Chapter Fifteen
Gabe had a problem now. Several, if he were honest, but one leaped above the others as he watched Miss Caddick care for Winnie.
He found her worthy. Not just of respect, for every soul deserved that, but of loyalty.
Throughout his life, he had met a few men who had a fire within.
People who worked for an ideal through muck and exhaustion, with their first breath of the day, and the last beat of their heart.
They had God’s call in their ears and rarely heard any sound except that.
They could not be corrupted from their purpose nor swayed from their goals. Honest men with pure purpose.
Lord Benedict was one such man and Gabriel had dedicated his life to that man’s righteous endeavors.
And now he had met a worthy woman.
Miss Caddick seemed tireless as night faded away and morning bled into the tiny room. When there was dirt, she cleaned. When there was rest, she watched. And when there was no more to do, she waited. If she dozed, he didn’t see it, and he was watching her closely.
He helped when he could, and she didn’t naysay him. There seemed to be little pride in her except in the steadiness of her work and the strength of her purpose. He found that worthy beyond the capacity of a normal person. Worse, he found it extraordinarily attractive.
Throughout his childhood, he had been surrounded by beautiful, sensuous women. There was a time he bedded them, exploring the limits of physical pleasure. It was a very short time because pleasure only lasted for a moment, but respect could last a lifetime.
He didn’t respect his mother or her students. And he didn’t respect himself when he availed himself of those women. But somehow a slip of a woman dripping milk into a dying woman’s mouth had his staff rigid with desire in a most inappropriate place, and for the most inappropriate woman.
She was to be Lord Benedict’s wife. And as the day wore on, he could think of no better equal to the man he served. Two souls, fired with purpose. They matched each other for ideological passion.
But two such souls were not practical companions.
They might respect each other’s fire, but neither would be willing to compromise in favor of each other’s first love.
Lord Benedict would be better served by a woman who denied everything else in favor of her husband’s goals.
Miss Caddick was not that kind of woman.
And yet he admired her all the more for it.
Certainly, he had felt this attraction to her before now.
He had noticed the curve of her breasts, the lift of her cheeks, and of course the light in her eyes.
She was a lovely woman who barely cared that her auburn hair had a glossy shine.
She had succumbed to the paint pot, he knew, but only to cover the signs of exhaustion from working through the night.
Good God, what must it take to serve a laboring woman through the night, and then attend a society party the next day?
The mechanics of such a double life boggled his mind.
He had seen these things, felt the attraction to his superior’s fiancée, and then buried it all under a tide of suspicion and contempt.
The depth of his disrespect to her now shamed him.
He had been unforgivably rude to her. But now, without any stop to his esteem, he suddenly felt all this lust for her body.
And what the bloody hell was he to do about that?
It was nearly nine in the morning when a young boy knocked on the door. Gabe didn’t recognize the child, but he understood the message well enough.
“Madame Florina asks after you and says there is another.” He rattled off another address close by.
Miss Caddick looked up from where she pressed a hand to Winnie’s neck. “I cannot leave until Father Harper comes. Will you get him for me?”
The boy nodded and dashed away.
“Last rights?”
She nodded. “Normally I would stay, but if there is another woman in trouble.” She shook her head. “He can help Winnie more than I. And he will be better able to counsel her brother.”
He heard no censure in her tone regarding the brother, but Gabe felt plenty of anger for the both of them. Imagine abandoning one’s own sister to face death alone. It was the mark of a weak man, and he was ashamed of his own sex, even as he honored Miss Caddick for wanting to stay.
“If you would stay with her,” she said gently. “I could see to the other woman.”
He had already thought of that and discarded the idea. “I will not abandon you.”
“It’s hardly abandonment. It’s daylight now, and I have travelled these streets by myself several times.”
“More fool you.” He shook his head. “Where you go, I go.”
She sighed but agreed. “Then we wait.”
Fortunately, Father Harper did not take long. And he came with a nun who embraced Miss Caddick with the warmth of a longtime campaigner.
“We’re here now,” the sister said.
“I’ve another nearby.”
“Then you must go.”
“There’s a brother who went to work. Don’t be too hard on him. He stayed with her all through the night.”
“Likely needs the money to bury her.” The nun’s eyes narrowed. “Who bled her? I know it weren’t you.”
“Midwife Cooper.”
“You mean Cupper. Does it for near everyone.” The nun sighed. “Is that what killed her?”
Miss Caddick hesitated. “Probably not. She was already in labor too soon and swollen.”
The nun nodded. “Then it’s God’s will.”
For the first time since arriving, he saw Miss Caddick’s expression harden. “I don’t know about that,” she said. “I do know we need to discover what helps and what doesn’t in times like this. Some way to keep records.”
Clearly the nun thought that was pie in the sky. “And while you are writing all that down, who will be birthing the babes of London?” The nun physically turned her around. “Go on now. There’s a woman screaming that needs your help.”
Miss Caddick started to gather her things.
She stopped a moment to touch Winnie’s face.
“I’m leaving you now, Winne,” she said as her hand trailed down to squeeze the woman’s shoulder.
“But Father Harper and Sister Julianne are here to help you. You’re in good hands with them and God.
And I’ll come back if you need me. Don’t you worry. You’re in good hands.”
She was saying that as if she needed to believe it herself. He could see the guilt on her face for leaving Winnie before the end. But there was another babe waiting to be born, and so Sister Julianne reminded her as she pushed them both out the door.
“Territorial little nun,” Miss Caddick muttered as she hurried down the stairs. It didn’t sound like a compliment.
“What?”
“Nothing,” Miss Caddick said as she rubbed her eyes. “It just bothers me that she’s right. There is naught but prayer left for Winnie, and that is Sister’s Julianne’s place. But I hate leaving a job undone.”
“Your job was done,” he reminded her.
“I know! But it…” She swallowed and looked away.
“It grieves you.” He credited her for that. Most people would be grateful to leave the deathbed vigil.
“Come along. It’s just a couple blocks away.”
He knew better than to mention that she’d been up through the night.
He could see her determination as she pushed her way through the rapidly clogging streets.
It was full morning now with adults going about their work and children running everywhere making mischief.
He grabbed an older one and gave him a penny to take a message to the Foreign Office.
He had responsibilities beyond keeping Miss Caddick safe that someone needed to manage.
Since he would not leave her, he must give word for someone else to handle his affairs.
Normally he would resent being pulled from Lord Benedict’s tasks but today was different. He was beginning to see the value his lordship placed in the lady, and so he would serve her as faithfully as he served Lord Benedict.
Unfortunately, that delayed him a precious minute, and Miss Caddick was not one to wait. She rushed ahead until they could hear the screams of a laboring woman. It was hard to miss as children and adults alike stood round listening to the wails.
“Let me pass,” Miss Caddick kept saying. “I’m the midwife.”
They let her through, but only after grabbing her elbow to give her information they thought was helpful.
“It’s her first, and she’s tiny.”
“Her mister is at war.”
“She ain’t got nobody.”
Miss Caddick nodded, even as she rushed through. Then when she climbed the stairs, she grabbed one of the women waiting in the stairs. “Get me a basin of water,” she commanded. “And towels.”
“Wot?” the woman objected. “Why me? I got me own—”
Gabriel pulled her head around. “You have time to stand here, then you’ve time to help. Get her the water.” Then he looked at another woman. “You get the towels.”
Both responded to his commanding tone. They nodded and scurried off. He rushed forward, trying to get ahead of Miss Caddick. He was her protector here, and yet she was leading the way. But with the tight corners of the stairs, there was little room to maneuver, much less get ahead of her.
He made it into the room a bare couple steps behind her, but she had already assessed the situation and taken command.
There was a sweating woman on the bed, her legs spread and her face wretched with agony.
Standing beside the bed was one of the whores in the Rose Garden.
She was an older one, long past her prime, but the relief on her face returned some youth to her looks.
“Thank God. I been praying you got ’ere in time.”
“Barely,” Miss Caddick said as she squatted down to look into the wailing woman’s face. “Hello there. I’m Midwife Betty. You look like you’re doing just what God intended, but it’s frightfully hard, I know.”
The whore moved quickly to the opposite side of the pallet. “Her name’s Mary. Husband’s away at war. Left afore she knew she was in the family way. She’s got neighbors who’ll ’elp once the babe’s here, but none what knew how to do this.”