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Father in Heaven—she didn’t want to lose him either! A man’s soul was reaching out to her. For the Holy Mother to have already granted permission for Catherine to go to him, Michael truly was on the brink of death. Was this the way God was answering her prayers at last? To think she could feast her eyes on her adorable Michael again. The boy couldn’t die!
    Jeffrey watched her as she went through all the steps in her mind before reaching a decision. He already knew what it would be.
    “Of course I’ll come,” she finally said with a haunting, wistful smile that betrayed her deep concern. “I’ll go immediately and inform the Holy Mother.”
    At that moment Jeffrey thought he’d never seen a face so lovely, nor heard words so beautiful. He blinked away the mist. “Thank you, Sister.”
    Words were inadequate at a time like this. The smile he returned to her was reward enough, erasing the lines on his worried face. So much happiness had depended upon her simple answer.
    “Bless you, Sister,” Philip chimed in. “It could make all the difference.”
    “We’d like to leave for Norwood as soon as possible,” Jeffrey added.
    They both stared expectantly at her. Catherine knew Jeffrey Norwood was an important man. The Holy Mother had told her many things about him, and she inferred from his manner that he was accustomed to giving orders and having them obeyed. She couldn’t blame him for wanting to rush back to Michael. She was every bit as anxious to see the child and hold him close. She bowed to him, then his brother.
    “Wait here, please.” She put up her hand as a sign they shouldn’t follow. There was an air of the Holy Mother about her despite her youth. Jeffrey was mystified by the combination.
    Philip was tremendously relieved and grateful that she was actually going to be traveling back to Norwood village with them. Somehow Jeffrey was able to make things work out. As he was about to congratulate his brother on his good fortune, he realized he wasn’t looking at the same exhausted man who, on a thread of hope, had frantically driven to Castle Combe in the dead of night.
    The expression on Jeffrey’s face was one of complete relief, even awe. But he’d known Jeffrey all his life and wondered if there wasn’t something else mingled in that look as his brother’s eyes followed the graceful figure of the retreating nun.
    Catherine walked slowly down the hall to find the Holy Mother, but she felt like picking up her skirts and running. She had this suffocating feeling in her chest.
    When she approached her mentor, the Holy Mother was just leaving the chapel. She looked up and saw an expression on the young nun’s face that hadn’t been there before. She knew Catherine had agreed to go to Michael and suspected this filled the girl’s heart with great joy. But there was a new restlessness about her and the Holy Mother sighed, feeling the full weight of her eighty years.
    She’d had to experience those painful early years of the refiner’s fire and had done so with eagerness, coming to a new peace with God that transcended the worldly. Now it was Catherine’s turn, and the older woman knew exactly what the girl was experiencing. It wasn’t difficult to understand. Mr. Norwood was a striking, exciting figure of a man, and he was Michael’s father.
    The resemblance between the two of them was uncanny. With the boy so ill, the combination was too much for Catherine to handle in just one meeting. Many forces would start pulling her apart. It would be a testing period. For once in her life the Holy Mother was not confidant of the right outcome.
    “Sister, I perceive that you plan to go to Michael’s aid. It’s the right decision, my child. You’ll be on God’s errand, make no mistake. Trust in the Lord always and you’ll be guided in the right direction.
    “I know the turmoil that’s been going on inside of you. I’ve seen it festering for weeks, Catherine. You love the boy. Don’t be