Skye clutched the jewelry to her. Thanking her father, she left
the hall. Damn! thought Anne O’Malley. She has been attracted to
Lord Burke. And why not? Now why couldn’t Dubh have betrothed
her to a strong, fierce man like Lord Burke instead of that vain boy,
O’Flaherty?

Skye walked up the stairs to her chamber with what she hoped
was great dignity. She was quite surprised that she could move at
all, for her legs were shaking terribly. She was very confused, and
not just a little frightened by her reaction to Lord Burke. She hoped
she hadn’t behaved like a green maid, but never had she had this
kind of a reaction to a man.

She had never seen Niall Burke before, though his romantic and
military escapades were legend. As she had dared to say aloud
minutes before, he was known to some as the famous Captain Re-
venge, who caused havoc for the English and their Irish allies when-
ever he felt that their policies were not serving Ireland.

Captain Revenge exacted a high penalty from English overlords
who dealt unfairly with their native Irish underlings. Once, in an
escapade later to have all of Ireland laughing up its sleeve, Captain
Revenge had made love to the daughter of an important English
nobleman who had estates in Ireland. Having learned the layout of
her father’s castle from the love-besotted girl, Captain Revenge
ransacked the castle’s treasure room and used the nobleman’s store
to pay the taxes of several impoverished Irish families. The English
accepted the money and rendered receipts. When the deception was
uncovered, it was too late for anything to be done, and the English
fumed with impotent rage. Certainly they suspected the connection
between Captain Revenge and Niall, Lord Burke. But what could
anyone do? London’s policy was that the overload of Mid-Connaught
was not to be antagonized. He was, after all, an ally-an ally to the