Page 65 of Never Leave Me
“As you know, Our Lady in Walsingham had two holy wells.”
“Yes, I’m aware.”
“A third well is believed to have existed deeper, underneath an original priory.”
“So the ampullae with the flower pattern were filled with water from the deeper well?”
“Precisely. Like the two wells above it, people believed the other wellspring had curative properties.”
Harrison nodded. Of course, Mr. Smythe knew the legends surrounding the healing qualities of the water. But Harrison doubted the antiquarian had any idea it was truly the ultimate cure. Harrison was tempted to jump up and show the older man precisely what the holy water was capable of doing, but he held himself to his wheelchair.
In fact, Sybil had phoned only an hour ago before going into her meeting with the former Lionel guard and his attorney. She’d warned Harrison again not to speak of the particulars of his healing yet.
Mr. Smythe brushed at another faint flower petal. “My guess is that the deeper well fed into the larger two but dried up after a time. And so that’s why there are only a limited number of the flower-patterned ampullae.”
“That makes sense.”
“I spoke with several archaeologists and other antiquarians about the significance of the flower. Everyone agrees that the flower represents life, which of course is symbolic of the new life found in Christ.”
And the new life found after being healed.
Harrison willed his fingers not to tremble in his growing excitement. “Where exactly in the shrine did you find this gem, Mr. Smythe?”
“A rare find, indeed. The shrine gardener was the one who allowed me into an ancient cellar where he’d discovered a collection of old ampullae buried behind a wall.”
Harrison didn’t know for sure if the liquid in the flower-patterned ampulla held remnants from the Tree of Life. But ifhis speculations were correct, then the third deeper well had been the source of the life-giving water for the miracles recorded in Walsingham. It was likely someone had known the lower spring contained more potent water and had bottled it differently.
“So how many ampullae are there?” Harrison asked.
Mr. Smythe straightened and sighed, his face taking on a haggardness that the coffee’s caffeine jolt couldn’t hide. “Of the several dozen, most were scalloped. Only three had the flower pattern, but this was the only one with anything in it.”
“And the shrine didn’t mind you taking it?”
Mr. Smythe took another long swig of his coffee and then smiled. “I’m personal friends with the priest administrator. When I told him this was for Lord Burlington’s rare collection and that he could expect a sizeable contribution to the shrine in exchange for it, he was more than agreeable.”
“Of course. I’ll be more than happy to donate to their cause.” What he really wanted to do was test the water, to discover if it contained the ultimate cure or if it was just another false lead. He swished the water again and examined the stopper in the top. It was hard clay or limestone and would likely need to be cracked to break it off.
Harrison checked his mobile. No messages or texts from Sybil. He guessed she was still in her meeting with his previous kidnapper and the lawyer. Hopefully, she would learn where they’d taken Ellen. And tonight he’d have her back.
But would he really?
The same thoughts that had bothered him all night came out to taunt him again. Somehow Lionel must have acquired one of the St. Thomas ampullae and given it to Ellen, forcing her to go into the past.
He wanted to deny the likelihood she’d crossed into 1382. But from everything he’d witnessed, what other possibility was there?That meant there was a very real chance that once Sybil located Ellen, she’d be in a coma.
He fingered the flower pattern. She would need the first flask of holy water to awaken her and a second dose to keep her alive. That meant he needed to find more. Soon.
Mr. Smythe yawned noisily.
Harrison couldn’t detain the antiquarian any longer. The poor man needed a break. “Well done, Mr. Smythe. After you have a rest, I’d like you to return to Walsingham and have another look, do more digging around, see if you can find any more of the flower flasks.”
“Then no more looking for the St. Thomas ampullae?”
“Crack on with that as well. Search for both. Confidentially, of course.”
“Of course.”
“And Mr. Smythe? Finding another original ampulla continues to be a matter of urgency. Perhaps even more so now.”
