Chapter 9
E van groaned, not believing that this day could turn any worse, but suddenly it had. As if the problem with the baker’s wife wasn’t bad enough, now his cousin was having her babies, and by the sound of it, the castle midwife wasn’t experienced enough to help Martine.
“Maggie, get your basket and get up to Lady Martine’s room immediately,” commanded Evan. “Handmaid, go with her and aid her however you can.”
“Of course, right away,” agreed Maggie. “I’ll need extra linens and some hot water from the kitchen though.”
“Handmaid, get it,” ordered Evan.
“Yes, my lord,” said the handmaid, rushing off to do as told.
“What about Gunnora?” asked Maggie, collecting the supplies she’d need. “She won’t be happy if I barge in there and take over.”
“Don’t worry about that old she-goat. I am coming too, and I will put her in her place if need be.” Evan headed for the door. “If my cousin’s life is in peril I want you at her feet, not Gunnora.”
“What can I do?” asked Daegel.
“Maggie, let us know,” said Evan.
“Sir Daegel, can you find Charles and Emma and tell them to stay put in the great hall while I am helping Lady Martine?” asked Maggie. “Tell them it might be a while.”
“Sure,” said Daegel. “I’ll make certain they get something to eat as well.”
“Thank you.” Maggie tied her apron around her, and quickly put her cap on her head and tucked her hair under the band.
“Find Eleanor too, Daegel,” said Evan. “Tell her what is going on and have her meet us in Martine’s room. The more hands the better.” Evan followed Maggie from the room, as they headed at a near run up the stairs and to Lady Martine’s bedchamber.
As they approached her door, Evan could hear his cousin crying and screaming from within the room. He also heard the old midwife shouting at Martine to be quiet.
“Damn her,” spat Evan, getting to the door first. He barged into the room to find the midwife pacing back and forth while Martine lay on the bed with her knees bent and her hand on her belly. She was crying. Evan could see that the blanket was soiled with blood.
“Lady Martine!” Maggie shot into the room, putting down her basket and running to comfort the woman. “I’m here now. You’re going to be fine. Please, you need not worry.”
“Oh, Maggie, thank God you came! I can’t have these babies without you. Gunnora doesn’t know what she’s doing. If you leave me to her, I know my babies and I will just die.”
“Don’t say that,” scolded Maggie, laying her hand on Martine’s belly. “Oh, your water broke,” she said, seeing the wet stain on the bed. There was blood mixed in with it.
“Why didn’t you help her?” Evan shouted at Gunnora.
“My lord, she’s not supposed to birth her baby for another month yet,” said the woman, like that made any difference. “Besides, Maggie is helping her so what does it matter?”
“Evan, she’s in labor,” said Maggie, with her back to Evan after checking under Martine’s gown.
“Gunnora, you’ll help Maggie with the birth,” Evan told the old woman.
“Nay, I won’t.” Gunnora shook her head. “I have a nose for trouble and this has all the signs. I will not be blamed when Lady Martine and her babies die. I’m leaving.” The old woman hightailed it out the door, obviously because she now knew she’d been wrong.
“I don’t want to die,” screamed Martine, having heard the damned midwife.
“You will not die. I promise,” Maggie told her.
“Get back here,” yelled Evan, starting to go after Gunnora, but Maggie stopped him.
“Nay, Evan. Let her go. Lady Martine is better off without her.”
“But you need help,” said Evan.
“I am sure the handmaid as well as Eleanor will be here soon.”
“Ooooh! Aaaaah!” screamed Martine. “I am in so much pain! I am so scared!”
Maggie’s heart about beat from her chest. She could see all the signs of distress and knew she needed to move quickly before something horrible happened.
“You’ll have an easier time giving birth if you use the birthing chair instead of the bed,” explained Maggie. “Plus, it will make you more accessible for me to do my job.”
“I can’t,” cried Maggie. “I will never be able to walk over there.”
“Evan,” called Maggie, using his name without a title. “I need help and cannot wait for the women. It’ll have to be you.”
“Me?” Evan raised a brow. “Men aren’t even allowed in the room when a woman is giving birth. I shouldn’t even be here and you know it.”
Martine cried out again.
“I need you to carry her over to the birthing chair. I’ll help you. Please. We need to move quickly.”
“All right,” said Evan, not hesitating to do as asked when his cousin screamed in pain once more. He hurried over to the bed and gently picked up Martine. She squirmed and cried.
“I want David! I wish my husband were here,” bellowed Martine.
“David is coming,” Evan told her. “I sent a messenger pigeon to Blake Castle days ago telling him about your situation. I told him to come at once.”
“I can’t die without him at my side.” Martine started bawling, cringing in pain.
“Put her down here,” said Maggie, and Evan put her on the birthing chair. There was no back to the chair and Martine was squirming so much that it seemed she’d fall off. “You’ll need to sit behind her to support her during the birth,” Maggie instructed, running over to the other side of the room to retrieve her basket of supplies.
“I … all right,” said Evan, impressing Maggie that any man would agree to hold a woman while she gave birth. “Just don’t ask me to watch because my eyes will be closed.”
Maggie smiled. “You’re a knight, if I must remind you. You’ve seen worse on the battlefield, I am sure.”
“That’s not what you told me before. But I suppose this will prove it.”
Maggie hunkered down and positioned herself between Martine’s legs and started to examine her. “Yes, the babies are trying to be born. It is time,” said Maggie. “Martine, when I tell you, you’ll have to push.”
“I can’t,” cried Martine, still squirming in pain.
“Where is that handmaid with the extra towels?” Maggie glanced back at the door, wishing for more assistance. When she looked back at Martine with Evan holding her so bravely, her heart went out to both of them.
“Maggie, I am going to die, aren’t I?” cried Martine. “My babies are going to be stillborns, won’t they?”
“Stop it!” commanded Maggie, knowing that if she couldn’t calm Martine down, this could end up being a horrible situation. It might even affect the births of the twins.
Horrible thoughts started filling Maggie’s head. The day she gave birth and the death of the Lady Anora and her child haunted her still. Martine could not suffer the same ill fate. If anything happened to Martine and the twins, Maggie would feel responsible. Maggie heard her mother’s voice in her head, and the woman was telling her to stay strong. She took a deep breath and released it. “I can do this,” she told herself softly. Because right now, all Lady Martine had was her, and she was counting on and believing in Maggie.
“What’s the matter?” asked Evan, opening his eyes. “Is everything going to be all right?”
“Yes,” she said, her hand going to the crystal pendant hanging on a cord from around her neck. She gripped it tightly. This had always been a good luck charm, so why should it be any different now? Suddenly, she realized that Martine needed the good luck more than she did. Slipping the cord over her head, Maggie removed her necklace and pressed the crystal into Martine’s hands. “This is a good luck charm,” she told her. “Hold it tightly and it will take away your pain and allow your babies to be born healthy. It’ll also protect you.”
“Maggie, is this really the time for silly superstitions?” growled Evan, trying to hold his cousin still.
“It is exactly the right time,” she answered, releasing another deep breath. “These twins will be born and they will be alive and healthy, I promise you that. Lady Martine will also be fine. All she needs to do is breathe and keep holding that crystal. Can you do that, my lady?”
“Yes,” said Martine, seeming to calm down a little, listening to Maggie. She clutched the crystal tightly, not letting it go. “It’s working. I already feel better.”
“See?” Maggie nodded at Evan and he nodded back. “It’s time,” she said, knowing they could not wait any longer for help to arrive. “Lady Martine, I need you to push as hard as you can. And do not stop until I tell you. These babies need your help coming into the world.”
“They also need you, Maggie,” said Martine. “And I know now that you are here everything will turn out for the best.”
To Evan’s surprise, the first baby was born quickly. It was so fast that the handmaid hadn’t even returned yet with the towels.
“Oh, you have a boy,” announced Maggie, just as the door opened and both the handmaid and Lady Eleanor rushed into the room.
“We’re here, Martine,” shouted Eleanor, running to her cousin’s side. “Evan, I can hold her. You need to leave.”
“Nay!” shouted Martine. “I want Evan to stay.”
“Evan?” asked Maggie. “Will you?”
“I … sure,” said Evan. “I will do whatever you tell me to do, Maggie.”
“Handmaid, take the baby boy and clean him up.” Maggie snipped the umbilical cord and quickly tied a knot. She inspected the baby and handed him to the girl. “Be sure to wrap him in a soft blanket to keep him warm.”
“Is he all right?” asked Martine, crying tears of joy now. “He is alive and well?”
“Yes. He is perfect,” answered Maggie. “But we have his sibling to birth yet, so your work here is not yet done.”
“I’ll do it,” cried Martine. “I want both my babies to live and will do whatever you say.”
Evan held on to his cousin, letting her lie back against his chest for support. His knees were around the sides of her. Martine clutched that damned crystal, and to his surprise it really seemed to help her. Or mayhap it was just the suggestion that it would, but either way the births were going smoothly so far, and he couldn’t be happier. He looked the other way and not directly at her, since he wanted her to maintain her privacy in any way possible.
“Push, push!” Maggie instructed Martine as the first baby’s cries filled the air from the opposite side of the room. “You need to push harder or this baby is not coming out,” Maggie warned her. She looked over to Evan with a worried look on her face.
He mouthed the words, what’s wrong?
“Handmaid, I need more hot water,” said Maggie. She shook her head and examined Martine. Evan tried not to look to be polite. But when Maggie lifted her hands and he saw blood up to her elbows, he knew something was not right indeed. “More towels. Hurry,” she cried.
“I’ve got more handmaids coming,” said the girl. The door burst open and sure enough several more handmaids rushed in with towels and supplies.
“Maggie, something feels wrong,” said Martine, worry tingeing her words. “Tell me. What is it?”
“Everything’s fine,” said Maggie in a calm voice. “The baby is breech, but I believe I can turn it around. I just need a little time. As soon as I do, I’ll need you to push again.”
“I don’t know if I can.” Evan saw Martine’s face. She was spent. “I have no more energy.”
Maggie worked diligently doing things that Evan believed were probably beyond her job description. He wanted to talk to her to tell her that he believed she could do it, but was afraid that he’d distract her, and that was the last thing he wanted. So instead, he continued to hold Martine, but closed his eyes. After a few minutes, he opened them again when he heard Maggie’s voice.
“I did it,” said Maggie, sounding pleased. “She’s in position now. Lady Martine, I need you to push.”
“She?” Martine cried and smiled at the same time. “It’s a girl?”
“Yes,” said Maggie. “But the baby is in distress and we must get her out as quickly as possible. You have to push now. Please.”
“I can’t.” Martine looked as if she would faint.
“You can do it,” Evan spoke up. “Martine, you have the damned good luck charm in your hand, so squeeze it harder and push like Maggie says,” shouted Evan. “Do this for your baby. Do it for David!”
“I will,” said Martine. “I will do it.” She closed her eyes and bore down. Sweat dripped down the sides of her face, hitting Evan but he didn’t care. He’d been in tough and uncomfortable positions before, regarding war, but this time it was all for life, not death. This time all the discomfort was for a good cause.
“I’m here, so hold on to me and use me to brace yourself as you push,” Evan instructed, getting an affirmative nod from Maggie.
“Nice,” he heard her say.
Evan hoped this would all be over soon, because this was more nerve-wracking than fighting the enemy on the battlefield. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could be strong for Martine and for Maggie. But when he looked back at Maggie and saw how hard she was working even though she looked so tired that he wondered if she’d collapse, that gave him all the strength he needed.
“You have the best damned midwife in the nation helping you,” he told his cousin. “She will make sure everything goes right. Trust in her,” he said.
“I do trust Maggie. More than anyone!” exclaimed Martine, pushing again, squeezing her eyes closed and grunting as she gripped Evan’s arms tightly.
The next time Evan looked over at Maggie she was smiling and holding up a baby girl still attached by the cord to Martine and covered in blood.
“You did it, Martine,” said Evan. “Your daughter has been born.”
“I did?” Martine opened her eyes, and cried and laughed all at the same time when she saw her baby in Maggie’s hands.
“Your daughter is perfect, as well,” announced Maggie, cutting the cord and handing the handmaid the baby girl. “Now we just have to make sure you birth both of the placentas so you don’t get an infection.”
“You don’t need me for this, do you?” asked Evan, feeling queasy seeing the bloody mess and hearing all the screaming it had entailed to bring the twins into this world. He needed a strong drink of whisky, and he needed it right now.
“Am I too late?” Martine’s husband David stuck his head into the room.
“David!” shouted Martine. “We have a son and a daughter both.”
“Yes!” shouted David. “Can I come in?” he asked, not sure he should be there.
“Why the hell not?” said Evan. “I’m here and I could use a replacement about right now. I need a strong drink after witnessing that!”
“I told you that giving birth wasn’t as easy as you thought,” Maggie said with a smile.
“I know that now,” said Evan.
“You can go now,” Maggie told Evan wiping her cheek with the back of her hand and getting a blood smear on it. “Thank you for helping. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
David took Evan’s place holding Martine. Evan stood up and stretched, almost retching when he looked down and saw what he supposed was what Maggie called the placentas.
“Maggie,” he whispered, leaning over to talk to her while Martine and David gushed over their newborn babies. Eleanor held the baby boy and handed him to David while the handmaid handed over the little girl to Martine. “Maggie, I’d like to stay but feel like I really need to leave.”
“Go,” she said, looking up and smiling.
“I’d like to kiss you right now to thank you for what you’ve done for my cousin, but you have blood on your face.”
Maggie shook her head, smiling. “I wouldn’t want you to get a little blood on you. Now, go get a drink and please tell everyone about the babies. Let them know that the babies and their mother are just fine.”
“I will,” said Evan. “I’ll check on Charles and Emma for you as well.”
“Thank you,” said Maggie. “I will see you later.”
Evan left the room and closed the door, letting out a deep breath. He never thought he’d ever experience anything like that. After seeing Maggie work her magic, he realized he could never let her leave. Saltwood Castle needed a good midwife like her. Because of Maggie, his cousin lived, and so did both of her babies. Maggie was a savior, and Evan wouldn’t be quick to forget that.
“I love her,” he mumbled to himself, knowing that no other woman could ever take the place of the amazing Maggie Whitlock.
Too damned bad he was betrothed, because he didn’t want to marry anyone other than Maggie.