“Now, ye listen here, dearie. Ye might feel your bein’ alone in the world means this is more difficult, more dangerous, but every woman endures it alone, be it mother, aunt or husband holdin’ her hand. Yecando this. Ye are a mother now, and your child needs ye.”
“To bring this little one into the world, with no home and no father. What kind of life is that?” Elizabeth kept walking as she vented her fears.
Mrs Hobbs was shaking her head. “We’ll not ’ave such talk now. ’Tis the fears speakin’. It may be natural havin’ ’em, but they willna help you stay strong for the birth, nor for taking care of the babe, when it comes. There be many in this world with no ‘ome and not blessed with a set of parents takin’ care of ’em. We make do wi’ the best we got.”
Mrs Hobbs rubbed her hands over Elizabeth’s lower back, as the travailing woman leant over the bed again, resting her forearms on the mattress. “Ye ’ave one task t’day, dearie. Givin’ birth is all ye need be focusin’ on.” She tapped Elizabeth’s back, “Aye?”
Elizabeth nodded her head. She could not speak as another pain tightened her abdomen. “Pray tell me this is as bad as these pains are going to get?” she finally gasped out.
Mrs Hobbs chuckled, “Oh dearie, if I had a shilling for every time I was asked that.”
Elizabeth huffed out her own laugh, “Very well, but I do require a distraction. Something to remove my thoughts from obsessing over these pains.”
“Well, if it’s a story you be wantin’, I can tell ye, this ain’t the first I help deliver a babe to a traveller,” she tsked. “Their situation was diff’rent from yers. A whole party they be, figurin’ they’d make it ’ome for the birth. How she carried on, screamin’ and wailin’. We had to close up the taproom. They couldna take the noise.” She nudged Elizabeth, “The drinkers, not the madam. An’ that sister of ’hers. The orange-clad madam did not like bein’ ignored an’ made sure everyone heard ’er complaints.”
Elizabeth had lain back down, her body relaxing in between pains. “That indeed must have been a trying experience. For you.”
All three women tittered, then stillness settled on the room.
“Thank you, Mrs Hobbs. That was quite diverting. As difficult as my situation is, I have the comfort of knowing I have no sister with me to make it more untenable.” She paused, “Although it does sound much like the behaviour of my youngest sister.”
“How many sisters are ye?”
“We were five at one time. Now we are only four.” She closed her eyes. “I believe I shall try and rest again.”
Mrs Hobbs nodded and left, closing the door quietly behind her. Elizabeth tried to find a comfortable position, but her mind was now filled with memories of her sisters, most particularly, her youngest.
A brash, spoiled child, who had never been taught to behave with proper decorum and propriety. It was her selfish actions which sent the Bennet family down a path of loss and death.
How different her life, all of their lives, might have been, if Lydia had not made that one fatal mistake.
Iwould never have met Gregory. Or if I had, I might not have agreed to marry him, certainly not so quickly. It might have been nice to have more time to know him better, to see if love might grow. The promise Jane and I made together to ‘only marry for the deepest of love’,had no standing when it came to the reality of marrying from a ruined family.
Her hand rose to rub large circles on her stomach.
Still, I was fortunate. Gregory was a good man and a kind one. The short time we spent together before he sailed away had been agreeable. Yet now it has come to this—giving birth far from all my loved ones. I am truly grateful for the kindness of strangers.
The circular motion of her hand slowed.Very soon little one, very soon you will meet your Mama.
This was her last thought before falling into a light sleep.
~ / ~
When the pains awoke her, Mrs Hobbs again examined her opening. The pains were coming at significantly shorter intervals.
“Aye, ’tis gettin’ to be time now. Ye might feel the pressures build, but it ain’t time to push. Ye need a bit more time for the openin’ ta be jest right.”
“Mrs Hobbs, I need to walk again. The pains are more bearable in movement than lying on my back.” The older woman helped Elizabeth to her feet and kept hold of her as they slowly walked. When another strong pain nearly brought Elizabeth to her knees, Mrs Hobbs protested.
“Come now, dearie, or ye’ll be giving birth on the floor. An’ I can tell ye, it’ll be near impossible formeta get back up from it.”
Elizabeth chuckled, “Very well, but do not make me lay down on my back again." She climbed back onto the bed on her hands and knees, rocking with every wave of pain.
“If you want to, stay that way. We’ll need ta take yer shift off ye later so it willna get in the way. Mary, please start the fire. The room be warm enough for us, but the babe’ll need it warmer.”
The fire threw off more light into the room creating a soft glow which pulsed against the darkness outside the windows.
Elizabeth alternated between rocking back and forth on her hands and knees and holding still, breathing deeply when each pain developed her.
