The Sins of the Fathers

Chapter Four

Ellington Manor

Meadvale

Surrey

Sister 0023878 filed into the small chapel with eleven other nuns and took her place in the choir stalls. She was not Caris anymore, and she was certainly not a Mother anymore. Like the others, she held out her mittened hands so that their keeper, acting as Senior Sister, could clip them to the rail, securing them in place for morning prayers. It was early, and she had spent an uncomfortable night in her sleeping sack, after being transported from the Meadvale Convent the evening before. Not transported far. It had been dark in the Chapter House, and it had been returned to its former purpose since she last saw it, but she knew that she was back at Ellington Manor, and that things had changed there. There were no cots in the small cells, and no mats either, because there was no room for the dozen nuns to lie down. Instead they were bagged up and then hung from hooks on the ceiling.

Released in the early hours, she had downed a bowl of gruel whilst still naked, before the keeper beat them all into the showers, hurrying them all up. Then she had dressed in a clean black and white habit, with a plain white veil and they were all marched to the chapel, where they would pray until the ladies of the house arrived to offer their morning devotions. After that was done, she expected to be put to work, probably scrubbing floors, until it was time for evening prayers, another hurried meal, another shower and then back into her sack. Her ears clicked, and the prayers started, so she fell to her knees with the others, their hands held up by the rail as if she was raising them before God. And she lost herself in the words, as she always did, not moving or even thinking about anything other than God, for hours. When the prayers stopped, she stood up again, her head bowed, and watched the great ladies arrive with their keepers, including her old friend, Mrs Caroline Blackstone, sumptuously attired in royal blue velvet.

Caroline spotted the dozen nuns as Miss Bryant guided her to her place and made her kneel so that the keeper could arrange her skirts around her. Again, she wondered what was going on at Ellington Manor, because she had not seen nuns in the chapel before, and she thought that Hugh's patients had all been moved on. Certainly, her husband was not spending any time in the basement Chapter House. But it was none of her business, of course. She needed to concentrate, feeling her eyes turning off and her ears going into broadcast mode. Beside her, Brogan did the same, also rather curious, but well aware of her responsibilities. She did not think that her husband would ever have asked for twelve nuns to assist his household at once, and his investigations remained suspended, as far as she knew.

"Are you sure that she is there?" Slade asked, standing in the doorway with Bishop Osborne as the ladies were settled, staring intently at the nuns.

"No...I demanded that several of the Sisters in Meadvale were sent here, as soon as I was made aware that they were closing the convent down again, but we have been locked out of the transport system, so I cannot check the manifest." Osborne sighed, wondering just what the poor creatures had been suffering under his roof, and rather frustrated by another attempt to thwart his investigations. "But why send me others, when they are going to the trouble of sending me anyone?"

"And they also emphasised that the laws concerning the Chapter House would be strictly enforced?"

"Yes...if we set foot on the stairs, we will be arrested...and even when they are working up here, we are not allowed any improper interactions with them...but I took the view that she would be safer here than back in the system?"

"It's needlessly provocative, isn't it?" Slade suggested, finding it impossible to work out whether Caris was there. All of the nuns were around the same size, and obviously dressed identically. "So...how about we appeal for her release...using the same grounds that allowed them to release Lady Forbes, after the event? They have effectively set their own precedent and Caris was abused by the same man?"