Page 71 of Never Leave Me
“But now,” her dad continued, “seeing you both here in the past, I’m not so sure my efforts were worthwhile. I’ve caused irreparable damage.”
“Not with Ellen,” Marian replied. “We still have a chance to save Ellen if we can regain the control over the wellspring and provide Harrison with the holy water to wake her from her coma.”
At that moment, a servant knocked lightly on the door and entered with a platter of almonds, dates, and raisins along with a glazed ceramic jug containing ale. The brew, made from malted barley without hops, was a slightly sweet but weak beer. Ellen would have preferred water but had learned that since the water was untreated and could contain dirt and disease, most people drank ale instead.
Once Marian thanked and dismissed the servant, Dad began eating with gusto. Ellen dragged a stool over to the bed but only nibbled from the tray on the edge of the bed, her appetite rebelling no matter how much Marian prodded her to eat the food.
“It’s possible to save Dad too,” Ellen said, absently picking at an almond. “If we keep him alive this week, maybe we can change his death in the future.”
At the reminder of his impending death, her dad swallowed hard. “No, I’m afraid the future is fixed.”
“So, we can’t change anything?” Ellen asked.
“God’s providence always prevails. In his state unbound by the constraints of time, he sees what happens from beginning to end and has the details arranged before we even come to be.”
“Yes, only God knows each of our timelines,” Marian quickly interjected. “Some are shorter than others. But shouldn’t we do all we can to live and endure to the best of our ability?”
“Very true, Marian.” Dad wiped his mouth and hands. “Since none of us know when our timeline ends, we should take care to do our part by living wisely, being healthy, and seeking medical advances.”
“Then, there is still the chance we could save your life here,” Marian insisted. “We know you’re in danger somehow, and we shall be on guard, look for ways to protect you.”
Ellen nodded. “What if bringing you here last night out of the cold and rain saved your life? Maybe the first time you came you caught pneumonia.”
Dad picked up a date, chewed it, and stared above the bed canopy, clearly lost in thought, his brilliant mind working as hard as it always had. After long moments, he dug for a handful of nuts from the platter. “But that’s just it. There wasn’t a first time. This is my only time. Whatever happens to me is yet to come. We cannot escape the fact that I’ll experience a trauma that causes my body to languish and die in both eras.”
Marian’s eyes flashed with familiar determination. “I died in the present, but I am still alive in the past. If I lived, we must hold out hope for you that your timeline is not yet coming to an end.”
“I don’t know—”
“Maybe you died in the earthquake aftershock,” Marian persisted. “If we are more careful of your whereabouts and what you are doing, we can try to keep you safe.”
“Earthquake.” Dad jumped to his feet and peered at his watch, tapping it before pressing it to his ear. Had it stopped working?“The earthquake was supposed to strike yesterday in the early afternoon.”
Dad wavered, and Ellen stood, steadying him. “We didn’t experience any earthquakes here in Canterbury yesterday.”
Again, Dad stared off into the distance, his mind clearly searching through the mountains of information he had stored there.
“Do you think the date of the earthquake was off?” Marian glanced to the open shutter and the sunlight streaming inside as though gauging the hour.
That was another thing Ellen missed. Not having a digital clock to easily access the time.
Dad muttered several calculations under his breath. Then his eyes widened. “It’s possible the Julian calendar being used at the time overcompensated for the length of the solar year. If my recollections are correct, they added an extra day.”
Marian scooted toward the edge of the bed. “Do you think the earthquake happens today?”
“Yes. It’s very likely.”
“Will it cause much damage?” Ellen took the baby as Marian rose and donned a robe.
“Yes. Quite a lot, actually.” Dad caressed the baby’s head. “Since the British Isles sit in the middle of a tectonic plate, small tremors occur a dozen times a year and cause only slight movement of objects. But the earthquake that hits in 1382 is one of the rare larger quakes. It’s a 5.8 on the Richter scale.”
Marian cringed as if the ceiling was already about to collapse on them. “’Tis after midday already.” Marian’s voice took on a note of urgency. “We need to warn everyone.”
As they made their way out of Marian’s chamber and through the passageways of old Chesterfield Park, Dad continued with his nearly photographic relay of information about the 1382 earthquake that he’d researched before traveling back in time. The belfryof Canterbury Cathedral would sustain severe damage, the bells would dislodge and fall to the earth, and the cloister would suffer structural stress. Other churches, manors, and castles would experience damage too. He assured them the safest place for all of them during the earthquake was outside away from any objects that could come tumbling down.
Ellen helped Marian to spread the news throughout the household, informing the staff to remove themselves from the manor as swiftly as possible. Marian explained that normally Will’s mother, Lady Felice, also lived at the manor but had gone to stay with an ailing sister in London. In her absence, Marian had more control over the servants, and they did her bidding, clearly respecting and liking her.
As the servants poured from the house, Will ducked out of the blacksmith building near the stables, shielding his eyes from the sun, his youngest son Robert on his heels. With more rumors regarding Lord Worth’s aggression, Will had been busy standing guard with his knights as well as making sure weapons and provisions were ready to withstand an assault.
