Physician of Myddfai

Chapter 25

  Megan regained consciousness the next morning. A fierce headache throbbed behind her eyes, giving her a strong sense of nausea.

When she finally managed to lift her eyelids slightly, she saw Lady Eleanor sitting at her bedside intent on soaking clean gauze in a basin.

At that moment, the Earl's wife was turned to the side and did not notice her awakening. The strong malaise that had taken hold of Megan prevented her from remembering clearly why she was in bed being cared for by the Countess.

The door opened and then immediately closed again.

<<Oh, Lady Eleanor...Lady Megan is awake>> declared Annie who had just entered the room.

<<Dear, how happy I am to see that you are better>>.

The Countess was speaking to her very kindly and thoughtfully. She helped her sit up and gave her a cup with water to drink.

<<But what...>> she made to say Megan, and at the same instant the memories spilled over her like a waterfall.

Mercy, Rosalind!

Fear must have been painted on her face because Lady Eleanor hastened to reassure her.

<<Be calm, my niece and her baby are fine>>.

<<If it hadn't been for you by now...>>.

She did not have the courage to finish the sentence. Megan had fuzzy memories of the previous night, and that headache was not helping her at all.

<<If you are not offended, since you are the healer in this castle, I took the liberty of preparing an infusion to restore your energy>>.

Annie approached with a bowl, smiling at her.

<<It is one of the recipes you taught me Milady>>.

Megan gratefully took it and drank greedily. Her throat and mouth had become dry, and the cup of water she drank earlier had not been enough to soothe the parchedness. She felt grateful for that attention, but she also felt slightly irritated with herself.

She had always been in good health, but since she had undertaken that task, she had done nothing but get sick and faint because of the visions she had been having.

What a figure of speechlessness!

Annoyed by that thought she tried to get back on her feet.

<<Stay in bed for this morning, you need to rest after last night's events>>.

Lady Eleanor had spoken thoughtfully, but also in a tone that did not admit of repartee. Nevertheless, Megan resented being treated like a sick person.

<<I would like to go to Rosalind and then...the injured...>> she tried to venture. <<Don't worry my dear, my niece is fine and well taken care of. Edith has always been there with her. She is asleep now and I will go to her shortly. Annie with some handmaids took care of the wounded. They are all recovering>>.

<<I just changed the medicaments with the help of some handmaids and checked that the wounds were not infected and looked good>>.

The Countess looked at her for a long time as if weighing what to do.

<<Well, since you are better, I will go right away to take care of some things that require my presence and then I will visit Rosalind>>.

She turned toward Sir John's daughter.

<<Find Sir William, he should be in the study with his father and report to him that Lady Megan has recovered>>.

Lady Eleanor returned to look at Megan.

<<My son will explain to you what happened>>.

With that said, he greeted her with a light kiss on the forehead and took her leave only after assuring her that handmaids would be immediately sent to help her dress.

The Countess, after what her husband had reported to him, had mixed feelings for that maiden. Megan risked her own life to save William and Rosalind.

She would have been the ideal wife for him, competent, brave, and caring.

If there had not been that curse!

Knowing that her son had decided to marry her would only have pleased her in another situation, but as things stood now.... She sighed. She now understood that her second son had suffered greatly from his brother's death, not only because of the loss, but also because he felt responsible for what had happened. After all that had happened, William had felt compelled to explain what had happened with Abell. The guilt and shame William felt was unwarranted.

Rather, it was she and her husband who should feel guilty, having not taken him seriously when he had tried to put them on notice.

As parents they had failed, they had been blind and deaf. Not only had their firstborn son died, but their second son's existence had become a hell that had changed him to the core, leaving wounds that had not yet healed.

Yes, Megan would have been able to help him heal from those invisible marks.

If only there wasn't that curse!

Elly, what were you thinking? Lady Eleanor regretted.

William had been a troubled, bitter, unhappy man for too long.

She could not deny that she had noticed the light that came back into her son's eyes when he looked at her. She had been a selfish mother, but who wouldn't be in a situation like that? Some things about one's destiny could not be changed, and there was no choice but to accept what was to come.

They had tried to cheat fate and in doing so had paid the price with Simon's life. Knowing William, he was now not going to give up on that girl in any way. This time it was crucial to be on William's side no matter what he decided. He would listen to him and support him; he would not make the same mistake again.

This time she had to make the right choice for his son!

Her husband had never fully agreed with the decision to keep them apart. Only after the death of their eldest son had he begun to share that it was too risky for them to date. Fear had taken over and the picture had been shelved. For Elly, however, the reasons, it seemed, must have been different. Elly must have had something in mind from the beginning. Perhaps, Eleanor thought, Elly knew that one way or another their meeting had to happen.

The painting by Megan's great-grandmother had a specific purpose. Eleanor the more she thought about it, the more convinced she became. There had to be an important message in that painting that was not about her son's death, in fact probably the opposite. Or so she hoped with all her heart.

Shortly before William, Simon, and Kay went as squires to his brother, the resemblance of their second son and Megan to the people painted in the painting had become obvious, despite their young age.

His brother Robert had made an effort to keep them away from each other, but he had always maintained that the painting could not be ignored and that it would be a big mistake.

After Robert's and later Simon's death everything had been deliberately shelved. Perhaps, Robert was right.