Kitty and Bella were approaching the Cullen's house when they were intercepted by a worried looking Edward. He had clearly spotted them from the window and hadn't troubled with putting on a jacket, despite the chill air.

"God's greeting to you girls, you'll walk a while with me?"

"We will of course and willingly!" sang Kitty, looking slyly at her cousin and immediately dropping behind the pair.

"Bella mo chroi" he started softly and her heart sang in reply. "I'm always very glad to see you but I wish you hadn't come this day."

Bella was shocked and turned her eyes to meet Edward's. She could see concern etched on his features, from his furrowed brow to the tense set of his jaw. She waited.

"There are people at the house that I want to keep you from. These are desperate times for Ireland; there are visitors here from Dublin Castle who would wish us all harm."

She stopped walking.

"Sure and don't I know that more than anyone?" she asked gently. "Didn't my parents, may their souls rest in the hands of God, die because of these very incomers?"

She searched his face with her eyes, waiting until he silently acquiesced.

"Edward, I'm not a fragile flower to be kept safe away from harm" she began again, desperately looking around her for inspiration. "I'm like the fuchsia" she continued, pointing to the hedgerows. "An auld weed that looks so vulnerable but sure doesn't it withstand our gales? And if you hack it back, doesn't it spring back again? That's me. Haven't I been running the press myself all this time? I have eyes in my head. I've seen the way the lads follow you, like you're some kind of leader. I've listened to your Mammy and your sisters. You're fighting for the cause I'd say…"

From Edward's sudden gasp, Bella knew that she was right. She took a deep breath and continued.

"And I am proud that you've chosen me; as I have chosen you. We'll fight together. I will be at your side no matter what and between the pair of us we'll stand up for Ireland."

Edward stopped walking, his face alight with love and triumph.

"Bella, a gra mo chroi, my wife. Can I kiss you?"

Glancing back to where Kitty appeared to be engrossed in finding the few remaining blackberries of the year, she reached her face up to his.

Their lips met and Bella knew, once and for all, that she would never have this connection with any other human being. Edward was pouring his love into her and she responded.

"Ahem" coughed Kitty behind them, bringing the couple back to the reality of the day.

Drawing back, Edward smiled at his betrothed and kissed her gently on the forehead. "No more secrets" he whispered, "we fight together."

Releasing Bella, who immediately raced back to her cousin and wrapped her arms around her waist, Edward set off back towards the house. "Take your time" he called "and be ready to see the mask we wear!"

Left together, the two cousins embraced warmly.

"Kitty, I pray that you find a man like Edward, one who is truly sees you as an equal."

"From your mouth to God's ears asthoreen" replied her cousin.

Bella added thoughtfully, "I hear that John Griffin is back to Dublin from America. Weren't the two of ye great friends before he left? I'd say he was holding a candle for you then."

"Ah g'way you brat!" chocked Kitty and with a laugh, the two cousins knocked on the door of the Cullen's house.

Unlike previous occasions when the girls had practically been pulled into the hall by a member of the family, the door was opened by Maggie wearing a full black dress and a silk apron.

"Ah Miss Bella and Miss Kathleen" she announced loudly. "You are very welcome and Mrs Cullen will receive you in the drawing room. Lunch will be served shortly." A wink undermined her serious words but the two girls received the message loud and clear that this was not to be a normal visit.

Entering the drawing room, Bella was amazed to see Esme gloriously dressed in a gorgeous sapphire blue velvet dress. Huge pearls in her ears matched a triple strand choker which reflected light onto her creamy skin. Alice and Rose were similarly attired and the cousins felt very dowdy in comparison.

Carlisle approached immediately, debonair in a pin striped suit and stiff collar, "Ah Miss Bella, Miss Kathleen, may I introduce you to Colonel Markham-Caius from Dublin Castle? The Colonel has visited us to tell us about the wonderful new security arrangements which he has put in place and I for one feel a lot safer as a result."

The Colonel was a tall, thin man with a pointed foxy face and hair smoothed back over his bony skull. A waxed moustache sat primly above his thin, liver coloured lips and the khaki of his military uniform gave him a sallow, whey coloured complexion. Bella disliked him intensely on sight. How could Mrs Cullen be so charming?

The girls were spared the Colonel's attention as Edward entered the room, immediately coming over and shaking hands with the visitor before bowing to the cousins.

"My youngest son, Dr Edward Cullen" explained Esme to the Colonel, "recently back from London and now working with my husband."

"London eh?" said the Colonel. His voice had a cold quality to it.

"Yes sir!" answered Edward, smiling and seemingly oblivious to the hostile waves emanating from the visitor. "I studied at King's College"

"So you didn't serve then?" sneered the Colonel.

"Of course!" Edward responded immediately, "Irish Guards, with my brothers."

When Britain had first entered the World War and a call had gone around to join up to save the beleaguered Belgians, Irish men in their thousands had signed up, the Cullen brothers amongst them. They had been honourably discharged and had returned home with a healthy loathing and total lack of respect for the British military authorities who sacrificed so many men through incompetence and disregard for life.

Jasper's comment "Sure they couldn't organise a hooley in the Guinness brewery!" summed up the family attitude to the British establishment. In contrast, they had a complete respect for the men they had met and with whom they had stood shoulder to shoulder in the trenches.

As Emmett pointed out, "there are some great men altogether in England, it's a crying shame that they're led by such turnips!" The brothers took great glee in using their military training to organise raids on the local Royal Irish Constabulary barracks and had trained a fine fighting force from local farmers and fishermen.

The Colonel's attitude towards Edward noticeably softened once he had found out about his army service. Bella shuddered; Edward was absolutely right that this incomer had nothing but evil intent in his heart.

Fortunately, just as the Colonel's cold grey eyes fell on Bella, a gong sounded and Mrs Cullen leaped up saying gaily "lunch is served, Colonel would you be so good as to escort me in?"

Lunch was served by an unusually silent Maggie and a girl who Bella recognised as being one of bossy Mrs Quilter's many offspring. Hopefully she'd not inherited her mother's less charming habits or a blow by blow account of the afternoon would be keeping the town entertained for days.

Unusually, Carlisle skipped saying Grace and Bella realised that this was part of the act; don't stand out, don't be too Irish, make them think you're one of them. She sighed internally. What a world they were living in!

"Now Colonel, I understand that you've a fine new group of men coming in to fight those upstart Feinians?" began Carlisle. His wife swiftly but gently interrupted before the Colonel could respond.

"Now Carlisle, you wouldn't deprive us from hearing all about the latest news from Dublin would you? You men can talk politics later away from us foolish women!" Giving her husband the ghost of a wink and turning the full beam of her charm on the Colonel, Esme started: "Now Colonel, I know that it is very naughty of me but we hear so little being hidden away in the sticks. I understand that there is a terrible scandal going on about the new play at the Gaiety theatre?" And they were off, plays, dinners, society gossip, Esme handled the Colonel wonderfully.

Finally, the pudding plates were removed and Esme caught each woman's eyes. They rose simultaneously and left the room. Esme lead them to her own morning room and made sure that the door was firmly shut before throwing herself on the sofa.

"Mother of God! What an auld serpent! Alice a stor, help me out of this corset before I suffocate! Carlisle'll ply him with brandy and he'll be back in Dublin before he sobers up!"

The cousins stood gazing at the woman on lying on the sofa. She was incredible!

"And now Miss Bella," Esme said, sitting up and breathing a sigh of relief "Tell me about what that boy of mine was so desperate to share with you before lunch. Sure he shot out of the house like a scalded cat!"

Slowly, Bella related the conversation. Esme smiled fondly.

"Ah those boys of mine. Sure didn't I raise them to be chivalrous but God alone knows where they got this foolish idea of women being fragile vases. From those society floozies over in London I dare say!" she shook her head. "Edward is still deluding himself that I have no idea about what he's been up to all these years."

"Jasper was the same" chipped in Alice.

"And Emmett! Sure didn't he think that I'd realise that he was slipping out every night the great goose?"

The women looked at each other, exasperation on their faces, and then burst out laughing.

"Edward will learn!" said Esme happily "there is nothing as powerful as a husband and wife united in a cause. And maybe those English beauties are too fragile to do anything other than painting watercolours but we Irish are made of stronger stuff. Together, Bella my daughter, you and my boy will make those jackeens up in Dublin Castle sit up and listen!"