Jean S MacLeod by Adam's Daughter (Adam's Wife)

Author:Adam's Daughter (Adam's Wife) [HS-1693] (v0.9) (epub)
Language: eng
Format: epub

CHAPTER SIX

ALL through that long night of waiting Susan could only think of Evelyn, her loneliness in the face of birth without the man she had loved by her side, but somehow she felt that Evelyn expected her to take her father’s place, as far as she could. She was the last of the Denhams, and this was a Denham child, a baby arriving quicker than they had expected.

When the light faded and it grew dark she tiptoed to her stepmother’s door, but all seemed quiet and still within the room and she went back to her lonely vigil downstairs, standing at one of the windows overlooking the terrace to gaze out across the deep, still dale.

The stars appeared, pricking through a cloudless sky, bright stars above the gentle shoulders of the hills, with one larger and brighter than all the others. Venus, she thought. The star of love!

Behind her the room grew cold and Nellie came to replenish the fire.

"You’d be better in your bed,” she advised practically. "I’ll call you if there’s any news.”

“I couldn’t sleep,” Susan decided. “I’d rather stay where I am.”

“There’s nothing we can do,” Nellie pointed out. “Everything was prepared.”

“Yes, I know.”

Nellie sighed.

“Ah, weel, I’ll mak’ ye a cup o’ tea, since you’re fair determined to bide where ye are!”

The tea was a comfort, but it would not speed the time away. The long hours drew on. Susan tried to read, but the printed words made little sense as she heard the doctor come and go again and brisk footsteps echoed on the polished floor of the upstairs corridor, yet no one came to tell her how Evelyn fared. If only she could do something!

Wildly she considered phoning through to the Carse to Max, but what could she say to him? What reason could she give for disturbing him in the middle of the night? But perhaps he, too, was awake, anxiously watching the stars.

When morning came at last, the one bright star above the hills remained long after the others had paled and disappeared, and out of sheer physical exhaustion she slept in her chair beside the fire.

The sun was bright and full in the room when Nellie roused her.

“Oh, Miss Susan, it’s a wee laddie, and the mistress is fine!” she cried, her face shining as brightly as her highly-polished brasses on the hearth. “She’s just fine, and proud,” she added. “As proud as she has every right to be!”

Susan’s eyes filled with tears and a great lump rose in her throat. She couldn’t speak for very joy and thankfulness at Evelyn’s safe delivery, and she knew that this was how her father would have felt if he had lived. A son had been born. Another Adam Denham! Oh, proud, oh, happy Evelyn!

“Can I see her?” she asked, at last.

“Right away!” Nellie opened the door for her.

As Susan went up the stairs the doctor was coming down.

“He’s a bonnie wee lad,” he said with pride. “A true Denham, if ever there was

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