“I’ll tell Adams to send for the midwife,” Bett said over her shoulder as she left the room
Bett found Adams in the foyer. “Adams, please send for the midwife. Lady Williams is having the child.”
“Of course. Right away.”
“Where’s Lord Williams?” Bett asked.
“I believe he’s in his study,” Adams said.
Bett rushed down the hallway to Peter’s study. She knocked once and opened the door. Peter was seated behind his oak desk, reading over some reports. “Peter, it’s Cecily.”
Peter looked up. “What?”
“It’s Cecily. The babe is coming.”
Peter jumped up, sending the chair crashing into the bookcase behind him. “What? Isn’t it too soon?”
“Sometimes babies come early,” Bett said.
“We must send for the midwife immediately.”
“Adams is taking care of that already.”
Peter rushed past her.
Bett said a silent prayer that everything would go well with the birth. The child was coming a month early, and though that wasn’t unusual, she still worried for Cecily. Her sister-in-law was a small woman, and women frequently died in childbirth. She had no idea how Peter would handle such a loss and prayed that her worst nightmare would not come to fruition.
The midwife arrived within a half-hour, which greatly relieved her mind. Bett returned to the parlor but was so anxious that all she could do was pace. Minutes turned into hours as Cecily’s screams echoed through the hallway.
Peter rushed into the parlor. “Bett, you must come. Cecily needs you.”
Bett followed Peter to Cecily’s bedchamber and rushed to the struggling woman’s side.
There was little Peter could do to comfort his wife, and he began pacing, making Cecily even more anxious.
“Lord Williams, it would be best if you waited elsewhere. Your wife needs to focus all her attention on delivering the child,” the midwife said.
Peter was clearly reluctant to leave but gave a quick nod and left the bedchamber.
“Oh, Bett. It hurts so much. I can’t do it anymore,” Cecily wailed as another contraction hit.
Bett rinsed out the cloth in the bowl beside the bed and wiped her sister-in-law’s face. “Cecily, my dear, you can do this. You’re strong. Hold my hand and squeeze when the pain hits.”
Cecily was slight, but when the next pain hit, Bett thought her hand would be crushed.
Luckily, the midwife said, “Lady Williams, you must push again.”
Cecily looked at Bett, then at the midwife. “I cannot.”
“Yes, you can. When the next pain hits, you must bear down and push your child into the world,” the midwife said.
Cecily gritted her teeth as the pain came.
“That’s it. You’re doing well. Not much longer now, Lady Williams,” the midwife said.
Bett encouraged her as well. She could see that Cecily was exhausted and wondered how much more she could handle. “You’re almost done. Then you’ll be holding your sweet baby in your arms.”
“Push, my lady,” the midwife said.
