Chapter 14
He and Nellie fell into a companionable routine. Hugh couldn’t break his habit of sleeping later each morning, and Nellie didn’t seem to mind. Once when he mentioned the lateness of the hour at which he came down to break his fast, she told him she appreciated that he didn’t rise before she had time to meet with the steward and work on the ledgers. The fact that she didn’t press him to adapt to country life endeared her to him in ways he couldn’t explain.
Each morning when he rose, he found he enjoyed taking his morning coffee and sitting out on the terrace with Nellie when the weather was nice. When the weather didn’t cooperate, he took his coffee inside.
Nellie had surprised him with the coffee. The Crimean War was to blame for his acquiring the vice of a morning cup, and once she knew he missed it, she quickly learned how to roast the beans, purchased a coffee bean grinder, and taught the kitchen how to prepare a steaming cup for him. Every morning without fail.
He often sat with Nellie while she worked on the ledgers. Occasionally he even found himself standing over her and watching what she was doing.
He refused to play the role of the gentleman farmer, but he thought if he learned some of what she did, he might be of some use when she had the babe.
To his surprise, he understood many of the instructions she gave him, and once, when she had to walk around the room to stretch the muscles in her back, he took her place behind the desk and entered the few remaining invoices. Even more surprising, he found he enjoyed sitting in on the conversations Nellie had with their land steward. His name was Evan Ruskins, and Hugh was impressed not only by his knowledge of the land and improvements to make, but by Nellie’s expertise as well.
In the afternoon, after they’d eaten a light lunch, Hugh would insist that Nellie go upstairs and rest. This was his favorite time. He would lie down beside her and hold her close to him. He’d rest his hand on her belly in hopes that the babe inside her would move and he would feel it. Often he marveled aloud at the force with which his son kicked his mother. He vowed he would have to admonish the lad when he saw him. Which from an estimated count of the time when the babe had been conceived, wouldn’t be long.
Hugh didn’t want to admit that the idea of Millie going through childbirth bothered him, but it did. In fact, there were times when he broke out in a cold sweat thinking about the risks a woman took to have a babe. Last night, he’d had one of those terrifying nightmares. He woke with a start and bolted from the bed. He went down to the study and poured himself a glass of brandy, then paced the terrace until his rapid heartbeats slowed, and he could regain control of his emotions. He swore when Nellie woke that he’d discuss going to London where there would be a doctor when the time came.
“Is something wrong, Hugh?”
The sun was rising when she stepped up beside him. “Come here,” he answered as he took her hand. When she was close enough, he brought her down on his lap and wrapped his arms around her.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck and nestling close to him.
Hugh placed one of his hands on her protruding stomach. The babe had grown noticeably in the little time since he’d arrived. It was inconceivable that someone as small as Nellie could grow so large.
“My son must be sleeping,” he said. “He’s not moving.”
“Why isn’t his father sleeping? Did something wake you?”
Hugh turned his head and kissed Nellie on the forehead. When she lifted her gaze, he kissed her on the mouth. She returned his kiss with an eagerness that pleased him. Unfortunately, to continue would only torture both of them.
He lifted his mouth from hers and nestled her closer while he rubbed his hands along her arm. “I’ve been thinking again about taking you to London. What would you think about—”
She pulled his head down and kissed him lightly. When she broke their kiss, Hugh looked into her most endearing smile. “I have no intention of going to London, but what I will do is send a letter to Brianna this morning and ask her to come.”
“How long before she can be here?”
“Tomorrow, if we can send one of the servants to deliver the message yet today. Thursday at the latest.”
The relief Hugh felt was indescribable. “Then you go inside and write to your sister, and I’ll make arrangements for someone to take your letter to London.”
Hugh helped Nellie off his lap and onto her feet. When he turned to her, he found her stifling a laugh. “What’s so funny, dear lady?”
“You, dear husband. I truly think you’re terrified I’ll have this babe and no one will be here to help me but you.”
A wave of terror clutched him and he almost lost his grip on consciousness. “Don’t even joke about that.” Hugh wrapped his arm around her waist and led her into the house. “Now write,” he ordered when she was seated behind the desk. “I’m going to find someone to take your letter to London. And I’m going to provide him with the fastest horse we own.”
Nellie’s laughter echoed from the room as he went to find someone to take Nellie’s letter to her sister. He didn’t know what she thought was so damned humorous. He didn’t know the first thing about birthing a babe. And he sure as hell didn’t want to learn.
Nellie had one of the most perfect days since Hugh’s return. They took a long walk through the garden, then across the meadow to the stream that ran through Red Oaks. Cook prepared a light lunch for them, and Hugh found a perfect log for them to sit on to eat. He teased her that if she got to the ground, it was doubtful she’d be able to get up again.
Nellie liked the way he teased her. It made their relationship seem more special, more intimate. She appreciated the fact that she could tease him in return. He had a wonderful sense of humor and saw life through a prism of lightness rather than the dark.
Her only regret was that she’d fallen so completely in love with him. She knew he didn’t share her feelings, and that was painful. Oh, he liked her. He even enjoyed spending time with her. And she thought he enjoyed spending time in the country. But that was where she had to stop fantasizing. She couldn’t pretend that his feelings went any deeper than friendship. To wish for anything more would only cause her heartache.
“Are you feeling well?” Hugh asked her after they returned from their walk. “Did we overdo it today?”
“No. I enjoyed myself. It’s been forever since I’ve spent an entire day out of doors. Thank you.”
Later, after they’d finished dinner, they sat together on a sofa in the library. It was still too early for bed, but Nellie was quite tired. She wanted to lie down. Maybe the ache in her back would ease. But she didn’t want to separate herself from Hugh. She loved it when he held her like he was doing tonight.
“I have to admit, I enjoyed today, too,” Hugh said.
“I’m glad,” Nellie said, then turned at the knock on the door.
Fredericks entered with a message. “Gregory just returned from London. He brought this.”
“Thank you, Fredericks.” Nellie took the letter. When Fredericks left the room, she opened the missive and smiled. “You have nothing to fear, husband. Brianna will be here tomorrow afternoon.”
“Thank goodness.”
Nellie couldn’t stop a laugh from escaping. Hugh was obviously relieved.
Unfortunately, that relief was short lived.
The sun hadn’t risen over the horizon when the first pain woke her.
Nellie lay in bed thinking that perhaps there wouldn’t be another, but there was. And this one was more intense than the last. She slowly crept from the bed and grabbed her robe, then stole from the room. She didn’t want to wake Hugh yet. She didn’t want him to worry before he had to.
She made her way to the kitchen and put the kettle on the fire, then made herself a cup of tea. She was sure that would soothe her. As she stood there, she realized the babe was riding lower than earlier in the day. She placed both hands below her swollen belly, conscious of a shifting, a movement that seemed as if it drew her forward into something she was completely unprepared for. And yet something for which she’d been ready her whole life. Motherhood sang in her veins and her heart opened to the thought that this was the last day of life as she knew it.
With the thought, a stream of water ran down her thighs and soaked her nightgown. She knew what it meant. Motherhood was upon her. She gasped, straightened her back, and prayed things would not progress too quickly. Within hours she would hold the one thing she would never have to let go.
Nellie absently dropped a tea towel to the floor and dragged her foot across it to wipe up the water, surprised that her hands trembled. It was real. It was happening.
She was going to have a baby.
It took ages to trudge up the stairs to change out of her soiled nightclothes, and reaching to wash her feet and ankles seemed an impossible task. But eventually she managed, and once changed and freshened, she felt renewed and ready to face the labor ahead.
With teacup in one hand and the other hand pressed to her back, she went to the morning room. This was her favorite room this time of day. It brightened with the most splendid colors as the sun peeked over the horizon. She loved watching the dawning of each new day. She would especially love watching the dawn of this day. The day when her first child would enter the world.
She was gripped with another pain, and when the pain subsided, she paced the room. Colette suffered off and on with birthing pains for hours with each of her babes. Brianna, on the other hand, only suffered a few hours. Daphne resembled Colette with her two babes and suffered off and on, but Elizabeth was in labor nearly a full day with her one babe. Nellie wondered which of her sisters she would take after and hoped her birthing procedure would be similar to Colette’s. She didn’t want to have her babe before at least one of her sisters arrived.
She walked around the room, then when the outside air warmed a bit, she stepped out on the terrace. The weather was glorious. She desperately wanted to go down to the garden, but she didn’t trust herself to take the steps unassisted. Or to get back up the steps if need be. Instead, she walked to the railing’s edge and looked out over the blooming garden.
“Are you up already?” Hugh said from behind her.
Nellie turned to see her husband. He was the most ruggedly handsome man in the world, and marriage to him was beginning to feel less of a bargain and more of a gift.
“Are you all right, Nellie?”
“I couldn’t sleep.”
He walked close to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. He’d dressed in a hurry and hadn’t bothered to put on a coat, only a lawn shirt that was open nearly to the waist. His shirt wasn’t tucked into his trousers, but hung loosely at his hips. Such a casual look made him appear even more beautifully heroic.
“Would you walk with me into the garden?”
“Of course.”
Hugh helped her down the steps, then walked with her over the cobbled path. Nellie was determined not to let him know that her birthing pains had started, but they’d barely reached the halfway point of the path when the next pain gripped her. Nellie paused and sucked in a deep breath.
“Nellie?” Hugh said.
She didn’t answer but held her breath until the pain eased, then continued down the path.
Nellie turned when she realized he hadn’t followed her. He was rooted to the spot as if he couldn’t force his feet to move.
“Nellie?” he said a little louder. His face had lost much of its color, and his voice contained a fear she prayed she would never hear.
“Nellie?” he repeated nearly at a yell.
“Everything’s all right, Hugh. It was just a cramp.”
Unfortunately, another pain gripped her, and this one was strong enough that she couldn’t keep a cry from escaping.