Later that day, Leslie is under the watch of the IRA Officer and Volunteer, though not so closely that he can't interact with the other brothel residents. He manages to get a cup of tea from the inexperienced Volunteer, and as soon as the Volunteer looks away, "all hell breaks loose." Colette offers him a complimentary five minutes upstairs, while other characters kindly provide "stout, hymn sheets, aspidistras, and words of comfort."

Pat clears everyone out of the room and then leaves with the Volunteer. Teresa enters carrying the prisoner's tea tray, and they begin to converse. Leslie asks her for a cigarette, and she gives him one that Pat had given her, hinting at the old Republican's soft side. She then offers to go out and buy a pack of cigarettes for him. As soon as she leaves, the Officer accuses Leslie of trying to escape (though he only wants to use the bathroom) and implicates Teresa. Pat assures the aggressive Officer that Teresa will "do nothing to bring the police here." Despite Pat's assurances, the Officer remains skeptical, and the two men are once again at odds.

A street demonstration against the upcoming execution of the Belfast prisoner distracts the Officer, causing him to leave. The other characters take this chance to visit Leslie. Miss Gilchrist and Mulleady are his first visitors. They spend their time reminiscing about the British monarchy and singing songs of self-admiration. Pat soon sends them off-stage. Teresa returns, and she and Leslie continue sharing details about their lives, building an intimacy that hints at potential romance.

Their moment is interrupted by Monsewer, who conducts a mock drill and sings a song about "the Captains and the Kings." This light moment is cut short when the Officer returns to check on the prisoner. Afterward, Teresa stays and shares with Leslie about her strict Catholic convent upbringing. In a compassionate gesture, she gives Leslie her medal of the Virgin Mary. The mood shifts as they sing a courtship song to each other, then suddenly jump into bed. When Meg discovers them, Teresa innocently protests, "I was just dusting."

Meg starts singing a song about the Easter Uprising, and Leslie, in a self-referential aside, notes that it was written by "Brendan Behan." Amid the ensuing chaos, Pat gives Leslie a newspaper. In it, Leslie reads about his own capture, discovering that "if [the Belfast prisoner is]... executed—the IRA declare that Private Leslie Alan Williams will be shot as a reprisal." The act concludes with Leslie singing a bitter, bigoted, patriotic song.