Married At Midnight Read Free

the wall, then wrapped an arm around her. After a moment, she rested her head heavily on his shoulder.
    "I was mad to come here, wasn't I? It just seemed so unfair ..."
    "It doubtless is unfair. If Fallowfield were still alive, I'd make him take his vows."
    "I'm miserable because I can't seem to care that he's dead. He didn't deserve to die."
    He rubbed her arm. "Perhaps no one does. Despite everything, he was a good soldier and died well." He wasn't sure
    if that was any consolation, but she was swallowed up in another ocean wave of labor and made no response.
    Was there anything they could do for her? Back home as a lad he'd watched animals being born—
    horses, cats, dogs. He couldn't recall anything from that experience that might help here.
    Trying to whisper, he asked, "Any of you men know anything about this?"
    It was damned stupid to whisper when her ear was only inches from his lips.
    The men shook their heads, and he saw genuine regret on many faces. They all knew Kate, and they knew her as cheerful and kind. It didn't hurt that she was so bloody beautiful, with clear skin, big blue eyes, and that mass of
    heavy golden hair, but the beauty went far deeper than that.
    They'd missed her these past weeks since Fallowfield had sent her back to England. They'd missed her smiles, her joyousness, and her singing as she worked.

    Even if the only flaw she possessed was to sing off-key.
    "Then I suppose I must help."
    Charles stared at Mr. Rightwell, still hunched in his corner. "You know about childbirth?"
    The clergyman shrugged, and he did now look a little less morose and peevish. "I must make it clear that I have no professional qualification. I know nothing, really. But I have been at a few births in the course of my duties. Some
    devout women like to pray .. ."
    Charles had hoped for more, but this was better than nothing. "What do we do, then?"
    "As far as I can tell, very little. It is mainly a matter of waiting. The midwife generally comforts and encourages the woman, who is frightened and distressed ..." He cast a dubious look at Kate, who was in the throes of labor again.
    She was a dead weight against Charles, looking more stunned than distressed.
    Her hearing must have been working, however, for when it was over she said, "Some comfort and encouragement
    would be nice, you know."
    Charles burst out laughing.
    When he got a grip on himself, he took refuge in organization. He passed the duties of comfort and encouragement to Rightwell and went back to setting up a bed using the rag mattress. The best they could do for a pillow was to stuff a flour sack with odd bits of clothing, but soon they had a cozy corner shielded off from the rest of the room by blankets hung from a rope.
    Charles then invited Kate to take up residence.
    She moved to obey, but Rightwell held her back. "If you wish to take to your bed, madam, you must do so. But in my experience, the midwives encouraged the woman to stay sitting, or even walking, as long as possible."
    "Walking!" Charles exclaimed. "Well then, why don't we march her back to the baggage carts!
    Damnation, Rightwell—"
    "Language, sir!" snapped the clergyman. "You say you know nothing. I merely tell what I have observed.
    In fact, I questioned one midwife about these practices. She said that as babies have to come down, it generally helped for
    down to, so to speak, be down."
    One of the men cleared his throat. "When me mam were birthin' young 'uns, Captain, she always seemed to be
    stamping around the place until near her time. Then she took to the bed."
    The only pictures Charles had ever seen of women in childbirth had shown them in bed. But now he came to think
    of it, they seemed to also show the babe already born. Though his instinct was to make Kate lie down, perhaps with someone to gently wipe her brow, he said, "Right, then!" and seized her hands. "Up you come."
    When she was on her feet, he put his arm around her and steered her up and down the small room.

    She