Most people aren't rational (I use that word a lot lately, feel like I'm imitating Jonathan..) when it comes to things like that. Of course he's not the direct reason for her misery, but I guess, she wouldn't see clear to that. He has something to do with the death of her husband, how small or big his role was, isn't important. So, I would think of Marcella as being blinded by her astonishment and anger, so that as I said, she wouldn't think straight. In combination with the exasperation about her situation she would break down and put all her stored (angestaut?!) feelings in the hatred of Cal, unleashing all her fury on this single person that gave her some little reason to feel like projecting her anger on him was justified.
You now know, what I mean?

Yes I understand what you mean and I would support your statement. The only thing which confused me was, how you got to the point that Marcella wants to leave this town because of Cal but she can't because of feeling responsible for the two persons who are living with her. I mean that I couldn't follow you why you started to debate, if Marcella wants to let her old life behind her because of Cal.
Anyway. Talking about her reaction, it makes sense that you mention that she wouldn't react rational. You can say that she totally changes her mind - before he told her, that he supported the IRA to kill her husband, she was so deeply into that feeling of beeing loved that she acts not rational but rather she would act very calm. After that she can't act rational, she over reacts and the only person where she can let out all her frustration is Cal. In my opinion, there would be this change from a deeply in-love Marcella to a Marcella who is very furious.

I didn't say that Marcella wants to leave because of Cal - the question of Marie and Milena I guess? was why Marcella would stay in Ireland. And therefore I said, she probably stays because of the illness of her parents-in-law. And out of this assumption I reasoned that she could make Cal responsible for the problem that she now can't leave without feeling bad.

Ah okay, now I know what you and Marie & Milena wanted to say. Thanks ;)
By the way, is there any question which we left without reply?

Lennard I don't know if you really understand what (Milena) and I mean.
I think that, for Marcella, her death husband Robert is the reason for her disaster. And that's one of my arguments why she would forgive Cal. So I don't think that Marcella thinks, Cal is the reason for disaster, I think it's Robert.
And I'm still convinced in this point. But I think we have different opinions in this point. So maybe we should concentrate our question on another aspect which is closer to the text.

How will Marcella react when she reads the letter, Cal wrote her before he got arrested by the police?

In my opinion that's a little bit different than the question we talked about before.
Because in this situation Marcella knows, that Cal did not have the courage to tell her about the murder personally.
So I know, it's the last day of this forum, but maybe some of you could tell me how you think about this fact.
How would the story go on if it would not have stopped after Cals imprisonment? And specially how would the relation between Cal and Marcella continue? Do you think she would visit him in prison? Do yyou think the relation would go on? Do you think Marcella would stay in Ireland?

To answer to you, Marie:
I think that Marcella would visit Cal in the prison after reading the letter. But she would only do it do understand his reasons for lying to her. Maybe she is also interested in the question if Cal really loves her. But I guess that he couldn't convince her of staying together with him. So maybe she would visit him for a few times. Then she would notice that seeing him hurts her too much. Maybe these are only the feelings I would have in such a situation. But I would definitely not be able to stay in contact with Cal.

Then I mixed up what Nena and you said or something like that. Anyway, to answer to your questions:
Like I allready wrote, I can't imagine that their relationship goes on if Cal told (or wrote) her, what he has done. I guess it was your first entry here Marie, were you have written, that you think that Marella loves not Cal because of himself, but rather the feeling he gives to her (being loved, feeling younger etc). So when Cal is in prison now, he even can't give her this feeling, apart of the general problem that he was involved in the assassination of her husband. He doesn't love him because he is so smart, pretty or something like that. So why should Marcella still love him? I can't find a good argument for a relationship between Cal and Marcella after telling her, what had happened.

To the question, if Marcella would stay in Ireland I want to come back to what Nena posted before. I agree with Nena that Marcella would feel responsible for her parents-in-law. She doesn't feel strong enough to leave them behind her and there's another question: Where should she go? Go away of this time, or actually out of Ireland? It doesn't seem so realistic, because her daughter is still so young that in my opinion she doesn't want to stress her too much.
Therefore I argument for staying in Ireland, first of all. When the trouble calms down, her parents-in-low can stay alone and when her daughter is older, she maybe decides that it is the right moment to go away and leave the past behind her.

Oh and I totally agree with Lennard's arguments for Marcella staying in Ireland. I guess there's only a possibility for her to leave Ireland if she has the feeling not to hurt anybody or to leave anything important there. But I also think that Cal wouldn't be a reason for her to stay in Ireland because I agree with Lennard that a relationship between the two of them is impossible.

Okay I think we won't come together in this point of view.
Lennard, you are totally right, in my first input I wrote that in my opinion Marcella loves Cal only for make her feel younger and also alive.
But as you can read in my second input I revised my first statement and changed my point of view. I tried to underline my conviction that Marcella would forgive Cal by some examples given in the novel.
But I think we won't be able to answer this question, if she would forgive him or not because of knowing nothing about Marcella's real feelings and thoughts.
So maybe we can finish this discussion by saying that most of us are convinced that Marcella wouldn't/ couldn't forgive Cal his action in the IRA, but some (or am I the only one?) of us don't agree with this point of view. I'm still convinced that Marcella would forgive him.

And a second point which is still highly controversial is the question if Marcella would stay in Ireland and if yes, for who.
I can"t imagine that Marcella is this kind of naive that she wouldn't see the bad prospects for Lucy. Lucy is catholic, so how do you think her future in this protestant neighborhood will looks like? I think she isn't that deep- rooted with the neighborhood that she won't see the dangers and the threats which are given by the conflict between protestants and Catholics. So maybe she will stay there for the rest of Mr. and Mrs. Mortons live but not longer! And not for Lucy.
And Lennard I think it's easy to say where she and Lucy would live- ITALY! ;)