The Witch’s Daughter – Week 2

Bess has done her best to get Tegan to stay focused on what she is teaching her. Of course, she has to be careful not to give to much of herself away. There is a lot that Tegan could learn, but Bess had struggled to hard to remain hidden from her tormentor to allow anyone to threaten that security again. However, having that little bit of friendship extended has made Bess realize how lonely she is. When Tegan misses Beltane, Bess writes her off, but Tegan comes back around with the reason for her absences. While she has a life outside of what Bess is teaching her, Bess wants her to realize how serious the teaching is and what exactly she is learning. When she slips and lets the term “witch apprentice” slip, Tegan becomes very serious and begins to ask questions that Bess knows she will have to answer.

Bess reinvents herself every few years, to keep herself hidden. For the present time she is going by the name of Eliza, and working at the Fitzroy Hospital. She runs a clinic for the unfortunate ladies of the street, and while her landlady is not thrilled at the prospect, she wants to appear to be hosting a charitable event, so it is allowed as long as the ladies do not use the front door and only come between certain hours. A series of events lead Bess to start questioning her safety. First, the ladies that she has been treating in her clinic are being killed off. Jack the Ripper has invaded London. She is convinced that she knows the identity of the killer, but she cannot release that information without drawing attention to herself. Then, a new doctor shows up at the hospital, apparently from the Milan Institute of Medical Research, where the Professor there gives an introductory letter for Signor Damon Gresseti. But she soon begins to fear the good doctor is a fake, but she cannot bring herself to voice her fears to Dr. Gimmel. But Dr. Gimmel is going through some difficulties of his own, and that make Bess (Eliza) even more hesitant to say anything. She plans to write a letter to the Institute inquiring about his credentials when she notices something… the letter rearranged spell out Gideon Masters! He has found her again! But what can she do!?

The last of the series of events that is drawing Eliza closer into a ball, is the presence of Simon and Abigail Astredge. This brother and sister sought out the hospital looking for help. Abigail has been suffering from an unknown illness, and no other doctors have given them any hope of a cure or even a name for the ailment that is afflicting her. Eliza fears it may be cancer in the liver, but until they can get her strong enough to endure surgery, there is not much that can be done. She begins to visit the siblings at their home, and then as time goes by, to be drawn to friendship, and perhaps the start of something more with Simon. But there is something nagging at the back of her mind and she cannot put it together. Something that just does not seem right. It is not until they begin to perform surgery on Abigail that the truth hits Eliza right in the face..

This week we are reading the section BELTANE:

Questions:

1. Bess has reinvented herself, trying to stay under the cover of a new identity. But she retains her original last name. Do you think that this is her way of trying to retain a piece of herself?
2. Simon and his sister have opened their home to Eliza and have been drawing her in more and more to their circle. Should there have been any warning bells that Eliza should have heeded?
3. Tegan seems to be an intelligent young lady, but lacking parental guidance at home. Is she projecting this longing onto Bess? Do you think she had any inkling about the practices that she was getting into at first?

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