Anna’s hand froze on June’s back mid-stroke. “Doctor Connor Evans is the father of your baby?”
Her palms became moist with sweat, and she moved her hand away.
June finally looked up at her, and they locked eyes. “Yes.”
“How did that…. I mean, when—” Anna realized it must have been Connor and June she’d seen together at the dance, even though she hadn’t trusted her eyes. June wasn’t allowed to refuse customers, but it still stung.
“I’m so sorry. He asked me to dance, and he was upset. We ended up at the brothel that night, then he started coming regularly.” June took a small bite of cookie.
“You don’t need to apologize!” she said incredulously. “I never loved him. It’s fine. But how do you know for sure it’s his baby?”
“Shortly after the dance, in September, he got me an apartment, and I moved out of the brothel.” June relaxed back into the chair. “He didn’t want me to be with other men, so now he takes care of me.”
Anna tilted her head to the side. “Is he…courting you?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” June crossed her arms over her chest. “He’s a respected doctor, and his family would be mortified if he was so much as seen with me. They’d cut him off from the family inheritance.”
Her gaze darted from Anna to Heather then down at her hands, which were busy playing with the yarn at the hem of the blanket.
Anna looked to Heather for help, but she just listened stoically, still standing next to June after putting the blanket on her.
“But he loves me,” June said. “And, believe it or not, he’s overjoyed about the baby. I found out I was expecting in November, and I’d been with no other men, only him, for two months before that. So, we know without a doubt—’tis his.”
A knot formed in Anna’s stomach as she wondered what Connor’s true intentions were with her friend. He obviously hadn’t told June about coming out to this very cabin to help Pisha that night. That meant he probably didn’t want June to know he’d spent time with her. Here was June, in love with him, and Anna cringed at the possibility that her love might not be reciprocated.
She gathered herself. “How are you doing with all this? How are you feeling?”
June looked relieved and hugged her friend.
“I’m sorrier than I can say—that I entertained him on the night things ended between the two of you. But he said you were finished, and that it was your decision.” She blew a strand of hair away from her face. “I’m all right. He can’t be seen in public with me for fear of word gettin’ back to his family a few blocks away.”
“That must be hurtful,” Anna said with a soft voice, her hands clasped in her lap.
“That’s not even the worst of it.” June’s eyes filled with tears. “His father’s pressurin’ him to settle down and suggested a young lady who just came out. I don’t know what I’m gonna to do if he marries her.”
She covered her face with her hands, and a few soft sobs escaped between deep breaths.
“It’ll be all right,” Anna said. “The best part is you’re going to have a baby. And you’re being taken care of outside the brothel, so there’s nothing keeping you from being together and keeping it. It just sounds like it won’t be in…a traditional way. But since when are you traditional?”
June nodded and wiped her tears away with her fingers. “I’ve suggested moving away to start over. Maybe California. We could be a family, and he wouldn’t have to worry about his father or what anybody thought because they wouldn’t know about my past in a new town.”
Anna forced a smile. How could June stand it? Her lover was embarrassed to be seen with her. But she didn’t want to hurt her friend, and there was no easy solution, so she simply took her hand. “I’m delighted for you.”
Around lunchtime the next day, after a busy morning at the bookstore, Anna told her grandfather she needed something at the market. Instead, she went to Connor’s office and marched up to the receptionist who sat behind a small desk, papers piled in front of her.
“I need to see the doctor immediately.” She glanced around the waiting area, which was empty and painted a soft blue.
“All right,” the old woman said, her glasses low on her nose. “Regarding?”
“It’s private.” Anna folded her arms defiantly.
The old woman took her glasses off and rubbed her eyes impatiently. “All right then, dear.”
She poked her head into the back room and told Connor he had a visitor. When he came to the door, his eyebrows raised slightly before he quickly recovered with a friendly smile.
He gestured for her to go through the door. “Do come in.”
Anna glared at him and strode into the room, letting her skirt twirl around her as she turned to face him. “How could you?”
“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about.” The apprehensive look on his face suggested otherwise.
“Stop it,” she said. “I’m talking about you having a baby with my dear friend and telling her you love her.”
He cleared his throat. “Please lower your voice.”
She cocked her head to the side. He was afraid of their conversation being overheard, and it was her move. “Are you going to deny it?”
“No.” He lifted his chin. “I’ve put her up in an apartment because I didn’t want her staying in that wild place where anyone could…hire her. She’s mine now, and I’ll take care of her.”
“Yours?” asked Anna, her voice cracking. “Well, the baby is yours, she certainly believes that.”
“Indeed,” Connor said coolly, taking a seat at his desk and motioning for her to sit.
She looked down at the chair but remained standing.
“Heather and I appreciated your help when Pisha was sick.” She paused and sat. “But you didn’t tell June about that night, did you?”
“No. She’s in a weakened state on account of her condition, and she gets upset when I talk about other women. Pregnancy is hard on a woman’s countenance. Concessions must be made.”
“Hmm.” She narrowed her eyes.
“No need to mention it to her, of course.” He glanced around the room uneasily. “Or, at least, if you don’t mind not mentioning it, I’d appreciate it. Nothing uncouth happened.”
“Certainly not.” She wondered if he was as afraid of June knowing about his goings-on as he was of anyone finding out that he was keeping June. He hardly deserved her.
Connor scratched the back of his head and left his arm there, cupping his neck. “My parents try to control my life. They want me to marry a prudent woman and contribute to society.”
“It must be nice to have living parents,” she said with a brief wry smile.
“Yes,” he said quickly. “It is, of course, but they’re extraordinarily controlling. It’s hard to explain. Word already got out that I treated a Duwamish child in the woods, and some of my patients have started seeing other doctors.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear—”
“It’s fine. I don’t regret it. But when my parents found out, they made a huge ado about it and made me promise to maintain a sterling reputation. They even asked me to lie about treating the child if I was confronted directly about it. Which of course is silly, but these are the demands they make.”
Anna could see his chest rising and falling. She couldn’t imagine her own parents behaving this way. Even her grandfather, with his faults, had understood the importance of helping a child. She was quite glad she’d never met his parents.
“That’s your cross to bear,” she said finally.
He gave her a weak, one-sided smile.
“It is, and I manage fine.” He paused and looked up at her with tired eyes. “Would you please not mention anything about this—June, the baby, Heather’s family. I know that’s asking much from you, but it would be appreciated.”
“I haven’t, and I don’t plan to.” She raised her eyebrows pointedly and added, “I’d never do anything to hurt June.”
Connor clapped his hands together and stood. “Much appreciated.”
“One last thing,” she said as she turned to leave. “June said you were going to start courting a young lady. Is it true?”
“My parents continually suggest young ladies,” he said, shaking his head. “Sometimes they invite me to dinner, and there’s magically a lady visiting at the same time, but nothing serious, not since you.”
“Right…all right. Thank you for your candor.”
She nodded curtly then moved toward the door, but Connor reached out and stopped her gently by placing a hand on her shoulder.
“I will need to marry eventually,” he said solemnly. “I do love June—I need you to know that. And I’ll always take care of her and my child, but I can’t marry her, my parents would never allow it. Plus, I’d lose all my patients in the process. They’d definitely protest my marrying a prostitute. I don’t see how I could ever have a real family with her. You must understand.”
“Well shame on you for being so concerned about your reputation, when this is June’s life we’re talking about. She loves you with everything she has, and she thinks you’re going to take her away. And you should!”
Anna slammed the door behind her.
Over the next weeks, Anna spent much of her free time with June, hoping for a letter from Ben. On a warm Friday afternoon, the aroma of lilacs hung in the air, and they decided to visit Heather for dinner. As they walked through the forest in the heat, June pushed a lock of hair out of her face and lifted the rest from the back of her neck. She wore a lightweight plaid dress that Greta had made her to accommodate her growing abdomen. Only a weak breeze came off the sound, and it was rather hot for the third week in June.
Anna brought her bow and hoped to shoot moving targets on their walk, perhaps a squirrel for Kiyotsa, who loved their fur. She had started stashing the bow and arrows in the nook of a tree trunk in the woods near her house so she didn’t have to sneak them out every time.
“He brings food and stays most nights,” June said, letting her hair fall back down over her shoulders.
Anna was a few steps ahead, and she turned around to nod. “That’s good. Heather will be happy to see you. She asks about you every time I stop by.”
June stopped mid-stride, putting a hand to her stomach. “This can’t be right.”
“What is it?” Anna asked.
“I’ve had small pains, but this is heavy pressure.” June rubbed her stomach, then waved her hand dismissively. “I’m sure it’ll go away. The baby isn’t expected till August—I’ve still got two months to go if Connor’s calculations are correct.”
“Oh dear.” Anna watched her friend breathing deeply.
June straightened and strolled forward. “It’s nothing. Let’s just hurry and get there.”
But, every few minutes, June stopped to grab Anna’s hand, hunching over. By the time they arrived at Heather’s house, Anna was panicked.
As soon as she saw her, Heather helped June sit down and started tea.
June pulled Anna in close. “Will you fetch Connor? I don’t understand what’s happening, but I feel like this baby is coming soon.”
Anna nodded and left the cabin, setting off toward town at a jog. When she arrived, she rushed straight into Connor’s office, past his secretary, and interrupted a consultation with a patient.
“June’s having the baby right now, and she wants you.” She held her hand to the cramp in her side as she caught her breath.
“Where?” Connor’s face lost color. “It’s too early.”
She wiped a layer of sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. “At Heather’s cabin. You should get your medical things and come right away.”
“Mrs. Barth, I’m afraid I need to leave,” Connor said to his patient. “It’s an emergency…with…another patient.”
Anna rolled her eyes but said nothing.
Connor looked through his medicine cabinet, clumsily knocking over bottles. “I’ve never delivered a baby—that’s a job for midwives. I briefly learned about the new field of obstetrics, but I never imagined I’d need the information for a live birth.”
She shrugged. “Are you going to take your horse?”
“Yes. You can ride with me. Chloroform, forceps, keep things sanitary—that’s all I remember. I don’t have forceps, but I have chloroform in my bag.”
Mrs. Barth sat dumbfounded in her chair as they ran out of the office. He threw the saddle on his horse and mounted, offering his hand to Anna.
The horse seemed to remember the way and galloped swiftly, perhaps sensing his rider’s desperation. At such a fast pace, she had no choice but to hold on tightly. His body felt tense and hot with sweat. She wondered briefly if the baby wasn’t in fact early at all, if June might have lied about when she conceived to let Connor think he was the father. They might have a clue based on how big the baby was. Did Connor wonder the same thing?
But lying like that, a lie that big, wasn’t in June’s character. Surely it was his baby.
He let the horse take a flying leap over the river, and soon they were back at the cabin. Anna was anxious to get back to her friend, but she had a suspicion Connor was even more so.
From the outside, the cabin seemed quiet, and she ran inside with Connor following closely behind her. They found June on the bed, Heather stroking her hand. Kiyotsa stood in the kitchen with Pisha, boiling water and hanging wet towels to dry on a line indoors.
Connor rushed over to June and gently brushed a golden strand of hair from her forehead. “I’m here.”
She opened her eyes to take him in, then turned sideways as another wave of pressure consumed her.
“Anna, go sit with her,” Heather said.
Heather took Connor’s arm and brought him into the kitchen, speaking in low tones. “She’s doing well. But she’s losing energy. I hope your presence brings her strength.”
He cleared his throat. “I don’t know what to do.”
“I’ve seen many births—my sisters and cousins.” Heather poured water into a bucket. “My grandmother has seen more. We’ll do our best. Usually men aren’t present, but she needs you.”
He nodded, his face obedient. They returned to June who lay still, eyes closed.
“How’s my girl?” Connor encompassed her white hand in his.
June leaned her head in his direction and smiled weakly. “It’s too early. He’s not gonna make it.”
He grinned at her with a confident warmth. “Seems like this baby wants to come right now. There isn’t much we can do about that. He’s a stubborn one. Or she.”
June offered a strained smile, her face riddled with fear. She inhaled with difficulty and looked up at his face, seeming to soak in his presence. “Don’t you have work today, Doctor?”
He scooted his chair closer to the bed and patted her hand, still in his. “I thought it might be nice to spend the afternoon with my favorite person.”
Anna had been sitting in the chair next to June, but stood to walk away amidst this new conversation. She had watched June’s face turn from distress to love-struck, and as she turned her back on the two lovers, she was unsure what to think. The sunbeams shining through the window pitched light across the room delicately, and she sighed, her backside still a little sore from the horseback ride, her nerves as frazzled as ever.