Page 82 of The Missing Sister

‘It’s best that you don’t. I have told him your husband is seriously unwell and you have decided you must be at home caring for him, as any good wife should.’

Nuala was crying openly now. ‘Please... tell him that I’ll miss him and thanks a million for teaching me to play chess – I never did get to beat him, because he was so brilliant and—’

‘Of course I will, and rest assured that I will say nothing to anyone about our discussions this morning. Your secrets if they are secrets – are safe with me, but know they are not so safe in other hands. Life is full of difficult choices, Nuala, and we are living in difficult times. I accept that your loyalty must always be towards your husband and your family.’

Nuala’s nose was running so fast she was reduced to the indignity of wiping it on her hand.

‘Forgive me, Lady Fitzgerald. You’ve been so kind to me...’

Nuala felt a hand on her shoulder. ‘And you’ve been so good to Philip, and for that I thank you.’

When Nuala arrived home, she closed the curtains at the back and the front of the house. Then she sat down in the chair next to the fire and wept her heart out.

‘Oh Philip, I’m so very sorry to have let you down. There was no bad in you, and now I’ll no longer be there to mind you.’

When she was empty of tears and desperate to talk to someone about what had happened, she splashed her face with water and tidied her hair in order to walk across the road to see Christy. No one couldeverknow how truly heartbroken about Philip she was – not even Finn – or they’d be calling her a traitor by the morning.

‘Will you pop over and have a glass when you’ve finished here?’ she asked him.

‘O’course, there’s few enough in today.’

Back in the cottage, Nuala forced down some bread and butter, then took out the whiskey bottle from the cupboard and found two mugs. Christy arrived twenty minutes later and she poured them both a drop.

‘You on the hard stuff, Nuala?’ Christy smiled.

‘After the day I’ve had, you’ll be understanding why I am.’

Then she told her cousin what had happened up at the Big House. He poured himself more whiskey.

‘Jaysus,’ he breathed. ‘D’you think she’s likely to tell Major Percival what she suspects? She’d have no reason not to, Nuala.’

‘No, I don’t. Maybe I’m being naive, but she was kind, Christy, even when she was saying I must leave her employment. ’Twas as if she understood and somehow sympathised.’

‘She’s a woman who’s had a husband and a son fight through two wars. Now they’re all involved in another. From what you say, seems she’s the rare British person with a heart. The dangerous one is this Maureen. What a witch to be telling on you like that.’

‘She hated me from the day I arrived. She didn’t like the fact Philip and I were friends and she had to serve me tea every day.’ That thought at least brought a smile to Nuala’s lips.

‘Sounds like she was jealous of you.’

‘Lucy, my friend up there, told me she lost her husband and child. I reckon she’s bitter, so she is.’

‘War can make it that way. Listen, I need to be getting back. I’ll ride over to Cross Farm later and tell the family what’s happened. We’ll be preparing ourselves for the worst. Finn will be back from school soon.’

‘And then he’s straight off out with the Column. I reckon they’ve something else planned.’

‘You’re to keep calm, Nuala. I’m across the road if you need me.’ Christy stood up and kissed her on the top of her head. ‘I’ll be seeing ye,’ he said as he walked out of the door.

The entire family were on tenterhooks in the following few days in case the reason for Nuala’s abrupt departure from Argideen House reached the ears of the authorities. To their shared relief, neither Nuala and Finn’s cottage nor Cross Farm were raided. When she was in town picking up a message from Hannah in Timoleague to take over to the captain of Cumann na mBan in Darrara, Nuala saw Lady Fitzgerald in the distance. She wished she could thank her for keeping her word, but instead, Nuala turned and walked in the opposite direction.

Luckily school finished for the Christmas holidays, so there was no need to give excuses when Finn announced he was off to a further Flying Column training camp.

‘I’m not sure when I’ll be back, darlin’. We’ve training and then an ambush to plan – the Auxies are moving further away from Macroom Castle and into our territory and we’ve to show them who’s boss around here. Go up to Cross Farm with your family for a few days; I could be away for some time.’

The worry of Finn’s absence was eased a little by spending her time helping to prepare for her sister’s wedding and for Christmas itself. She often cycled down to Timoleague to meet Hannah at lunchtime.

‘Have you been in to Ryan’s lodgings yet?’ Nuala asked her as they ate their lunch on the bench overlooking the bay.

‘I have indeed. The house is owned by Mrs O’Flanaghan, and Ryan has the attic to himself.’