down after a couple of weeks: she’d be up at the crack of dawn to help as much as she could around the farm, and then cycle off to the Big House after lunch. There’d been further snipes from Hannah about what she’d termed Nuala’s ‘easy life up with the gentry’.

‘As we women race around the country delivering dispatches, strapping ammunition round our waists and doing the fellows’ laundry, you’re up there playing games and eating cucumber sandwiches!’

Nuala rued the day she’d mentioned what she did for all the hours she spent with Philip. Even though she had tried to make it sound as boring as possible, her mother had listened with interest, and Hannah had latched on to the sandwiches and games of chess.

‘Even though Daddy excuses you by saying you’re a spy, I’m not seeing how you can be spying on anyone from an invalid’s bedroom,’ she’d sniffed.

Nuala had begun to pray that there would be some nugget of information she could take back to justify her time at the Big House, even though both her parents said there was no need, that the extra shillings helped pay the added cost of supplying the Third West Cork Brigade with food and fresh clothing. In truth, Hannah was right; even though Nuala had seen and reported a number of shiny black cars arriving, flanked by an Essex patrol, she couldn’t identify the men inside them. All she could see was the tops of their hats or caps from her vantage point at the window above them.

‘Look out for Major Percival,’ Daddy had said, ‘now, he’s a prize we’d want to be having. He’s the intelligence officer for the Essex Regiment and is responsible for a lot of the torture our lads have suffered. He’s a habit of riding in his open-top car in the mornings, shooting his pistol about at farmers in the field just for thecraic. We know ’tis him who was responsible for the capture of poor Tom and Pat.’

Through their network of female volunteers, details of the torture the men had endured had dripped out into West Cork. Charlie Hurley, now commandant of the brigade since Tom’s capture, had arrived in the kitchen of Cross Farm to relay the details to the men of the family.

Banished from the room, Eileen, Hannah and Nuala had lurked at the top of the stairs, as Charlie had described the terrible beatings Tom Hales and Pat Harte had taken. The three women had wept when Charlie mentioned that Tom had had his fingernails pulled out one by one and his teeth broken, while Pat had been coshed so badly about the head with rifle butts that reports said he’d lost his brain inside it altogether. Pat was still in hospital, and Tom had been sentenced to two years in jail and shipped off to Pentonville Prison in London.

Finn had also been present that night at Cross Farm, ostensibly so they could discuss wedding plans, but their rendezvous afterwards had contained no such joy and Finn had held her close as she’d cried.

‘I know what we’re fighting for, Finn, and there’s no one who believes in the cause more than me, but... sometimes I just wish I could go back to the way things were.’

‘I know, darlin’, but sure, doesn’t it strengthen our resolve never to give in? We’re in it now, and we can’t give up. ’Tis a fight to the death, and that’s that.’

‘Please don’t say that!’ Nuala had begged him. ‘We’ll be wed at the end of next week and I’m not looking to be widowed just yet.’

‘Oh, don’t mind me, I’m fit enough to take on five of their side! They hide behind their weapons, but Charlie and me, we’ve been taking runs up and down the valley. Just feel the strength in this.’ Finn had guided her hand to his thigh, which had felt like iron, but she’d quickly pulled her hand out of his grasp.

‘There’ll be none of that till our wedding night, remember?’ She’d given him a weak smile as she’d wiped the tears from her eyes.