Both he and the girl had fallen ill during the long sail to Rona, a
lonely island of the Hebrides, and a place as far removed from English
control as one was likely to find in the whole of Britain. Their first
days there, in the care of the fisherman's brother, had been spent
bedridden, fighting fever and exhaustion alike. Mary, with her natural
vigor and stubborn optimism, had been up and about some days now. But
Michael's hurts were deeper, of longer duration. Only now, after more
than a fortnight, did he feel his body beginning to respond.
The fisherman had returned to the mainland after seeing them settled
in, and had promised to do all he could to secure the widow's release,
including hiring a solicitor, and filing for clemency under the new
articles of Reconciliation. But he cautioned that patience and
prudence were still needed: that they must lie low, and make no plans
without him. In any event, he had said, he would return with news as
soon as it was safely possible.
But each day that passed left Michael more in doubt.
Pages:
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321