Chapter 29 #2
As the afternoon wore on, Clara noticed the subtle changes that meant labour was progressing.
Ursula’s face grew more focused, more inward looking.
Her jokes became fewer, her movements more deliberate.
Clara prepared hot water and her instruments all the while keeping up a steady stream of reassuring conversation.
‘The baby’s head is engaged properly,’ she told Ursula after another examination. ‘Everything is progressing beautifully.
It was nearly six o’clock when they heard the key in the front door. Kaiser immediately began barking, his tail wagging furiously.
‘Hans!’ Ursula called out, relief evident in her voice.
‘Ursula?’ His voice carried down the hallway filled with concern and excitement.
‘Your timing is perfect,’ Clara murmured to Ursula with a smile. ‘Contractions every five minutes now. I think we’ll be meeting your baby before midnight.’
Hans appeared in the doorway, still wearing his coat, his face anxious but eager. ‘How is she? Is everything all right? Shouldn’t she be upstairs in bed by now?’
Ursula shifted on the chaise, giving her husband a look that was both loving and stubborn. ‘I’m not ready to go upstairs yet, Hans. I don’t want to be shut away in the bedroom like an invalid.’
Hans sighed. ‘Your mother always said you were a bit of a rebel.’
‘And she was right,’ said Ursula. ‘Let me stay here in our beautiful living room for a while longer.’ She put the back of her hand to her forehead dramatically and then smiling at her husband said, ‘I promise I’ll go up when Clara says I should.’
Hans looked at Clara for her opinion. ‘About another hour at the most,’ said Clara.
This seemed to appease Hans. ‘I’ll take Kaiser out for a quick walk now but when I get back, it’s upstairs to bed. I’m not taking any chances.’
‘That’s a good idea,’ agreed Clara, casually watching Hans as he placed his briefcase in the study.
Ursula made a groaning noise, her hand going to her back as another contraction gripped her.
Clara went to her side. ‘That’s it, take a deep breath. Breathe through it.’ She looked up at Hans’s concerned face. ‘The contractions are getting stronger and more regular. Take Kaiser out for his walk. We’ll need to get Ursula upstairs soon.’
Hans hesitated, clearly reluctant to leave. ‘Are you sure? Maybe I should stay.’
‘Take him for a walk,’ Ursula said firmly, managing a smile despite the obvious discomfort. ‘We might be busy for hours, and he won’t get another chance.’
Reluctantly, Hans agreed and by the time he got to the door, the contraction had passed. ‘I won’t be long.’
Clara helped Ursula back to the living room and settled her in the chair. ‘I’ll make hot drinks while we wait. You rest there.’
She went into the kitchen where she had already boiled water for Hans’s coffee.
Her mind raced. This could be her last opportunity to get the information before the baby arrived.
She clattered the cup deliberately, creating cover noise, before slipping out of the kitchen and into the study.
Every instinct was telling her not to do this.
That it wasn’t just her own safety at stake anymore, but the life inside her.
She countered this with the thought that all the other women carrying unborn babies deserved to be safe too.
Her hands trembled as she opened Hans’s briefcase.
The familiar folder was in its usual place.
She took out the list, dismayed to see it was much longer than the previous one.
More names. More women and babies at risk.
She worked quickly, copying the names onto a piece of paper, her handwriting shakier than usual.
Each name represented a life, a family that could be saved if she could get this information to Max in time.
‘Clara!’ Ursula’s voice called out, tight with pain. ‘This one’s really strong!’
Clara’s pulse quickened. She couldn’t call back from the study otherwise Ursula would realise where she was.
She heard the front door open and Kaiser’s claws clicking on the wooden flooring.
Two more names to go. She couldn’t afford mistakes.
A misspelled name could cost someone their freedom, or worse.
One more name.
Footsteps in the hallway. Getting closer.
Clara shoved the document back into the briefcase, her hands shaking as she clicked the locks shut.
Her stomach churned over with nerves. She quickly folded the list and pushed it deep into her pocket just as Hans appeared in the doorway.
His gaze immediately went to her, then to the briefcase, suspicion flickering across his face.
‘What are you doing in my study?’ His voice was controlled, but Clara caught the edge beneath it.
Her mind went blank. The folded piece of paper felt like it was burning in her pocket. ‘I was looking for a pen.’
‘A pen?’ He stepped further into the room, his gaze sharp.
‘Yes. I seem to have lost mine and I need to make a note of the contractions.’ How quickly the lie rolled off her tongue. She just hoped she was convincing enough.
‘I asked Clara to get me a pen from your desk.’ Ursula’s voice came from behind Hans, slightly breathless.
Clara looked over at her. Ursula’s gaze met her own, and for a brief moment flicked towards Clara’s stomach before returning to look at her husband.
She placed her hand on his arm, her other hand cradled her belly.
‘I wanted to time the contractions properly. I’m sorry, darling, I should have asked you first.’
Hans’s posture relaxed slightly, though his eyes remained watchful. ‘You could have asked me to get it.’
‘You were taking Kaiser out,’ Ursula said, wincing as she spoke. ‘And Clara was right here. It seemed easier . . .’ She trailed off as another contraction began to build.
Hans’s attention immediately shifted to his wife. ‘You shouldn’t be worrying about timing anything right now.’ He turned to Clara. ‘I think we can forget about pens for now, Frau Bergmann. My wife needs your full attention.’
‘Of course, Herr Müller,’ Clara replied, fighting to keep her voice steady.
Hans stepped aside, but Clara felt his eyes following her as she moved towards Ursula. She glanced at her patient, trying to read her expression, but Ursula’s face revealed nothing beyond the strain of labour.
‘Come on,’ Clara said gently, taking Ursula’s arm. ‘Let’s get you upstairs.’
As they made their way up to the first floor, Clara whispered, ‘Thank you.’
Ursula paused at the top of the stairs, her breathing laboured.
‘All children need to be protected,’ she replied quietly, her eyes meeting Clara’s with fierce determination, before gripping Clara’s arm as another contraction began.
Clara wanted to say more, but at that moment, Ursula’s waters broke.
There was no time for coded and not so coded conversations.
They had a baby to bring safely into the world.
Three hours later, Clara placed the newborn baby boy in Ursula’s arms. The infant’s fingers curled around his mother’s thumb and his eyes blinked slowly in the soft lamplight.
‘He’s perfect,’ Ursula whispered, tears streaming down her face. ‘Look at his little nose. And his hands, they’re so tiny.’
Hans sat on the edge of the bed, his finger gently stroking his son’s cheek. ‘He’s beautiful. Just like his mother.’
Clara watched the tender scene, her heart swelling with the familiar joy that came with every successful birth. No matter how many babies she delivered, this moment – when a new life entered the world and parents held their child for the first time – never failed to move her.
‘What will you call him?’ Clara asked softly.
‘Wilhelm,’ said Ursula, not taking her eyes off her son. ‘After Hans’s father.’
‘Speaking of my father, I should call him and let him know the good news. And, of course, your parents.’ Hans leaned over and kissed his wife on the head. ‘I won’t be long.’ He got to his feet and walked across the room, pausing as he reached Clara. ‘Thank you, Frau Bergmann.’ Then he was gone.
The baby made a soft mewing sound and Ursula adjusted her hold, bringing him closer to her chest. ‘How can anyone look at something so innocent, so pure and not want to protect it?’ she murmured, her voice thick with emotion.
Clara nodded, thinking of all the babies she’d delivered in secret, all the mothers who would never have this moment of peace and joy.
Ursula looked up at Clara, her eyes bright with unshed tears.
‘Every baby deserves to be safe, don’t they?
Every mother deserves to hold her child like this.
’ She paused, studying Clara’s face. ‘Some women, they don’t get this chance.
Some mothers need special help to ensure their babies are born safely. ’
Clara’s breath caught, understanding the deeper meaning behind Ursula’s carefully chosen words.
‘Yes,’ Clara said quietly. ‘Every mother deserves that chance.’
Ursula smiled, a knowing look passing between them.
‘Then it’s good that there are people like you, Clara.
People who understand that some kinds of help, well, they’re more important than following every rule.
’ She kissed her baby’s forehead. ‘I think mothers like that are very fortunate to have someone they can trust.’
Clara felt tears prick her eyes. In her own gentle way, Ursula was telling her that she understood, that she knew what Clara had been doing and that she wouldn’t betray her.
‘Thank you,’ Clara whispered, the words carrying far more weight than their simplicity suggested.
Ursula nodded, then turned her attention back to her son. ‘Welcome to the world, little Wilhelm. May you grow up in a world where all babies are cherished.’