The Midwife's Dilemma Read Free Page A

Grace as a mature mount, more loyal and trustworthy than most folks she knew, a confidant and a friend.
    When her tears were spent, Martha was able to find her voice again. “A gift, that’s what you were, Grace. A true gift sent by God to carry me safely to help all those women and children. I’ll miss you forever,” she whispered.
    Anxious to get home, she was about to get to her feet when she heard a very familiar pair of voices coming from somewhere below.
    She froze in place, unable to move a muscle.
    Before she could even form the idea that she should make her presence known, she heard a giggle and a manly groan, followed by sounds that made her heart nearly stop.
    Kissing. The young couple was kissing.
    And this was not just any couple.
    This was her daughter and Dr. McMillan.
    And they were kissing !
    Martha bolted upright, bumped her head on one of the rafters, and nearly lost her footing. Reeling from the shock, she grabbed hold of one of the support beams to keep from falling as disbelief surged through her body. She looked down, in the direction of the sounds she was hearing, and saw a flash of lavender skirts.
    They were nearly right below her!
    Obviously they had no idea she was up in the loft, which gave Martha a bittersweet advantage. When she caught a glimpse of the basket sitting in Grace’s stall with Bird inside, her heart pounded against the wall of her chest. Praying that Bird would not burst into chatter and give away her presence, she gripped the beam so hard she could almost feel splinters getting ready to pierce her hand if she tightened her hold.
    She paused for several thudding heartbeats to get steady enough on her feet to charge down the ladder and demand an explanation from her difficult eighteen-year-old daughter. Martha also needed to confront the young doctor, whom she’d been helping to understand that her remedies and methods were often more beneficial to the women and children she served than his more modern methods and packaged medicines.
    Before she could do either, she heard him say words that anchored her feet to the ground and nearly made her heart stop.
    â€œI don’t understand why you won’t let me talk to your mother to ask for her blessing so we can marry.”
    Victoria sighed. “She isn’t even home. I’ve been spending most of my time at Aunt Hilda’s lately because my mother is hardly ever home. And even when she is, she’s so busy with her duties, she couldn’t possibly have any notion that we’ve grown so fond of each other. I simply don’t see why you’re so intent on rushing the matter.”
    The sound of another kiss sent Martha’s pulse racing and the fingers on her one hand curling into a fist.
    â€œI want to marry you, Victoria, and I don’t want to wait much longer,” he said. “If there’s anything I’ve learned from losing Claudine, it’s that this life is far too short and uncertain to waste any of the time we could be spending together as husband and wife.”
    The rustling of Victoria’s skirts made it sound as if she had leaned into his arms, no doubt moved by his reference to the death of his young wife. “I’d marry you tomorrow if I could, but you know my mother. She’s bound to tradition. She needs time to adjust to change and new ideas.”
    â€œThat may be true, but—”
    â€œShe’s barely accepted the fact that some of her work as a midwife is being done by you or doctors like you. She’s only recently begun to work with you instead of against you, and there’s no telling how long that will last. If you can just wait a few weeks, I can try to prepare her for the idea that I’m ready to be married before I tell her that the man I want to marry is you.”
    As they began to walk away, their voices dipped to whispers that Martha could not hear. Her relationship with Victoria had never been easy, particularly