when she checked her, carefully probing the girl’s swollen
belly. “How do you feel?”
“The pain grows,” Liza gasped. Her eyes widened with
agonized fear. “My mother died in childbed,” she
whispered. “Will I, also?”
Alicen swallowed hard, but managed a calm answer.
“You’re not your mother. With your help, I’ll bring you
through.” She firmly grasped Liza’s hand. “We’ve yet
several hours. The babe’s not in position. Stay with me!”
***
Just after midnight, a woman’s agonized scream
wrenched Jeremy from sleep. Estelle! Disoriented, he had
gained his feet, sword in hand, before recalling himself.
His heart thundered as he saw Liza writhing on the cot,
and the vision of his dying wife faded from his mind’s
eye. Alicen pressed wet cloths to Liza’s forehead and spoke
soothingly.
“Please fetch Rhea, Captain. And tell her ’tis best Pearl
not attend this lying in.” Alicen glanced up and met
Jeremy’s gaze. “The child attempts to arrive soon.”
Her calm tone pleased Alicen, as it belied her inner
turmoil. Liza had been in labor for two days and now
bordered on complete collapse. She’d not hold up under
much more strain.
When Jeremy arrived with the midwife, Alicen had
everything in readiness. She hurried to the old woman’s
side and drew her into the corner farthest from Liza’s
bed.
“The child is breech,” she murmured for Rhea’s ears
only.
Rhea grimaced. “I suspected such. The labor’s been
too long for a common birth.”
Jeremy noted the women’s worried expressions and
hushed tones. His stomach tightened, and instinct warned
of danger. He moved closer. “Is there aught you wish me
to do?” he asked, voice as low as theirs.
“Do you pray, Captain?” Rhea questioned solemnly.
“If so, we could use aid from Saint Anne. And Saint
Gerard.”
Jeremy raised inquiring eyes to Alicen.
“The circumstances are dire,” she explained. “We
may—”
Liza’s scream brought them all to her bedside.
Delirious, she thrashed in an effort to free herself from
the agony.
The soldier’s mouth went dry. “Is there naught to help
her pain?”
“Very little,” was Alicen’s terse reply. “Less than an
hour ago I gave her a draught of mithridate and treacle
to speed the labor. But I can give her no more.” It took
great effort for Alicen not to wring her hands in her apron.
Fear closed a vice around her heart.
Rhea wiped sweat from Liza’s forehead and murmured
words of encouragement. Then she turned, quietly saying,
“She’s failing quickly and won’t live out the night.” Old,
black eyes met young, emerald ones. “You’ll have to kill
the infant.”
Rhea’s words seared Jeremy. He inexplicably started
to shake, staring hard at Alicen until Liza’s next chilling
cry made him jump. Instinctively, he stepped back.
Alicen bit her lip, mind roiling. Could she save both
mother and child? Without question, she had to try.
Mother, what should I do? She closed her eyes a moment,
listening. Then her eyes flew open.
“I’ll turn the babe around.”
Jeremy started, ready to swear he’d heard a voice
say those very words in an Irish brogue that was becoming
familiar to him. He felt something brush his shoulder, as
if someone had moved past him, but there was no one
else in the hut. He was about to ask if the others had felt
the same thing, but Rhea’s reaction to Alicen’s proposal
saved him.
The midwife gasped. “Are you able to do such?”
“If I’m unable, I’ll lose either Liza or the baby. Or both.
’Tis a hazard I must face.”
“You’ve the courage of a lioness, my friend,” Rhea
stated, shaking her head.
“Courage is simple for me,” Alicen responded through
a tight throat. “My life will not be lost should I fail.” She
breathed deeply. Guide me, Mother. “Captain, sit at Liza’s
head and raise her upright when I tell you to. You’ll have
to support her until she delivers.”
“Shouldn’t I go tend the horses?”
Alicen looked into Jeremy’s stricken face and knew
he’d rather be anywhere than in that hut. “We need you
here,” she stated. “Rhea and I can’t do this ourselves.”
Jeremy swallowed and moved to sit at Liza’s head.
With a shaking hand, he grasped one of hers. When she
squeezed back, his eyes flew wide at her grip.
Alicen stroked the laboring woman’s cheek and spoke
clearly. “Hold back on the next contraction. No matter
how you wish to bear down, you must not. Do you
understand?”
“I cannot hold back,” Liza sobbed. “I cannot!”
“You must. Breathe deep between pains. Pant when
they come. And don’t crush the captain’s hand.” When
another shudder began to wrack Liza, Alicen moved
swiftly to the foot of the cot. “Rhea, hold her legs. Captain,
keep her lying flat for now. Liza, hold back!”
Liza screamed again. “I must push!”
“Do not,” Alicen commanded. The baby’s rump was
between its mother’s legs. “Hold back.” When the
contraction eased, Alicen said a silent prayer, slid her
hand in next to the infant, and pushed it back up the
birth canal. Liza wailed. “Just a bit longer!” Alicen
encouraged. “In a moment, push all you wish.”
“I’m going to die,” the woman moaned. “Sweet Jesu,
I’m going to die!”
This hopeless cry raised the hair on Jeremy’s nape.
Bile burned his throat, and he struggled to hold back his
stomach. A battlefield had more appeal than this. Such
intense suffering threatened to suffocate him. Sweat
trickled down his back and from under his arms, and his
body went rigid with tension. Dear Lord, small wonder
Estelle feared this!
“You’ll not die.” Alicen’s voice held steady. “Hold back
until I tell you to push. We’re nearly finished.”
“God’s blood, but you’ve a cool head,” Rhea whispered.
Another pain hit, but with encouragement from Rhea
and Jeremy, Liza kept from straining down.
As soon as the spasm passed, Alicen turned the baby
and positioned its head correctly. Guided by an inner
vision, her fingers probed to find the umbilical cord and
assure it didn’t encircle the child’s neck. Satisfied, she
looked at Jeremy.
“Please sit her up, Captain.” When this was
accomplished and the next contraction overcame Liza,
Alicen caught the woman’s gaze and held it. “Now, Liza!
Push!”
Liza needed little encouragement to do so. Grunting,
she bore down, and the baby’s head appeared.
“Again. The babe is almost here!”
Rhea placed her hand on Liza’s swollen abdome
n and
gently assisted. Liza screamed another agonized cry. On
the fifth push, the child, amid the fluids and blood of the
caul, lay in Alicen’s waiting hands.
“You’ve a son,” Rhea exulted.
Her lined face broke into a smile as Alicen handed
her the tiny boy. She tickled the infant’s feet, eliciting a
gasping cry. Once the cord was tied and cut, the old
woman went to the basin to cleanse the baby then swaddle
him in linen.
Speechless, Jeremy laid Liza gently back onto the bed
then slumped against the wall and stared at the hut’s
other occupants, emotions chaotic. He could not honestly
say he’d relished witnessing the beginning of life.
Liza’s suffering resulted not from battle but from an
act he had heretofore performed with little thought to
more than pleasure. He’d certainly never considered the
anguish of the woman who bore the fruits of that act.
Were other men as ignorant of their culpability as he? He
could almost understand the fear that had driven Estelle
to purge herself of his child.
He nearly retched. His head spun, and he realized
how close and hot it had grown. He needed fresh air.
“Not as pretty as a battlefield, eh, Captain?” Alicen
laughed, but the sound was hollow and shaky. “I’m
surprised the sight of blood so affects such a brave
soldier.”
He clenched his teeth, fearing if he opened his mouth
to reply he’d vomit instead. The wretched vixen took
advantage of his misery, and naught could be done to
stop her. He’d have gladly choked her if he thought he
had the strength for it.
But her attention was already back to Liza.
“Rhea, assist me,” she murmured. “There’s much
bleeding, and I would set some stitches to stop it. Hold
Liza’s legs.”
Rhea glanced around, the child in her arms, then
placed him beside his mother.
“Nay, not there,” Alicen said, picking up the infant.
“Does she lash out in pain, he could be injured.” She
turned to Jeremy, who had risen and was sidling toward
the door, looking like he’d just lost a major dispute with
his stomach. “Hold the babe while we attend Liza.”
If possible, he paled even more. Complete shock
registered in his horrified expression. “I? I cannot!”
With a slight smile, Alicen offered him the boy. “You’re
fearless in the face of death, sir, yet terrified in the face of
life. I assure you, the lad won’t hurt you.”
“I might drop him.” Jeremy’s deep voice rose in pitch.
His hands shook.
“Just hold him as I show you, and all will be well.”
She laid the baby in the crook of Jeremy’s elbow, along
his forearm. “Use your other hand alongside for support.
Not too tight, now. There.”
The baby gave a hearty yowl. Unnerved, Jeremy tried
to pull back.
Alicen restrained him by grabbing his elbows. “Steady,
Captain. The lad is fine.”
“But he’s crying!” Stricken blue eyes pleaded with
Alicen not to abandon him to this child’s custody.
She patted his arm encouragingly. “He’s tired, naught
else. I must see to his mother, or his sleep will be delayed
longer.”
With Rhea’s help, Alicen quickly sewed Liza’s torn
flesh, then disposed of the bloody linen. The midwife
cleansed the young mother, resettled her, and gave her a
drink of water.
“He’s a fine boy, Liza,” Rhea said as Alicen returned.
“Thank you,” Liza hoarsely whispered. “Thank you
both.”
Another yowl obscured any reply, and the three
women gazed as one at the man holding the protesting
infant. Jeremy Blaine was misery incarnate. Dazed, he
stared at the child squirming in his arms. Sweat beaded
his upper lip, and his face was taut with concentration.
He stood stiffly, as if afraid to move lest he drop his
precious burden. He dared a desperate glance at Alicen
as she went to his side. “I’m hurting him!”
“Nay, you’re not. Be firm but gentle.” Again she
repositioned his hand. “You only need hold him a few
moments more, then he’ll sleep beside his mother.” She
chuckled as Jeremy gaped at the boy in wonderment.
“He’s a wee thing,” he said, voice hushed with awe.
“Aye, but he’ll grow to be a man.” Seeing the captain
clumsily trying to soothe the fussing babe made Alicen
smile. “Mayhap you could become a midwife when your
warring days are done, sir knight,” she lightly teased.
Intent on the child, Jeremy made no reply. Instead,
he placed his blunt-tipped finger in the boy’s hand. A
delighted grin lit his face when tiny fingers curled around
his.
“He has a mighty grip for one so small,” he whispered.
“His is a fierce desire for life.”
A fierce desire for life.
Suddenly, the impact of what had transpired hit
Alicen. Her brazen gamble almost overwhelmed her, and
her knees began to tremble. She sank weakly onto a stool
as Rhea took the infant from Jeremy’s shaky arms and
placed him upon his mother’s breast.
“The babe needs your touch, lass.” Rhea guided Liza’s
weakened hands around the child. After the new mother
had settled her boy comfortably, the midwife moved to
Alicen’s side. “My friend, ’twas the most incredible feat
I’ve yet seen. You’ve a dead man’s fear.”
Too shaken even to smile at the compliment, Alicen
quietly replied, “I did what I could.”
“And saved them both! I’ve brought two hundred
children into the world in near threescore years, but of
the dozen breech births I’ve seen, this is the first where
both babe and mother survived.” Rhea’s dark eyes glowed
in the candlelight. She clasped Alicen’s shoulder. “You
did well, lass.”
“’Twas good fortune.” And help from a far better healer
than I. Thank you, Mother.
‘Twas you who saved them, Alicen. I can do no more
than advise.
My thanks just the same.
Alicen felt a warm breath brush her cheek as she
crossed on still wobbly legs to the basin to wash. She ran
a cold, damp cloth over her face and across her neck.
When she turned, she caught Jeremy staring at her, an
unreadable expression in his eyes. Too preoccupied to
wonder at it, she let a tremulous laugh betray her
condition. “Rhea, is there any ale? I’ve ne’er before needed
a drink so much.”
“The cask hangs in the well. Fetch it, and pour
draughts for the captain and me, also.”
Soon, they raised their mugs in three unsteady hands
to salute the miracle of birth.
Jeremy drank silently, unable to tear his gaze from
the boy who now slept upon his mother’s breast. Liza
fairly glowed, plain features transformed to true beauty.
It astounded him that, after her ordeal, s
he yet had
strength to hold the child against her.
“I’ll spend the next several nights here,” Rhea stated,
breaking the silence. She met Alicen’s weary eyes. “Best
you return home. You look spent.”
Jeremy noticed that Alicen barely managed a nod.
“Get yourself to your bed, lass.” Rising, the old midwife
hugged her. “If aught goes amiss, I’ll send word with
Pearl.”
“Do not delay in doing so.” Alicen briefly grasped Liza’s
hand, stroked the baby’s dark head, then left, Jeremy at
her heels.
They rode without speaking. The eastern sky showed
faint lightening as they followed the Great North Road
toward Landeyda. At this hour, the highway was deserted.
A cool breeze blew at their backs, forcing them to a more
purposeful gait, and thus they continued for several
moments.
Charon’s easy canter lulled Jeremy deeper into his
musings on the two days past. He’d witnessed life’s
beginning. Held a newborn infant! Respect for women’s
resiliency and strength grew within him. And while
Estelle’s betrayal still seared, Liza’s incredible effort to
bring forth a babe awed him. He’d seen warriors unable
to endure far less pain, far less effort.
He shook his head and cast a glance at the woman
riding beside him. For someone who’d just delivered a
child—and saved the mother’s life as well—Alicen showed
amazing restraint. Perhaps exhaustion tempered her
happiness.
“You never let your doubts hinder your actions,” he
stated abruptly.
Alicen started up from her own thoughts and shot a
wary glance at him. “And if I said I never have doubts?”
Jeremy smiled. “I’d say you lied. You questioned
yourself last eve, but like a good general you weighed the
outcomes, took your chance, and triumphed.”
She straightened in her saddle. “Never compare me
to a soldier,” she snapped. “I’ve naught in common with
killers.”
Her heated response crackled in the cool air.
“Forgive me my clumsy attempt at praise,” Jeremy
retorted. “But, loutish warrior that I am, I admire courage
and decisiveness. All great leaders have those traits.”
Alicen suddenly felt like a petulant child. Indeed, she’d
acted as such. Her defiance crumbled. “Have a care,
Captain,” she said softly, “else I’ll begin thinking I have
Carroll, Laurie - War Of Hearts.txt Page 18