Once they left the hall, the senior sister led them to the drawing room. One of the other senior sisters came along and rounded up all the other girls to help carry supplies from the harbor—apparently, there were more than usual this time—and the red-haired sister was forced to accompany them. The girl was left on her own, save for the strict senior sister who served as her minder. She found it rather fishy.
Together, they entered the drawing room, where a man in clean, stately attire awaited them. He had cropped black hair and looked to be in his thirties. The girl had never seen him before. Judging by his sunbaked skin, he’d been on the ship from the mainland. His uniform marked him as a member of the clergy. He had to be fairly high up in the hierarchy too, because the senior sister bowed low before him. The girl mimicked her actions.
The man urged them to take a seat on the sofa opposite him. A coffee table was sandwiched in the middle. “Apologies for how abrupt this is. I’m afraid it’s my fault that the regular shipment was so delayed.”
That explained why the letters were so late, then, between this man coming and the extra supplies.
“We’re simply glad you arrived safely,” said the senior sister, her face hardening. She was acting as if the man’s visit was entirely unwelcome.
But isn’t it a good thing that he brought us more supplies? The girl found her senior’s reaction curious. She didn’t have to wonder for long why he’d come, though.
“Hmm. She’s the sister I’ve heard so much about, yes?”
“Yes, she is,” the senior sister answered stiffly.
The man grinned at the girl. “Word of you has reached the mainland. I was anxious to meet you.”
The girl was dumbfounded. How had the mainland heard of her? Then again, the supply ship had visited them several times since she’d saved that boy. It wasn’t odd that the story had reached his ears.
“Not only did you save a boy, but the speech you gave when you did so really struck a chord with me. No wonder the islanders universally praise you.”
“How polite of you to say,” the girl mumbled.
“Oh, but of course. You must be surprised, having a stranger visit you out of nowhere. I’m sure this feels like a bolt from the blue, but I come bearing good news.” He snuck a glance at the senior sister, then launched into an explanation about the upcoming Saint’s Festival. Several candidates had been put forth for the role of saint, and the church’s higher-ups were locked in debate about whom to choose. “I would like to nominate you for the role.”
“Me?”
“Yes. The islanders already call you a saint. Why not take this opportunity to take up the mantle officially, with the church’s approval?”
This was sudden. The girl’s head spun, unable to keep up. She’d never heard of a Saint’s Festival before now.
“I’m not sure I’d be a good fit,” she hedged.
“Aren’t you interested in sharing your way of thinking with more people?”
“Well, yes, but…” The girl hesitated, remembering how she had saved the boy and how it had felt to change the minds of all those onlookers, who’d been so amused at his plight before she interceded. Ever since, she’d received loads of encouragement from the townspeople.
“Personally,” the man went on, “I think poverty is to blame for such crimes, not the people who commit them. I’d like to work with you to spread your message.”
There was a limit to what she could accomplish on an island like this. What if she could speak to the people on the mainland and open their eyes to the plight of the less fortunate? She could picture it now, delivering her message to massive crowds. It would be a lie to say she wasn’t tempted.
The girl drew a deep breath. Sitting up taller, she answered, “I think there’s still much for me to learn here.”
At that, the tension seemed to drain out of the senior sister. She must’ve been nervous about the man coming to take the girl away, preferring to keep the girl under her thumb. There was a reason she was always haunting the girl’s steps. The girl had realized that much after all these years together.
She treats me like I’m some kind of troublemaking misfit.
It was odd, considering the girl hadn’t caused trouble for the senior sister for some time. She had resisted the senior sister’s command when saving that boy, but that had been a unique situation.
The man nodded as if he accepted her decision, but he was more tenacious than his initial response suggested. His lips peeled back in an animated smile. “I’ll be staying here for the night. If you change your mind, let me know.”
“All right. I appreciate your consideration.”
With that, the conversation was over. The senior sister bowed and excused them both, then guided the girl toward the harbor to help the other sisters haul in the supplies.