When he saw me open my eyes, he touched my forehead. "The fever's broken. Come on, sit up and have some porridge."
I struggled upright. "Shelagh came. She forced an entire bowl of that sterilizing concoction down my throat. Did you know?"
Chester's expression faltered for a moment. He lowered his gaze. "I knew."
"You knew?"
I clenched every muscle in my body to keep the tears from falling.
He reached for my hand. I pulled away.
"Stella, she was only protecting herself. If you'd given birth, where would that leave her and her child? It's only human nature."
I let out a hollow laugh. Human nature. What a convenient excuse.
Chester set the bowl down and continued. "After Shelagh went home, she had terrible stomach pains. It's possible our child's spirit unsettled her..."
He looked at me, hesitating, then pressed on.
"There's a high monk at Serenity Abbey. Go to him and ask him to perform rites for the child's soul. Then climb all nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine steps on your hands and knees, one bow per step, and bring back a blessing charm for Shelagh. Do that, and we can put this whole matter behind us. Alright?"
I stared at him, my eyes burning red.