Beyond the Cliffs of Kerry by Amanda Hughes

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      It had been several nights since Darcy had seen Father Etienne at the Mullin cottage, and she still rankled when she thought about their last conversation. Maybe she wasn't an enthusiastic bride, but she was no longer a child filled with unrealistic dreams either. Marriage is a convenience, and it is folly to believe it is anything more. He had no business making observations about anyone's love affairs, having no first-hand experience himself. Darcy continued to accept her role as Bran's fiancé, but she could not give him her heart. This aloofness fueled Bran’s desire.
     
    Lusting for the unattainable, he thrilled in the chase. Eight years ago, he had left an eager girl standing on the road waving goodbye, and when he returned he found a beautiful woman holding him at arm's length.
     
    To the casual observer, Darcy appeared devoted and affectionate. The town saw a handsome happy couple, and many thought their courtship was idyllic, but the undercurrents of dissatisfaction flowed in them both, distressing one and exciting the other.
     
    They took great care to conceal their trysting spot near Glinnish Stream. It was a lovely little secluded area of green shrubbery bordered by wild fuchsias. When in bloom, the deep splashes of pink enveloped their bed of moss, drowning them in brilliant color. The spot was quiet with only the murmuring of the stream in the distance.
     
    They met there every day just before sunset. The curfew imposed by the soldiers limited them to these few moments together, and Darcy would arrive a few minutes early to drink in the surroundings. Bran would arrive, overcome with desire and be so engrossed in his own passion that he would forget Darcy. He would drive forward in a hot, selfish rush until he was completely sated.
     
    The scenario was always the same, and Darcy believed that this was all that love had to offer. She found Bran's lovemaking occasionally satisfying but usually far too hasty and rough. She became resigned to the fact that sex was simply something to endure. Once it was over, she would put it from her mind and turn back to her books.
     
    Darcy continued to receive literature from Father Etienne, but she missed their talks together. Meeting him was far too dangerous, and she began to feel restless and irritable. On every front, she felt confined.
     
    She returned to her walks along the coast, gazing across the water as if it held the answer.
     
    It was here where she could truly forget everything and allow her mind to drift and transport her places offering freedom and a chance to set her own course. She chided herself for not being satisfied, but she could no longer deny the longing.
     
      On her return from the cliffs one sunny afternoon, she encountered Bran climbing the abbey hill. He had been working hard, and sweat soaked his shirt. Darcy felt a pang of desire when she saw the outline of his broad chest under the wet material. His masculinity and rugged appeal usually helped Darcy build passion, but today he was frowning, and he was devoid of appeal.
     
    He strode up to her and grabbed her roughly by the arms. "What are doing, girl? You can't be up here alone."
     
    "I'm all right,” she said frowning and jerking away from him. “I must come up here every now and then."
     
    "Why? To do what?" he asked suspiciously.
     
    "To walk and to be alone with my thoughts."
     
    "What thoughts? I don't understand you," he growled.
     
    "Don't try," she replied curtly and began to walk down the bluff.
     
    He watched her with his jaw clenched. She could be raped up here. The thought of another man defiling his property enraged him. Bran decided he must marry Darcy immediately. She was far too strong-willed, and he could hold her no other way.  
     
    That evening Father Etienne stepped out of the home of Seamus Donnelly and looked around cautiously. He pulled up the hood on his woolen brat and started down the road, searching for red candles burning in