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destroying Ireland. Will that do for an answer?’ She turned and walked away.
    Daniel caught up with her. ‘I hate violence as much as you do. It’s just that there’s no other way.’
    ‘Don’t lets talk about it any more. There’s no point.’
    ‘I suppose not if you’re leaving. I’ll walk with you as far as Trinity.’
    She nodded and silently they began the walk back, side by side.

CHAPTER TWO
    Rebekah was out of breath with rushing by the time she reached the red-brick Georgian terraced house where she lived. Pausing on the step, she pressed the palms of her hands to her hot cheeks in an attempt to cool them as she tried to empty her mind of Daniel and everything that had happened since she left the house, but he was still in her thoughts when the front door with its shiny brass knocker was pulled open.
    In the doorway stood the tall, soberly clad figure of Hannah. Her coal black eyes bored into Rebekah’s. ‘So thee’s come back after all. I bet yers been with a fella!’ she declared triumphantly in her mixture of old-fashioned Quaker speech and Liverpudlian. ‘It’s written all over thee so don’t be denying it! It’s one of those lads from up the street, isn’t it? One of those clothes horses! One of those strutting peacocks!Well, yer father’s been home, and in a right mood he was – even before I told him that thou hast been missing all afternoon and still not home! He’s gone to look for thee.’
    ‘What did you tell him?’ demanded Rebekah, pushing past the maid. ‘Where’s Mama? You didn’t say anything to either of them about fellas? Because it’s all lies.’
    ‘Of course I did to yer father.’ Hannah hurried in after her and would have closed the door, but suddenly it was taken out of her hand and slammed.
    Rebekah turned swiftly, her heart sinking at the grim expression on her father’s still handsome features. ‘Go and tell my wife that her daughter’s home, Hannah, and then go to the kitchen.’
    ‘Yes, Mr Rhoades.’ Hannah shot a triumphant glance at Rebekah before disappearing into the dining room.
    Her father’s hand fastened on Rebekah’s arm, causing her to wince. ‘Up the stairs, miss. I don’t want your mother hearing what I have to say. She’s been worried about you.’
    ‘But I told Hannah I was going to see Old Mary earlier on,’ she said, almost tripping over her feet as he hurried her along the lobby past the solemnly ticking grandfather clock. ‘Honestly, Papa, I did go there.’
    ‘Old Mary didn’t remember you being there – but then that’s not surprising according to your mother,and considering the soldiers were searching the houses,’ he muttered, dragging her up the stairs. He was breathing heavily and paused for breath on the landing, leaning against the brown-painted wall next to an oil painting of Kingstown harbour.
    The painting instantly reminded Rebekah of Daniel kissing her and her cheeks warmed. She was aware of her father’s regard. Had someone seen her with Daniel? ‘Papa, I dawdled home,’ she said hastily. ‘It’s been a lovely day.’
    He straightened and his expression was thunderous. ‘You weren’t dawdling alone, though, miss, were you?’ He pushed her with some force along the landing. ‘I saw you as you came past Trinity College, his hand on your arm and you looking up at him.’ His bedroom door yielded beneath his touch and sunlight touched them as it filtered through the lace curtains and heavy dusty velvet drapes that adorned the multiple paned windows that reached almost ceiling to floor.
    Rebekah closed her eyes against the sun’s brightness and sought for words. ‘I can explain!’
    ‘I’d be interested to hear a reasonable explanation for you being in Daniel O’Neill’s company,’ he said through his teeth, the palm of his hand in the small of her back sending her flying across the room onto the patchwork quilt of the old mahogany bed.
    She gasped with shock, pushing herself up, and turned her head