It was easy to find the sitting room. He carefully set her down on the couch and softly clapped her cheeks. Not before long her cheeks became rosy again and she came back to her senses. "I am so sorry for this unworthy welcome", she apologized and sat up. "It is just so incredible. If you were not a man I would say it is Caitlin sitting right next to me. Did you know Caitlin?" Harry still felt like he had a rollercoaster taking over in his head. Maybe this woman was Caitlin sister, so he was now talking to his aunt? After all the decades of searching he finally found a hint of family, of belonging in this world. And he made the right decisions. There was no way he could have gotten so far without Laura's talent and strategy, he was way too stirred up emotionally to have a clear vision of the things going on around him. And again Laura was taking over. "Please excuse my questions", she started interrogating. "But there are so many things noone could give us an answer so far. Now it seems we finally found the right address." Laura first introduced herself, than Harry as Remington Steele, the lady's name was Rebecca O'Sullivan. Laura explained the few details she got from Harry. Rebecca O'Sullivan listened, and as the story went on, tears started to show up in her eyes. She took Harry's hand. "O my God, I don't know who's fate is worse, your's or your mother's. But now let me tell you." Rebecca was not, as Harry and Laura had hoped, Caitlin's sister but used to live in the neighbourhood. The Doherty family used to live in this house and Rebeccas parents had bought it after the Doherty's left hastily and surprisingly and the house had to be sold as soon as possible.
Caitlin was the Doherty's daughter. The parents were very strict, the time of Caitlin's youth was vey conservative, especially in Ireland. The catholic church had a great impact on morals and kept the people worrying about their sins and perdition, more than about their real life problems. Bronagh and Padraic Doherty weren't really young any longer when they got married and had children. They first had a son, Seamus. Caitlin was born shortly after. Both grew up well protected but their strict parents didn't leave them many options. Caitlin was more of a rebel than her brother. When she turned 17 she left Dublin and Ireland, to find out how people, especially women, were living in London. She worked as a nanny and as a maiden. Though she did not make a lot of money she enjoyed her independence. Life in London was so different from living in Ireland! After only a couple of weeks Caitlin met Daniel Chalmers. Charming and good looking, he quickly found his way into her heart. Both of them enjoyed the time they spent together, but sexual education and contraception were nothing a young girl from Ireland was familiar with. Caitlin was as naïve as could be and had no idea, what Daniel did for a living. And Daniel would have rather sold his tongue than tell her the truth. Laura and Harry already knew what had been in store for Harry. He overestimated his "talent" and became careless. He got caught breaking into a house and sentenced to jail. In the meantime Caitlin realized that her belly was swelling, though she had to fight nausea and fled back to Ireland. It didn't take her father long to find out what had happened. An illegitimate child was the worst and most shameful thing a woman could do to her family. Caitlins parents were so ashamed they sold the house and moved away. Rebecca O'Sullivan didn't exactly know where. She just remembered that Bronagh had inherited an old, run-down and shabby castle on the west coast. It was rumour that she had a noble background. It was most likely they moved there.
Caitlin didn't join them. She didn't get much of an opportunity to pack much of her belongings. Her parents brought her to a nearby convent, where the nuns took good care of many women, who were abandoned by their families or expecting a child. Caitlin had to work hard, even though she was advanced in her pregnancy. When she realized that shortly after birth the babies were taken from their mothers, she decided to flee. With the help of a gardener she was successful. And that was the last information Rebecca O'Sullivan had for them. "Families have their secrets", she told the Steeles. "And the Doherty's were a secret." Along with a cup of tea she offered her support, but there wasn't any more she could tell them.
Depressed and disheartened Laura and Remington Steele left the house. Ireland wasn't much of a big country, but finding a castle just because it was in the west and shabby thirty years ago seemed to be like searching a needle in a haystack.
