Daisy talked volubly. The subject which enthralled her at the moment was the love affair between Kate Busby and Michael Brent. In her opinion Kate should defy her father and elope with her lover. She herself had counselled Kate to do this. Did not Adeline think she was right? After all, what was there in life greater than sincere attachment?
Adeline was somewhat taciturn. She ate oatmeal porridge, cold ham and several sausages, with expedition. Then she went to Mrs. Vaughan’s bedroom door and tapped.
"Come in". Mrs. Vaughan spoke in the tone of one who had prayed to be left alone.
Adeline came to the side of the bed. "It is a pity you are feeling so ill", she said.
"Oh, I shall be all right. You know I have these miserable times".
"Yes. ’Tis a pity. I myself am not too well. I had a heavy pain at dawn".
Mrs. Vaughan was startled. "Do you mean-Oh, surely your pains aren’t coming on yet! You told me the third week in April!"
"Yes. That’s when it’s due. But I think I shall make haste and get under my own roof today".
"No, no, you must stay where you are. You must take things quietly. We can manage".
Suddenly Adeline knelt down and took Mrs. Vaughan into her strong arms and kissed her.
"You are so kind", she said. "How can I ever repay you!"
"Then you’ll stay?" asked Mrs. Vaughan faintly.
"No. I have a fancy to have my child at Jalna".
"But those pains!"
"Oh, I warrant I shall hold out till the third week in April".
Mrs. Vaughan burst into tears of relief, mingled with real affection.
"I am very fond of you", she said, "much fonder than I am of Daisy".
Adeline gave a little laugh. "Who wouldn’t be?" she said.
As she passed the children’s room she heard them prattling at their play. They were all right. No need to worry about them. She went to her own room, found a portmanteau and began to pack it with toilet articles. To them she added two nightdresses, heavily trimmed with embroidery and stiff with tucks from collar to hem, and a red velvet peignoir. She felt a little giddy and sat back on her heels to collect herself. It took some time.
Was there anything else she should take? Yes, the silver flask of brandy they had on shipboard. She found it in Philip’s top drawer. She shook it. It was quite half full. Another pain struck her, tearing at her like a wild beast. She gave a cry, then pressed her hands over her mouth. She ground her teeth together. She would not give in. She would have her baby in her own bed.
The pain passed. She groped in the wardrobe for her bonnet and cloak. As she was putting them on she remembered that she had not ordered the horse and buggy to be brought to the door. She saw Patsy O’Flynn crossing the lawn and opened her window and called out to him:
"Patsy-Joe, bring round the grey horse and buggy. If ever you moved quickly in your life, move quickly now. Just throw the harness on to the beast and gallop back to the house".
"What’s up, yer honour, Miss?"
"I’ll tell you later. Hurry-hurry! Run!"
Patsy-Joe ran to the stable, swinging his arms like flails to propel himself. When he returned it was obvious that he had thrown the harness on the horse. He met Adeline with a wild look. His sandy whiskers stood out on either side of his thin face. He snatched the portmanteau from her hand and hurled it into the buggy.
"Run to the parlour", she said, "and fetch Boney! He must not be left".
Patsy-Joe flung himself into the house and flung out again, the bird-cage swinging from his hand. Boney, hilarious at this sudden break in the boredom of his present life, hung head downward from the top of his cage, uttering cries of delight. In his travels he had learned the word "good-bye" and he now screamed it repeatedly though without any accent of affection or gratitude.
"Good-bye-good-bye-good-bye!" he screamed, and his mouth curved upward beneath his dark beak.
Tremblingly Adeline climbed into the buggy. The parrot’s cries had made the old horse restive and he rolled his eyes and tried to move forward and backward simultaneously. Adeline caught up the reins. "My baby will be coming before long", she said.
"Be quate, will you?" cried Patsy-Joe to the horse, putting the bird-cage in with the portmanteau. "D’ye want to put me lady onto the gravel, you brute?" He scrambled to the seat beside Adeline. "Och, Miss Adeline, yer honour, I can see by the look in yer eyes that you have great pain in you and no wonder, the way you have run up and down thim stairs and lugged great armfuls of linen about! ’Tis himself will be vexed with you for lavin’ Mistress Vaughan’s house when naught is ready at Jalna". He looked anxiously into her face. "But don’t worry. I’ll get ye there in good time".
"You must not breathe a word of this to anyone till I tell you. I feel better now. Drive fast but be careful of the ruts". She took the cage on to her lap to steady it. Patsy had put up the buggy-top, so she was sheltered from the rain that fell like a silver veil from the dim grey sky.
Patsy set the portmanteau and the bird-cage on the bed in Adeline’s room. "Shall I unpack the bag for ye, Miss?" he asked, bending over and peering into her face. She had dropped panting into a chair. Loud hammering resounded through the house. It beat cruelly on her nerves. She said, "Tell them to stop the hammering, Patsy-Joe. Say that my head aches. Just that. Nothing more, mind. Then find Lizzie and send her to me. Tell her to come at once. Then drive to the Rectory and ask Mrs. Pink if she will come back with you. She’ll understand".
"I will. I’ll be back with her before you know it, Miss. Hadn’t I better fetch the doctor-or the midwife if himself is out? Sure, you’ll need all the help you can get".
"Not yet. I have things to do".
"But can ye wait?"
"Yes. Run along, Patsy".
"Hadn’t I better fetch the masther?"
"No, no. Do just what I have told you".
He gave her a look of concentrated assurance of his capacity, so intense as to be comic. Then he tiptoed heavily from the room and clumped along the hall. In a moment the hammering ceased. She heard the sound of the horse’s hooves and the rattle of the buggy. Now all was silent except for the quiet drip of rain from the roof. Adeline drew a long, quivering breath of relief. She sat with arms outstretched in her lap, relaxing her nerves, resting.
Now she heard Lizzie coming up the basement stairs.
"I was just on my way here", she said, "when I met Mr. O’Flynn. He told me you are kind of sick. Shall I make you a cup of tea, Ma’am?"
"Yes. I’d like a cup of tea. Build the fire up quickly and put on the big copper of water to heat".
"Do you want this floor scrubbed and the window cleaned right now, Ma’am?"
"No. Yes-you had better clean the window. I’ll find curtains and we’ll hang them. We’re preparing for a confinement, Lizzie". She smiled a little maliciously at the girl.
"Land’s sakes alive!" Lizzie almost screamed, "I haven’t had no experience with them. I’m not twenty yet. You can’t expect me to know. I’d be scared to death".
"I don’t expect anything of you except to do what you are told. The doctor will be here. There is plenty of time. Now-make the tea and put on the water to heat".
Lizzie clattered down the stairs, almost beside herself from excitement. Adeline felt strong and capable. She opened the linen chest and took out sheets and blankets. When Lizzie returned they made the bed together. Adeline chose two small rugs from the mound in the hall and laid them on the floor of the bedroom. Lizzie cleaned and polished the window and, as they had no curtain rings or rods, they tacked up as a curtain a piece of Indian embroidery. Adeline fortified herself with strong tea. All the while she talked cheerfully to Lizzie, who gave her frequent looks of apprehension. Now the room looked really habitable. Adeline could have sung for joy to think she was in it-safe under her own roof.