‘Come on, you lot. Tiny needs to be seen by a vet.’
‘Is he going to get better, Martha?’ begged Katie.
‘I don’t know, I can’t promise anything. Tiny has had a real bad bang from the tractor and needs to get stitches and be checked over. He’s bleeding inside and I think he’s busted his leg. We’ll just have to wait and see.’
The children began to follow her as she walked back towards the lane, Alice walking in step with her.
‘I told you my mom could heal him and save him from dying! I told you!’ A fierce pride was reflected in her youngest daughter’s eyes.
Martha swallowed hard, knowing her secret was no longer safe. The children would bear witness to her healing power, whisper it among each other, tell their friends, tell their parents and like a ripple along the shore, she would no longer be able to hide the truth from those around her. Perhaps here in a place like this she could still live some kind of normal life. Have people accept her for who she was!
The dog whimpered in her arms.
‘There, now. There now, good boy!’ she soothed, holding him against her chest. In the distance she could see Mary Clarke coming towards her with the tractor driver, a look of utter surprise on his face.
Martha looked down at the dog and at Alice. How could she have, even for a single moment, considered betraying her child’s trust. She couldn’t run away or hide, pretend to be someone different. There was no denying or escaping from what she was . . . she was a healer, and would no longer turn her back on the gift she’d been given.
THE END
About the Author
Marita Conlon-McKenna is one of Ireland’s favourite authors and a regular number one bestseller. She is the winner of the prestigious International Reading Association award and is a regular contributor to Radio and TV. She lives in Blackrock, Dublin with her husband and family.
For more information on Marita Conlon-McKenna and her books, see her website at www.maritaconlonmckenna.com
Also by Marita Conlon-McKenna
THE MAGDALEN
PROMISED LAND
MIRACLE WOMAN
THE STONE HOUSE
THE HAT SHOP ON THE CORNER
THE MATCHMAKER
MOTHER OF THE BRIDE
A TASTE FOR LOVE
THREE WOMEN
THE ROSE GARDEN
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First publication in Great Britain
PRINTING HISTORY
Bantam edition published 2002
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Copyright © Marita Conlon-McKenna 2002
The right of Marita Conlon-McKenna to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All the characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Version 1.0 Epub ISBN 9781446437261
ISBN 9780857501431
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