Year of Wonders

Content Warning: The source material contains child death, extreme violence towards women, detailed descriptions of traumatic births, symptoms from severe illness, and painful death.

After meeting with the Earl of Chatsworth and declaring the roads open, Mr. Mompellion closes himself inside the rectory and never leaves. Anna buries Faith and Aphra, as well as Elinor since the rector is paralyzed with grief. Mr. Stanley conducts Elinor’s funeral.

Mr. Mompellion stops sleeping. He continually stares at Elinor’s garden or paces the floor. Anna does her best to continue serving him to honor Elinor, but she fears for his mental stability. She calls for Mr. Stanley to visit him, and he worries that the rector’s mind is fraying. Mr. Mompellion asks that Mr. Stanley stop visiting and asks Anna to deliver a message: “Falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus” (265), which means “Untrue in one thing, untrue in everything” (265). When she relays the message to Mr. Stanley, he appears visibly disturbed. Anna maintains the Gowdies’ garden and continues to attend to the town’s medical needs, though she admits that the practice fills her with sad memories of the loss of Mem, Anys, and Elinor.

The village plods on with life, but Anna worries that the survivors resent the rector’s urging for them to quarantine, and some even blame him for all the deaths.