by Paula Wynne
Every week in church she prayed the woman healer story had been lost on its way to Barcelona. Now she prayed for the herbal manuscript to go missing.
In the candlelight, María peered at the title of her new story: The Grotto’s Secret. A shame no-one would get to read it, but she couldn’t risk people coming to the grotto. Thankfully the doomed manuscript never once mentioned the grotto or its location.
No, she had to change her idea. The Grotto’s Secret would have to remain in her imagination. Leaving the rest of the page empty, she slid the story title into the notes about rizado. With parchment so scarce, she hated leaving an empty page. Maybe she’d return to it with a different story to tell.
María ached for another opportunity to treat a wounded animal. Each time she used rizado she had learnt more about how it worked.
Over the last few weeks, she’d thought of little else but healing, hoping she’d been blessed with the same gift as her mother. The only skill she possessed was seeing people in her head, doing things they shouldn’t be doing. Alas, some would verily say that was a sign of being insane. Loco. But María waited for the day when her stories would be admired.
With Madre in bed, María took the opportunity to carry out a task her mother wouldn’t permitir. She listened for a moment and heard Madre’s faint snoring from her bed.
With the stealth of a viper, María unwrapped a long piece of soft leather that bound the secret copy of Herbal de Carbonela. Instead of giving it one layer of leather for the original binding, she had covered the book with two layers of leather, one on top of the other.
Now, using a yard of twisted thread, María stitched a small square just below the knot. Once she had bound the two strips together into an invisible pouch, she hid Madre’s map of the grotto inside. She stepped back to check her work. The only way the secret pouch would be known, was by the slight raised mark of her stitches on the leather skin.
Pleased with herself, María hid the book in amongst the lavandarium. Madre never checked the clothing to be washed because it was María’s task. Later, the Herbal de Carbonela would once again be hidden in a clay pot in the cellar, but before she did that, she had one more tasca.
Through soundless movements, María unwrapped another long piece of soft leather she had found in Padre’s workshop and held it close to the candlelight.
In the same way she had made a binding for Madre’s herbal book, she would make another book, but this one would only need one layer of leather binding.
She wanted to carry her writing with her to the grotto, hidden on her body, so she could make up stories while staring across the valley towards the sea. Maybe she’d write that story about a girl like her having a sea adventure.
With Madre’s herbal journal still fresco in her mind as her modus, one more time she copied the making of the book. From Padre’s workshop she had taken two pieces of wood to make a cover for the front and back of the block formed by the parchment pages.
She turned the ends of the leather over on the inside of the front and back boards and then pasted them down. At the bottom of the book, she extended the leather, from covering the boards, into a long flap and knotted the end. She stroked the leather strip for a moment, loving the softness tickling her fingertips.
Glancing over her shoulder to check Madre was still asleep, María felt her heart beating faster. With trembling fingers, she slipped the knot under Padre’s belt. With the leather extension at the bottom of the book, her book hung upside down. When she lifted it, as if to read it, the book was the right way up. Although Tío had shown her many similar books, they were scribed and ready for reading, but her book was empty and waiting to be written at the grotto.
With her book complete, María paced in front of the hearth watching the dying embers. Practicing how to wear it, María let it dangle from Padre’s girdle that she now wore under her garments. Although she hated a girdle over her tunic, this one would allow her to hide her book. It felt odd to have the leather book slap at her thighs.
Suddenly a loud bang made María jump.
40
The lift from the car park basement rose into St Adelaide’s Hospital. Its doors pinged open and Kelby stepped into the private hospital’s reception. Thankfully, Hawk hadn’t insisted on coming with her. She had been looking forward to this moment.
Her special time with Annie.
With her phone glued to her ear while she lugged shopping bags and listened to messages, Kelby ran head first into an older couple.
‘Whoa!’ The old gent raised his hands, leaning them back in a theatrical pose.
‘Oh,’ Kelby muttered, ‘I’m so sorry.’
His wife gave a loud tut and shook her head. Kelby backed away, apologising again. Embarrassed by the thought that people milling around the private Surrey hospital might recognise her, she dropped her eyes to the floor and rushed down the crowded passage, weaving between people.
In her haste she didn’t spot a doctor ahead of her backing out of a room with an armful of papers. Kelby banged head first into him. Her shopping bags of toys slipped out of her hands and thumped to the floor.
His arms flew into the air, his fingers attempting to grapple the neat pile of documents. Splat. The papers hit the floor and scattered, fluttering away as if they had been looking for an opportunity to escape his clutches.
The man rose to his full height.
Kelby groaned.
Doctor Robson peered at her. ‘Hey, calm down. What’s the rush?’
Even though his lopsided boyish grin sent waves of excitement to her nerve endings, she couldn’t let on what effect he had on her. Without meaning to, she snapped at him, ‘You should look where you’re going.’
‘No, you crashed into me.’
She shook her head, ‘You backed out of a room in reverse without even a glance at who was coming by.’
‘Kelby, this is a hospital. People generally don’t fly down these corridors at a hundred miles an hour.’
‘Hah!’
‘You shouldn’t be here if you’re in that kind of rush. There are some good race tracks near here. Try Silverstone or Brands Hatch.’ Although his tone sounded brusque, his eyes beamed amusement, ‘Both will suit your needs.’
Her jaw dropped. ‘What? You’re the clumsy one. You started it this morning on the plane!’ Kelby’s hands found her hips, and without realising she adopted one of Teresina’s poses.
‘Am I supposed to be intimidated?’ He dropped onto his knees to retrieve his flapping papers.
She mirrored his action; a hot flush prickling her skin. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that. I’m rushing upstairs to see someone.’ Bent over, Kelby started to help him collate the papers, but sudden embarrassment at her silliness overcame her. ‘Sorry.’
Without another word she straightened, grabbed the Hamley’s bags and rushed off. As she reached the top of the stairs, her phone beeped to announce another text had arrived.
When U R finished @ the hospital, bitch, I’ll B @ yours
41
Kelby’s glare lifted from the stalker’s text and moved down the stairwell. No-one was there. No-one knew where she was. Except the doctor. And Jimmy. And maybe a few late-leaving staff members who had seen Jimmy chasing her out of the office.
She jabbed the last number dialled on her phone and panted into it, ‘You there, Hawk?’
‘Everything okay, Miss Wade?’
She exhaled and said, ‘I just got another message.’
‘I thought Twitter had closed the guy’s account. I’ll get right onto them.’
‘No, this time it was a text message.’
‘You want me to come up?’
‘No, I’ll be fine. I’ll see you later.’
As Kelby deleted the message, she butted into someone else and groaned. Dear God,
how many more times in one night!
‘Ah-hah! The famous sister-in-law arrives.’
‘Hello Stacie. I thought you’d be gone by now. Aren’t you on nights this week?’
Stacie raised one pierced eyebrow in her annoying know-it-all way. ‘That’s why you’re so late. Trying to avoid me.’
‘In case you’ve forgotten, I have three businesses to run, another five to chair as a non-exec and ten mentees to babysit. Oh, and a reality show to film.’
‘Poor Kelby! Too busy to live.’ Stacie brushed past her.
Kelby smelt cigarettes on her clothes and gawped at Stacie. ‘I don’t believe it. You come here stinking of smoke in front of Annie!’
‘Ooh, look who’s on the prowl again today.’
Any snide remark from her sister-in-law was enough to goad Kelby into retaliation. They took up their usual stance on opposing sides and faced each other en garde, ready to lunge with verbal swords.
‘You’re not fit to be her mother.’ Kelby instantly regretted her words, but couldn’t bring herself to apologise.
‘What about you?’ She grabbed Kelby’s coat sleeve. ‘You come here full of cat’s hair. Look. It’s all over you.’
Kelby looked at her coat.
‘It’s zebra-like with that horrid cat’s hair.’ Stacie leaned forward and sneered as she sniffed. ‘You even smell like cat’s pee.’ She glanced at the shopping bags and scoffed, ‘I’m surprised the shops allowed you in.’
Behind Stacie, Kelby spied a group of nurses watching with interest. One of them had the cheek to sneak in closer to listen, intrigued by yet another round of fireworks.
‘Your fag-butt stink will bring on another asthma attack.’
‘So will that cat’s hair!’ Stacie backed out of Kelby’s smell zone. ‘So don’t you dare,’ she wagged a finger in Kelby’s face, ‘accuse me of being a bad mother. You’ll never be a mother — good or bad!’
Stacie marched off leaving Kelby seething. She glanced around and found all the hospital eyes on her. She ducked her head, half in shame and half with pride. As she darted towards Annie’s room, she spoke to Gary in her head, as she often did. Sorry Gaa, I did it again. I know I promised last time, but I can’t help it. Your wife riles me.
A nurse came out of Annie’s room and bumped into her. ‘Ahh, Miss Wade, lovely to see you.’
‘Hi, Rosalind, how’s my girl today?’
‘Why not see for yourself?’ Nurse Rosalind Potter stepped aside to let Kelby pass.
As she did Kelby shoved the shopping bags at her. ‘You told me you’re fundraising for a Down syndrome charity. Will this help?’
Rosalind glanced into the bags and gaped at Kelby. Before she could refuse, Kelby said, ‘It’s just a pile of freebies I get sent. You know, people think I want their latest products.’
‘Are you sure? It looks so expensive.’
‘Course. They’re cluttering up my office so I hope you can do something with them.’
‘Of course! Yippee, we can do lots of raffles. Thank you, Miss Wade!’
‘It’s nothing.’ As Kelby slipped into Annie’s room and closed the door, she spotted the other busybody nurses circling around Rosalind’s toys from Hamleys. Thank goodness she had insisted on a private room.
No eyeballs in here to ogle at her.
42
Kelby settled into a seat beside Annie and looked at her frail body. As she slept Annie looked peaceful and calm. As well as regular acute asthma attacks that led to hospitalisation, Annie had eczema which had flared up soon after Gary passed away.
Overnight, Annie’s pearly skin had become itchy red patches with thick scales. She’d been a happy little girl, full of jumping beans and always wanting to be outside playing with her menagerie of insects. Now she was self-conscious about being smothered in creams and not able to participate in school sports because her skin was always itchy and sore.
When her asthma flared up and had her choking for breath, she had to be admitted to hospital. Each time the attacks were worse and led to different treatments that hadn’t worked. It annoyed Kelby when the doctors didn’t take it seriously enough.
After insisting on paying for private care for Annie, Kelby had expected to see more visible signs of her health improving, but her hopes had dropped. She’d have to speak to the doctors again and boot their asses to get that new treatment from the States. Stacie wouldn’t have any experimental drugs used on her daughter, but Kelby took it upon herself to get the doctors to convince her sister-in-law to try anything new.
Annie stirred, her eyelids fluttered open and she turned to face her. Kelby gave her a little wave. Annie beamed, despite the horrid plastic tube stuck up her nose and taped across her translucent cheeks. Her thin hand reached out and her voice croaked, ‘Aunt Kel! I’ve been waiting all day for you to come.’
Kelby refused to let her voice crack. ‘And I’ve been waiting for you to wake up to chat to me.’ As her heart pumped, Kelby savoured a rush of happiness radiating through her. But the rush soon faded and guilt took over. Jimmy was right; she worked too hard. She should have come earlier; Annie needed her more than the hunting pack.
Annie lifted a sheet of paper off her bedside table and handed Kelby a drawing. With a pink, scaly finger, she pointed at a pool of water with two figures splashing about. ‘That’s where May-ree swims.’ She picked at a patch of red and tender skin on her arm. ‘And that’s me with her.’
Kelby reached out and stopped her scratching. ‘Is this May-ree who told you about her waterfall?’
Annie whispered, ‘Her waterfall is a special place no-one has ever seen. It’s inside a cave. Her secret treasure is hidden in the cave. She found a bull painted on the rocks. He’s called Toro.’ Her nose screwed up. ‘She hid her secrets near his horns.’
Kelby leaned in, pretending to be intrigued.
‘She has another secret too.’
‘Ooh, and what’s that.’
Annie’s voice dropped to barely a whisper, ‘She drew a map and hid it inside her book bag, like my school bag, only hers is old-fashioned.’
Kelby nodded.
Annie’s energy bounced around as she changed the subject, asking ‘Aunt Kel, tell me about the time Daddy’s friend jumped on you.’
‘You mean in the pool?’
‘Yes.’
‘When your daddy and I were small —’ her voice cracked, ‘we were on holiday and one of his friends jumped onto my back when I was swimming across the deep end. He hung on my back like a monkey, but he was so heavy I nearly drowned.’
‘Could Daddy swim?’
‘Yes, when he joined the army, he swam across the English Channel. He was training to cycle across England.’
‘You mean with his new leg.’
Kelby nodded, struggling to hold back the tears.
‘I wish he would come back from heaven to teach me, but May-ree’s going to teach me to swim.’
‘Daddy wanted you to be a fish like him.’ Kelby made a mental note to get Jimmy to find a private swimming tutor when Annie was discharged.
‘Can you swim, Aunt Kel?’
Kelby swallowed hard. ‘No, I can’t.’
‘But you’re grown up. Grown-ups know how to swim.’
‘Not all. Thousands are too scared.’
‘Are you scared?’
Kelby nodded.
‘Why? Because of the boy who jumped on you?’ Annie patted Kelby’s hand. ‘Don’t worry Aunt Kel, we’ll learn together. I’ll do it if you will. And I won’t jump on your back, neither.’
Kelby leaned over and hugged Annie. ‘Okay, deal. But you better get out of here quick!’ She couldn’t tell Annie she had no intention of keeping her promise.
‘My new friend can swim.’
�
�May-ree?’
‘No, Corinna.’
Kelby tried to recall if this was another pretend friend or a real one. ‘Is she that little girl next door?’
Annie shifted her jaw side to side and nibbled on her lips with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Kelby nodded. ‘Ah, that friend.’ Annie had a school-yard of invisible friends.
‘I told Daddy about her. And he’s been talking to her too.’
Kelby nodded and let out a silent phew. To help Annie come to terms with Gary’s death, Kelby had encouraged Annie to talk to him.
‘How old is Corinna?’
‘She’s ten. I can’t wait to be ten.’
Kelby fluffed Annie’s head. ‘You’re nearly there.’
‘Who’s your best friend, Aunt Kel?’
‘You.’
‘Mum says you’re Becky-no-mates.’
‘Sometimes being Becky-no-mates is best.’ A seven year-old couldn’t be expected to understand being friendless helped avoid hurt and disappointment.
Annie glanced over Kelby’s shoulder and dropped her voice to
a whisper. The look on her face was of a child spy about to reveal a global conspiracy.
‘Aunt Kel, can you keep a secret?’
43
Once again Padre’s hand-carved door rattled under the weight of a man’s fist. Still testing out her book, María gulped and bit her lip. A deep sense of foreboding clutched at her stomach.
With her stomach churning, she jabbed the quill lying on the table into an old cotton chemise. She rolled up The Grotto’s Secret and ran across the cobbled floor. Leaning into one of the stone alcoves, she tucked her writing materials at the back of a blackened pot.
Madre appeared in the kitchen, rubbing her eyes.
María had always been proud to watch Madre deliver a baby onto its mother’s breast. Over the past few weeks of learning the medicina secrets, her love for her mother had swelled.
