The Midwives of Lark Lane

by Pam Howes

  ‘Mam,’ he heard Cathy say as he stood hidden just around the corner. ‘You’re kidding me. Yes, all my doors are locked. Where’s Gianni?’

  Johnny finally got through to Alice and told her Jack was on the loose in the area, that he’d caused the fire, and to phone Cathy right away. ‘Keep all the doors locked and make sure Cathy’s are as well. Tell her Gianni is on his way. The police are out searching nearby gardens. Yes the house is fine, love. It was the brick outbuilding. He’d been living rough in there, it would appear. I’ll be with you as soon as I can.’

  Alice rang her daughter and passed on the message. ‘Make sure everywhere is locked up tight. Gianni is on his way. The police will pick Jack up tonight, I’m sure. I’ll see you tomorrow, love.’

  As Cathy dropped the phone back onto the cradle, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickling with fear. She wished Gianni would hurry up. She realised Lucy had gone quiet after crying ‘Mammy’. She hurried round the corner – and ran straight into a grinning Jack, who had Lucy in his arms. Cathy started to scream but the noise died in her throat as she looked into his mad eyes.

  ‘Please don’t hurt my baby,’ she gasped. ‘Give her to me.’

  Jack laughed in her face and she gagged at the stink of his foul breath. ‘Now do as I tell you and the kid stays safe,’ he said. ‘I’m putting her back into the cupboard and you are going to give me something I’ve always wanted.’ He lowered Lucy back onto the dust sheets and closed the door. He grabbed Cathy’s arm. She couldn’t move, felt frozen to the spot, but Jack frogmarched her into the bedroom and threw her onto the bed.

  ‘No, please, leave me alone.’ Cathy kicked out with her feet and nearly overbalanced him, but he was determined and lashed out at her face. Remembering Eloisa’s awful injuries and what he was capable of, she lay still, willing Gianni to get home. If she screamed and made any noise it would frighten Lucy, and locked in the cupboard in the dark she would be terrified.

  Jack tore at her nightdress and yanked it off. Cathy was naked underneath and she cringed at the look on his face. He knelt on the end of the bed and yanked her legs apart. She closed her eyes so that she didn’t have to look at him. She heard his zip being undone and froze as he touched her intimately.

  Then, suddenly, there was the noise of the front door being unlocked and Gianni was calling her name. There were other voices too and she screamed for all she was worth and pushed Jack as hard as she could. The bedroom door opened and Gianni dragged him off her and threw him on the floor. Cathy pulled the bedspread over herself as Gianni grabbed hold of her and held her tightly while she sobbed against him. Two police officers were yanking Jack upright when Lucy’s terrified, muffled cries rent the air.

  ‘Where is she?’ Gianni yelled at Jack.

  ‘He put her in the hall cupboard,’ Cathy cried. ‘It’s dark and she’ll be so scared.’

  ‘Right you,’ one of the officers said to Jack. ‘Got you at last. Attempted rape and kidnapping of a minor to add to your list of crimes.’

  ‘I didn’t kidnap anyone,’ Jack growled. ‘The kid’s in the cupboard.’

  ‘Yes, but you removed her from her mother’s care and imprisoned her against her will – to me that’ll do as kidnapping. You’re nicked, Jack Dawson. We’ll take him down the station and another of our officers will be with you shortly to take statements. Mrs Romano, did he hurt you? Do you need to go to the hospital? Your face looks a bit swollen.’

  ‘I’m okay,’ Cathy said. ‘I’m a nurse, I can see to myself.’

  ‘I’m glad we got here in time. You just take care and tell the officer everything that happened here tonight.’

  Gianni saw the officers out. They dragged Jack up the garden path and pushed him into the back of the police car. He went back in to Cathy, who was sitting on the bed white-faced, cuddling a sobbing Lucy. ‘It’s a good job those officers caught up with me on my walk home because I swear I would have killed him,’ he said, sitting beside his girls. ‘I’ll ring your mam and tell her what’s happened. Do you want her and Johnny to come round?’

  Cathy shook her head. ‘They need to be at home for the kids. I just want to be with you and Lucy after the next officer goes.’

  Gianni held her tight. ‘If you’re sure. Thank God he’s been caught. His reign of terror is now over. May he rot in hell.’

  Twenty-Four

  On Monday morning, Cathy tried hard to put the last few awful days to the back of her mind and welcomed both Sarah and Penelope to Woodlands. She told them to hang their coats on the hall stand and leave their cases by the bottom of the stairs for now, and took them through to the kitchen where everyone was enjoying a morning break. She introduced them to the others.

  ‘Hello, girls. Come and sit yourselves down,’ Marlene encouraged and pointed to two adjacent chairs around the large table. ‘We have got a posh dining room for formal occasions, but I hope you don’t mind having your tea and toast in the servants’ quarters,’ she joked, putting them at ease.

  Sarah smiled. ‘This is right posh compared to what I’m used to,’ she said, taking her seat. ‘I hardly ever get to sit at our table with so many of us.’

  Marlene poured them mugs of strong tea. ‘Help yourselves to sugar and milk, and there’s jam in that pot if you want some on your toast.’

  Sarah thanked her and Penelope, who seemed rather shy and nervous, nodded and gave a little half-smile.

  Karen introduced herself and the others. ‘You won’t remember all our names at once, but we midwives have all got name badges. Mrs Harrison might let you call her Alice if you ask her nicely, because Millie our receptionist is also a Mrs Harrison and she will be looking after all your records and paperwork. We don’t want you getting confused. After you’ve had your snack, Sandra here will show you where you will be sleeping, and then Millie and I will take one of you at a time into the office and book you in. Now just relax and I’ll come back for you shortly.’

  Cathy and Alice waited in the room that had been made from dividing two back rooms in half, and set aside as an examination and antenatal room. Ellie brought Sarah to them first and Alice pulled up a chair for her to sit on. Sarah was weighed and measured and Cathy took blood samples. Alice gave her a small pot and asked her to do a urine sample in the cloakroom next to the kitchen. When Sarah came back with her pot Alice tested her urine with a dipstick and declared all was well.

  ‘When did you last see a doctor, Sarah?’ Cathy asked.

  ‘When I had tonsillitis two years ago,’ Sarah replied.

  ‘You haven’t seen a doctor since you were confirmed pregnant?’

  Sarah shrugged her shoulders. ‘My mam said there was no need. She heard me chucking me breakfast up a couple of days on the run, asked me about me monthlies, and when I said I hadn’t seen them for ages, she clattered me around me head and said I was stupid and whose was it.

  ‘I told her it were Barry Taylor’s from the youth club but I didn’t want him to know because his girlfriend is a right nasty cow and she hates me. But me mam marched me round to his house and his dad kicked up a right fuss and said he should do the right thing. But his girlfriend Gloria said she’d kill me if I went anywhere near him again. So I’ve kept away and hidden at home. I lost me job at Tate & Lyle for not going in because Gloria also works there and Mam went mad and said I’d have to go away. And then her mate told her about this place opening soon and she came to see you Saturday and that’s why I’m here. I can’t keep it, because I got nowhere to take it when it’s born. It’ll be better with someone what can give it a nice home.’

  Cathy nodded and chewed the end of her pen. ‘If you are sure that’s what you want to do, we can arrange the adoption for you and make sure your baby goes to a nice family. So what date was your last period?’

  Sarah screwed up her face. ‘July tenth I think.’

  Cathy nodded and did a quick calculation. ‘Hop on to the bed while I see if the fundal height measurements tie in approximately with that date.’
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br />   Sarah clambered up onto the bed with Alice’s help and lifted her dress up past her waist. Cathy took a cloth tape measure and took a measurement from the top of her bump to just below her belly button, noting how skinny Sarah was apart from the bump. Some good meals from Marlene’s kitchen will soon fill her out a bit, she thought. She smiled. ‘I think that’s all for now. Nurse Harrison will check your blood pressure before you go, but your due date is around April the seventeenth.’

  Sarah thanked her and Alice helped her down and took her blood pressure.

  ‘We’ll see you in the dining room about twelve thirty,’ Alice told her.

  Sarah smiled and thanked her. ‘Where do the nuns stay? Haven’t seen any knocking about yet.’

  ‘Nuns?’ Alice said, looking puzzled. ‘We don’t have any nuns here, Sarah.’

  Sarah frowned. ‘My bessie mate said all mother-and-baby homes are run by nuns that make you do horrible chores all day long and say prayers and hail Marys all night to repent for your sins.’

  Alice laughed at Sarah’s worried face. ‘Not at this one. There are no nuns. We are not run by the Catholic Church. We are independent. We’ll never ask you to do chores apart from keeping your rooms tidy. But if you ever feel you want to give Marlene a hand in the kitchen or around the house, she won’t object. She works very hard to keep us all fed and the house nice and clean and could probably use a hand from time to time. Plus she makes lovely cakes and doesn’t mind sharing a slice or two.’ Alice winked.

  ‘I’ll be happy to help her any time.’

  Alice smiled. ‘Right, you’re free to go and unpack your things and have a little rest before dinnertime and I’ll see to Penelope. See you later.’ She held the door open and Sarah left as Ellie brought Penelope to them.

  ‘Take a seat, Penelope; I’ll be with you in a minute.’ Alice changed the draw sheet on the bed.

  Cathy smiled at the young girl and asked her the same questions she’d asked Sarah. Penelope was guarded with her answers and not as open, as though she found it hard to talk about her condition. There was no information forthcoming about her baby’s father. She just mumbled that it was a boy she once knew but she had nothing to do with him now and she didn’t want to keep the baby. She kept her head down and didn’t meet Cathy’s eye once during their conversation, and when Alice asked her for a urine sample she looked horrified, but obliged when told it was important and that they needed the sample to check for various conditions.

  As Penelope left to use the cloakroom, Cathy turned to Alice. ‘What do you make of that? She was really evasive about everything.’

  ‘Maybe she’s just a bit shy,’ Alice said. ‘Give her time. She’ll come round. It’s a horrible situation to come to terms with. She’s been shunned by her family and presumably the lad that got her into trouble too, poor girl.’ She stopped as Penelope came back into the room and handed her sample pot to Alice. ‘Thank you, love. Just take a seat again. We’re nearly done now and then you can go and unpack your stuff and have a bit of a rest before dinnertime.’

  As everyone was tucking into Marlene’s shepherd’s pie Millie dashed to answer the phone. She popped her head back around the door. ‘That was Cynthia Elliott’s husband. She’s gone into labour and he’s bringing her in right away.’

  Everyone cheered and Jean and Cathy jumped to their feet. They’d finished their meals and were waiting for pudding. ‘We’ll have ours later with a brew,’ Jean said. ‘Our first baby is on its way.’ They dashed out of the kitchen to loud clapping.

  In the sparkling new delivery suite Cathy got out the sterile packs they needed and placed them onto the trolley. She checked to make sure the gas and air cylinder was working and lowered the delivery bed to the right height for Mrs Elliott to climb on to.

  ‘Feels real now, Cathy,’ Jean said. ‘Hope she’s not too far on that we can’t get her up the stairs.’

  ‘Oh heck, so do I. But we did give them warning to come in at the first sign of labour. Better they are here relaxing on our beds where we can monitor them than at home until the last minute, and then arriving here in a panic. It would be nice if they’d come in a day or two before their due date, but I suppose if they’ve already got a little one at home it might be difficult.’

  ‘I’ll go and wait in the hall for her,’ Jean said. ‘See you shortly.’

  Cynthia’s husband Alan accompanied his wife into the hallway. ‘She’s not been having the pains long, Nurse,’ he told Jean as she led them to the staircase. ‘But like you told us, we’ve come right away.’ He and Jean helped Cynthia up the stairs and Ellie carried her case, following behind them.

  ‘This is your room, Cynthia,’ Ellie said, opening the door of one of the single rooms.

  ‘Err, I’d better get off,’ Alan Elliott said, backing away to the top of the stairs. ‘Leave you good ladies to it. Not really a man’s place is it? We only get under your feet.’ He took a hanky from his jacket pocket and wiped the beads of sweat from his brow. ‘Will you phone me when it’s all over, Nurse?’ he directed at Ellie.

  ‘Of course we will, Mr Elliott. Say goodbye to your wife then. You can go in the room with her.’

  He nodded nervously and quickly ushered Cynthia inside. ‘I’ll see you later, love. Good luck.’ He pecked her on the cheek and fled as fast as his legs would carry him.

  Cynthia and Ellie laughed. ‘He thinks it’s ready to drop out,’ Cynthia howled. ‘Did you see his face, Nurse? White as your apron. Daft beggar that he is. You’d think this was our first but he can’t stand the sight of blood. He nearly fainted when our little lad fell off his bike and cut his leg and needed stitches a few months ago.’ She held on to her baby bump as she laughed loudly. ‘Oh, I’m going to wet myself if I don’t stop.’ She looked towards the door where Cathy and Jean were struggling to keep a straight face.

  ‘Come on, let me check you and see where we’re up to,’ Jean said as Ellie helped Cynthia onto her bed. ‘We need to get serious now.’ She chuckled as her patient gave another raucous laugh. ‘How long is it since you felt your last contraction?’ She palpated Cynthia’s tummy. ‘Baby’s the right way up anyway, that’s a good start.’

  ‘My last pain was about ten minutes ago,’ Cynthia replied. ‘But it wasn’t too painful, just that tightening feeling and a bit like period pains low down. At my last clinic appointment, they said the head was engaged so I knew I wouldn’t have too much longer to go before the baby put in an appearance. Oh I do hope it’s a girl this time, but as long as it’s okay, that’s all that really matters.’

  Jean nodded. ‘You’ll love it no matter what. But I think we’ve a few hours to go yet before we welcome him or her into the world. One of our nurses will bring you up a cuppa and some magazines to look at while you rest. There’s a little bell there on your bedside table. Just give it a ring if you feel things are moving along quickly and your pains become stronger and more frequent and we’ll get you on the delivery table and do a quick internal check, but for now you can take it easy.’

  ‘This is lovely,’ Cynthia said, looking around her pretty blue-and-white decorated room. ‘It’s like being in a nice hotel on holiday rather than in labour. Much nicer than the hospital. Wait until I tell my friends. Two of them are expecting later this year.’

  Jean smiled. ‘That’s what we like to hear. I’ll be back shortly.’ She left the room and called to Alice over the banister rail. ‘Can you take Cynthia a cuppa in please, Alice, and something to read? Woman’s Weekly, maybe.’

  ‘On my way,’ Alice called back.

  By six o’clock that night, Woodlands Maternity Home was welcoming its first new arrival. Baby Elizabeth Jane Elliott arrived hale and hearty. Her mother lay back on the delivery bed, her beaming face red with exhaustion, as Cathy placed the sheet-swaddled bundle in her arms. ‘Congratulations, she’s beautiful.’

  ‘I can’t believe it’s a girl,’ Cynthia said. ‘I’m really shocked. I’d chosen a name, just in case, but never thought I’d get to use it.�
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  ‘I’ll get someone to give Alan a call,’ Jean said, pulling off her delivery apron. ‘Our first baby. That’s something quite special for all of us. Congratulations, Cynthia.’

  Jean hurried down to the kitchen, where everyone was eating their tea. They all looked up in anticipation as she burst into the room. ‘We have a beautiful little girl,’ she announced. A cheer went up and they all clapped.

  Marlene dabbed at her eyes. ‘What wonderful news. And are they both okay?’

  ‘They’re fine,’ Jean said. ‘I’m just going to let Cynthia’s husband know.’ As she dashed away, Penelope and Sarah exchanged shy grins.

  Alice smiled at the pair. ‘Exciting, isn’t it?’

  Sarah nodded. ‘Will we be allowed to see the baby?’

  ‘In time. We’ll let Cynthia have a good rest first. We have a little nursery that new babies will be taken to so their mums can have an undisturbed sleep for the first few nights.’

  After Cynthia’s excited husband had paid a visit, and Sarah and Penelope had settled down for the night, Jean called the others to sit around the kitchen table. Marlene had gone home after telling them she’d left a cold supper in the fridge and they should just help themselves ‘We need a proper duty rota drawing up,’ she said. ‘I know today has been exciting and busy and we wanted to be in on it, but we can’t work full shifts and all night as well. We’ll burn ourselves out in no time. We need two of us midwives on duty at a time, and Alice, and we also need to think about employing another auxiliary nurse who can be here when Alice is off duty.’

  ‘My auxiliary colleague from the hospital would like a job here,’ Alice said. ‘She asked me to let her know if anything comes up. I can ring her when I get home. She works with the babies on the children’s ward and she’s good with them.’

  ‘She sounds perfect, Alice,’ Jean said. ‘Give her a call then and ask her to pop in for a bit of an interview as soon as she can. You can work out your shift patterns between you.’