Lone Pine Bride (The Brides of Lone Pine #1)(21)

“Good. I need clean cloths too.”

Hannah washed carefully, her face screwed in concentration. This baby was a special one. New life when twenty seven had lost theirs. They must bring him or her into the world safely. She finished washing, dried Sadie and Sadie’s body stiffened, clutching her hands together as a contraction hit her. Hannah went to empty the water away and wash her hands again.

“Let her hold your hand,” she said to Ronald. “And try to concentrate on something else, Sadie.”

“When my animals give birth we stroke them and speak soothingly to them,” Seth said. “Try that, Ronald.”

The couple looked at him, began to laugh and Ronald stroked Sadie’s hair. Her face screwed again and she lifted her body a bit.

“The baby’s coming, I think,” she said.

“Would it upset you if I helped? I’ll cover you totally so I can just see the baby coming,” Seth said. “I’ve delivered many animals on my farm. Ronald must have also.”

“I haven’t,” Ronald said. “My farmhands do it.”

“I don’t mind you doing it,” Sadie said. She clutched Ronald’s hand as another pain hit her and Hannah was desperate to help her, even as she did not really know what to do.

“Breathe deeply,” she said. “My mother told me to do that when I broke my arm as a child. It takes your mind off things.”

Which appeared to help, she was relieved to see, and the top of a head began to appear. She looked at it a bit helplessly. Seth put a sheet totally over Sadie so he could only see where the baby would come and nothing else.

“I think you need to push a bit,” he said. Sadie pushed, clutched Ronald tighter and he winced a bit. The baby’s head started to slide out and Seth reached forward to guide it. It fell onto the sheet and was totally lifeless.

Hannah looked at Seth, her expression distraught. The baby was dead and that was dreadful. How could they tell Sadie and enough people had died today? Seth turned the child, tapped her sharply and her cry was like music to everyone’s ears.

“Towel,” Hannah said to Ronald. He handed her one and she put it under the baby. “Hot water and clean cloths. Could you wash Sadie, Ronald? Wash your hands first then make sure she’s thoroughly clean. Has the stone boiled?”

“It’s still boiling,” Ronald said.

“Put towels on the sofa and after we’ve finished Sadie can get back on it with a towel between her legs. We could make some little pads if you don’t mind cutting up towels. Bring some clean under garments for her.”

“Boy or girl?” Sadie asked.

“A perfectly formed and beautiful little girl.”

Sadie smiled, relaxed and they all went about their allotted tasks. Ronald washed her. Hannah washed the baby. Seth moved around clearing up. His first human delivery, he said. He wouldn’t need a midwife at his next one, which would be his wife, Hannah replied.

He looked at her, blushed and she had an urge to kiss him. His expression was so adorable. Kiss him? Him adorable? Of course she didn’t want to do that. She bent over the bowl of water and continued to wash the baby carefully.

But when it came to severing the cord she wasn’t at all sure what to do. She looked at the stone. A sharp one but not like a knife so hopefully it wouldn’t cause the cord to bleed. By now the afterbirth had arrived, something she had not expected at all but which she recalled her mother mentioning.

Seth moved to sit beside her holding two lengths of string. “I boiled them,” he said. “Would you like me to tie them on or do you want to do it?”

“You do it,” she replied and watched with interest as he tied the cord near to Sadie’s abdomen and did the same with the baby. He took the stone, rubbed carefully and there was hardly any blood. Brilliant, Hannah thought, and she could never have done it so professionally. She wouldn’t have known what to do in the first place.

“What are you going to call her?” she asked Sadie.

“Hannah,” Sadie replied. “She was Samuel’s mother in the Bible. If this little person....” She bent to kiss the baby’s forehead. “Turns out like her she will be a lovely lady. We will do everything we can to teach her about God. She’s also named after you now.”

“That’s nice,” Hannah said and felt a bit emotional.

“I’m hungry.” Sadie looked at Ronald. “And I’m sure Hannah and Seth are too.”

“I’ll cook us something,” he said. “I’ve already put a chicken in the oven. All I have to do is potatoes and vegetables.”

“I’ll help you,” Seth said, following him to the kitchen. “The ladies have done enough today. Try feeding Hannah, Sadie. She won’t take much but it will be a start. The animals always love doing that.”

She wouldn’t have thought of that, Hannah thought, and Seth really was very practical. She looked at the clock. Nearly midday and the time had flown by. Was her Seth wondering where she was or had Rex told him she had gone to clean up? Would he approve of her going to Seth’s farm and would he follow them?

She walked to the kitchen door. “It’s a lovely day,” she said.

“It is,” Seth replied, going after her to stand beside her.

“Is it alright walking in the heat?”