violent. He has changed and I do not think I shall ever trust him again.’
‘I wish that I had spoken to you before I told Robert where to find you, sister. I shall bear the guilt of that good man’s death on my soul.’
‘He was a good man despite the things people said of him. I think he did things that made others fear him. I have seen drawings of men with their heads trepanned, their brains laid bare and dissected for study. Nicholas told me that he had done such a procedure when a man was dying from a growth that was pressing on his brain.’
Beatrice shuddered and crossed herself. ‘No wonder others feared him. That is something unnatural and against the laws of God.’
‘Nicholas removed the soft tissue from the man’s brain. His notes said that the man’s pain was relieved, though he was afterwards slow in understanding and one arm and leg was slightly paralysed.’
Beatrice shook her head. ‘It would have been better to let the man die. Such things are beyond our understanding.’
‘Beyond yours and mine perhaps, but Nicholas was a special man – a man out of his time. He studied illnesses and tried to discover the causes as well as the cure. One day it will not be thought a crime to speak of and perform these things. One day a man of such skill will be honoured and revered, as he should be, and religious prejudice will be at an end.’
‘You must not speak to me of these things, Melloria. My beliefs and yours are very different now.’
‘Yes, I know.’ Melloria smiled. ‘I shall not plague you, dearest. Soon I shall move into the hermitage you spoke of. But first I would beg a favour of you. There are things at Malvern I need to fetch. Will you allow Sister Selina to drive me there?’
‘Yes, of course. You should be safe enough now that Robert has given his word. Yet I would advise you to wait for a day or so until we are sure he has left the district.’
‘I am sure he would not tarry,’ Melloria said. ‘But I shall wait until the morning.’
7
Rhoda was nursing her child when the door connecting her chamber to Robert’s opened. She was aware that he stood there watching her but did not look up immediately. Her son was sleeping, his face softly flushed and beautiful. If she had not loved him at the first she did now. His tiny fists had curled about her heart and she felt protective and proud of her achievement.
‘Is he not beautiful, my lord?’ she said as Robert came towards her. ‘I have been thinking of what we should call him. Would you object if he were named Harry in honour of my father?’
‘Harry is a good name.’ Robert said. ‘You have done well and I am grateful for my son…’ He hesitated, then, ‘Rhoda, there is something I must tell you. Put the child in his crib and come to me.’
Rhoda looked at him in surprise. He looked so serious. Her heart jerked with fright. Had Jonathan spoken to him? Was he angry? On reflection, she thought he did not seem angry, merely anxious…concerned.
‘Is something wrong, my lord. Have I displeased you?’
‘No, you have not displeased me…’ Robert continued to look at her in his quiet grave manner as she came to him. ‘I must tell you something that will distress and anger you.’
‘I do not understand you…’
‘I have wronged you, Rhoda. You should never have been snatched from your father and when my plans went awry I should have
‘I wish that I had spoken to you before I told Robert where to find you, sister. I shall bear the guilt of that good man’s death on my soul.’
‘He was a good man despite the things people said of him. I think he did things that made others fear him. I have seen drawings of men with their heads trepanned, their brains laid bare and dissected for study. Nicholas told me that he had done such a procedure when a man was dying from a growth that was pressing on his brain.’
Beatrice shuddered and crossed herself. ‘No wonder others feared him. That is something unnatural and against the laws of God.’
‘Nicholas removed the soft tissue from the man’s brain. His notes said that the man’s pain was relieved, though he was afterwards slow in understanding and one arm and leg was slightly paralysed.’
Beatrice shook her head. ‘It would have been better to let the man die. Such things are beyond our understanding.’
‘Beyond yours and mine perhaps, but Nicholas was a special man – a man out of his time. He studied illnesses and tried to discover the causes as well as the cure. One day it will not be thought a crime to speak of and perform these things. One day a man of such skill will be honoured and revered, as he should be, and religious prejudice will be at an end.’
‘You must not speak to me of these things, Melloria. My beliefs and yours are very different now.’
‘Yes, I know.’ Melloria smiled. ‘I shall not plague you, dearest. Soon I shall move into the hermitage you spoke of. But first I would beg a favour of you. There are things at Malvern I need to fetch. Will you allow Sister Selina to drive me there?’
‘Yes, of course. You should be safe enough now that Robert has given his word. Yet I would advise you to wait for a day or so until we are sure he has left the district.’
‘I am sure he would not tarry,’ Melloria said. ‘But I shall wait until the morning.’
7
Rhoda was nursing her child when the door connecting her chamber to Robert’s opened. She was aware that he stood there watching her but did not look up immediately. Her son was sleeping, his face softly flushed and beautiful. If she had not loved him at the first she did now. His tiny fists had curled about her heart and she felt protective and proud of her achievement.
‘Is he not beautiful, my lord?’ she said as Robert came towards her. ‘I have been thinking of what we should call him. Would you object if he were named Harry in honour of my father?’
‘Harry is a good name.’ Robert said. ‘You have done well and I am grateful for my son…’ He hesitated, then, ‘Rhoda, there is something I must tell you. Put the child in his crib and come to me.’
Rhoda looked at him in surprise. He looked so serious. Her heart jerked with fright. Had Jonathan spoken to him? Was he angry? On reflection, she thought he did not seem angry, merely anxious…concerned.
‘Is something wrong, my lord. Have I displeased you?’
‘No, you have not displeased me…’ Robert continued to look at her in his quiet grave manner as she came to him. ‘I must tell you something that will distress and anger you.’
‘I do not understand you…’
‘I have wronged you, Rhoda. You should never have been snatched from your father and when my plans went awry I should have
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