No Roses in June by Essie Summers

Author:Essie Summers
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT

It WAS MOST SURPRISING therefore when next day Edward said to her, “I’ll mention to Trudy later on today that you can all go down to Wanaka for a couple of weeks to the cottage by the next mail boat. My mind will be at rest if Trudy goes.”

“Thank you. It’s so nice to be trusted. I won’t tell the children till after school. They may get unsettled otherwise.” It was just as well she didn’t tell them. Fiona came out to the kitchen about half-past eleven to get a drink of water for Tiaki, who had hiccups, and found Emere leaning on the table, obviously in pain.

“Emere, what is it? A tummy upset?”

Emere said slowly, “No, Miss Macdonald, a baby. And things aren’t too good. I think I’ll have to get away home to bed. I’d hate anything to happen up here. I’ve had these pains all morning, but thought they might pass off. They’re second cousins to labor pains.”

Fiona said, “You’re not going home. You’re going to bed right here. Would you like me to get Tamati? They aren’t far away this morning.”

“No, not yet. I’d like to see if these ease off a little. You see—” the golden brown skin flushed “—I haven’t told him yet. Oh, I’m delighted. Tiaki needs a brother or sister, but Tamati would feel we ought to be nearer a doctor and he’d want to give this job up. Working anywhere else he might— he might get into bad company again. I felt I could manage—perhaps spend the last month down at Wanaka. Edward would let me have the cottage.”

Fiona felt tears prick her lids. “Emily, you mean you’d put up with that month on your own, and the anxiety of the earlier months up here, for the sake of keeping Tamati away from the drink?”

“Yes, of course.”

Fiona put her arm around Emere, dropped a kiss on the smooth brown cheek. “You’re a saint. You’ve got what it takes. But come on, the sooner you get off your feet the better.”

At the door of the bedroom Emere said, “Wouldn’t I be better in one of the single rooms?”

“No, you’ll want Tamati here.”

“But—but as soon as the pains ease off I shall go over to the cottage.”

“Good heavens, Emere, you don’t think for a moment that I’d let you be over there alone? You’d be getting up for meals. You need a really good long stay in bed.”

“Oh, Tamati can rustle up a meal all right. You couldn’t possibly cope.”

“Of course I can. The girls will love to help. Victoria can do her course of invalid cooking, practising on you. Oh, steady, Emere, that was a bad one, wasn’t it? I’ll get you a nightie, and the girls can fill a couple of hot-water bottles. I’ll switch a heater on. You’ve been far too much on your feet. I’ll go and tell Tamati once I’ve got you in bed. Not the news, that’s your privilege.”

Fiona went across to the wool shed, a fine line between her brows.

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