The Lopez Affair by Ann Swinfen

Author:Ann Swinfen [Swinfen, Ann]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781999927400
Google: WpPSswEACAAJ
Amazon: 1999927400
Publisher: Shakenoak Press
Published: 2017-12-06T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

Lady Frances, it seemed, was not one to forget her generous impulses, for about a week later one of the nursing sisters came hurrying into the lying-in ward, where I had just delivered a very small and weak baby boy, born to one of the Winchester geese, though not one of Bessie Travis’s women.

‘Dr Alvarez,’ she gasped, breathless with running up the stairs, and looking flustered, ‘you have a visitor, waiting for you in Superintendent Ailmer’s office.’ Her eyes were wide with awe. ‘It is the Countess of Essex!’

‘Run back and say that I will be there shortly,’ I said.

‘But you must come at once!’

‘I think not.’ I held up my hands, which were bloodied. ‘I must clean myself. And I must finish seeing to this little fellow. I am sure the Countess will understand.’

She looked doubtful, but hurried away.

I wrapped the baby in one of the small soft blankets we keep for newborns, and handed him to Goodwife Appledean. He was breathing, but very shallowly.

‘You will need to keep a sharp eye on him,’ I said. ‘I am not sure how well he will feed when it comes to it. We may need to give him a little Coventry water and honey to start with, before he has the stomach for milk.’

I turned to the mother, who was lying pale and exhausted as two of the junior midwives eased the soiled sheet from beneath her, and wiped her face clean with a cool damp cloth. She seemed scarcely to notice them. I was reluctant to leave either mother or child, but I hoped I could make my visit to Lady Frances as brief as possible.

Having washed my hands and removed the apron I had put on to protect my clothes, I donned my gown and ran my fingers through my hair to tidy it, before hastening down the stairs and along to the superintendent’s office on the ground floor. I found Lady Frances seated with a cup of wine at her elbow, and Roger Ailmer looking nearly as flustered as the nursing sister.

‘Lady Frances,’ I said, bowing deeply, ‘you have come to see St Thomas’s for yourself?’

‘Indeed I have, Kit.’

She smiled at me, and I saw Ailmer raise his eyebrows at this sign of familiarity. He should not have been surprised, for he knew that I had worked for the lady’s father.

‘I have told Her Ladyship,’ he said, clearing his throat nervously, ‘that she would not wish to visit the wards themselves, which are not fit for a lady.’

‘Oh, but that is precisely why I am here!’ She laughed and rose to her feet. ‘I should like in particular to see the children and the new babies, Kit.’

She had turned toward me and behind her back Ailmer was making frantic negative motions with his head and hands, but I chose to ignore them.

‘The children will be so excited to see you, my lady,’ I said, ‘but I am not sure about the lying-in ward. I have just delivered a poor little mite which is not like to live.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.