Jane Feather - Charade by Unknown (howl and other poems .TXT) 📕

understand that I am wedded to a lifetime of headaches and anxietyand that the woman in my bed

will be the mother of my children onlywhen she choosesand belongs only to herself and accepts no jurisdictionbut her own. I am mad to accept it and even more so for liking it. Ijust beg that you will

keep my hag-ridden existence a secret fromSociety."

"You are not hag-ridden!"

"Am I not?" His eyebrows shot up. "And by a nineteen-year-old-chit toadd insult to injury."

Danny squirmed from beneath the sheets with an agile twist and flungherself against him, bearing him down onto the bed in helplesslaughter. As they tumbled together, Justin, mindful of her bruises anddelicate condition, found himself at a considerable disadvantage.

"Vagabond!" He managed to catch her hands eventually and yanked herarms above her head, scissoring her legs between his own. "Yield, youimpossible wretch."

"I yield." Her body became soft beneath him; the brown eyes glowed aninvitation.

It was an invitation Justin ached to accept, and he shook his head withthe greatest reluctance. "My love, you are not in a fit condition."

Danielle pulled a face, comical in its disgusted resignation. "No, Isuppose I am not. You will not, however, expect me to restrain myselffor more than one more day." Suddenly serious, she took his hand andpressed it to her belly. "Perhaps you cannot feel it yet, but our childis awake, my love. I think he is going to be in much mischief when hefeels his feet."

"That would not surprise me in the least," Justin murmured, "since youwill be guiding his steps."

She smiled and lay back on the bed. "It is a son, Justin."

"How can you know that?" Lying beside her he began to stroke her bodyin a long languid caress, carefully circumventing the bruises on herlegs and arms.

"I know it." She smiled softly. "Women's witchcraft, husband."

*  *  *

On the night of June 21, 1791, Dr. Stuart was aroused from his bed by asleepy manservant. His presence was required immediately in GrosvenorSquare and the Linton chaise waited at the door. He dressed hastily butstill careful of the folds of his cravat, the set of his coat. One didnot assist at the

accouchement

of a countess in slovenly fashion,however inconvenient the hour; and babies were notoriouslyinconsiderate when it came to night and day. Hat correctly in place,bag of instruments in hand, the court physician entered the chaise witha calm disregard for the coachman's impatience. First babies were neverin a hurry to enter the world.

Bedford stood in the open doorway, the lights of the hall throwing hisfigure into sharp relief as the carriage drew up. He was dressed asusual in dark cloth, not a fold or hair out of place, but there wasboth anxiety and excitement on his face. It was three o'clock in themorning and the entire household appeared to be up and about.Housemaids in dressing gowns popped up from behind pillars and in thecorridors; Peter Haversham in shirt and britches paced the hall; knotsof footmen triedto look as if they had some work to attend to at this ungodly hour andBedford, in his wisdom, made no attempt to send them about theirbusiness. A child would soon be born and while Lady Danny labored ananxious household kept watch and waited.

Stuart followed Bedford upstairs. No cries of agony reached him as hewalked along the corridor to My Lady's bedchamber where the butlerdiscreetly withdrew, leaving him to make his own entrance. As he did soa voice said distinctly,

"Mon Dieu!C'est abominable.

Give me yourhand, Justin."

"You have it already, my love." The calm unmistakable voice of the Earlof Linton reached the doctor who stood blinking bemusedly at thisunusually orderly scene.

"You do not mind that I hurt you . ..

Jesu!

"A gasp of pained protestdrowned whatever else Danielle had been about to say as she used herhusband's hand, disdaining the knotted bedsheet hanging ready from thebedpost to transfer some of the convulsive pain of this process ofbirthing.

"My lord, here is more lavender water." Molly handed Linton a freshcloth and he nodded, ignoring the scrunching of his knuckles as hebathed the sweat-drenched brow on the pillow.

The physician looked around for a moment. The room was brightly lit,kettles of boiling water steamed beside the fire. His patient wasattended by the Countess of March, brisk in an enormous white apron,

the maidservant, and most extraordinarily by her husband. Husbands, inStuart's extensive experience, never appeared in the birthing room.

"Ah, Doctor." Lady Lavinia turned to him. "The child appears to be inthe birth canal, but there has been no progress for the last fifteenminutes."

Stuart scrubbed his hands vigorously in the bowl Molly held for him andnodded his comprehension. Women giving birth for the first time rarelyknew what to do.

"I think that the next time I shall scream," Danielle said prosaically."But you must not worry if I do."

The physician exchanged an astonishedlook with Lady Lavinia but the scream never came, only a

stream of French that only Justin understood,fortunately for the delicate sensibilities of their companions.

Stuart made his own examination and his own decision. This woman wasnot one of his usual patients, out of her head with pain andembarrassment at her predicament. "My lady, you must push the child

into the world now. It needs your help."

"Only tell me how," she gasped.

"Your body will tell you if you listen." It was the only answer he wasable to give, never having gone through this himself. But havingwitnessed countless births he knew that some women were able to givespontaneous birth whilst others with no explainable physical differencewere not. The more practice they had, of course, the better theybecame. This child was headfirst and its mother well in control and itwould be a pity to have recourse to the shining instruments in his bag.They left marks on the child and tore the mother.

Danielle