Courting Isabella by Kathryn Kaleigh

Author:Kathryn Kaleigh
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: KST Publishing

CHAPTER 28

ISABELLA

Two days later everything went into chaos.

It was one of those first really cold days when frost covered the ground.

Aunt Sophia, standing at the table with a knife in one hand and a potato in the other, froze and looked at me with an expression of shock I had only seen one other time and that had involved mortars.

“What is it?” I asked, carefully setting down the deep cast iron pan of biscuits I’d just pulled from the hearth.

“My water just broke,” Aunt Sophia slowly set the knife down.

“The baby,” I said. “We have to get you to bed.” I went around and supported her as we walked carefully toward the bedroom.

“I have to get Uncle Stephen,” I said, surprised my voice sounded so calm.

“Yes. Stephen.”

“He’ll go get Doc Avery as we planned.”

Aunt Sophia sat down slowly on the bed and I picked her feet up.

“I’ll get Uncle Stephen,” I said.

Aunt Sophia took my hand. “Isabella,” she said. “I’m so thankful you’re here.”

“Me too,” I said. But it wasn’t really quite true. I felt completely over my head. “I’ll be right back.”

I needed to get Uncle Stephen, then boil some water. We already had rags stacked and ready next to the bed.

I dashed out the door and around the back of the cabin. Uncle Stephen wouldn’t be far. He’d been staying nearby, knowing that any day now Aunt Sophia would be giving birth.

But still, I had dashed out without a cloak or a shawl or anything. My breath was white as I breathed. But my blood was pumping so fast I barely noticed the cold.

I stood at the corner of the cabin and yelled his name.

If the situation were different, it might have been comical. He dropped his axe and ran toward me.

“Is it time?”

“Yes,” I said. “Get Doc Avery and I’ll stay with Aunt Sophia.”

He took off to get his horse and I dashed back inside to put a kettle of water on to boil.

I dropped into the nearest chair to wait and to take just a minute to catch my breath.

I’d no more than counted to ten when Aunt Sophia let out a wail that had me dashing me back to her room.

Sitting next to her, I took her hand, then wished that I hadn’t. She squeezed so hard I thought surely my bones were going to break.

When the contraction stopped, I brought a pan of hot water to the bedside and place a warm cloth on her forehead.

She looked at me with such fear in her eyes, I felt like I needed to do something. But I didn’t know what else to do.

All I knew was to try to keep her calm.

And wait for the doctor to get here.

“You’ll be okay,” I said, hoping against hope that I was right. “Just try to stay calm.”

She nodded and closed her eyes.

Good heavens.

She’d barely gotten started and already I could see that this was going to be far worse than pulling a bullet from a man’s flesh.

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