A good afternoon for their mandatory walk after lunch, Patrick thought, as he and Blackie went up the hill, heading toward the moor and the Traveler’s Rest pub.

There was a companionable silence between them on this particular day. Usually Blackie was talkative, full of tidbits of information, local gossip or his opinions about a book he was reading.

Without having to be told, Patrick knew exactly what had caused his nephew’s silence. He was still somewhat shocked by his visit to the Ham Shank the day before. And no wonder, Patrick thought. He had been just as shocked himself by the filth, the horrific smells, the poverty, the houses packed together, the general air of despair and apathy about the place. A slum of the worst kind.

Although his nephew’s life in Ireland had been desperately poor, his uncle knew that Blackie’s rural childhood had sheltered him from the crowded tenements and slums that were a stain on the cities.

As they reached the moor, Blackie took a few steps forward, hurrying up to a gate in front of a nice-looking house.

Patrick frowned, suddenly hearing the laughter that had obviously drawn Blackie to the gate. He increased his pace and joined Blackie at the white gate. Much to his surprise, Patrick saw a look of anger on the young man’s face. Following the direction of Blackie’s gaze, his eyes settled on two women sitting in chairs on the lawn.

Blackie was frozen on the spot, holding on to the gate, his body rigid. After a moment, he glanced at his uncle and said, “I can’t believe it! They lied to me.”

Patrick’s brows drew together in a frown. “I don’t understand.… Do you know these women? And what did they lie about?”

Blackie did not answer. Instead, he opened the latch on the gate and strode down the path in long strides.

Watching him heading toward the women, Patrick shook his head, still puzzled, and followed his nephew, now somewhat intrigued. How did Blackie know these rather good-looking women?

Sarah jumped up swiftly at the sight of Blackie, who had appeared as if from nowhere. To her astonishment, she saw his uncle was not far behind him.

Running across the lawn, Sarah swiftly reached him, and as she came to a stop she pushed a smile onto her face, and exclaimed, “Blackie! Hello, hello, what a surprise to see you.”

Sarah noticed the anger in his eyes and understood why he was annoyed. When he didn’t respond and was looking over her shoulder at Angela, who had risen from her chair, Sarah grabbed his arm.

“This is a misunderstanding,” she said, her voice calm. “We only got here last night, and Angela’s leaving shortly for Harrogate. I’m going to accompany her. She can’t travel alone.”