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Authors: Robin Jarvis
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there were any more of his patients I could cheer up."
Edith gave an angry squeak and thrust the biscuit plate into the nun's hands—much to her delight.
"Well really, Alice!" the unhappy woman whined, charging into the sickroom. "How could you be so rude?"
Miss Boston looked at her crossly. "Oh, stop fussing, Edith!" she bellowed, making up for lost time. "Things are going to change around here. Don't just stand there, I want a cup of herbal tea—there's a packet at the back of the cupboard! Then you can take that wheelchair from the garden shed. I'm not going to be cooped up any longer!"
Miss Wethers' anger dissolved before this commanding presence and she meekly hurried away to comply.
"Poor Edith," Aunt Alice chuckled mischievously. "I'm afraid she won't have a minute's peace. We'll show her and that jumped-up stethoscope twirler, won't we, Benjamin?"
The pair of them laughed and, standing alone by the door, Jennet watched for a moment before she disappeared to her room.
***
When night stole over the town the rain clouds finally dispersed, and in the clear heavens the stars shone coldly. A frost-haloed moon blazed pale and white, its ghostly beams shimmering a wide path over the sea and turning the sand upon the shore to silver. Below the cliffs, the world was lost in deep shadows, but between the black rocks, two small figures slowly clambered.
"The very air bites tonight," Nelda said with a shudder. "Will you tell me now? Why did you wake me and draw me from my warm bed?"
Her companion said nothing but continued to lead the aufwader over the rocky shore.
Tired and cold, Nelda was in no mood for games. "If you refuse to tell me," she said, "I shall turn back!"
In front of her, Old Parry whirled around. Her untidy hair had been brushed and pulled into a straggly, branching mass laden with newly-found shells and the occasional gull feather. This bizarre and wild formation made her shadowy silhouette weird and grotesque. It was as though some deformed shrub had come to life and pulled itself up by the roots to go roaming in the night.
Fingering her bristly nose, she regarded the youngster and shook her head, rattling the shells which dangled there. "Not wise," she warned. "Your loss would that be—hearken to me, child, I know."
"But what is it that you know?" Nelda asked. "You creep into our quarters and tell me not to wake my grandfather..."
"This ain't no business of menfolk!" Parry spat. "Them can't know all. Some secrets we mun keep to ourselves."
"You said it was important," the girl protested, "yet all we have done is climb over rock and boulder."
Coming to a ring of craggy stone that was filled with sea water, Old Parry made herself comfortable and told Nelda to do the same.
"Are you set on pool-wading this night?" the girl cried, "for if so, I have no wish to join you."
"No, child," the other answered mysteriously, "it is not shells I look for, not this time."
There was a strange edge to Parry's voice and Nelda sat upon one of the rocks, wondering what the spiteful creature was up to. From the other side of the pool the aged eyes gleamed at her and she shivered under their intense scrutiny.
"Short have been the years of your life," the cracked voice began, "and from the hour of your birth I have watched you grow. You are the only bairn to have survived the curse laid upon us. Have you never wondered at that? I have. Aye, many long nights and bitter days have I dwelt upon that most abnormal chance."
Nelda hung her head. Throughout her life she had been forced to endure the resentment of the seawives. No one knew why she alone had escaped the power of the Mother's Curse—least of all herself.
"Many times have I heard these grudging words," she muttered. "If you have brought me hither merely to assail me with them once more then I bid you goodnight!"
"Stay!" Old Parry snapped. "My words have a purpose!"
"Indeed! To gratify your base spite, no doubt! You do naught else."
"There is much you
Edith gave an angry squeak and thrust the biscuit plate into the nun's hands—much to her delight.
"Well really, Alice!" the unhappy woman whined, charging into the sickroom. "How could you be so rude?"
Miss Boston looked at her crossly. "Oh, stop fussing, Edith!" she bellowed, making up for lost time. "Things are going to change around here. Don't just stand there, I want a cup of herbal tea—there's a packet at the back of the cupboard! Then you can take that wheelchair from the garden shed. I'm not going to be cooped up any longer!"
Miss Wethers' anger dissolved before this commanding presence and she meekly hurried away to comply.
"Poor Edith," Aunt Alice chuckled mischievously. "I'm afraid she won't have a minute's peace. We'll show her and that jumped-up stethoscope twirler, won't we, Benjamin?"
The pair of them laughed and, standing alone by the door, Jennet watched for a moment before she disappeared to her room.
***
When night stole over the town the rain clouds finally dispersed, and in the clear heavens the stars shone coldly. A frost-haloed moon blazed pale and white, its ghostly beams shimmering a wide path over the sea and turning the sand upon the shore to silver. Below the cliffs, the world was lost in deep shadows, but between the black rocks, two small figures slowly clambered.
"The very air bites tonight," Nelda said with a shudder. "Will you tell me now? Why did you wake me and draw me from my warm bed?"
Her companion said nothing but continued to lead the aufwader over the rocky shore.
Tired and cold, Nelda was in no mood for games. "If you refuse to tell me," she said, "I shall turn back!"
In front of her, Old Parry whirled around. Her untidy hair had been brushed and pulled into a straggly, branching mass laden with newly-found shells and the occasional gull feather. This bizarre and wild formation made her shadowy silhouette weird and grotesque. It was as though some deformed shrub had come to life and pulled itself up by the roots to go roaming in the night.
Fingering her bristly nose, she regarded the youngster and shook her head, rattling the shells which dangled there. "Not wise," she warned. "Your loss would that be—hearken to me, child, I know."
"But what is it that you know?" Nelda asked. "You creep into our quarters and tell me not to wake my grandfather..."
"This ain't no business of menfolk!" Parry spat. "Them can't know all. Some secrets we mun keep to ourselves."
"You said it was important," the girl protested, "yet all we have done is climb over rock and boulder."
Coming to a ring of craggy stone that was filled with sea water, Old Parry made herself comfortable and told Nelda to do the same.
"Are you set on pool-wading this night?" the girl cried, "for if so, I have no wish to join you."
"No, child," the other answered mysteriously, "it is not shells I look for, not this time."
There was a strange edge to Parry's voice and Nelda sat upon one of the rocks, wondering what the spiteful creature was up to. From the other side of the pool the aged eyes gleamed at her and she shivered under their intense scrutiny.
"Short have been the years of your life," the cracked voice began, "and from the hour of your birth I have watched you grow. You are the only bairn to have survived the curse laid upon us. Have you never wondered at that? I have. Aye, many long nights and bitter days have I dwelt upon that most abnormal chance."
Nelda hung her head. Throughout her life she had been forced to endure the resentment of the seawives. No one knew why she alone had escaped the power of the Mother's Curse—least of all herself.
"Many times have I heard these grudging words," she muttered. "If you have brought me hither merely to assail me with them once more then I bid you goodnight!"
"Stay!" Old Parry snapped. "My words have a purpose!"
"Indeed! To gratify your base spite, no doubt! You do naught else."
"There is much you
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