She stared at him. “Don’t lie to me.” Her voice was very weary. “I want to know the truth.” Her gaze traveled past Nick suddenly. “Archdeacon?” The room in Devonshire Place faded slightly as she peered toward the end of the bed. She was once again lying beneath the covers but now they were cleansed. Darkness had come outside and the room was lighted with a dozen torches. Gerald held a crucifix in his hand and he was praying quietly, his eyes occasionally flitting up to her passive face.
“The child is dead.” She heard her voice as a hollow whisper in the silence of the castle. Somewhere in the distance the police car still wailed. Her lips and tongue were dry as dust.
Gerald kissed the crucifix calmly and tucked it back into his girdle. Then he came to the side of her bed and put his cool hand on her brow. “Not at all,” he said cheerfully. “The child is squalling manfully. I’ve seen it. A fine healthy boy, my lady, to set all your fears at rest.” His grave eyes surveyed her carefully, taking in the disarrayed tangled hair all over the pillow, the pallid, damp skin, the quick, shallow breathing. “You have a touch of fever. Enough to cause some wandering of the mind in your overwrought condition, but there is nothing to fear, for the child or for yourself. I have ordered sleep-wort and poppy for you to take. A good night’s rest will set you right.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but sternly he put his fingers to his lips and pronounced a blessing over her. Then he stood by and watched as Margaret, looking pale and shaken, brought her the sleeping draught, after which she lay back, exhausted. Too tired to think, she let her mind go blessedly blank and drifted slowly into the welcome forgetfulness of sleep.
“Who was she talking to?” Nick found himself glancing over his shoulder as Jo settled once more into his arms, her eyes closed. His skin prickled uncomfortably.
Bennet shook his head. “She was still seeing her archdeacon,” he said slowly. “He must have spoken to her, reassured her. Look at the flush on her cheeks almost as if she were asleep-” Gently he picked up Jo’s wrist and felt her pulse.
Sarah covered her with a blanket and for a moment they all stood looking at her. Bennet took off his glasses. His hands were shaking. “The brandy, Sarah, if you please.”
“I hope you’re satisfied!” Nick rounded on him. “Didn’t you realize after last time how vulnerable she is? Didn’t it dawn on you it might be dangerous to play with this…this asinine previous time with Jo? She nearly died under hypnosis before in Edinburgh. Didn’t my brother tell you? She stopped breathing then!
“Nick?” Jo’s voice from the sofa was still very weak. “Nick. Don’t shout. Please.”
He swung around to look at her. Jo was struggling to sit up. “Please, don’t be angry. It’s not Carl’s fault. Everything went fine before. It was just that…that having a baby…” Tears began to trickle down her face.
Sarah tiptoed forward. She crouched beside Jo. “Here, have some of this. It will steady you.” She closed Jo’s fingers around the glass and helped guide it to her lips.
“My baby really is all right, isn’t he?” Jo asked after a moment as she pushed the glass away.
Nick and Bennet looked at each other.
“Jo.” Bennet waved Sarah away and sat down on the sofa next to her. He took her hands in his.
“What’s happened?” She glanced wildly from him to the others and back. “What’s wrong? It was some sort of hallucination, wasn’t it? That way he changed in my arms. That wasn’t real. Why don’t you tell me? My baby is all right?”
Bennet swallowed. He was still firmly holding her wrists. “Jo, my dear. There is no baby. That was all in the past. Another world. Another age. Another you. There is no baby here.” His face was full of compassion.
“But I gave birth to him! I held him…” Jo was crying openly now. She stared around, bewildered. “He was here…in my arms.”
Bennet held out his hand to Sarah for the glass. “Drink a little more of this, Jo. It will help to clear your mind. The experience was so real for you it is hard to imagine it did not happen, but you must try to put things in perspective.”
Behind him Nick and Sarah exchanged glances. Without a word she poured two more measures of brandy. Taking one for herself, she handed the other to Nick. He sat down heavily on the edge of the desk, his hand shaking as he raised it to his lips.
Bennet beckoned Sarah over. He stood up. “Sit here with her for a minute,” he said softly.
As Sarah took his place and put a comforting hand on Jo’s arm, he spoke to Nick in an undertone.
“Is there someone at home to look after her?”
Nick nodded grimly. “I’ll be there.”
“Then I suggest the best thing is for you to take her back and put her to bed. All she needs is a good night’s sleep. I’ll prescribe something.” He reached into his desk for his prescription pad. “You mentioned that she nearly died under hypnosis before. Do you know the circumstances? You must believe me, she did not tell me, and neither did your brother.”
“She doesn’t know.” Nick glanced at Jo. He lowered his voice still further. “I think you should speak to Sam. He was there.”
“Dr. Franklyn did try to contact me.” Bennet frowned. “But Joanna said I was not to confer with him. I must confess I did intend to speak to him. I suspected something must have occurred before, in spite of her protestations, but nothing like this!” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Nothing.”
Nick scowled. “It is obviously time you and Sam got together, whatever Jo says. I’ll tell him to get in touch with you again. Meanwhile, can you be sure she is all right?”
Bennet glanced at Jo. “I’ll give you my home number. If anything happens over the weekend to worry you, call me. On Monday I have to fly to Chicago for ten days. It can’t be avoided-but I can give you the name of a colleague-”
“Don’t bother.” Nick stood up. “She won’t need to see anyone else. I’ll take care of her.”
It was another hour before Jo was well enough to stand. Helped by Sarah, Nick half carried her out to the waiting taxi. Thankfully he climbed in beside her and sat back, putting his arm around her shoulders.
“Feeling okay now?”
She drew away slightly. “I’m fine. I’m sorry. I made a fool of myself in there.”
“It was hardly your fault.” He stared out of the window. “I’ve asked the driver to stop off at a late-opening drugstore.”
“Why?”
“Bennet’s prescribed something to help you sleep tonight.” He felt in his pocket for the prescription.
Jo snatched it out of his hand. “You know what I think of sleeping pills, Nick. Tell the driver to go straight to Cornwall Gardens.” She tore the paper into tiny pieces.
“You can drop me off and then go on back to Judy.”
“Jo.” Nick was reproachful.
“Well, that is where you were, presumably? She’s the only person who knew what I was doing this afternoon. I don’t know why I told her really.” She closed her eyes wearily, letting the scraps of the prescription flutter unnoticed onto the floor of the cab.
“You told her because you wanted me with you,” Nick said gently.
Jo did not reply.
Once they were back at her apartment, Nick guided Jo to the sofa and she collapsed onto it with a sigh. He frowned. “Shall I call Sam, Jo? He ought to come to look at you.”
“No!” With an effort she sat upright again. “I’ll be fine, Nick. I’m going to have a bath, then I’ll go to bed. There is no need for you to stay. Really.” She glanced at him. At Bennet’s and in the taxi she had been glad he was there, been reassured by his touch, but something had happened as he put his arm around her to help her up the stairs. She had been consumed with panic. It had obliterated every other feeling in her for a moment, even making her forget the baby. She had felt herself go rigid, her breath caught in a spasm of fear. Then, as swiftly as it had come, the feeling had disappeared, leaving her shaking like a leaf. She swallowed hard. “Please, Nick. I’d like to be
