“Boil a couple of knives for a few minutes,” she said. “Then get a stone, Seth, clean it and boil it in a different pot.”
“How long for?” Seth asked.
“Make it fifteen minutes.”
She had no idea but it had to be clean because the baby was new and would have been kept clean by its mother. They had to get things right even though they all seemed to know very little about such things.
“Is the stone to cut the cord?” Sadie asked.
“Yes.”
“Dr. Cranford mentioned that. He said the roughness seals off the ends but he didn’t mention boiling it.”
“We need to have everything clean for the baby,” Hannah said, trying to sound more confident than she felt.
“Yes. We’ve got some new clothes which I’ve made which she or he can wear.”
“I’ll just give you a wash down below,” Hannah said. “Can you bring me a bowl please, Ronald? Put in boiling water then add some cold. Have you got any you boiled before which has cooled?”
“He’s been boiling water for hours,” Sadie said. “I’ve been in labour ever since the earthquake.”
“Good. I need clean cloths too.”
Hannah washed carefully, her face screwed in concentration. This baby was a special one. New life when twenty seven had lost theirs. They must bring him or her into the world safely. She finished washing, dried Sadie and Sadie’s body stiffened, clutching her hands together as a contraction hit her. Hannah went to empty the water away and wash her hands again.
“Let her hold your hand,” she said to Ronald. “And try to concentrate on something else, Sadie.”
“When my animals give birth we stroke them and speak soothingly to them,” Seth said. “Try that, Ronald.”
The couple looked at him, began to laugh and Ronald stroked Sadie’s hair. Her face screwed again and she lifted her body a bit.
“The baby’s coming, I think,” she said.
“Would it upset you if I helped? I’ll cover you totally so I can just see the baby coming,” Seth said. “I’ve delivered many animals on my farm. Ronald must have also.”
“I haven’t,” Ronald said. “My farmhands do it.”
“I don’t mind you doing it,” Sadie said. She clutched Ronald’s hand as another pain hit her and Hannah was desperate to help her, even as she did not really know what to do.
“Breathe deeply,” she said. “My mother told me to do that when I broke my arm as a child. It takes your mind off things.”
Which appeared to help, she was relieved to see, and the top of a head began to appear. She looked at it a bit helplessly. Seth put a sheet totally over Sadie so he could only see where the baby would come and nothing else.
“I think you need to push a bit,” he said. Sadie pushed, clutched Ronald tighter and he winced a bit. The baby’s head started to slide out and Seth reached forward to guide it. It fell onto the sheet and was totally lifeless.
Hannah looked at Seth, her expression distraught. The baby was dead and that was dreadful. How could they tell Sadie and enough people had died today? Seth turned the child, tapped her sharply and her cry was like music to everyone’s ears.
“Towel,” Hannah said to Ronald. He handed her one and she put it under the baby. “Hot water and clean cloths. Could you wash Sadie, Ronald? Wash your hands first then make sure she’s thoroughly clean. Has the stone boiled?”
“It’s still boiling,” Ronald said.
“Put towels on the sofa and after we’ve finished Sadie can get back on it with a towel between her legs. We could make some little pads if you don’t mind cutting up towels. Bring some clean under garments for her.”
“Boy or girl?” Sadie asked.
“A perfectly formed and beautiful little girl.”
Sadie smiled, relaxed and they all went about their allotted tasks. Ronald washed her. Hannah washed the baby. Seth moved around clearing up. His first human delivery, he said. He wouldn’t need a midwife at his next one, which would be his wife, Hannah replied.
He looked at her, blushed and she had an urge to kiss him. His expression was so adorable. Kiss him? Him adorable? Of course she didn’t want to do that. She bent over the bowl of water and continued to wash the baby carefully.
But when it came to severing the cord she wasn’t at all sure what to do. She looked at the stone. A sharp one but not like a knife so hopefully it wouldn’t cause the cord to bleed. By now the afterbirth had arrived, something she had not expected at all but which she recalled her mother mentioning.
Seth moved to sit beside her holding two lengths of string. “I boiled them,” he said. “Would you like me to tie them on or do you want to do it?”
“You do it,” she replied and watched with interest as he tied the cord near to Sadie’s abdomen and did the same with the baby. He took the stone, rubbed carefully and there was hardly any blood. Brilliant, Hannah thought, and she could never have done it so professionally. She wouldn’t have known what to do in the first place.
“What are you going to call her?” she asked Sadie.
“Hannah,” Sadie replied. “She was Samuel’s mother in the Bible. If this little person....” She bent to kiss the baby’s forehead. “Turns out like her she will be a lovely lady. We will do everything we can to teach her about God. She’s also named after you now.”
“That’s nice,” Hannah said and felt a bit emotional.
“I’m hungry.” Sadie looked at Ronald. “And I’m sure Hannah and Seth are too.”
“I’ll cook us something,” he said. “I’ve already put a chicken in the oven. All I have to do is potatoes and vegetables.”
“I’ll help you,” Seth said, following him to the kitchen. “The ladies have done enough today. Try feeding Hannah, Sadie. She won’t take much but it will be a start. The animals always love doing that.”
She wouldn’t have thought of that, Hannah thought, and Seth really was very practical. She looked at the clock. Nearly midday and the time had flown by. Was her Seth wondering where she was or had Rex told him she had gone to clean up? Would he approve of her going to Seth’s farm and would he follow them?
She walked to the kitchen door. “It’s a lovely day,” she said.
“It is,” Seth replied, going after her to stand beside her.
“Is it alright walking in the heat?”
“We’d like it if you stay with us tonight,” Sadie said. “I think I’d feel a bit more secure because everything is so new. That is, if you don’t mind.”
“I could go and ask the doctor to call in and tell your mother,” Ronald said.
“Fetch them and we’ll do a meal,” Seth said. “I’m sure Sadie’s mother will want to be with you. She’ll also want to see the baby.”
But Hannah didn’t want to see anyone, she thought, and how could she avoid it if the doctor came? She walked through to the kitchen and began to help peel the potatoes.
“I don’t peel them at home,” he whispered.
“Nor me. The kitchen maid does it and the cook does the rest. Ouch!”
The knife slid, sliced a bit into her finger and Seth grabbed her hand and walked her over to the sink. He ran the water over it.
“I’ll put a plaster on it,” he said, reaching into one of his pockets. He had quite a few pockets, Hannah noticed, which were at various points on his pants leg. Taking out a little box he pulled a small piece of flattened chamois and placed it on the cut.
“That will keep it clean,” he said. He took a handkerchief from another pocket, cut off a strip and tied it round the plaster. “Now go and sit down and I’ll do the potatoes.”
“That’s not fair for you to do everything,” she whispered. “You’ve already done so much.”
“It’s quite fair. You obviously can’t be trusted with a knife.”
He grinned, turned back to his work and all she wanted to do was watch him. He really was good looking, she thought, and whoever was engaged to him would have a very nice face to look at. Sh
e would also have a practical husband who could deliver babies, deal with cut fingers and peel potatoes without cutting himself.
She stifled a giggle and walked through to where Sadie lay with the baby. She had gone to sleep and the infant was securely held in her arm to the inside of the sofa. She had gone through a lot, Hannah thought, and been very brave. It must have hurt but she had not complained or made a sound. Would she be as brave when she had a baby, that was, if she had a baby?
She sat on another sofa, put her head back, closed her eyes and when Seth walked through a few minutes later she too had fallen asleep. He sat beside her and looked at her sideways. She had a nice profile, he thought, and she was a nice lady. On that thought he dozed off also.
Chapter 6
Hannah and Seth slept for an hour, Sadie for two and they were all a bit worried when Ronald did not return. Maybe something had happened to him if there were falling rocks, Sadie said. She had never been in an earthquake but everything would be unstable.
“I’ll go and check,” Seth said. He looked at Hannah. “Will you be alright?”
“We’ll be fine,” she replied and wanted to go with him. There had been quite a few aftershocks, some of them fairly violent, and on the way she had seen a lot of rocks and quite a few trees. He could so easily be hurt.
“Take one of the horses,” Sadie said. “It will take ages for you to walk.”
Seth made his way outside and Hannah followed him. “You need someone with you,” she said. “I don’t like you going alone.”
That felt good, he thought, having someone worry about him, and she really was a nice lady. Rachel would be like that too and hopefully Hannah would continue to be a friend. Seth might not be so happy about it but they would be friends as two couples. He bent to kiss Hannah lightly on the cheek.
“I’ll be alright,” he said. “I know the country round here well.”
“Where does Sadie’s mother live?”
“In Lower Pine, fortunately.”
“You need something to eat.”
“I’ll have something when I get back but you and Sadie eat. She’ll need food.”
But Hannah didn’t want to, she found, particularly in view of Seth having no food, and Sadie said she would have some bread and cheese and wait to have a meal with everyone else. What did need doing was the eggs being collected because neither of them had done that in view of the baby. Would Hannah mind collecting them?
She had never collected eggs before, Hannah thought as she went outside with a large basket. She hadn’t even thought of where they came from though she knew, of course. Someone would deliver eggs and other food to their house and then the kitchen staff would deal with it.
She looked at the hills which stood a little way away. They must have been affected by the earthquake and probably many rocks came down the slopes, and even trees. It was too far to see. She went into the barn where Sadie had directed her and began to throw the food Sadie had told her to give the hens onto the floor. They clucked and made for it, obviously hungry after having to wait beyond their feeding time.
She collected the eggs and laid them carefully in the basket. Big eggs and there were a few chickens with the hens. They were so cute, she thought as she lifted one to hold for a minute. She stroked it, set it down and tried not to think of the fact that one day it might end up on someone’s dinner plate. Would she be a good farmer’s wife if she thought of that?
She set the basket down near the door and walked further down the barn to where there were horses. The cows were in a fenced in field and she was sure Ronald would milk them when he returned. Anyway, she had no idea how to milk a cow and her Seth would, no doubt, have farmhands to do that.
There were six horses and Sadie had given her a few carrots for them which they eagerly received and ate. She stroked them in turn. She liked horses and had loved the one she usually rode at home. It wasn’t hers but she had an affinity with it, she felt, and it always trotted to her when she went to the stables of its owner to have a ride.
She would canter for hours on her own, enjoying the freedom after city life. There was plenty of space on her father’s property but it wasn’t like the country. It wasn’t as open as it was here because, although they lived on the edge of the city, they were not in the country itself.
That had not bothered her but it was so beautiful here. Even in view of the earthquake it was beautiful and when she came through San Francisco they had driven along the San Pablo Bay and then seen the sea when they actually reached the city. She had also seen the sea in New York but in both instances there was not enough time to actually go on the sand.
Once she married Seth he would probably take her round the country and also to the sea. Maybe they could have holidays in San Francisco and Los Angeles because he was obviously well off. That would be really nice but for now she would explore this area once the dangers caused by the earthquake were past.
She went for the basket of eggs and shut the barn door carefully behind her. She mustn’t let anything escape because this was Ronald and Sadie’s livelihood. Walking back into the house she put the eggs in the kitchen and went through to Sadie.
“I think Hannah is taking some milk,” Sadie said. “It feels a bit wet. It’s nice having her suck and I think she enjoys it too. I made a few diapers out of towelling but she doesn’t feel wet. I’ll have to make more.”
“Have you got enough towelling?” Hannah asked.
“Yes. We bought loads of terry towelling which seems to be more absorbent. We’ve cut it into baby size squares.”
“I’ve never paid much attention to that kind of thing,” Hannah said. “I have a niece and nephew but their mother saw to that.”
“I’d never thought of it before either because I’ve had little to do with babies and certainly not on a personal level.” Sadie bent her head to kiss little Hannah. “Isn’t she beautiful?”
“She is.” A bit wizened, Hannah thought, but her face will fill out and she was probably smaller than most babies because she had arrived two months early. If Hannah ever had any babies she would at least know how to deliver one but Seth would be bound to get a midwife and doctor. Ronald would have, she was sure, but the earthquake had stopped that.
The hours passed slowly and by the time they heard the sound of wheels outside both women were worried. Hannah stood eagerly, expecting Seth, but it was Ronald and he had the doctor with him, as well as Sadie’s mother. Laura Appleby and she made a beeline for the baby, her expression full of wonder. She lifted her from beside Sadie and sat at the end of the long sofa with her.
“She looks like me,” she said, leaning across to kiss her daughter. “How are you?”
“Well, thanks to Seth and Hannah. They were going to stay the night with me.”
“I’ll stay with you, darling. You father is coming in an hour or so.” Laura looked at her granddaughter in wonder. “She is so beautiful.”
“She is,” Sadie said, her expression much the same as her mother’s.
“Did you see Seth?” Hannah asked Ronald.
“Yes. He’ll be along in a minute.”
“I need a bit of privacy to examine Sadie,” the doctor said.
“They all helped me deliver Hannah,” Sadie said. “They don’t have to go.”
“Hold the sheet up then.” He examined carefully and pronounced everything to be in order. Now he had to visit his patients in Lower Pine, he said, because nearly everyone had gone there to recover. As he went out Seth was coming in, much to Hannah’s relief, except that the relief was short lived when he said he would ride along with Dr. Cranford.
“I’ll come too,” she said. She looked at Ronald. “Can I borrow one of your horses? We’ll bring them back before going to Seth’s farm.”
“I’ll be alright,” Seth said but she insisted and he could do nothing about it. The problem was, he wanted her to go with him and felt he shouldn’t except, of course, that it wasn’t fair to leave her with people she didn’t know we
ll.
“I’ll go and choose a horse,” Hannah said, making for the barn.
Seth followed her. “You won’t know which one is most amiable.”
She smiled. “I don’t need amiable. I’ve already met them all when I collected the eggs for Sadie and fed the animals. I know which one I want.”
She went in, lifted a saddle from a hook on the wall and walked towards the horse she had chosen.
“I can put the saddle on,” Seth said, following her.
“I can do....” Hannah paused. He was being gentlemanly and she mustn’t be so independent. From now on she would be a couple and had to get used to it. “Thank you,” she finished.
“You were going to say you could do it,” Seth said.
“I’m used to doing things on my own. At the riding stables they would have done everything for me because they were paid, but I wanted the horse to know me well. I would brush it after we rode and I always put on the saddle.”
“Put it on then,” Seth said, holding it out.
“No. You can do it.”
“Why don’t we do it together?” And that was nice too, Hannah thought, and something she had not considered. Seth put it over the horse, they buckled everything and Seth stood back.
“You’d probably lynch me if I offered to lift you up,” he said.
“You’d probably break your back if you did.”
He moved back to her, lifted her and bounced her a bit. “I’m strong,” he said, swinging her up on the saddle.
“You are and thank you.” She leaned forward to stroke the animal and handed him a carrot she had taken from the kitchen. “Isn’t he beautiful?”
“He is.”
“Are your horses beautiful?”
“Of course. They belong to me.”
And Seth was beautiful, Hannah thought as she made for the door of the barn. He was absolutely beautiful in every way. The horse trotted across to where Dr. Cranford sat on his horse waiting and they all made for the gate of the property.
“Were there many more injuries?” Hannah asked.
“Yes. Quite a lot but nobody else has died or is in danger of doing so, as far as I know.”
Lone Pine Bride (The Brides Of Lone Pine Book 1) Page 7
