Saraband for Two Sisters

“You had such good sleeps then that must have been very refreshing. You know what it was, don’t you? The juice of the poppy.”

“I wish I could sleep like that every night.”

“You would if you took the cure.”

“One shouldn’t though, should one? It’s all right when you have a raging toothache, but you shouldn’t take it just because you can’t sleep. You wouldn’t, would you?”

“I’m not troubled with sleeplessness. I might if I were, perhaps, just now and then when I wanted to be certain of a good night’s sleep.”

“If it were here now I’d have a dose.”

“Shall I ask Mrs. Cherry for it?”

“She’s gone to bed now.”

“She won’t be asleep. I’m sure she would be delighted. She has a bit of conscience about the noise. They all have. Did you notice how uneasy they were?»

“They were worried about waking us.”

“I’ll ask Mrs. Cherry in the morning ... if you can get through the night.”

“Of course. I’ll sleep in time.”

“Mind you,” I said, “you will have to be cautious with this stuff. It won’t do to take it often. Only certain times. I’ll be your doctor and prescribe when you need it”

“Oh Bersaba, it is good to have you here!”

“I hope you won’t change your mind.”

“Change my mind? What do you mean?”

“About having me here. I’m really the bad girl of the family. I’m not like you, Angelet.” I interrupted her as she started on the old story of how I had saved Phoebe’s life, and rescued Carlotta from the witch-hunters. I said, “It’s time we were in bed. Try to forget all this excitement and sleep. I’ll do the same.”

I kissed her lightly and she clung to me for a moment. Then, firmly, I released myself and went into my Lavender Room.

I lay awake for a long time thinking how easy it would be to send Angelet to sleep while I took her place in the marriage bed.

Then I dreamed that Richard came home and that I gave Angelet the dose and when I was on my way to Richard, Mrs. Cherry and Cherry, with Jesson and Meg and Grace, stood on the stairs barring my way.

It was a dream at which I could laugh when I awoke from it because I saw exactly how it had been evolved.

The next afternoon I went down to the kitchen to speak to Mrs. Cherry about her cure.

I wanted to make sure that it was safe in small doses.

When I arrived in the kitchen there was no one there. The great fire was burning and there was a smell of haking coming from the oven. A piece of meat was turning on the spit in its early stages of cooking, so that it did not yet need attention. I looked around and my eyes fell on the caldron whose fall to the ground had awakened us all in the night. And as I looked, I noticed what I had never noticed before, and that was a door which was not shut. Above this door hung aprons and cloths used for cooking and the reason why I had never noticed it before was because it was always hidden. There were things still hung there to hide it, but because the door itself was slightly open, the fact of its existence was betrayed. I went to it. There was a lock on it but that lock had been broken. Quickly I opened the door. Inside was a cupboard in which heavy garments were hanging. Some instinct told me that this was no ordinary cupboard and I drew the coats aside. I was right! A door faced me. The lock on this had been broken but there was a bolt which had been drawn across. I thought I heard footsteps so I hastily stepped back into the kitchen and shut the cupboard door.

Mrs. Cherry came in.

“I thought I heard someone here,” she said.

“I came to have a word with you, Mrs. Cherry.”

She was fearful, I could see, and I noticed how her eyes went to the door I had discovered. She would notice that it was not properly shut and that close scrutiny would betray this fact. I wondered why it was important.

She brought up a chair for me and I sat down.

“Your mistress is not sleeping very well,” I said, “and I am becoming worried about her.”

Apprehension disappeared from Mrs. Cherry’s face, which fell into an expression of concern.

“Do you remember when she had a toothache she took some of your special cure?”

“I do indeed, mistress, and she remarked to me that it had stopped the pain.”

“It did. You are very clever with your herbs, Mrs. Cherry.”

She dimpled. “Oh, it’s what you might call a lifelong practice, Mistress Bersaba.”

“That’s why I’ve come to you for your help.”

“If there’s anything I can do ...”

“There is. I want to ask you if she might have some of the cure to keep in her room so that when she finds it difficult to sleep she might take a dose. Would that be harmful?”

“Well, Mistress Bersaba, as long as she didn’t take too much. These things shouldn’t be took regular. A little now and then can’t do no one no harm. I always say God put them there for our use and it’s up to us to make the best of them.»

“And people like you who make a study of these things are doing a very useful job for us all.”

“Well, mistress, it’s my pleasure. I love my little herb garden and if I can find anything new or learn any new recipe ... well, there’s no one happier than Emmy Cherry.”