Borrowed Dreams (Scottish Dream Trilogy) by May McGoldrick, Jan Coffey, Nicole Cody, Nikoo McGoldrick, James McGoldrick Page A
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man’s genitals as he screamed in pain. And it was not the only time. In the islands, she had seen more than she ever wanted to see.
Ohenewaa walked to the table on
which she had already collected bowls and bottles of seeds and herbs and
liquids. Jonah had bought some of the ingredients back for her from his last
trip to St. Albans. The black women of Melbury Hall who had brought seeds with
them from Jamaica, or gathered them during past spring and summer months, gave
other herbs to her. And even though it was winter, Ohenewaa had found other
useful things as well in the kitchen and in the woods and fields around Melbury
Hall.
Her collection was growing.
Tonight, instead of working with
her herbs, Ohenewaa moved to the hearth and crouched before it. She spread some
leaves from a nearby basket on the coals and picked up four stones.
There was a soft knock on her door.
Ohenewaa threw the stones on the
floor before her and called to Lady Aytoun to enter.
*****
Startled by the sight of the room,
Millicent forgot to ask how it was that Ohenewaa had known it was she at the
door. The simple guest room at Melbury Hall had been altered greatly. It was
now a place somehow ancient and mysterious. Everything was changed. Jars of
varying sizes sat on tables and on the floor. Dried herbs hung above the
hearth. The closed draperies dimmed the chamber, which was lit only by the
fire. Fascinating and exotic scents infused the air. But Millicent saw nothing
menacing or frightening. In fact, the chamber had a calming, serene atmosphere.
Shaking off her surprise at the
change, Millicent focused on her reason for coming. There would be time in the
future for satisfying her curiosity about the woman and her ways.
“I am at the point of defying
traditional English methods of medical treatment. I was wondering if there is
any insight you might give me.”
Ohenewaa continued to stare at the
stones spread before her. Millicent quietly approached the hearth.
“Dr. Parker believes the only thing
that can be done for Lord Aytoun is to keep him sedated with opium. My concern
is that the drug is doing nothing for him. In fact, I wonder if it is doing him
more harm than good.” She sat down on the edge of a chair. “You worked with Dr.
Dombey for a long time. If I were to cut back on the medicine, if I were to
eliminate it completely, would I seriously hurt him? Could he die because of my
meddling?”
Ohenewaa picked up a half-burned
leaf from the hearth and waved it over the small stones. “He is drowning in a
sea of mists. You have not seen him as he is.” The dark eyes looked up and met
Millicent’s. “Are you prepared to see him and deal with him as a whole
person? Do you have the courage to free his mind?”
Millicent remembered the rumors,
the accusations, and the scandals. She had told her friend Rebecca that the
Earl of Aytoun was not the man he had once been. Of course, the Aytoun she had
seen had been a man continually sedated by drugs. Was she ready to face a
changed man? She thought of the broken creature doubled over the washbasin.
“Yes.”
Ohenewaa studied the stones for a
long time and then seemed to smile to herself. “You can take away the
laudanum,” she said, gathering up the stones. “And no, ‘twill not kill him.
Your instincts are correct. Heal the mind first.”
“But what of the pain? Is there
anything else that I should give to him instead? I do not want him to suffer
unnecessarily.”
“We must wait and see.”
Millicent looked about the room
again, taking in the aroma, the bottles, the dance of the shadows over the
smoke in the hearth. There was a presence in the room, a power that she could
not explain. She turned her attention back to the old woman. “Your knowledge is
not bound by the limits of English medicine, I believe. Is there anything you
would recommend that I do to help improve his lordship’s other ailments?”
“Wait until you have taken the
first step. This will
Ohenewaa walked to the table on
which she had already collected bowls and bottles of seeds and herbs and
liquids. Jonah had bought some of the ingredients back for her from his last
trip to St. Albans. The black women of Melbury Hall who had brought seeds with
them from Jamaica, or gathered them during past spring and summer months, gave
other herbs to her. And even though it was winter, Ohenewaa had found other
useful things as well in the kitchen and in the woods and fields around Melbury
Hall.
Her collection was growing.
Tonight, instead of working with
her herbs, Ohenewaa moved to the hearth and crouched before it. She spread some
leaves from a nearby basket on the coals and picked up four stones.
There was a soft knock on her door.
Ohenewaa threw the stones on the
floor before her and called to Lady Aytoun to enter.
*****
Startled by the sight of the room,
Millicent forgot to ask how it was that Ohenewaa had known it was she at the
door. The simple guest room at Melbury Hall had been altered greatly. It was
now a place somehow ancient and mysterious. Everything was changed. Jars of
varying sizes sat on tables and on the floor. Dried herbs hung above the
hearth. The closed draperies dimmed the chamber, which was lit only by the
fire. Fascinating and exotic scents infused the air. But Millicent saw nothing
menacing or frightening. In fact, the chamber had a calming, serene atmosphere.
Shaking off her surprise at the
change, Millicent focused on her reason for coming. There would be time in the
future for satisfying her curiosity about the woman and her ways.
“I am at the point of defying
traditional English methods of medical treatment. I was wondering if there is
any insight you might give me.”
Ohenewaa continued to stare at the
stones spread before her. Millicent quietly approached the hearth.
“Dr. Parker believes the only thing
that can be done for Lord Aytoun is to keep him sedated with opium. My concern
is that the drug is doing nothing for him. In fact, I wonder if it is doing him
more harm than good.” She sat down on the edge of a chair. “You worked with Dr.
Dombey for a long time. If I were to cut back on the medicine, if I were to
eliminate it completely, would I seriously hurt him? Could he die because of my
meddling?”
Ohenewaa picked up a half-burned
leaf from the hearth and waved it over the small stones. “He is drowning in a
sea of mists. You have not seen him as he is.” The dark eyes looked up and met
Millicent’s. “Are you prepared to see him and deal with him as a whole
person? Do you have the courage to free his mind?”
Millicent remembered the rumors,
the accusations, and the scandals. She had told her friend Rebecca that the
Earl of Aytoun was not the man he had once been. Of course, the Aytoun she had
seen had been a man continually sedated by drugs. Was she ready to face a
changed man? She thought of the broken creature doubled over the washbasin.
“Yes.”
Ohenewaa studied the stones for a
long time and then seemed to smile to herself. “You can take away the
laudanum,” she said, gathering up the stones. “And no, ‘twill not kill him.
Your instincts are correct. Heal the mind first.”
“But what of the pain? Is there
anything else that I should give to him instead? I do not want him to suffer
unnecessarily.”
“We must wait and see.”
Millicent looked about the room
again, taking in the aroma, the bottles, the dance of the shadows over the
smoke in the hearth. There was a presence in the room, a power that she could
not explain. She turned her attention back to the old woman. “Your knowledge is
not bound by the limits of English medicine, I believe. Is there anything you
would recommend that I do to help improve his lordship’s other ailments?”
“Wait until you have taken the
first step. This will
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