A Convenient Wife

by Carolyn Davidson

  “James isn’t fussy these days,” Kate confided. “I’ve been pretty lax lately. By the time I get home from school, I haven’t felt much like being a cook.”

  “I don’t know how you do it,” Ellie told her. “And yet, I’m so happy that they haven’t made you stay home and gotten someone else for the school.”

  “I’m the talk of the town, you know.” Kate lifted four plates from the kitchen buffet and placed them around the table, then turned to the drawer for silverware. “Half the folks are pleased as punch that our town council is so forward thinking, letting me teach, when the other half of the ladies think I should be secluded behind the doors of our house.”

  “Well,” Ellie said sagely, “you can’t please everyone. And James is happy with what you’re doing, so I don’t see that much else matters.

  “Win said the threshers are coming next week. You couldn’t have planned this better if you tried.” Ellie checked the coffeepot, deciding to begin anew with a fresh brew, and poured the leftovers from earlier in the day into her slop bucket. Fresh water and a handful of grounds from the glass jar, followed by the egg she always added were put together quickly, and the pot was placed on the front of the stove.

  “Why don’t you sit down?” she said, watching closely as Kate’s hands met beneath the rounding of her belly. And then her eyes narrowed as she watched the other woman’s face settle into lines of total concentration. “Kate? Are you having pains?”

  Kate nodded. “Not bad yet, but that’s the fourth one in the last little while.” She looked toward the back door, where the murmur of men’s voices could be heard. “I don’t want James to worry.”

  Ellie shrugged. “He probably will anyway. He’s pretty taken with you, isn’t he?”

  Kate nodded, and her smile was radiant. “Seems to be. He says he’s going to be right there when the baby’s born.”

  Ellie stepped into the pantry and returned with cans of peaches and a bowl of cookies. Knife in hand, she worked to open the tins, then poured the fruit into a bowl. “I could come, too, if you wanted me,” she offered diffidently. “I’ve never seen a baby born. I guess I never knew anybody that was going to have one, till now. But, I’ve helped with calves sometimes, and watched when the dog had pups.”

  She swallowed a bubble of laughter. “Not that those are anything to go by. I mean, I know having a baby is different. I just thought if you needed me, I could maybe stand by.”

  “I’d be pleased, if Win doesn’t mind,” Kate said agreeably. “He might not want you to be frightened by the process, what with you having to look ahead to the same thing, before too long.”

  Kate’s fingers gripped the edge of the table as she spoke, and her eyes widened a bit. “I believe I’d better not eat very much,” she decided. “This might be going faster than I thought.”

  Ellie walked to the back door. “If you’d like to come in, we’re about ready to sit down at the table,” she offered. Win opened the screen door, and in moments he and James had washed and were pulling out chairs. The pot pie was placed on a folded towel in the center of the table, and Ellie stuck her largest tablespoon through the crust.

  “Coffee will be another ten minutes,” she announced, “but we can go ahead if you want to.” Looking at Win for directions, she placed small bowls near each plate, then brought the peaches and cookies to the table. “There’s fresh bread, too,” she said, remembering as she hastened back to the pantry.

  “This looks wonderful, Ellie,” James said. He reached to scoop a serving onto Kate’s plate, and she held up her hand.

  “Just a little. I don’t think I should eat too much.”

  Win nodded. “I was about to suggest that.” His eyes rested on Kate. “Do you want me to get Tess Dillard or maybe Ethel Talbert to help?”

  Kate shook her head. “No. Ellie will be there. It’s all decided.”

  If he had any objections, Win swallowed them, his glance at Ellie questioning. And then he nodded agreement. “If she’s game for it, I can use a hand.” He reached for the bread and slathered butter generously across the slice. “It’s been my experience that husbands aren’t much good, except for hand holding and back rubbing.”

  James ate steadily and quietly. Perhaps his worries had been soothed by Win’s teasing, Ellie thought. It hadn’t done much to ease hers. Her own stomach was in an uproar. She’d made the offer, and if Kate needed her, she’d do her best; but she was dead certain that birthing a calf and a baby were not really in the same category.

  In fact, they were decidedly different. Settling Kate into bed at midnight, Ellie heard the low voices of James and Win in the kitchen, and glanced at the open bedroom door.

  “Not yet,” Kate whispered. “I don’t want them just sitting in here, waiting for things to happen.” Her eyes closed and her breathing became deeper, finding a new rhythm as she waited out the pain that gripped her.

  “Maybe Win should check to see how you’re doing,” Ellie said.

  “And maybe you should go home to bed,” Kate told her, relaxing her hold on Ellie’s hand, her whole body seeming to sag into the mattress.

  “No, I want to stay with you.” She reached to pull a chair closer and eased onto the seat. Kate appeared to be asleep, and yet Ellie sensed she was only a whisper away from awareness. It seemed only a moment until Kate stirred and her eyelids fluttered. A soft sound, uttered beneath her breath, signaled her discomfort and within seconds she was involved in another contraction. Her jaw was taut for a moment, and then she seemed to force herself to relax, inhaling deeply and releasing the captured breath through her lips.

  Through the next hour, the pattern was repeated, with Ellie able only to sit by and watch, wringing out a soft cloth in cool water to place it on Kate’s brow. Win came to the door twice and looked in, lifting an inquiring eyebrow in Ellie’s direction. But Kate only grunted, and waved him away, too intent on her labor to allow another participant.

  And then, within a few minutes, the intensity of Kate’s discomfort seemed to increase. Ellie had never felt so utterly helpless in her life. “Delivering a calf sure didn’t prepare me for this,” she muttered as Kate’s muffled groan signaled the peak of the contraction. “I just wish I could do more to help,” Ellie said fervently, reaching to clutch at Kate’s hand, offering the only comfort she could. “Shall I get James?”

  Kate shook her head, her eyes closing. “Don’t call them yet. When it really gets bad, and the pains are closer together, it’ll be time enough to—” Her words ceased and her grip tightened on Ellie’s fingers, as another contraction followed.

  “I think the time is now,” Ellie decided. She rose from the chair and went to the doorway. “Win? I think something’s different. Her pains are closer and a lot harder.”

  James was on his feet and halfway across the room before Ellie’s words were spoken. He brushed past her and fell to his knees beside the bed. “You should have let me in sooner,” he told Kate, his voice harsh with emotion.

  “It wasn’t necessary.” Kate opened her eyes, her hand lifting to touch James’s cheek. “You’ve always been a big distraction, sweetie. I needed to concentrate.”

  Win stood at the dresser, washing his hands in the basin, scrubbing his fingers with a small brush. “I have a notion things are underway, James. You sure you’re up to this?” His tone was teasing, but his look was level as he turned to the bed. “Sometimes it’s hard to see the one you love in pain.”

  “She stuck it out when Ethel took care of a gunshot wound in my arm a while back. The least I can do is return the favor,” James said with a cocky grin. “I’m not leaving you, Kate. I was with you when this whole thing started, and I’ll be here when the baby comes.”

  It seemed the pains would never cease, but Kate was uncomplaining, her body accepting the gradually increasing contractions that lifted and rounded the contours of her belly. Win’s hands were gentle, carefully examining her. His words were encouraging, acknowledging her pain, assuring her of her progres
s. And in between each session, he walked to the window, looking out into the night, pacing to Ellie’s side or across to where James murmured soft phrases against Kate’s ear, his lips brushing her cheek and forehead.

  Ellie’s head rested on the mattress, her eyes closing in spite of her determination to remain alert, until Kate’s urgent moan of distress brought her from the edge of sleep. Lifting her head, Ellie blinked and rose from the floor where she’d knelt for the past three hours. Kate gasped, groaning aloud, her breathing harsh.

  “I don’t think she can do this much longer, Doc.” James sent a grim look in Win’s direction as Kate once more sought his hand, her fingers tightening in a knuckle-whitening grip, as she turned awkwardly to her side, facing her husband.

  “She’s doing fine,” Win assured him, his level glance at Ellie an unspoken request. Her lips were taut, her eyes were shadowed, and he almost regretted allowing her to be a part of this. And yet, she smiled at him, her shoulders flexing as she leaned over the bed, applying pressure to the small of Kate’s back, her strong fingers moving in a circular motion.

  “I think we’re about there, Kate,” Win said quietly. “If James gets behind you, can you sit up just a little? I need you to push that baby into the world, honey.”

  From that point on, there was a feverish, yet controlled atmosphere in the room. Kate, leaning against James, her face contorted as she labored. Win, easing the way with his capable, strong touch, until the slippery, blue form of a baby boy lay in his hands. The tiny mouth opened and a soft mewling sound caught Kate’s attention, and she strained to peer toward the source.

  Win held the wriggling form higher, and Ellie watched as the infant’s chest rose with an indrawn breath. An angry wail, accompanied by fiercely waving fists announced the babe’s indignation at being wrenched from the warmth of his mother’s body, and his skin began losing its dark tinge, turning pink, as if a magic wand had been waved over his tiny form.

  Her eyes blurred by tears, Ellie bit at her lip. “He’s beautiful,” she whispered. “Oh, Kate. Your baby’s beautiful.”

  “Here you go, Mama,” Win said, placing the baby across Kate’s stomach. He reached for a flannel cloth. “Hold this over him while I cut the cord, Kate. He’s a slippery little fella.”

  Kate obeyed, her hands clutching protectively, her fingers encircling small legs and upper arms through the warm flannel. Three pairs of eyes watched as Win tied the pulsing cord in two places and then his scissors flashed as the connection between mother and child was severed.

  “Wrap him up,” Win told Ellie, tossing her another flannel square. “Let Kate hold him while I finish up down here.”

  Ellie’s fingers trembled as she scooped the baby into the square of fabric, and then she folded it around his wiggling form, and Kate’s arms were there, eager to accept her child.

  “I’m proud of you, Ellie,” Win said quietly, opening the back door to allow her entry to the kitchen. The moon was a soft glow at the horizon, and stars glittered overhead. “You must be tired,” he surmised, closing the back door as Ellie lit a candle on the table.

  She was silent, and he almost rued the fact that she’d had such a preview of the birthing process. It always looked to be harder on the mother than it really was, he’d decided after his first delivery. And Kate had been no exception. She’d pushed for almost an hour, working hard to bring her son into the world.

  James, determined to stick it out, had come close to tears when the red-faced, squalling babe was finally separated from his mother’s womb. Win grinned widely, remembering. Kate had reached for her son, and James, kneeling by the bed, had enclosed them both in his embrace. It was a tender moment, and one Win cherished. It made the long hours of labor worthwhile, he decided.

  Ellie was at the sink, and he went to her, hands grasping her shoulders. “You need to get to bed, honey. You’ve had a long night.” She’d been quiet, all during the cleaning up and putting to rights, and still she was silent. Then with a whimper, she turned to him, and he was dismayed by the tears in her eyes.

  “I don’t know if I can be as brave as Kate,” she whispered. “She barely made a sound, did she? Only a few groans at the end. And I wanted to cut loose with a yell, just watching her go through it.”

  “It’s harder to watch sometimes,” he said, “than it is to be the one doing the hard work.” His hands slid to enclose her in a loose embrace. “You’ll do fine when your time comes, sweetheart. And I’ll warrant Kate will be here for you.”

  Ellie looked up at him. “I’m proud to be married to you, Win. I’ve never seen you do your doctoring before. At least not the way you were when you took care of Kate. It made me feel good to see how you were, helping Kate and handling the baby.”

  “Delivering a baby is the best part of my job,” he told her. He bent his head and pressed a kiss against her forehead. “Come on, Ellie. You need to be in bed.”

  She swallowed with an effort and her eyes were anxious in the faint light from the candle. “Would you like to sleep in my bed, Win?” A rosy flush colored her cheeks, and she bit at her bottom lip.

  “Sleep, Ellie?” His heart began a slow thundering beat as he watched her. If Ellie was thinking to offer herself because it was the expected thing to do, he wouldn’t accept. And yet, if he turned her down, it might put a real dent in her pride, and that would never do. Crawling into Ellie’s bed was his aim in life these past few days. That was a given, considering his state of mind since they’d spoken their vows.

  The single long kiss they’d shared had not been followed up by a second. He’d made a point of touching her frequently during the past week, a caress on her shoulder, an arm around her waist, and bending to press his cheek against her hair several times. She’d responded to his gestures with a smile, never turning from him. But gratitude was the last thing he wanted from a wife.

  Desire was more to the point, and he wasn’t certain that Ellie felt comfortable enough with him to allow that emotion to come to the surface.

  There was only one way to find out.

  “I’d like to sleep in your bed, honey,” he said softly. “Or else you could sleep in mine. It’s closer.”

  “My nightgown is upstairs,” she said, her glaze flitting from his to rest on his shoulder, and then flicker to the wall beyond.

  “You won’t need it.”

  And at that simple statement, she turned away. “I don’t look very good without my clothes on,” she whispered. “I’m bulging in front, and my…” Her arms crossed loosely over her breasts as she struggled to speak. “I’m sort of big.” Her eyes were apologetic as she forced the explanation from her lips.

  “What makes you think that’s going to bother me?” he asked with a grin. “Didn’t you know that sometimes big is better?”

  “I’m bigger all over than I used to be,” she managed to whimper, her flushed cheeks seeming to require the presence of her hands. Wide-eyed, she looked up at him, and he clasped her hands in his, lifting them from her face.

  “That happens when a woman is going to have a child, honey. It doesn’t make you any less attractive as far as I’m concerned. I think you’re lovely, Ellie.”

  “I’m not,” she said, with a quick shake of her head. “I’m ordinary. I’ve got brown eyes and brown hair. My pa always said I’d never amount to anything.” She closed her eyes. “He told me I was only good for one thing to a man, and Tommy’d already taken care of that. No one else would ever want me.”

  “When did he tell you that?” Win asked.

  “The night I told him I was having a baby. And then he got really mad. That’s why he hit me. He’d never done that before, Win. He’d never been real nice to me, but that was the first time he ever hit me. And then he told me to get out, after he called me a lot of names, and—”

  Win’s hand covered her mouth, and his words halted her spoken misery. “What he told you wasn’t true. Making a mistake is only human. If he couldn’t understand that, then it was his loss.

/>   “And my gain,” he whispered. He ran his index finger across her lower lip. “Look at me, sweetheart.”

  She obeyed, and he watched as tears flowed silently from dark eyes that doubted his words. Lifting his hand from her mouth, he wiped at the salty residue staining her cheeks.

  “I want you, Ellie. I don’t care that you’re not slender anymore. That’s not important. In about three months, you’ll be as slim as ever, but I won’t like you any more than I do now because of it. Yes, I want to go to bed with you. But not if you’re doing me a favor. It has to be because you want to.”

  “Will you kiss me again?” she asked. “I’d like that, Win. It made me feel all soft inside when you kissed me the night we got married.”

  “Soft?” he asked with a smile. “I was hoping for warm, Ellie.”

  “That, too,” she said with a nod.

  He picked up a dish towel from the counter behind her. “Let me wring this out under the pump. I’m going to wash the tears from your face. And then we’re going to bed.”

  And in the meantime, he needed to figure out how he was going to keep his randy self in line long enough to soothe her fears.

  By candlelight the simple furnishings took on an aura of beauty. Ellie looked down at the oval, braided rug she stood on, aware that somewhere, sometime, someone had spent long hours in its creation. The windows, clad in white, sheer panels of fabric were open, and outside, the night sounds blended in a harmony that soothed her like a lullaby.

  Win’s bed was covered by a handmade quilt, fat pillows topping the soft, muted colors that formed a large star. She pulled it back, folding it at the foot of the bed, then turned back the top sheet before she sat on the edge of the mattress. Her shoes left by the back door, she wore cotton stockings, held beneath her knees with ordinary garters, and she lifted the hem of her wrapper across her lap as she leaned to roll them down her legs.

  Win watched from the doorway, lured by the innately feminine gestures, and wondered if all women were so graceful. His mother had used her hands, as did Ellie, with a minimum of fuss, yet telegraphing the silent message of elegance in their movement. Ellie’s head was bent, her attention focused on the stockings she folded with precision, laying them aside before she lifted her hands to unbutton the front of her gown.