Dempsey couldn't stay asleep. By 8.30 Monday morning he was over at Harry's hotel, looking to see if she was in the dining room. He managed to ascertain that she wasn't and charming his way around the staff persuaded them to let him take coffee and fresh Irish barm cakes and soda bread up to Harry's room.

He opened the door and saw the bed empty. His heart sunk with disappointment. He imagined she had gone into the Police Station to work.

Harry heard the door. She hadn't ordered any room service.

"What the hell do you think…" She came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her; she stopped when she saw it was Dempsey.

"Hi ya Honey" he watched her tuck the towel into itself more firmly, and pick up another for her hair. "I brought us breakfast up…" he was unsure where to go next and that made him nervous ~ he always knew what to say next when dating women.

Harry noted the phrase 'us'. She liked it when he used it, she had especially liked it at Ostriches wedding when he had pulled her into himself and asked for a photo "for us" in front of Spikings. Now she noticed that he had stopped talking, which was almost unknown. She took one of the barm cakes and bit into it. "Great" she looked at him still standing there "Well put that lot down and start eating" she said as she poured them both a coffee.

"So what are we going to do today?" she asked

We originally came with the cover of looking up my family history, will you come with me?

"Uh H" Harry affirmed the idea as she ate. When she had finished she explained about her information she had picked up in Belfast that the Dempsey's came from the far west of County Kerry.

So they spent the morning using the Cork Police computer researching the Dempsey clan starting from his boxing Uncle and then tracking down some specific family. The local staff were helpful in advising how to get to Bantry.

Bantry

They hit the jackpot when they found James' Fathers cousin 'May Dempsey'. It was her 80th birthday and 15 relatives had gathered at the family home for a birthday lunch. The nature of the Irish ensured a warm welcome for Dempsey and Makepeace as they joined the family gathering.

"Hey come and meet my second cousin" Dempsey took Makepeace by the hand and led her across, when they got there neither of them opened their fingers to let go.

Harry liked the Dempsey that talked about his family to all these Irish. She liked that he delighted in family tree and, giving up trying to remember, wrote it all down. Everyone treated them as a couple, and they both enjoyed acting it. For most of three hours they had either been hand in hand, her arm resting through his or his arm around her waist as he explained how he was from New York on secondment and that Harry was his partner.

As the party broke up Cousin May leaned across to Harry "If you don't mind me saying my dear ~ this partner stuff ~ all very modern but not so secure." Harry enjoyed the mis-understanding. She smiled and whispered back in her ear "I promise you May that when he asks me I'll say yes."

Dempsey took Harry's arm "It's rude to whisper"

May looked at the blushing Harry "Don't you go worrying my girl, it won't be long now, you just keep your promise to me"

"What was that about?" Dempsey couldn't keep his interest quiet.

"Oh nothing"

He knew nothing was about the far extreme from the truth, but also he knew that he wouldn't get any closer. "We've been invited to a Céilidh (a social event, typically with Celtic music and dancing) tonight – You mind stay around?"

Harry was more than happy; in fact she was in seventh heaven - loving this life to bits, living a dream all be it for one day only. She grinned ecstatically "we'd better find somewhere to stay the night though; they serve a lot of Irish whisky at these Céilidhs."

"I think I saw a small hotel back at the cross roads. Let's drive back there" Dempsey suggested.

Dempsey noted that although it called itself a hotel it was barely more than a large house really. He wondered what on earth to do about the room thing; it was just that Harry had not wanted to do the room share again. "I don't think we're gonna find a honeymoon suite with a four poster bed and Jacuzzi Princess"

Harry slipped her arm back through his "Let's just do the 'Mr and Mrs' and see what they've got"

He looked into her eyes "Sure"

"Sure"

They walked in and Harry spoke "We're looking for a room for the night" she started to explain.

"Sure me dears, no problem" the Irish lady smiled at them. She showed them to a room. As the door opened they could see a modest room with a double bed and a small en-suite.

Dempsey had no idea if this was OK, he kept quite. The Irish Lady looked at Harry who said that would be fine, she left them alone.

Dempsey fell backwards onto the bed. "Wow that was quite exhausting" he kicked his shoes off and positioned his head on the pillows. He smiled "My Irish family can sure talk." He looked over to Harry and patted the bed "I promise I'll behave"

Harry looked at the single upright chair in the corner of the room "Old May was a dear" she reflected and deciding the bed looked a whole lot more comfortable kicked off her shoes likewise and lay on the bed. They both fell asleep about the same time. An hour later Dempsey opened his eyes to see Harry lying facing him, he could feel her breath she was so close. He smiled and after just watching her for nearly twenty minutes he slid backwards off the bed and rang down for tea for two.

As he was pouring the tea she woke. "Here you are Princess" he passed her a cup of tea as she sat up and looked at her watch.

"So how's your Irish Dancing Dempsey?" she asked as she sipped her tea

"Is it different to other dancing?"

"It's a bit like English Country Dancing"

Dempsey looked perplexed; Makepeace tried again "Barn dancing?"

"What?"

"What do you know about Céilidhs?"

"Irish Whisky"

"And?"

"And nothing else, I'm getting to like Irish whisky, it's different again to the Scottish or most of what I get back in New York"

Harry rolled her eyes "They have a band playing, violins mainly" she started

"Will you dance with me Harry" his eyes were nothing but soft "I'd like that"

Harry smiled "Just don't tread on my toes"

It seemed that everyone had heard about the American looking up his family and the place seemed packed. Some of the old men could remember Jack Dempsey the boxer, others just reminisced about the past, but absolutely everyone was offering them both their favourite whiskey and Poitín (moonshine illegal potato whiskey) to try and never let them refuse. They moved around talking to so many people, they tried to join some of the dances and generally they made so many mistakes they ended up falling about laughing and disrupting the whole reel.

"Hey this Poitín has some kick" Dempsey held up a glass and spoke over a crowd.

"Aye, that is brewed by Maud, something like 60%"

Harry shook her head, no wonder she was drunk.