Page 57 of Never Leave Me
“I tried for months to cause one with you or Harrison so that I could tell you about the ampullae I placed in the vault. But nothing worked.”
“Oh.” Disappointment rose swiftly within Ellen.
“I’m sorry, Ellen.” Marian’s expression remained somber. “You could attempt it, but I believe such a phenomenon is difficult to initiate when you’re already under the influence of the holy water and in the past.”
Ellen exhaled a tense breath. “If we can’t find a way to reach Harrison, then I’ll be left with no choice but to supply Dr. Lionel with holy water. And none of us want to help him.”
“Absolutely not,” Marian replied.
“But I can’t let the children suffer at Lionel’s hands. I may need to give him a few flasks to buy myself more time. If we get word to Nicholas, we might be able to convince him to put them into the secret nook at Reider Castle.”
Will and Marian exchanged a glance.
Something in their look pricked her with unease. “What? You don’t think Nicholas would be willing?”
Will met her gaze. “Sir Nicholas is an honorable and good man. Nevertheless, in defying his brother and liberating you, he has made a deadly enemy of Lord Worth and will surely no longer be welcome at Reider Hall.”
“Then I’ll put the holy water in the crypt of the cathedral. Jasper and I agreed it would be a backup delivery option.”
“Even then,” Marian said, “we would still have a problem.”
Ellen’s frayed nerves pushed her to the edge of her chair. “I know you don’t like Lionel. I don’t either, but—”
“Ellen.” The foreboding in Marian’s tone silenced Ellen’s racing pulse and thoughts.
Will shook the glass bottle he still held. “After giving you two ampullae of holy water, we have only a scant amount remaining.”
“That’s all?” Ellen couldn’t see anything in the colorful glass container, and guessed only drops were left. “That can’t be correct. Not if you have the wellspring. Unless it has already gone dry?”
Marian absently stroked one of her daughter’s tiny hands as she continued to nurse. “The wellspring is inside the St. Sepulchre Priory. But when people heard of Will’s healing from mortal wounds and then of my recuperation shortly after, we could not contain the news regarding the holy water.”
Will’s countenance darkened. “The new bailiff of Canterbury, a miscreant by the name of Thomas Ickham, has taken possession of St. Sepulchre and the well. He will sell the water to increase his own coffers. But he cannot do so until I relinquish the keys for the barrier that covers the wellspring, which I will not do.”
“Then we don’t have access to the holy water?”
“No one does.” Will’s tone was firm and brought back the memory of Lord Worth’s declaration that Lord Durham had been unwilling to open the wellspring and had prevented anyone else from having even a drop. Now she understood what he’d meant.
“Why keep those who truly need it from having it?” Like Josie. The little girl needed a dose as soon as possible. If Ellen placed an ampulla in the vault at Chesterfield Park and carved Josie’s name onto the flask, surely Harrison would understand he was to give it to the girl. Even if Dr. Lionel had warned her against any secret deliveries elsewhere, she had to do something for Josie before it was too late. “We must find a way to come to an agreement with this Ickham to dole out the holy water to the most needful.”
“And who would that be?” Will asked. “Who is most needful? The one who can pay a sufficient fee? Or the one who displays a righteous life? Or is it only the ones we love?”
Ellen’s response stalled. She hadn’t thought of such questions. With a finite amount of holy water, how could they determine who was most worthy of it among the many, many sick people both in 1382 and in the present time?
For a long moment, silence settled over the chamber, broken only by the crackle of a log in the fireplace.
Finally, Marian spoke. “I think we can all agree that we face many uncertainties with how to handle the holy water. But there is one thing that is certain. If we do not draw up more from the well, Ellen will never return to her home.”
“Then she will live here with us.” Will bent and kissed Marian’s head.
Marian pushed up from her throne of pillows, burping the baby against her shoulder. “She needs to go back home. She’ll be safer there.”
“We shall take care of her.” Will rounded the bed and began to cross the room with long strides. “She must learn to be content here.”
Ellen bridled at his command, and she wanted to contradict him. But from her experience at Reider Castle, she was learning that as a woman in the Middle Ages she had considerably lesspower than men. In addition, she had no money, no transportation, and no way to take care of herself. She couldn’t afford to alienate Will.
Marian’s eyes flashed as she watched Will’s retreating form. “You have wanted to take the well away from Ickham’s control and evil intents. Perhaps Ellen’s appearance is God’s confirmation that now is the time to do so.”
Will stopped at the door, his hand on the door handle.
