Of Lands High and Low by Martha Keyes

Author:Martha Keyes [Keyes, Martha]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Paradigm Press

Chapter Seventeen

Consent from Graeme was only the first of many barriers to confront. Isla had said that Margaret would keep her secret if she came to stay, but the truth was, she wasn’t as certain of that as she had given Graeme to believe.

Margaret was like a sister, and Isla didn’t doubt that the love she had for Margaret was reciprocated. But Margaret had never been one to question or defy—not like Isla had. And Isla wasn’t sure how she would react to what she was asking of her.

It was with a great deal of anxiety that Isla made the walk to Kyntire House the day after her visit to Pitcairlie. Margaret seemed subdued and somewhat distracted as she welcomed Isla. Her eyes were on her children as Isla spoke to her, and at one point, Isla waited in vain for a response from Margaret, who was not listening to what she was saying. Her eyes were trained on Alexander, glazed over.

“Margaret?” Isla repeated.

Margaret blinked and looked at her. “Oh, yes, yes. It does seem as though it has been a colder winter than last. Though less snow.”

Isla nodded slowly. It had been two or three minutes since she had spoken of the weather. “What is it, Margaret? What has you worried?”

She glanced at her children again. They were chasing the raindrops sliding down the window pane. “Peter Baxter died this morning.”

Isla’s heart sank, and the words stuck in her throat. What would Graeme feel when he discovered it?

“I am afraid, Isla,” Margaret said. “Jenny was beside herself this morning—Peter was her younger brother. She told me about his last moments. I didn’t ask, but I couldn’t stop her either.” Margaret’s eyes filled with tears, and she put a hand to cover her mouth. “I could hardly understand her between the sobs. I told her to go home and be with her family. But…” She took in a trembling breath. “I know I shouldn’t be afraid. Father would tell me that fear drives out faith, but I cannot stop. I cannot stop thinking, worrying. What if Jenny falls ill? What if she brings it here, to the children? What if she already has?”

Isla came over to sit beside Margaret, taking her hands in hers and pressing them to stop the shaking.

What could she say? How could she calm fears that she herself harbored for Margaret’s family? She thought of the note in her pocket. She had brought it in hopes that it might persuade Margaret that what Isla was proposing was necessary. If she could see the names of people she knew who wished for variolation, perhaps she would be more likely to agree to Isla’s request. And perhaps not every name that belonged on that list was on it. What if Margaret’s names and Alexander’s and Anne’s belonged there too?

“Margaret,” she said. “What if there was a way to protect Alexander and Anne?”

Margaret’s head came up, a question in her eyes. “What do you mean? How?”

Isla wet her lips. “You know the Gervy children were variolated, I imagine.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.