The girl appears in trepidation (3)
I believe the answer is:
ida
'the girl' is the definition.
'in trepidation' is the wordplay.
'in' indicates the answer is hidden within the clue.
'IDA' is hidden within 'trepidation'.
'appears' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for ida that I've seen before include "Stagey princess" , "Poetic princess" , "Name of girl or mountain" , "Mountain in Crete" , "Woman" .)