Half an hour later, she lay ensconced in her bed, wearing a rather roomy nightgown and propped up by a mound of pillows at her back. Her contractions had continued regularly every few minutes.
The doctor had not yet arrived and Colin fussed over her, getting on her nerves.
“Colin, would you sit down, please?” She muttered in a break between contractions.
“I can’t. What on earth is taking Finlay so damned long?”
“I was attending another labor, if you must know.” A calm and sardonic voice replied from the doorway. “You are quite lucky my previous patient had already delivered when I received your summons, otherwise, you would have had to deliver your own child. I can’t be in two places at the same time.”
“Damn it, Finlay, don’t even joke about that. You damned well knew you had to be here the moment my wife began labor.”
“Let us not argue, shall we?” The doctor turned to address his nurse, who was entering the room behind him. “Bring me a pitcher of boiled water.”
“I have already set the kitchen staff to boil water as soon as she started having contractions.” Colin informed him.
“Good, we should have a good amount, then.” The physician said, removing his coat and rolling his shirtsleeves. Just then, a maid entered, carrying a large pitcher of water. The doctor extracted a rather pungent smelling soap from his bag and started scrubbing his hands and forearms thoroughly under the stream of water poured by his nurse. She noticed Colin always did the same, and she suspected that Finlay’s practice of antiseptic methods was what had won him Colin’s approval.
“Now, with your permission, I will examine you, Lady Hartfield. Lord Hartfield, I suggest you retire from the room now, as the birthing proceedings could be quite distressing for the father. I have the situation well in hand now.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Finlay.” Colin bit out.
“Suit yourself. At least I don’t have to worry that you will pass out at the sight of blood, you being a surgeon and all.”
Abigail gritted her teeth as the doctor lifted the edge of the sheet to perform his examination. She liked Dr. Finlay immensely, and she trusted his expertise and skill, but really, the man liked to provoke her husband. This situation was uncomfortable enough without the added tension of an angry husband.
But Colin wasn’t even paying attention to what the doctor was doing. His attention focused on her face. “How are you feeling, darling?”
She nodded and tried to smile because words were beyond her at this point as another contraction ripped through her.
“It won’t be long now.” The doctor said, and Colin snapped his face around to look him in the eye.
“How is everything?”
“Everything is progressing nicely. I have to commend you, Lady Hartfield. You have been quite efficient in your labor. You are almost fully dilated.” The doctor said, washing his hands again and turning to extract an apparatus from his bag. “We could start the anesthesia now.”
“Yes, please.” She gasped.
The doctor placed the mask over her nose and mouth and she breathed in.
After that, everything was hazy. She was aware enough to follow the doctor’s directions to push, to notice Colin by her side, holding her hand, bracing her shoulders, patting her forehead with a damp cloth, but everything else was distorted. Time, sounds... everything was a blur.
Until she heard the cry of her baby.
The nurse cleaned and swaddled the baby in a soft blanket, then handed the bundle to Colin, who was looking at the crying baby in his arms as if mesmerized.
She must have made a sound, for he came to her and she noticed his eyes were suspiciously bright.
“Is he well?” she asked, then had to swallow against the lump in her throat.
“Sheis perfect.” He replied, a catch in his voice.
“A girl?” Her arms were heavy, but she extended them and Colin came to sit next to her in the bed and placed their daughter in her arms. “Oh, aren't you precious?” The baby quieted as soon as she heard her mother’s voice, turning her little head to nuzzle at her breast.
“Yes, a precious little girl. I rather think she looks like you.”
She smiled at that because the tiny baby didn’t look like anyone yet. Although the fuzz covering her head appeared to be dark, and her eyes were blue. She looked into her husband’s eyes.
“Are you disappointed that you don’t have your heir?”
