by Dilly Court
She arrived at the cellar steps and almost dropped the crusty bottle of Madeira when a figure loomed up in front of her. ‘My God, you gave me a fright, Charity.’ Harry wrapped his arms around her. ‘You’ve been gone for such a long time I thought something must have happened to you.’
She breathed a sigh of relief. ‘You scared me too.’ She held up the bottle. ‘But I found what you wanted. It was at the very end of the cellars, and I discovered something else too. Come with me and I’ll show you.’
‘What’s going on?’ Daniel demanded when they walked into the study. ‘I sensed it the moment I saw you two together.’
Harry slipped his arm around Charity’s waist. ‘Is it that obvious?’
‘It is to me,’ Daniel said, chuckling. ‘I’m sure that the two ladies in the kitchen have your measure too.’
‘I wanted to tell the world that I’d fallen in love with a wonderful woman, but Charity insisted that we kept it a secret.’ Harry’s smiled faded. ‘There was never anything between you two, was there, Dan?’
‘No.’ Charity and Daniel spoke as one.
‘Of course not,’ Charity added. ‘I love Dan as a brother.’
Daniel nodded in agreement. ‘That goes for me too, but Gideon is going to be doubly disappointed.’
‘Gideon?’ Harry gave Charity a questioning look. ‘You told me that he’d helped you, but that was all.’
‘And so it was,’ she said hastily. ‘I like Gideon and I think a lot of him, but that’s all it was on my part.’
‘She turned him down, and he was pretty cut up about it. He talked of nothing else all the way to London.’ Daniel took the bottle from Charity. ‘We need a corkscrew.’
Charity met Harry’s troubled gaze with an apologetic smile. ‘I would have told you, Harry, but it didn’t seem important. I was grateful to him for all his help, but I never knowingly gave him any encouragement. He’s a good man and he deserves better than me, as do you.’ She held her hand up as Harry was about to speak. ‘There, I’ve said it and it’s out in the open. I’ve been allowing myself to think that we might have a future together, Harry, but it was wishful thinking.’
He seized her by the shoulders and twisted her round so that she was facing him. His dark eyes flashed with anger. ‘That’s arrant nonsense. I love you and you love me. What more could anyone want?’
She drew away from him, shaking her head. ‘Ask your brother if he thinks that I would be well received as your wife.’ She turned to Daniel. ‘Tell him, honestly.’
Daniel’s cheeks burned with spots of colour. ‘It has nothing to do with me.’
‘This is ridiculous, darling,’ Harry said angrily. ‘I don’t give a damn what other people think. I love you and I want to marry you.’
‘Even if it were possible, that must be the most unflattering proposal any woman ever received.’ Charity pushed past him. ‘I’m going to the cottage. Vi wasn’t feeling very well this morning. I want to make sure she’s all right.’
‘We need to talk this through.’
She spun round to face him. ‘I want some time on my own, Harry. We’ve been living in a make-believe world and now it’s time to face reality.’ She stormed out of the room, leaving the door to slam behind her.
She did not want Mrs Diment or Mrs Trevett to see her in such a state. They would only have to take one look at her to realise that something was wrong, and she would be overwhelmed with cups of hot sweet tea and bombarded with questions. After all this time she knew the house well enough to find her way out through the conservatory without getting lost, and she headed off across the fields towards the cottage.
Violet’s screams of agony rang out even before Charity had reached the front door. She let herself in and raced up the stairs to find Violet lying on her bed, her face contorted with pain and Dorrie silently weeping as she held her hand.
‘Why didn’t you send for me?’ Charity demanded angrily.
‘I dunno what to do,’ Dorrie murmured through her tears. ‘She won’t let go of me hand.’
Charity moved swiftly to the bedside. ‘Let her go, Vi. I’m here now. Everything will be all right.’
‘The baby’s coming,’ Violet gasped. ‘It hurts something awful. I’m being punished for my wickedness.’
‘I’ll stay with you while Dorrie runs to the house and fetches Mrs Diment. She’ll know what to do.’
‘I need a doctor.’ Violet let go of Dorrie and reached out to grab Charity’s hand. Her face contorted with pain as another contraction racked her body.
Charity stroked Violet’s damp hair back from her forehead. ‘On second thoughts, Dorrie, go to the rectory and ask Mrs Simms where the doctor lives. Tell her that Vi’s baby is coming.’
Dorrie backed out of the room and Charity heard her footsteps pounding on the stairs followed by the opening and closing of the front door. She tried to keep a semblance of outward calm, but inwardly she was quaking. She had not the slightest idea what to do and only the vaguest notion of what happened when a woman gave birth. She assumed a smile. ‘You’ll be fine, and soon you’ll have a lovely baby girl to put in the crib that Mr Raines gave you.’ Her last words were drowned by Violet’s screams.
There was little that Charity could do other than try to keep Violet calm. It was stifling in the room beneath the eaves and Violet was sweating profusely. Charity managed to prise her hand free and hurried downstairs to fetch a bowl of water and a clean towel. She tore off strips and used them to bathe Violet’s brow. She kept up a monologue, talking about anything and everything in an attempt to distract Violet, but time passed so slowly that the clock might as well have been going backwards. The pains were getting closer together. Charity prayed silently for someone to come who knew something about birthing babies, and in the middle of a particularly painful contraction, when Violet’s screams reached a crescendo, Charity realised that someone was knocking on the front door. ‘Come in,’ she shouted. ‘It’s not locked.’
But the hammering continued and Charity was forced to leave Violet, promising to return instantly. She ran down the stairs and opened the front door. ‘Oh,’ she said, fighting back tears of disappointment and distress. ‘It’s you.’
Chapter Twenty-Two
JANE RAINES STEPPED over the threshold, clutching a black leather medical case. ‘I’m a fully trained Nightingale nurse,’ she said briskly. ‘Dorrie turned up at the rectory in a state of near collapse, poor child.’ She headed for the staircase. ‘Bring me hot water and clean towels.’
Charity stared after her, too surprised to move. Violet’s screams echoed throughout the small cottage, but the stern tones of Jane Raines seemed to have a calming effect. Gathering her scattered wits, Charity set about making up the fire before going outside to fetch water from the well. Violet’s agonised cries seemed less frequent, and Charity could only think that the sudden appearance of Miss Raines must have shocked her into silence.
She was about to mount the stairs carrying a clean towel and a kettle filled with hot water when she heard the sound of a baby crying. She uttered a sigh of relief and took the stairs as fast as her long skirts would allow.
The room was filled with sunshine and Violet was propped up on pillows cradling the swaddled infant in her arms. ‘It’s a girl,’ she announced proudly. ‘I told you it would be.’
Jane folded a pile of bloodied bedding into a bundle. ‘I’ll take these to the rectory. I’m sure Mrs Simms won’t mind if I ask Jennet to put them in the copper on washday. I don’t suppose you have the luxury of a washhouse in such a small cottage.’
Charity met Jane’s cool gaze and saw the beginnings of a smile in her ice-blue eyes. ‘Thank you, Miss Raines. I don’t know what I’d have done if you hadn’t taken over.’
Jane shrugged her shoulders. ‘I’ve lost count of the births I’ve attended. This one was quite straightforward.’
‘That’s easy for you to say, miss,’ Violet muttered, rubbing her cheek on the baby’s downy head. ‘You wasn’t at th
e receiving end.’
‘Perhaps it will teach you to be more careful in future.’ Jane looked down her long nose at Violet. ‘You must learn to say no, at least until you have a husband to provide for you and your offspring.’
Violet’s eyes welled with tears and Charity placed herself firmly between nurse and patient. ‘May I offer you a cup of tea, Miss Raines? It seems little enough thanks for what you’ve done for us today.’
‘A happy mother and a healthy baby is my reward.’ Jane picked up her bag. ‘But a cup of tea would be most welcome.’ She shot a stern glance in Violet’s direction. ‘Follow my instructions and we’ll have you up and about in no time.’
‘Thank you, miss.’
‘I’m returning to my position at St Thomas’ Hospital at the end of the week,’ Jane said, moving towards the doorway. ‘But I’ll call in before then to make sure that everything is as it should be.’
She left the room and Charity moved closer to the bed. ‘What are you going to call her, Vi?’
‘Alice Charity Dorrie Chapman. Isn’t she beautiful?’
‘She most certainly is. She’s perfect.’ Charity stroked the baby’s velvety head with the tip of her forefinger. ‘I’ll go downstairs and make Miss Raines some tea, and I’ll bring you a cup. Would you like me to put Alice in her crib so that you can have a rest?’
‘Not yet,’ Violet said sleepily. ‘In a while maybe.’
Charity felt almost envious as she went downstairs. The sight of Violet holding her baby in her arms had touched her deeply, and she wondered if she would ever know the joy of having a child of her own. It was something she had never considered in the past, but now it brought an ache to her heart.
She found Jane seated at the kitchen table, tapping her fingers impatiently. ‘I should be getting back to the rectory. Philip insists on punctuality at mealtimes, as I’m sure you’ll remember.’
‘The kettle is boiling. It won’t take long to make tea.’
Jane watched in silence while Charity warmed the pot, added three spoonfuls of Darjeeling and poured in the boiling water. She set the pot on the table to brew while she took the cups and saucers from the dresser.
‘I see that you’ve made yourselves comfortable here,’ Jane said at length.
‘Yes, indeed.’ Charity filled the cups, but did not choose to elaborate, even though she could see that Miss Raines was curious.
Jane sipped her tea. ‘My nephew is very fond of you.’
‘I don’t know what we would have done without his help.’
‘He is a good man and he could go far in the church.’
Charity put her cup down on its saucer with a clatter. ‘Please say what you came to say, Miss Raines. I can see that you’re leading up to something.’
‘If that’s the way you want it, Miss Crosse, I am only too happy to oblige. It’s quite obvious to me that Gideon is infatuated with you, and it will not do.’
Charity met her angry gaze with a cool look. ‘I’ve never done anything to encourage his attentions,’ she said wearily. It was becoming tiresome to have to keep repeating such an obvious truth.
‘Maybe not intentionally, but if Gideon were to marry beneath him it would ruin his chances of advancement in his calling. Do you understand?’
Charity rose to her feet. ‘I may be a common girl, but I am not stupid, Miss Raines. I would never do anything that would hurt Gideon.’
‘That isn’t an answer. I want you to promise me that should Gideon be foolish enough to propose, you will refuse his offer of marriage.’ Jane reached for her bag and stood up.
‘I make no promises to you, Miss Raines. What passes between Gideon and me is our business.’
Jane snatched up the bundle of washing. ‘Don’t take that tone with me, young lady. If you were one of my nurses I’d have you punished severely for such insolence.’
Charity filled a cup with tea, adding a lump of sugar. She headed for the stairs. ‘Goodbye, Miss Raines. Thank you once again for looking after Violet. I am truly grateful, but I’m sure you can find your own way out.’
Dorrie returned an hour later, laden with gifts from the rectory and from Bligh Park. She flew into the cottage, pink-cheeked and breathless. ‘Mrs Simms gave us a fruit cake and a meat pie, and Mrs Diment sent some eggs and butter. She said that Violet needed good food to build her up.’
Charity took the basket from her. ‘That was very kind of them.’
‘Can I see the baby now?’
‘I think they’re both asleep, so maybe you should wait until Alice wakes up. You’ll soon hear her; she has a fine pair of lungs.’
‘Alice is a nice name.’
‘And she’s called after you too.’
Dorrie’s eyes sparkled. ‘She’s named after me?’
‘She is Alice Charity Dorrie Chapman. Perhaps Violet will ask you to be one of Alice’s godmothers.’
Dorrie flopped down at the table, repeating the word godmother again and again. ‘It makes me sound like a fairy,’ she said at last. ‘I could be a fairy godmother.’
Charity laughed and the strain she had felt since her uncomfortable talk with Jane seemed to evaporate. Dorrie had reminded her that they were a proper family. They might not be related by blood but their ties were just as strong.
‘I wonder if Mrs Diment and Mrs Trevett will be godmothers too,’ Dorrie said, eyeing the fruit cake hopefully. ‘Mrs Simms would be a good one because she makes lovely cakes. D’you suppose we ought to have a taste? We don’t want it to give Vi belly ache.’
Charity cut her a slice and put it on a plate. ‘I think it’s up to Vi who she wants to stand up for her daughter, but I’m sure you’ll be her first choice.’
‘Does a baby have a godfather too?’
‘Yes, I believe so.’
Dorrie frowned, munching a mouthful of fruit cake. ‘Then I suppose that would have to be Mr Daniel now that Mr Harry has left.’
‘Left?’ Charity dropped the knife and it clattered onto the flagstone sending crumbs flying in all directions.
‘Mrs Diment said he left for London, sudden-like. She said it took them all by surprise.’
Charity felt as if the air had been sucked from her lungs. ‘There’s something I forgot to do at the big house. I want you to stay here and look after Vi and the baby. You don’t have to do anything except maybe take her up something to eat and drink if she asks. Can you manage that, Dorrie?’
‘Of course I can.’ Dorrie puffed her chest out. ‘I’m nearly nine. I dunno exactly when my birthday is, but Dr Marchant said it was probably some time in June. He used to give me a new pair of boots for me birthday and a new dress.’
‘I’m sure we can manage something better than that.’ Charity reached for her bonnet and shawl. ‘I won’t be gone long.’
Daniel was in the study, sitting in the padded leather chair with his feet up on the desk and his eyes closed. He opened them with a start when Charity burst into the room. ‘What’s the matter?’ he demanded sleepily. ‘Is the house on fire?’
‘Why did Harry leave so suddenly?’
‘Why do you think? You made it clear that you didn’t want to marry him, and anyway he had to take the rest of the ingots up to the dealers.’
‘It’s not that I don’t want to marry him, and he knows that. There was no need for him to go flying off without speaking to me. What am I to think?’
Daniel swivelled round to place his feet firmly on the floor. ‘You told him there was no hope. If a girl I loved said that to me I think I’d feel pretty bad about it too.’
‘But you must understand why I said those things.’
‘No. To be honest I don’t.’ He stood up and stretched. ‘I think you’re putting obstacles in the way for some reason best known to yourself. You’d make him a splendid wife. Who cares what other people think?’
‘You’re as bad as he is,’ Charity said angrily. ‘Harry is an important person in this part of the world.’
‘And he loves you, you goos
e.’ Daniel walked round the desk and hooked his arm around her shoulders. ‘Can’t think of anyone I’d like better as my sister-in-law.’ His smile faded. ‘You aren’t thinking of tying yourself to Gideon, are you? He’s a good chap and all that, but he’s not for you.’
‘So I’ve just been told by Miss Raines,’ Charity said with a rueful smile. ‘Everyone seems to think they know what’s best for me.’
‘Harry would have something to say if he thought Gideon was making advances to you. He said he was going to look him up when he reached London.’
‘I’m sure Gideon wouldn’t say anything untoward, but I just hope his aunt doesn’t try to interfere.’
‘When did you see that awful woman? I thought she was away working as a nurse in one of the big London hospitals.’
‘About an hour ago. When I got home I found Vi in labour and I sent Dorrie for help. She went straight to the rectory and Miss Jane turned up on the doorstep. She took over and I was very glad she did. Vi has a lovely baby girl and both of them are doing well.’
‘That’s wonderful.’
‘It was afterwards I had to suffer a cross-examination. I felt as if I was up before the beak.’
He grinned. ‘I’ve only met Miss Raines once and that was enough: I bet she puts the fear of God into her patients. She certainly scared me.’ He pointed Charity towards the door. ‘Let’s go and see what Mrs Trevett has prepared for luncheon. I’m starving.’
‘I’m not very hungry, and I need to get back to the cottage in case Vi needs me.’
‘A few more minutes won’t make much difference, and you must eat.’
Mrs Diment and Mrs Trevett plied Charity with food and kept asking questions about Violet’s labour until Daniel protested that he was eating, and it wasn’t a fit subject to discuss in front of an unmarried man. Mrs Diment pursed her lips and Mrs Trevett sighed. ‘Tell us more about little Alice. Is she a bonny baby?’
