Chapter 2 #3
It was under the cover of their ensuing shouts, feigning a reprimand for my response to the men, that Campbell finally spoke. “Your husband begged us to get you a message. He’s working on straightening out this mistake and obtaining your release. He asks you to be brave just a little while longer.”
I nodded my head just once shortly to inform him I’d heard, while all the while my heart pounded in my chest and my knees threatened to give way.
Sidney was free, then. He hadn’t been detained.
Which meant our staff had also hopefully been spared.
As for the rest, as long as my husband was free, I knew he would be doing everything in his power, including moving heaven and earth, to see me set free.
That made all of this easier to endure a little longer.
As we filed past the chapel, we encountered a number of individuals, some in uniform and others in civilian dress.
The clerks and civil servants mostly kept their gazes averted from us, but one young woman with wavy dark hair gave a double take, her eyes widening at the sight of me.
Fortunately, the sight of Verity Kent, the social darling, was sufficient enough reason for such a reaction, or else Nancy would have given us both away.
Nancy O’Brien worked in some undisclosed capacity within the Castle, likely as a typist or clerk.
Whatever her post, she had access to intelligence files and had upon occasion slipped me information from them.
She had also more or less confirmed that she worked as an informant for Michael Collins.
As such, we both had much to fear if one of us revealed our connection with the other.
I schooled my features to one of flat unrecognition and did not turn to see whether Nancy had pivoted to watch our progress as we continued around the chapel to the rear of the main Castle block adjoining the castle garden.
There, the three other prisoners and I were lined up outside a window.
A large man of about fifty with big feet examined us each with sharp blue eyes before ordering us to turn left or right, or to walk back and forth before the window.
“Intelligence room,” the man next to me in line muttered as he caught sight of my troubled expression.
I had begun to expect it, but this was confirmation we were being watched from inside.
All the more reason not to display any fear.
The last thing I wanted to do was give them the pleasure of seeing me tremble.
When this task was completed to the large man’s satisfaction, we were divided into two groups.
Two of the prisoners were escorted back toward the Chapel Royal, while I and the third male detainee were bade to precede Campbell and another Auxie through a different gate.
This, then, must be the Ship Street Barracks, for inside we were met by two military policemen who took custody of us.
I did my best not to react and not to look at Campbell to plead for an explanation. For I didn’t understand why I was being handed over from the RIC to the military, and I was afraid of seeing in his face that he’d not anticipated this move either.
The taller of the two MPs, with a leather belt sporting a massive key ring, led me down a dark passage into the depths of the stone building. He spoke ponderously as he fitted a key into a lock that turned reluctantly with a grating metallic shriek. “Here ye are. Did ye have breakfast?”
It took me a moment to respond because I was distracted by the realization that these were to be my new accommodations. “I … no.”
“Then, I’ll see that something’s brought to ye. Now, in ye go.”
I did as directed, halting just inside the door. It was shut behind me with a loud bang, making me startle. I winced at the loud metallic shriek that once again accompanied the turn of the key in the lock. At least, I would never be taken unaware by the guards’ arrivals.
For all that this was my prison cell, the room might have been much worse.
It was fairly large with a ribbed and barrel-vaulted ceiling and a stone floor and walls that were quite old.
It boasted a hearth with a crackling fire, which I supposed was to keep the cold at bay, though I soon discovered it did a poor job of it.
A table with two chairs sat before it and two beds were pushed against the wall, though I was currently the lone occupant.
On one wall a large window looked out on a basement, allowing a meager bit of natural light into the chamber.
However, I discovered that there were two soldiers stationed just outside it who would occasionally press their faces to the glass to look in.
As far as privacy went, it was decidedly lacking.
Of course, I was also wary of slits and peepholes where others might watch me unsuspected, and dictaphones which might be listening and recording.
As such, I determined not to lower my defenses or to give in to despair.
Sidney would get me out of here. He would find a way. I only needed to be patient.