In two strides he was back beside her. “Darling, the baby won’t arrive for several hours, there’s no need to worry. Everything will be ready when the time does come.”
“That’s all very well for you to say, you’re not sitting in a growing puddle feeling as though your insides are falling out.” With hindsight perhaps she should have mentioned the nagging backache she’d had all day.
His expression changed to one of alarm. “Isobel, have you had any contractions, any pain before this?”
“Only a backache, no contractions at all.”
“Stay where you are, I shall rouse the house. I doubt there will be time to fetch a doctor. We must deliver the baby ourselves.”
She was about to protest when a band of pain gripped her stomach quite taking her breath away. A further gush of water added to her discomfort. She prayed Nanny and Mary had enough experience between them to deliver this baby. He was quite right, far more likely to be one hour than ten before the infant made his appearance.
Not wishing to sit in a soaked chair or continue to wear her ruined nightgown she struggled to her feet and walked unsteadily to her closet. She needed something dry to put on. As she was reaching up to remove what she wanted a second contraction almost floored her. Gasping, unable to keep back the moan of pain, she hung onto the edge of the shelves waiting for it to pass.
“My lady, whatever are you doing in here? Here, let me get you into a clean night rail. Nanny is preparing what’s necessary whilst the girls strip the bed and get it ready.”
Thankfully Isobel leant back into Mary’s willing arms. “Even Alexander thought my travail would be long—how can the baby be almost here after only two contractions?”
The soiled nightgown was removed and a clean one dropped over her head. “Sometimes it can be like this—you’re one of the lucky ones, my lady.”
Alexander appeared in the doorway his hair standing on end where he’d raked his hands through. “Isobel, I told you to stay put. Now isn’t the time to be wandering all over the place.”
“Go away, Alexander. This isn’t the place for a man—you’ll be called to see our baby when he arrives in due course.”
His grin was a trifle lopsided but he nodded. “First, my love, I shall help you back to bed and then I shall wait next-door.”
Halfway across the carpet she was convulsed again; having his arms around her was a comfort. Her eyes blurred with pain and her body was no longer under her control. The band of agony passed and she could breathe again. Next moment he had picked her up and carried her as if she weighed nothing at all to place her in the centre of the prepared bed.
“I can stay here with you, if you would find it easier.” The chorus of dissent made him step back shaking his head apologetically. “Very well, but I shall be next door if you change your mind, my dear.”
Reluctantly he released his hold, but not before cupping her face and kissing her gently. He hated to see her suffer in this way. Bitterly he recalled the agony involved when his two daughters had been born. He prayed fervently Isobel would not suffer as badly.
Watkins had ridden to fetch Jamieson but the way matters were progressing it was unlikely the doctor would arrive in time for the delivery. The baby was almost four weeks premature, did this mean it would be a sickly child? Was this because of the fall she’d had last month?
He paced the room wincing every time she cried out. This was happening too fast. It could not be safe for baby or mother when things were rushed like this. Where was the damned doctor? He stared at the tall-case clock. It had only been three quarters of an hour since he had been ejected from the bed chamber. It seemed far longer.
An ear splitting yell halted him and he rushed to the door. Nobody was going to keep him away from her not when she was in such distress. Bursting in without knocking he was rocked back on his heels at what he saw.
A wriggling, red smeared object still attached to Isobel, was resting on her stomach. Ignoring the shocked exclamations of the nanny and housekeeper he surged forward.
“Alexander, you should not be here, but I’m glad you are. See, we have a daughter, isn’t she beautiful?”
He took Isobel’s sweaty hand and kissed the palm. “Not as beautiful as her mother. How are you? I heard you scream, I thought things had gone wrong.”
“My lord, it isn’t seemly for you to be in here. I must insist you leave at once and allow us to complete the delivery.”
“Please, my love, come back later when everything is clean and tidy.”
He found himself all but bundled from the room. As the door closed firmly behind him he realised he had not looked at his daughter, had been more concerned for his wife than his child. Would his omission have been noticed?
Isobel watched him leave with a heavy heart. He had wanted a son and was obviously bitterly disappointed they had a daughter instead for he’d scarcely glanced at her, given her no more attention than a new born kitten.
“Lucinda Rose, that’s what I shall call you, little one. I think you’re a beautiful little girl but maybe I’m a trifle biased.”
“Shall I take Lady Lucinda and give her a nice bath, your grace?” Nanny Cooper beamed down at both of them. She could see how lovely the new arrival was even if her papa could not.
“Is she a good size, Nanny? She’s almost four weeks early you know.” The baby was gently removed from her arms and wrapped in a warm towel. Mary was still hovering at the end of the bed her work not quite done.
“Lady Lucinda is a perfect baby, no smaller than many I’ve delivered that are full term. I should think she will weigh about six pounds or perhaps a little more.”
Isobel flopped back on the pillows whilst Mary dealt with the arrival of the afterbirth. Thankfully this was less painful than producing Lucinda. “I should dearly like a warm bath, is that allowed so soon after giving birth?”
Mary smiled. “You must do as you please, my lady. I should think a lovely soak would do you a power of good. I shall arrange for the water to be brought up, then whilst I assist you with your ablutions, the girls can tidy up in here.”
No one referred to the fact that Alexander had burst in when he was not wanted or that he had not admired his new daughter. “Nanny, when do I get to feed my daughter?”
“As soon as you’re both clean and tidy I shall return with your baby, my lady.”
“Mary, I think I had better remove myself to the bathroom before Dr Jamieson arrives. He’s a mite old-fashioned and will probably expect me to remain in my bed for the next three weeks. Apart from being a little sore and fatigued I am remarkably well, the experience was not half as bad as I’d been led to believe.”
“That’s because it was all over in a flash, next time you might not be so lucky.”
“I wonder why Lucinda arrived three and a half weeks early when she isn’t a particularly large baby.”
“You were so big because you carried excessive amounts of fluid, with your next pregnancy everything might be different.”
This was the second time Mary had referred to another child - although it was imperative she produced a son eventually -, at the moment the thought of another nine months increasing filled her with horror. She was eager to get back to riding every morning. Until Alexander could assure her his attentions would not result in a baby she was going to make him remain in his old chambers.
They had already agreed that during her lying in they would sleep apart. One thing was certain; as soon as they were sharing a bed he would want to make love to her. She had no wish to carry another child for at least a year but she would not be incapable of refusing him.