by HELEN HARDT
“Who bloody cares about the rug?” Sophie cried. “My sister is in pain!”
“I’m sorry, my lady. But I’m sure the earl—”
“The earl will only care that my sister is comfortable and well, I assure you,” Sophie said.
“Yes, I’m sure he will, my lady,” Millicent said. “But it won’t hurt to get some linens under her now, will it?”
Sophie sucked in a breath. She was being rude, and she made a point never to be cross with the help. They were people too. “I’m sorry, Millicent. Please forgive me. I’m just so worried about Ally.”
“I understand, my lady.”
Haley and Elspeth helped Millicent gently move Ally until the linens were underneath her.
“Can you sit up a minute, my lady?” Millicent asked Ally. “We need to get your gown loosened. You’ll be much more comfortable.”
“Just get the damned thing off of me, Millicent,” Ally said through gritted teeth.
Sophie couldn’t help letting out a little laugh. Ally was still Ally, even when in pain.
Sophie continued holding Ally’s hand while the three maids gently moved her, loosening and removing her gown. Ally sat only in her chemise and drawers, which were wet from her waters breaking.
“Shouldn’t we remove her drawers as well?” Haley asked.
“Yes, we probably should. If she starts to deliver before the doctor gets here, they’ll need to be off,” Elspeth said.
Sophie’s body warmed with embarrassment for her sister. Why couldn’t they have gotten her to her chamber? Or at least to a servant’s chamber. Anywhere but the main parlor.
Sophie glanced at Elspeth. She had been with the Brighton estate for decades. “Elspeth, have you ever helped with a birth before?”
“Oh, of course, my lady. I attended the countess herself when she birthed both Lady Miranda and Lord Evan.”
“But there was a doctor there, yes?”
“No, milady. Only a midwife. I assisted her.”
If only a midwife were here. Or a doctor. Or anyone who had delivered a baby, for goodness’ sake.
Elspeth gently removed Ally’s drawers.
And gasped.
Sophie’s heart leaped. “What is it, Elspeth?”
Elspeth’s lips trembled. “Lady Alexandra is crowning.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Crowning? What the devil is crowning?” Sophie squeezed Ally’s hand tighter.
“It means”—Elspeth breathed rapidly—“it means the baby is coming. Now!”
“How is that possible, Mum?” Haley asked. “This is her first child.”
“I don’t know,” Elspeth said. “I’ve never seen such a thing myself. But as God is my witness, this baby is coming.”
“I need to push!” Ally screamed.
“Lord Almighty.” Elspeth crossed herself. “Haley, go get Cook and tell him to bring lots of that boiling water he has on the stove. Millie, you come here and help me.”
“No,” Ally said. “I want…Sophie.”
“I’m right here, Ally.” Sophie squeezed her sister’s hand harder. “And I’m not going anywhere.”
“No, I mean…I want you to help Elspeth.”
“Ally, Millicent is much better equipped to help.”
Ally let out another scream. Sophie shuddered. She had never heard a woman scream at such a high pitch. Ally was in a lot of pain.
“That’s good, my lady,” Elspeth said. “Now give me another push.”
“I want Sophie!”
“I’m right here.”
“Please, Sophie, if you ever wanted to do something for me, do this. I want you to watch the birth of my child so you can tell me everything you see.”
Dear Lord. Sophie wasn’t sure she wanted to watch. But for Ally, to whom she owed so much, she would do anything. She sucked in a breath. “If you’re sure.”
“I’m sure—” Then another scream ripped from Ally’s throat.
Sophie’s pulse raced. “Millicent, please come hold her hand. Once Haley returns, she can assist Elspeth. I will only”—she gulped—“witness the birth.”
Sophie reluctantly moved toward Elspeth. She didn’t want to look. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and then opened them.
God, the blood… Sophie wavered, but got her bearings. Between Ally’s legs, a tiny head of black hair appeared.
“Oh my goodness, Ally! I can see your baby! I can see the head!”
“That’s it, milady,” Elspeth said. “One more push, and I think we’ll have ourselves a baby.”
Ally screamed, and a tiny person emerged from her womb. Sophie’s heart nearly burst. This was her tiny niece or nephew…
A niece! She had a baby niece!
“It’s a girl, my lady,” Elspeth said.
Ally fell backward. “Oh, a girl… Little Maureen, after Evan’s mother.”
Haley returned with the water.
“Just in time,” Elspeth said, handing her the baby. “Clean up this little one and keep her warm, and then get her to her mother’s breast.”
“It’s over now, Ally,” Sophie said. “You have a perfect little girl.”
“If it’s over, why do I feel so—” Another scream tore from her gut.
“It’s just the afterbirth, my lady,” Elspeth said. “Not to worry.”
Haley’s eyebrows shot up. “But Mum, the afterbirth isn’t supposed to—”
“Shhh!” Elspeth said to her daughter.
Haley finished cleaning baby Maureen and handed her to Ally, who was propped up by pillows.
“Hold her to your breast, my lady,” Haley said. “Keep her warm.”
“Yes, of course. Oh, she’s so beautiful—” And still another gut-wrenching scream.
“Goodness, what is the matter? Can you help her?” Sophie shuddered, her heart still galloping. Ally had endured so much pain in her short lifetime. If only Sophie could bear this for her.
“I’m trying,” Elspeth said. “The afterbirth—it doesn’t seem to be coming… Oh!”
“What is it?” Sophie demanded.
“It’s… It’s… Oh, my lady… It’s another baby!”
Another baby? Sophie clasped her hand to her mouth. “Ally, the most amazing thing! It’s twins! You and Evan…you’re having twins!”
Ally’s breath was coming in rapid pants. Haley grabbed baby Maureen from her and wrapped her in warm blankets.
“That’s it, my lady… It’s coming…”
Sophie watched, mesmerized, as another baby appeared, this one with light-brown hair.
“One more big push,” Elspeth said.
Ally let out a deep roar.
Another niece!
“It’s another baby girl!” Sophie said.
Ally fell backward, her eyes rolling to the back of her head.
“Oh my goodness, is she all right?” Sophie asked.
“She’s most likely fine, my lady,” Elspeth said, handing the new baby girl off to Haley for cleaning. “The poor thing’s just exhausted.”
Sophie hurried to Ally’s side and clasped her hand. Ally’s eyes were closed and her breathing rapid. Frigid claws of fear crept along the back of Sophie’s neck. She had a bad feeling, but Elspeth had assisted many births and probably knew what she was talking about.
Sophie lowered her head and kissed her sister’s cheek, whispering, “That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen, Ally. Thank you for making me watch so I could tell you all about it. You have two beautiful daughters, and I have two beautiful nieces. Thank you for this phenomenal gift.”
Ally, unconscious, didn’t respond.
“Let’s get these babies to the nursery right away, Haley,” Elspeth said. “Lady Alexandra will not be able to nurse them for a few hours. She needs some rest. Is there a wet nurse available on the premises?”
“I’m not sure, Mum,” Haley said. “One of the stablemen’s wives had a baby a few months back, but I don’t know if she’s still giving milk.”
“Then go
to the kitchen and prepare some bottles with watered-down cow’s milk. It will do until her ladyship is able to feed them.”
Haley handed the new baby girl to Millicent, who was already holding little Maureen. Millicent cuddled the two babies close to her, keeping them warm.
Elspeth was still cleaning up the mess between Ally’s legs. “This afterbirth is messier than any I’ve seen,” she said.
Sophie’s nerves skittered. “Is everything all right?”
“I think so,” Elspeth said. “There’s just an awful lot of blood…”
That did not sound good. Sophie worried her lip. “I do hope the doctor gets here soon.”
“As do I, milady,” Elspeth said. “The afterbirth has come out, but the bleeding is not stopping.”
No! Please, no. Sophie’s insides churned. What if Elspeth couldn’t stop the bleeding? What if the doctor never got here? Where were Evan and Mother? Why was this happening? These two little girls needed their mother, and selfish though she may be, Sophie needed her little sister.
Sophie continued holding Ally’s hand. Beads of perspiration emerged on Ally’s forehead, her eyes still closed in what appeared to be a dreamless sleep.
“Oh, Ally, hold on,” Sophie said. “You have two baby girls who need you.”
The blood still came. Sophie gulped as Elspeth soaked towel after towel with the sticky redness.
The door to the parlor thundered open, and Evan, a true mountain of a man, entered loudly. “Where is my wife?” he demanded and then cast his gaze to the unconscious Ally, Elspeth between her legs trying to staunch the bleeding. “Oh my God! What is happening?”
“Thank God you’re here, Evan,” Sophie said. “We’re still waiting for the doctor, and Ally is bleeding from her womb. But look”—she pointed to the two bundles in Millicent’s arms—“you have two baby daughters.”
“Two? But my Alexandra… What’s going on?” Evan’s face turned pale. His eyes glowed with extreme happiness and extreme fear at the same time. “Where is the goddamned doctor?”
“We don’t know, my lord,” Millicent said. “Mr. Bertram went to fetch him, and they’ve not returned yet. You should leave. This is no place for a gentleman.”
“You’ll have to drag me out of here unconscious then,” Evan said. “I will not leave my wife’s side.”
“Come around to the other side, Evan, and take her other hand,” Sophie said. “She needs to feel your presence. We need to give her our will to be strong. Talk to her. Perhaps she’ll hear you.”
Evan did as Sophie bid and took his place on Ally’s other side. He grabbed her hand and clasped it to his cheek. “Oh, my sweet love, please fight for us and our two precious daughters. Where is that fucking doctor?”
Haley returned with two bottles of milk for the babies. She took one child from Millicent. “Let’s get these two to the nursery,” Haley said.
“I haven’t even gotten to hold them,” Evan said, his eyes sunken and sad.
“You’ll have plenty of time to hold them, Evan,” Sophie said. “Haley and Millicent will take good care of them for now. Right now our focus has to be on Ally.”
Evan nodded.
Time passed slowly, and Sophie thought the doctor would never arrive until finally, the parlor door burst open, Iris, the earl, and a gentleman who looked to be a doctor entering.
Iris gasped. “What is going on here?”
The doctor took immediate charge. “I need everyone out of here right away. Except for you.” He nodded to Elspeth.
Sophie gathered all her strength to release Ally’s hand, stand, and leave the room.
Evan was not so quick to leave. “I’ll not leave my wife, Doctor. She needs me.”
“I’ll not deny she needs you, my lord, but I must be able to do my work. You are too emotionally involved and will hinder what I need to do. Please.”
Evan must have agreed, because when Sophie turned around, he had let go of Ally’s hand and was walking toward the door.
Sophie ran into her mother’s embrace. “Mama, I’m so scared. She’s bleeding so profusely.”
Iris sniffed and wiped away a tear. “She is strong, Sophie, as strong as a woman can be. I’ve never known anyone stronger than your sister.”
Sophie agreed. “Nor have I.”
The doctor requested a few more maids and then asked not to be disturbed, that he would have news when some was available.
David Xavier, the Earl of Brighton and Sophie’s stepfather, was a rock in this sea of uncertainty and fear. He took his wife’s hand and then clapped his son on the back. “There’s nothing we can do for Alexandra right now. Be strong and be brave for her, because that’s what she needs. Dr. Blake is the best physician in the area, and he will do his best for Ally. Why don’t we go see my new grandchildren?”
Iris smiled a weak smile. “Yes, David, I would like that.”
“An excellent idea,” Sophie agreed. “I’d love to see my new nieces.”
“Nice work,” the earl said to Evan. “Twins.”
“I don’t know how to feel right now,” Evan said. “Without Alexandra… I can’t even think of it. But two beautiful daughters? I feel like the luckiest man alive.”
“Wait until you hold your child. You will feel emotions you never knew you had,” the earl said.
“The contradictions in my emotions right now… I’m being twisted apart.”
Sophie nodded to her brother-in-law. She knew exactly what he was feeling. The four of them climbed the stairs to the nursery adjacent to Evan and Ally’s suite of rooms on the third level.
The new babies were both sleeping, having just finished their first meal. Sophie’s heart fell a little. Their first meal should have come at Ally’s breast. But think positive, Sophie. Their second or third will come from their mother. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Sophie forced a smile and strode forward.
* * *
Zach finished up the rehearsal schedules and sat at his desk, contemplating his new lead soprano, Lady Sophie MacIntyre. Such a contradiction she was—a regal lady of the peerage, naïve and timid, yet so eager to explore her sensual side, more eager than she even knew or was willing to admit. He never would have guessed she could be such a tigress. He wanted more of her, and not just the sex. He yearned to truly know her, find out what made her tick, help her find her voice. He chuckled softly to himself. He’d never imagined any woman could bring him to his knees, certainly not such a shy and awkward lady of the peerage.
His groin tightened at the mere thought of her pink lips, her caressing touch, her eyes that glowed with fire when she was aroused.
He’d never courted a woman, had never even considered it. But now?
He withdrew his pocket watch. Nearly teatime. Perhaps a ride out to the Brighton estate was in order, to pay a call on Lady Sophie. He longed to see her face, to hear her sweet voice, to feel her soft lips against his. And maybe another walk about the estate afterward…
* * *
Sophie gazed down at the dark-blond child she held—adorable baby no-name. Evan held his firstborn daughter, Maureen Iris, the name he and Ally had chosen for a girl—named for both of their mothers.
“And what will your name be, I wonder?” Sophie asked her little niece.
The baby slept. She was so tiny. Millicent had weighed the babies, and neither one of them had made six pounds. Probably normal for twins, and that no doubt explained why they had come so early, Sophie mused.
Evan looked unkempt and worried, yet to see this mountain of a man holding his tiny child… Sophie couldn’t help but smile and wonder at the miracle of it all.
But Ally… Her strong, wonderful Ally. How was she faring? No one had come to give them any news, and no one was rushing to leave the nursery. Iris and David were holding hands, Iris’s fine features etched with worry.
“You’re so beautiful,” Evan said to tiny Maureen. He turned Sophie. “May we switch? I’d like to hold…the other one.”
Sophie smiled. “
Of course.” They quickly switched babies so that Sophie was holding Maureen, her shock of black hair slick upon her head. Maureen was slightly bigger than the other baby but still so tiny. “What do you think you and Ally will name the other?” Sophie asked. She purposely said “you and Ally,” not just “you.” She couldn’t accept the thought that Ally might not…
She couldn’t even form the words in her mind. Ally would be fine. She had to be.
Maureen started to fuss a bit, and Sophie rocked her gently. “It’s all right, baby. Your mama will be with you soon.”
Sophie nearly jumped out of her shoes when a knock pounded on the door.
“Yes, come in!” Evan yelled, his tone laced with anger and fear.
The door opened, and Bertram stepped in. “My lords and ladies, the doctor has news.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Sophie’s nerves jumped, and she nearly forgot to breathe. Millicent rushed toward her and took baby Maureen. Sophie looked to Evan, who had paled even further than she thought possible.
“Is Alexandra all right?” he asked.
“I’m afraid I don’t have that information, my lord,” Bertram said. “Mr. Graves sent me up to tell you all to come down with haste. The doctor is waiting for you in the library to discuss her condition.”
Sophie didn’t know whether to run out of the room and down the stairs or walk slowly. Her mind was such a jumble. How could she be so happy about the babies and so sad and frightened about Ally at the same time? Emotion gripped her like a vise. Fear surged through her veins, cold as ice. She turned to Evan. Ally was his wife now, and he should take the lead.
Evan handed the other baby to Millicent as well. “Very well. Thank you, Bertram.”
“We’ve got you, son,” the earl said.
Somberly, they all marched down the stairs into the library.
Dr. Michael Blake stood next to a bookcase, his clothing soiled with Ally’s blood. Sophie’s heart sank.
“My lord,” Dr. Blake said to Evan, “perhaps we should speak alone.”
