He placed a hand on Rebecca’s forehead, and his shoulders tensed. “How long has she been feverish?”

Nora pushed away his hand. “Two days. She worsened on the ride from the train station. She’s tired. I’ll make tea.”

Though she acted the role of an attentive mother, Nora’s gestures were increasingly empty. Rage succumbing to fear, she fluttered her hands above her child like a frightened bird. Maybe, just maybe, Tessa could persuade her.

Rebecca’s head lolled to one side. “Mamm?”

The girl was a pale outline of herself—a black-and-white rendering of a child who laughed rainbows. With every passing second, she faded. “Jonas, we need to take her to the hospital.”

“My child will not leave this house.” Wheeling, Nora snatched a blanket from the back of the couch and tucked it round her daughter with shaky hands.

Tessa spent enough time at the hospital to know what a sick child looked like. Rebecca belonged at St. Luke’s. Period. She gentled her tone. “Nora, please.”

Jonas placed a hand on his sister’s shoulder. “The child needs English medicine. Let me fetch the elders.”

The woman’s laugh could have corroded granite. Tessa wrapped her arms around her belly, coiling into herself.

“Summon the elders here? To a house blackened with sin?” Nora shrugged off Jonas. “How dare you.”

Tessa wanted to scream. She wanted to defend her honor and Jonas’s too. But he looked to be hanging on by a thread. He pressed a fist to his mouth as if to bottle his rage.

“Think of the child,” he growled.

“Rebecca is my daughter, not yours. She’s fine.” Nora yanked off the blanket. “Get up!” She hauled Rebecca to her feet.

Tessa gasped, driving her fingers into her palms.

Rebecca stumbled and swayed to one side. “My head hurts.”

If only she had her van—she’d grab the child and race to the hospital, whether Nora was willing or not.

Nora took her daughter by the shoulders. “Go to bed, and I’ll bring you a cold rag.”

“Mamm…” Rebecca tried to curl into her mother’s body.

Nora pushed her toward the stairs and followed on her heels.

Her own head throbbed with pain and disbelief. How could Nora be so cruel? She lunged for the woman’s arm. “Please, let me call an ambulance.”

Recoiling like Tessa was the one diseased, Nora wrenched her arm, slamming her elbow into the banister. Bone met wood with a sickening crack. Her cheeks went pale. “Put on some clothing and leave my house.”

“Look, Mamm, Daed’s home. Daed’s home with Chestnut.” Rebecca wandered to the open front door and stared outside. Bouncing on wobbly ankles, she raised a hand in a feeble wave and fell through the doorway, vomiting again.

Nora rushed outside so fast her limp vanished. With the child in her arms, she returned and lurched up the stairs.