
On 20 June 1701, Colonel O'Brien brought you before officers of his Irish regiment and explained why your history required candour. This is Cornet Desmond Kennedy, appointed through Marshal de Noailles and entitled to the welcome of loyal countrymen. You step into this one-chapter preview with Patrick O'Neil at the center, where choices turn on the people, promises, and pressure already in the room. Two tests waited on the next day, while the truth about your father remained beyond both. The chapter closes on a continuation question rather than resolving the novel's larger arc.
Read In the Irish Brigade