thirty-four

Lyda had been pushing for almost thirty minutes with no real results. I could see the dark-haired head when she pushed, but it retracted between contractions. Lyda grew weary. I myself was becoming ever more fearful, and now felt a portion of desperation about getting this child out.

And still no Annie. Had she been able to call? Had she gone to the police station herself ? It was true, I hadn’t made it clear she needed to come right back and help me. Worst, had she somehow encountered one of the staff—or Elbridge—and someone discovered what she was up to? If any harm came to Annie, I didn’t know what I would do.

But the immediate need was to get this baby out before it started to suffer ill effects from the intensity of a prolonged labor. I opened the tin of lard and scooped out a small amount. The next time the baby’s head moved back inside I wiped the inside of Lyda’s passageway with the grease. I only used it in extreme circumstances like this one, because there was a slight danger of the lard getting into the baby’s nose. But it was a better choice to get the infant out into the world and then deal with a greasy nasal passage than to let this labor continue for much longer. I’d seen babies become distressed after hours of pushing, and the mother’s exertion was exhausting for her, too.

I hadn’t brought over a cloth to wipe my hand on. I looked around for one, not wanting to stand again unless absolutely necessary. On the nightstand lay a delicate square of fabric. I reached for it, then pulled my hand quickly back as if the cloth were on fire. It was identical to the handkerchief I’d found under Rowena’s body. The handkerchief clinched the couple’s guilt as far as I was concerned. And it would for Kevin, if he ever got here.

I wiped my hand on the sheet instead. It would need laundering after the birth, anyway. I knelt on the bed. I was just going to have to cope with my head pain until this labor was over. As another contraction set in, I said, “I need thee to hold thy breath and push as hard as thee can, Lyda. Does thee understand?”

She took in a breath and held it, exerting with all her might.

“Good.” And it was good. The membranes at her opening bulged around the head. “One more good push.”

It worked. The head slid into my hands. I cleared mucous from the baby’s mouth with my pinkie finger.

“Now one more,” I instructed. “We’re almost there.”

She let out a yell with her eyes squeezed shut. The door, at right angles across the room from the bed, burst open. I whipped my face in the direction of the door, keeping my hands cradling the infant’s head. Annie appeared first, with Elbridge directly behind her. He marched her in and kicked the door shut behind him. He held a cricket bat in the air with one hand. The other had Annie’s right arm twisted behind her.

“What is thee doing? Let her go!” I demanded.

He pulled Annie to a stop, his eyes agog at the sight of a head protruding from his wife’s private parts. A trembling Annie stared at me. Lyda gave a great deep shout as the baby’s body slid into the world in a mess of fluid and blood.

I focused on the baby girl, who was limp and pale. No. It was as I’d feared. I moved her over on the cloth and rubbed her little body with vigor. She hadn’t taken a breath. “Thee must live,” I whispered. I picked her up by her heels. Sometimes the blood flow to the brain helped get the new life started.

The bat clattered to the floor as Elbridge fell. A thud resounded, and my hand jerked. The newborn took in a breath and let out a squeaky wail, her tiny arms flailing. I offered up a quick prayer of thanks. I laid her down again. Her skin grew pink in front of my eyes. She cried again, this time showing off a hearty set of lungs. She kicked her legs, then grew calm.

Lyda opened her eyes. “What was that … Elbridge?” Out of the corner of my eye I saw Elbridge crumpled on the ground on his side. “What’s he doing in here?” Lyda asked. “And is my baby alive?”

“Thy daughter is well. I believe your husband fainted at the sight of the birth.”

Annie cleared her throat. “I had to leave a message for the person you wanted, but Mr. Osgood heard me at the end,” she whispered.

“It’s the afterbirth, Rose,” Lyda called out, her voice creaking as she began to push again.

I had no time to cut the cord. Annie hurried over and held the baby out of the way of the bloody placenta as the slippery mass slid out.

Would Kevin get here before Elbridge regained consciousness? He had to. Lyda wasn’t a threat, not in her weakened post-birth state. By the way Elbridge had behaved when he pushed his way in with Annie, though, he would most surely be a danger to us after he awoke.

I took the little girl while Annie brought me the tying cord, scissors, and a bowl. I tied the umbilicus in two places and severed the baby from the placenta, handing her back to Annie. “Clean her up a bit, if thee will.”

Elbridge moaned where he lay next to the sharp-cornered bureau, but he didn’t open his eyes. I was glad to see the cricket bat had fallen far from where he lay. I had no doubt it had doubled as a murder weapon last Seventh Day night and as the cause of my own wound two days ago. I grabbed the ball of tying cord and hurried to his side. Kneeling very carefully, I bound his hands together. I pulled the knot as tight as I could, then knotted the cord again.

“Rose, what on earth are you doing?” Lyda demanded.

Without speaking I tied his feet together, too, then pushed up to standing, which made my head commence thudding. I went to wash my hands, still not speaking.

“Why did you tie up my husband?” Lyda was shouting now. “Can’t you see he needs help?”

I still kept my silence. When Annie caught my eye and made a small gesture with the baby toward Lyda, I shook my head once, slowly. After I returned to Lyda and confirmed the placenta was intact, I set it aside.

“Let’s clean thee up, Lyda,” I said.

“All right,” she consented. “But only if you help Mr. Osgood. And for God’s sake, untie the poor man.”

I made no move toward Elbridge. Instead I wiped Lyda’s birthing area clean, and I pulled her nightgown down and the coverlet up. I stood with great care and went to wash my hands once again.

“Mr. Osgood, wake up,” Lyda called sharply to him “You have a daughter.”

His eyes flew open. He tried to push up to sitting, but with his hands tied he only managed to get up to one elbow. “I do? That’s splendid, my dear.” His voice was thick with grogginess. He blinked a few times. “Say, what am I doing on the floor?”

“I was going to ask you myself,” Lyda said in a harsh tone. “What did you think you were doing, barging in here while I was giving birth? It’s no place for a man.”

He rolled onto his back and winced. “I’m hurt. What in blazes happened to me?” He raised his arms in the air. “And why are my hands all bound up?” He tried to move his legs. “And my feet!” His gaze lit on Annie, who still held the baby. I could almost see the memory creep back into his brain.

“You!” he snarled. “You called the cops on me. I heard you. Why, I …”

Annie backed away, shielding the baby. Lyda stared at her.

“You what?” Lyda screeched. “I thought you were a midwife’s apprentice, not a secret detective.”

“I asked her to.” I held up a hand. “Don’t blame her for anything. I found thy handkerchief under Rowena Felch’s body, Lyda. And thy handwriting is identical to the note her body was clutching. Why did thee have to kill Rowena?” I asked Elbridge, but I was thinking, Kevin, where are you? Hurry.

“He didn’t want to, but I insisted.” Lyda lifted her chin.

“Lyda, don’t say such things!” Beads of sweat like nervous pearls covered Elbridge’s face. “Don’t say anything. Can’t you see Miss Carroll here is in thick with the police? We have to get away, now. Help me up.”

“Lyda isn’t going anywhere,” I said. “She just gave birth. Thee has a head wound, Elbridge, from thy fall.” And it served him right, too.

“I’ll be fine,” Lyda snarled. “Get out of my way.” She swung her legs over the side of the bed, sitting up.

For the second time in minutes the door burst open. Kevin rushed in, weapon drawn, followed by Guy and another officer, also with arms at the ready. Kevin swept the gun from side to side. He instructed the men to keep watch on Elbridge, then lowered the gun and stepped closer to where I stood.

“So, Miss Rose. All under control here, I see.”