‘Is the poor lass alive?’ his mother shouted down to him.
‘I think so,’ he called back. ‘But for God’s sake, keep a tight grip on that rope while I try to get her over me shoulder.’
Soon he was panting with the effort of trying to lift Opal. She was a dead weight and unable to help herself and he was painfully aware that one false move could send both of them crashing to their deaths. At last, however, he had managed to manoeuvre her on to his shoulder where she hung as limp as a rag doll. And then the really hard work started as he began the long climb back up. He had climbed no more than a few feet when the heavens opened and the rain came down in torrents, which made it even more difficult, but thankfully the men were all strong from the many hours they spent toiling down the pit and inch by inch they dragged them up. At last, Will’s head appeared and strong hands reached out to pull him and Opal to safety. While the women turned their attention to Opal, Will lay gasping and shaking from the effort.
‘We’d best get her back to my cottage,’ Mrs Green said worriedly. ‘Then someone had best run to tell her husband what’s happened and fetch a doctor, though by the look of her I doubt the poor lass will last till he gets here.’
‘I’ll go.’ Will stood up shakily and after catching his breath he was off like the wind as the men bent to lift Opal between them as gently as they could.
Once back at Mrs Green’s cottage, the men laid Opal carefully on the bed while Mrs Green began to tap her cheeks. There was no response and she groaned. ‘Eeh, I wish we had a drop o’ brandy to give her.’
‘Huh!’ This from Mrs Jennings. ‘We can’t even afford bread for us little ’uns, let alone brandy.’
‘Well, we can at least get her out o’ these wet clothes,’ Mrs Green said as she began to unbutton Opal’s coat. ‘Fetch me that clean nightdress from over the fireguard, I’ll put her in that an’ try an’ get her warm again.’
Charlie was sitting at the side of them with his tail down and one of the men stroked him. ‘Well done, ol’ chap,’ he praised. ‘If it weren’t fer you, your mistressus would ’ave been a gonner for sure.’ He frowned. ‘But I wonder what made her walk so close to the edge that she slipped over?’
Will arrived back with the doctor shortly after, telling them that Opal’s housekeeper had sent word to her husband.
The doctor ushered them all away and, his face grave, he leaned over to examine Opal before shaking his head. ‘Her arm is broken,’ he told them. ‘I shall have to splint it as best I can, but worse still, I fear she is about to have the baby and she’s in no state to help bring it into the world.’
‘But she’s only six months along,’ Mrs Green fretted. ‘It’s too soon.’
The doctor shrugged. ‘Too soon or not, it’s coming.’ He took off his coat and rolled his sleeves up, telling her, ‘I shall need hot water and towels and it might be as well if the rest of you go next door.’
Only too happy to escape, Opal’s rescuers hurried from the cottage leaving the doctor and Mrs Green to do what they could for her, although deep down the doctor didn’t hold out much hope for Opal or the baby.
Chapter Forty-One
It was over an hour later when a fine carriage pulled up outside and everyone in the row of cottages peeped through the curtains at it.
Grim-faced, Henry got out and strode to Mrs Green’s door and rapped on it impatiently.
‘Come in, come in, your wife is through there wi’ the doctor,’ she told him tearfully.
‘What’s happened?’
She told him haltingly how Charlie had run back to the cottages as if to warn them that his mistress was in danger, ending with, ‘If it hadn’t been fer him, happen she would ’ave died!’
‘Bah! If it hadn’t been for her obsession with walking the damn mutt she would never have been here in the first place,’ he stormed. ‘I warned her time and time again that that path was dangerous, but would she listen?’
He made to move towards the bedroom but Mrs Green stayed him with a gentle hand on his arm. ‘I wouldn’t go in there if I were you. The doctor sent for the midwife to assist ’im an’ I reckon the baby could come any minute now.’
‘What? But it’s too soon,’ he ground out through clenched teeth. ‘Can’t they do something to stop it?’
‘I’m afraid not.’ Mrs Green ushered him towards a chair. ‘But you just sit down now an’ I’ll make us a nice cup o’ tea.’
Henry angrily shook her hand from his arm, and began to pace the room like a caged animal. ‘So what will the baby’s chances be if it comes now? Opal wasn’t due to have it for another three months.’
Mrs Green studiously avoided his eyes as she filled the kettle from a bucket that stood on the wooden draining board. ‘We’ll just ’ave to wait an’ see. It’s all in God’s ’ands now.’
She had noticed that not once had he asked after his wife. His only concern seemed to be the baby, and she felt sorry for the young woman lying in the other room. While she made the tea, he looked about scornfully at the hard-packed earth floor and the mismatched furniture but he had no time to say anything for at that moment the doctor appeared. He was covered in blood and he looked weary.
‘Well . . . has she had the baby?’ Henry instantly asked.
The doctor nodded. ‘Yes, it’s a boy . . . but I’m afraid he didn’t draw breath.’
Henry sat down heavily in the nearest chair, his face the colour of putty as all his dreams turned to ashes. He had had a son, but thanks to Opal’s stupidity he had lost him. He became aware that the doctor was still talking to him then and he looked up at him vacantly. It was as if he was only hearing odd words that he was saying.
‘ . . . gravely ill . . . bleeding heavily . . . hospital . . .’
‘What?’ Henry shook his head to clear it. ‘What did you say?’
‘I said your wife is very gravely ill and needs to be taken to the hospital immediately, otherwise I think her chances of survival are slim. Can we carry her out to your carriage? I’m really not happy about moving her but we have no alternative.’
‘Yes . . . yes, I suppose so,’ Henry answered dully. He was clearly in shock.
‘I’ll go an’ get the men folk to lift her,’ Mrs Green volunteered and hurried away as Henry sat staring into space.
The doctor travelled in the carriage to the hospital with Opal and Henry, and once there two men with a stretcher hurried out to carry her inside.
The doctor was shocked when, as soon as they had taken her from the carriage, Henry told his driver, ‘Drive on. Take me home.’
‘But aren’t you going to come in and see how your wife fares?’
Henry glared at him and shook his head, and after slamming the door, the carriage rattled away as the doctor stood for a moment watching it open-mouthed. With a shake of his head, he hurried after his patient.
When Henry entered the house sometime later, he found the housekeeper waiting for him.
‘What’s happened?’ she asked. ‘I had some man turn up here all of a fluster saying that we had to get word to you that Opal had had an accident.’
He moved past her into the drawing room where he crossed to the cut-glass decanter and filled a crystal goblet with a generous measure of whisky, which he knocked back in one gulp.
‘Well?’
He looked at her now before snarling, ‘She went over the edge of the quarry. The baby has been born but didn’t draw breath. It was a boy, but he was born too soon and it’s all her fault!’ And then the tears came, streaming down his face and blinding him, as she hurried over to wrap her arms about him.
‘And your wife?’
He shrugged. ‘She’s in the hospital, but from what the doctor said it’s uncertain whether she will survive.’
He failed to see the look of satisfaction that flitted across her face but her voice was sympathetic as she told him, ‘How awful for you, Henry. Once more, you have been cheated of a son.’
He shook his head as
he disentangled himself from her arms and poured himself another whisky. ‘At the moment I don’t much care if she dies. I’ll never forgive her for this, Blanche. She killed my baby and all for the sake of taking that damn dog for a walk.’
‘But how did it happen?’
‘How should I know? She was clearly walking too close to the edge. Either that or the dog tripped her up. The bloody thing – it’ll not come in this house again, I swear!’
‘But shouldn’t you be at the hospital?’
He drained his glass again before answering, ‘The way I feel, I never want to see her again!’
‘I can understand that. But think how it will look, Henry, if anything happens to her and you are not there. I know she doesn’t deserve your consideration but you have your reputation to think of.’
‘I suppose you’re right,’ he admitted as the anger drained out of him. ‘I’ll just pull myself together and then I’ll get back down there.’
She hovered uncertainly for a moment before saying, ‘Actually there’s something I need to speak to you about. I know this is probably not the right time, but it must be said . . . you see, you might be having a son after all.’
He frowned and as her hands dropped to her stomach his eyes stretched wide. ‘You mean . . . ?’
She nodded. ‘Yes, I am carrying a child.’
He was so flabbergasted that he dropped on to the nearest chair as if someone had sucked all the air out of his lungs. ‘But you . . . you assured me that you were unable to have children. And . . . is the baby mine?’
‘Of course, it is yours.’ Her mouth set before she ground out, ‘And I did think I was unable to conceive, but it appears I was mistaken.’
‘Good lord!’ Henry dropped his head into his hands as he tried to take in what she had told him. It seemed that everything was happening today.
‘So what are we going to do about it?’ she asked.
He gulped deep in his throat. ‘Well . . . I clearly can’t acknowledge the child. Opal is my wife. How would it look if I was to admit to being its father? As you quite rightly pointed out just now, I have my reputation to consider.’
‘Ah, but if Opal should not survive, there would be nothing to stop us getting married, would there? And truthfully, it’s highly unlikely that she will after falling down the quarry face. It would seem a little disrespectful, admittedly, if you didn’t observe a proper period of mourning, but needs must.’
‘She didn’t fall all the way down, as it happens,’ he answered woodenly. ‘A tree growing out of the side of the quarry broke her fall otherwise she would have stood no chance.’ He stood and made dazedly for the door where he paused. ‘As you say, I should get to the hospital. We will talk about this later.’
And with that he strode away, leaving her scowling after him.
‘Mrs King is in that ward there, sir,’ a young nurse told Henry when he arrived at the hospital, and without a word, he marched towards the double swing doors that led into it.
‘Can I help you?’ a sister in a crisp white apron and navy dress immediately approached him.
‘My wife, Mrs King, she was brought in a short time ago.’
‘Ah yes.’ She pointed towards a bed with the curtains drawn about it. ‘The doctors are still with her but if you would care to take a seat, I’m sure they will speak to you when they’ve finished examining her.’
He inclined his head and did as he was told, but it was some time before the curtains parted and two elderly doctors appeared. Henry saw the sister say something to them and nod towards him before they approached him.
‘If you’d like to come this way?’ The taller of the two led him towards a small office and once inside he closed the door and motioned to a seat. ‘I’m afraid your wife is very gravely ill,’ he told Henry without preamble. He had never been one to give false hope. ‘The next twenty-four hours will be critical. Her body has suffered a severe shock and that added to the birth . . . She also has a badly broken arm and at least two cracked ribs but as yet we haven’t been able to establish if there are any internal injuries.’ He shrugged. ‘We have set her arm but there is little more we can do for her now, except to give her laudanum for the pain.’
‘I see.’ Henry pursed his lips before asking, ‘May I see her?’
‘Of course, although she is deeply unconscious and will not know you are there. At this stage we have no way of knowing if she will wake up, I’m afraid.’
When Henry followed him back out into the ward, a young nurse led him to Opal’s bedside. He was shocked when he looked down on her still form. Her face was so swollen that she was almost unrecognisable, and purple bruises were beginning to bloom all across her face. She also had a nasty gash that ran the length of one cheek that had been stitched. Another young nurse was there, gently bathing her face with cool water, and she smiled at him sympathetically.
‘Don’t worry,’ she told him. ‘You can be sure we shall give her the very best of care.’
He inclined his head, and without a word he turned and marched away, his lips set in a straight, grim line.
Darkness was falling that afternoon when a tap came on the kitchen door. Eve hurried to answer it to find a young man standing there with Charlie on a length of string.
The dog’s tail started to wag ecstatically at the sight of her and, dropping to her knees, she wrapped her arms about his neck and was rewarded with his wet tongue licking her face.
‘I, er . . . thought I’d better bring ’im ’ome,’ the young man told her, then introducing himself he said, ‘I’m Will, by the way. It were me as managed to get Mrs King up the quarry face wi’ a bit of help.’
‘It seems you’re the hero of the hour then, lad. Come on in out o’ the cold. It’s enough to cut yer in two out there.’ The cook and Eve had been crying on and off all day after the news of what had happened to their dear mistress had reached them, but now they smiled to see Charlie again.
‘Actually, it’s this ’un ’ere who should take the credit.’ Will patted Charlie’s head. ‘It were ’im as run back to the cottage to warn us that sommat were wrong, otherwise she could have died there if no one ’ad spotted her.’
‘What a good clever boy you are,’ Eve told Charlie – but before she could say any more, the door banged open and the master appeared, his face as dark as a thundercloud.
‘Just what the hell is that murdering mongrel doing back here?’ he stormed as Will’s mouth dropped open. ‘I shall have him destroyed immediately. It was that damn cur that killed my unborn child and I’ll not have it under my roof for a second longer than necessary.’
Will stared back at him coldly before saying, ‘Mrs King’s fall was nothing to do with Charlie ’ere, I’m sure. She allus let him off his lead when she got to the lane that runs by our cottages an’ he bounds on ahead of her. If anythin’, yer should be thankin’ him fer savin’ her life.’
‘How dare you come into my home and speak to me like that!’ Henry thundered, but unperturbed Will stood his ground as the cook and Eve looked fearfully on. ‘Give the mutt to me this instant. I’ll take it outside and shoot it myself.’
‘No, you’ll not,’ Will snapped, a muscle in his cheek twitching with anger. ‘Charlie is a gentle creature, an’ if you don’t want ’im then I’ll take ’im back ’ome wi’ me. At least that way your poor missus will be able to come an’ see ’im from time to time. If the poor soul survives, that is.’
And with that, he turned and banged back out into the cold night air, leaving Eve staring admiringly after him.
The master was fuming. ‘Damn peasant!’ he raged. It hadn’t even crossed his mind to thank Will for his part in Opal’s rescue. Then, to the women’s relief, he turned on his heel and slammed away.
Eve sighed dreamily. ‘Eeh, weren’t Will just the most ’andsome chap you ever saw? And brave an’ all to stand up to the master the way he did.’
The cook gave a wry smile, sensing they might be seeing a sight m
ore of young Will in the future if Eve’s reaction to him was anything to go by, for if she wasn’t very much mistaken her young helper was well and truly smitten!
Chapter Forty-Two
Opal was aware of someone groaning and whimpering, but it was some moments before she realised that it was herself as her eyes slowly blinked open. But it was too bright and the light was like burning needles stabbing and she quickly closed them again.
‘Mrs King . . . Mrs King . . . can you hear me?’
A gentle voice made her try again, and as she narrowed her swollen eyes, a face swam blearily into focus. It was a man in a white coat, but where was she? She ached in every bone of her body, and when she tried to breathe it hurt so badly that she dared not move. And then it all came rushing back to her. The last thing she remembered was walking Charlie down to the canal when suddenly she had caught a glimpse of a dark-green cloak before someone had pushed her. But who would do such a thing to her?
‘Mrs King, can you try to follow my finger with your eyes? Can you hear me?’
She tried hard to do as she was asked, but the pain in her head was so bad that she just wanted to sleep again.
‘Wh-where am I?’ Her voice came out as a croak and she felt her lips crack.
‘Don’t worry, you’re quite safe. You’re in hospital; you had a bad fall from the side of the quarry.’
‘N-no . . . I didn’t fall.’ She tried to shake her head. ‘I was pushed. Some . . . one pushed me.’
The doctor frowned as he glanced at the young nurse who was standing beside the bed.
‘Let’s just concentrate on getting you well again before we think about that,’ he soothed, as the nurse stepped forward and gently held a glass of cool water to Opal’s parched lips. She gulped at it greedily, which set her coughing and almost crying out with pain.
‘I don’t mind telling you, you had us worried for a while there,’ the doctor went on as the nurse laid her head gently back on the pillows. ‘We weren’t sure if we were going to lose you, but now you’re awake we can concentrate on getting you well again.’
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