Joshua in turn inquired about her exhibit at the Exposition and the reaction to it. Felicity noticed that he no longer seemed quite as disturbed over the success of her work as he once had been, but she did not press the issue. Perhaps he was only being polite because he did not want to spoil their first night back together.
When Felicity judged that Joshua had reached the limit of his strength, she put out the lights and joined him in the big feather bed. They clung to each other, unbearably grateful for this simple pleasure when they considered that death had almost robbed them of it.
In spite of his fatigue, Josh lay awake long after Felicity dozed off. In the darkness he savored the feel and the scent of her body pressed up against his and the tiny movements of the child that lay between them. When he thought of the danger that still lurked, he repeated the prayer that had been answered the first time only in part. "Please, God."
Felicity awoke with a start, disoriented and momentarily confused by the weight that was pressing down upon her. When she tried to struggle free, Joshua muttered a sleepy protest, reminding her that after all these long months, she was no longer sleeping alone. A smile curved her lips as she determinedly lifted his arm from across her chest so she could shift to a more comfortable position. But no sooner had she shifted than a pain wrenched across her body, leaving her breathless and gasping and drenched in the cold sweat of terror.
It was starting! Just the way it had before! She was alone, in the dark, with the terrible, agonizing pain. Panic welled within her, and for a moment she feared that her heart might burst within her chest. But then the small voice of reason managed to make itself heard above the clamor of her fears. She wasn't alone! Joshua was here, and Dr. Strong was right next door. Hadn't the doctor said to summon him instantly, any time, day or night?
"Joshua," she called, shaking him gently, hating to wake him from the rest she knew he needed so badly. "Joshua, wake up!"
"Ussy?" he asked, instantly alert. "Is it the baby?"
"Yes," she said. "The pain just woke me."
Josh heard the tremor in her voice, and for an instant he felt the same terror he knew she was experiencing. It was too soon! He hadn't told her all the things he'd meant to about how much he loved her and how important she was to him and how sorry he was for having hurt her. But he could not think about all that now. He had to take care of her. "Everything will be fine," he promised. "Who should I call?"
Felicity thought frantically. "Bellwood, I guess. There's no use to wake Grandfather or Aunt Isabel yet. Bellwood can go get Dr. Strong."
He gave her a reassuring pat and a hasty kiss before climbing out of the big bed in search of his clothes. He lit a gaslight and then hastily began to dress, recalling as he did so how he had forgotten that important detail the last time. At least he now knew that he could afford the extra few minutes required to make himself presentable. He only wished he did not know how many hours of agony stretched before her.
Felicity lay perfectly still, as if to do so would ward off the ferocity of the next contraction, but it came just the same, wrenching and writhing its way through her body. As she strained against it, she felt a gush of fluid between her legs, soaking her and the bedclothes.
"My… my water… broke," she managed to gasp when the pain subsided. He hastily snatched up some towels, threw back the bedclothes, and began to mop up the moisture as best he could. But distracted by something far more important, Felicity was only vaguely aware of his efforts. "Joshua, the baby's coming," she said in a voice that reflected her bewilderment.
"I know, honey," he soothed her. "I'll get the doctor and everything will be fine."
"No, Joshua," she corrected him urgently. "I mean, the baby is coming now!"
She knew he didn't believe her. She didn't believe it herself, but then another contraction started and she surrendered to the irresistible desire to push. It couldn't be, she knew that, and yet it was. She felt her body opening, spreading, and she lifted her knees to accommodate as she continued to bear down.
"Lissy, what are you…?" Joshua's voice seemed to come from far away. And then he said, "It's coming!" and she knew he had seen what she had sensed.
As the contraction subsided, Felicity fell back, panting and exhausted, but Joshua would not let her rest. "Just once more, Lissy. Come on, girl, you can do it!"
Of course she could do it, she thought with irritation. What was he yelling about? But before she could ask, her body convulsed again, propelling her child into its father's eager hands.
As one in a dream, Felicity stared at the writhing creature Joshua was holding up for her to see. The tiny, wrinkled face screwed up in outrage and then let out a bloodcurdling wail. It was the most beautiful sound Felicity had ever heard.
"Joshua! He's alive!" she cried, laughing and weeping at the same time.
"No, she's alive," he corrected, having noticed a detail Felicity had missed. He was laughing, too, and his eyes were also moist.
"Give her to me!" Felicity commanded, reaching for the infant.
Being very careful of the cord, Josh laid the baby on her mother's stomach so Felicity could touch her precious treasure. Only as he watched her lovingly stroke the tiny body did he begin to realize the magnitude of what had just happened.
The baby was born. Felicity was alive. The baby was alive. It was all over. Less than five minutes had passed since she had awakened him.
"My God," he murmured, and then he realized that he should probably be doing something. The doctor. He should probably get the doctor. He hastily pulled the bedclothes up to cover Felicity and the baby. "I'm going to send for the doctor. Will you be all right until I get back?" he asked.
Felicity smiled blissfully as she soothed her baby. "Of course," she said.
Josh hurried to the door, but when he threw it open, he almost collided with half the residents of the Maxwell mansion.
"What's going on?" Henry Maxwell demanded as he hastily tied the robe of his dressing gown. "I thought I heard a scream."
"I did hear a scream!" Isabel cried, clutching the lapels of her pink silk robe.
Bellwood, half-dressed, wrung his hands. "Sir, would you like me to…"
"Felicity had the baby," Josh announced to all of them. "It's a girl."
Isabel promptly fainted.
Dr. Strong shook his head as he packed his instruments away. "Did I happen to mention that second births are often easier than first births?" he asked with a quizzical grin.
Reluctantly, Felicity lifted her gaze from the sleeping infant that lay beside her in the bed. She nodded her reply to his question. Her eyes were dancing, but she managed not to grin back.
"Well, young lady, I want you to understand that they are rarely this much easier," he explained with mock sternness.
Felicity nodded again, very much aware that she had experienced a small miracle. This time she did not bother to hide her triumphant grin. Fondly, she returned her gaze to her new daughter. "She's beautiful, isn't she?"
"She's a fine, healthy baby," Dr. Strong demurred. "And that's quite a head of hair she has."
Felicity lovingly stroked the downy black hair her child had inherited from Joshua. "Dr. Strong?" she asked.
"Yes?"
"Will I…" She hesitated, uncertain over exactly how to phrase the question. "Will all my children be born this easily now?"
Dr. Strong considered. "Well, sometimes there are complications that no one can foresee, but I think it is safe to predict that from now on your biggest worry will be staying close to the house during the last month of your confinement."