Married At Midnight Read Free Page A

walked willingly enough, but said, "I never knew you were such a bully, Captain."
    "When called for, Kate. I've no mind to be shot for desertion or dereliction of duty. I've even less mind to leave you
    here in distress. So let's get this child safely into the world."
    The men were hastily scooting into corners, trying to give as much walking space as possible, but it was still only about ten paces each way to the turn. They halted when labor hit her, then settled back to walking again. Though she clutched at him and her breathing spoke of pain, she denied any great distress.
    She seemed to enjoy talking as they walked, and so he dredged his mind for light chatter. This was hard since he doubted she'd want to talk about Fal-lowfield and army life, or the time before she'd been seduced away from home
    and family.
    At some point Private Chase pulled out his whistle and began to play a lively march. Charles wondered if a drummer might come in useful, too.
    He looked over at Mr. Rightwell, who merely said, "As far as I can tell, Captain, it is going as it should."
    He wanted to ask the man if any of these births he'd attended had resulted in death. Women did die in childbirth. He couldn't even say the words. Surely someone as strong and vital as Kate Fallowfield couldn't be dead before morning?
    Soon they were stopping more than walking, and at last she groaned, "Ah, now it hurts."
    He held her tighter, not minding the way she bruised him with her grip. He'd shed his jacket and waistcoat a while
    back, and now only his shirt protected his arms from her viselike fingers.
    When she relaxed her grip and looked up at him, he saw fear, and this he understood. She was like a new recruit
    facing enemy fire. He said what he would say to such a terrified lad. "There's no turning back, Kate. The only way
    out is through it."
    She blew out a breath, pushing hair away from her eyes. "That's easy enough for you to say!"
    Charles laughed and found a string to tie back her straggling hair. "You've convinced me I never want to be a general.
    I'd rather be in the thick of it than out here watching."
    "Whereas I've always been delighted not to be in the fighting."
    "We soldiers value the women who are there to tend to us. Now, it seems, the situation is reversed. Is there anything practical we can do?"
    She shook her head, swaying unselfconsciously against his shoulder. "I'm just glad I'm not alone—" But another pain took her, clearly sharper and stronger than before. When it finished, she was almost slumped against him. "I think I
    need to lie down. .."
    He swept her up and carried her to the bed. The next attack was on her before he put her down and she cried out

    with it.
    By the time he had her settled, Rightwell had come to the other side of the bed. She was arching up, grimacing.
    "Dammit, Rightwell. There must be something we can do!"
    "I fear not, Captain. But I think that at last we are near."
    "Pray God you're right. She can't go on like this. What time is it?" Even as he asked, Charles realized he had his own watch and pulled it out. Eleven. He'd thought it later. That left plenty of time before dawn and surely this writhing, sweating intensity couldn't last for long.
    "I think ..." said Rightwell.
    "What?"
    "In some cases, perhaps one of the women rubbed the mother's back."
    "Then why the devil didn't you say so!" Charles immediately rolled Kate onto her side and started massaging her
    rigid shoulders.
    "Er .. .lower, Captain."
    "Lower? Where lower?" Charles moved his hands down to the center of her back.
    "Er .. . just above ..."
    Charles looked for a moment at Kate's wonderfully rounded bottom, then put his hands just above it, pushing with
    his thumbs.
    "Oh, God!" she gasped, so he snatched his hands away. But then she cried. "Yes! Harder! Harder!"
    She sounded embarrassingly like a demanding woman in a spicy bed, but Charles pressed harder and harder and she rewarded him—like a woman in a spicy bed—with a groan that seemed