Page 56 of Never Leave Me
Ellen leaned forward and embraced her sister, breathing her in and trying to convince herself she wasn’t dreaming, that she really was hugging Marian.
“Thank you for saving me and my babe.” Marian pulled back and examined Ellen’s face, cupping her cheek and studying her as though she couldn’t get enough of her.
Will had risen, and now stood above the bed, the strength of his presence nearly overwhelming. “I am indebted to you, my lady.”
“I’m just glad I arrived when I did.”
Will nodded, weariness forming crevices in his brow. “You are most welcome in my home.”
“Thank you. I’m still trying to convince myself I’m really here.”
“And I am trying to figure out why you are here,” Marian said softly.
Ellen didn’t have to ask to know what Marian was referring to. Marian wanted an explanation for why Ellen had crossed to the past.
How could she explain? It was too complicated. “It’s nice to see you too. I’ve missed you.”
Marian reclined and managed a weak smile. “I am glad to see you, sister. Truly I am. But...”
Ellen reached for Marian’s hand, the fingers thin and cold and trembling.
Marian’s eyes filled with tears. “But I would be happier to know you are healed and safe where you belong.”
“I’m afraid it’s not safer.”
Marian’s lashes dropped, and her face constricted with pain.
“Fetch more wine for my wife.” Will motioned toward a servant hovering in the shadows. The woman nodded and hurried out of the room.
The window was shuttered from the inside, giving the room a dark aura. A small fire burned in the fireplace, putting off a low glow, and a candle on the bedside table flickered with black smoke and smelled of animal fat.
Will adjusted his sword at his belt. “Now that your sister is here, I shall do everything I can to keep you both safe.”
“I know you will try,” Marian said. “But in this case, there may be nothing you can do.”
Will leveled a serious look at Ellen. “I bid you to tell us of your peril. Then I shall know how better to strategize against our foe.”
Ellen settled into her chair but hesitated. How much about the time crossing did Will really know? She lifted a brow at Marian.
“You can tell us everything,” Marian said. “Will accepts mefor my strange tales of other places and times, and he will do so with you as well.”
The baby made a soft noise, her eyes scrunching amidst her perfectly pink face. Marian adjusted the baby in her arms, and Will reached down and stroked his finger across the infant’s cheek. The sight of the new family together—with Will gazing at both his wife and daughter with such wide-eyed adoration—was beyond precious and something Ellen would never forget.
He was obviously a kind man and a devoted husband. Was it possible Marian was happier here in the past than she ever would have been in the present? He and Marian had apparently come to an understanding about her origins and the power of the holy water. But how could he fathom their crossing time? It was difficult for her to understand, and she’d been in both eras. Nevertheless, he was supportive of Marian, and Ellen liked him for it.
Marian and Will listened attentively as she relayed the events that had transpired: Harrison discovering the symbolism in the coat of arms, finding the ampullae in the vault, both of them being healed, and then taking the celebration trip to Saint Lucia.
She left out the parts about kissing Harrison. But she spared no detail in explaining how upon their return, Jasper and Dr. Lionel had abducted and taken her to an underground lab not only to study her healed body but also to send her into the past to supply Lionel with holy water. She told of waking up in 1832 at Reider Castle in a nightgown, Lord Worth’s plans to marry her, his locking her in the dungeon, and then Nicholas coming to her rescue.
“Dr. Lionel gave me a week.” Ellen sat stiffly, gripping her folded hands together. “He wants me to supply him with holy water, otherwise he’s threatened to harm the children in the Serenity House.”
Will and Marian hadn’t spoken as she relayed her story. Andnow Will stared at her gravely while Marian began nursing the baby.
“My hope is that I don’t need to cooperate with Lionel. I’d prefer to send a message to Harrison so that he can warn all the families as well as be on guard for himself against Dr. Lionel trying to kidnap him again. But I don’t know if that’s possible.”
Marian shook her head. “It’s much riskier to send him a note. We don’t know if it would withstand the passing of time. And we have no guarantee Harrison will find a message, especially on such short notice. He might overlook it, just as he did mine in the coat of arms.”
“What about causing a time overlap, similar to what I experienced when I saw you earlier in the week? Maybe using a tiny amount of holy water?”
