19

Copper held on tightly to her supplies as Mr. Morton hurried the horse along. She hated not taking Lilly to the coach. But what was she to do? Thankfully, Lilly understood and Copper trusted Manda—most of the time, anyway. Lately she seemed distracted, even flighty, and just last week Copper thought she had caught her in a lie.

It was when Manda returned from town after taking some potatoes, eggs, and two tins of cream to market. Before, Manda had always marched right in when she got home, proud as punch of the money she’d made for Copper and for herself. But Friday she took an unusually long time unsaddling Chessie, and then she hung around the porch talking to Lilly before she came inside.

She’d fumbled in the bottom of her linen bag before she brought out some coins and placed them on the kitchen table. “I hope that’s right,” she’d stammered. “I think I lost some money somewhere along the way.”

“Didn’t you count it as you were paid?” Copper asked.

“No, ma’am, I forgot. I guess I got distracted.”

“You must be more careful. You don’t want folks thinking they can easily take advantage of you.” Copper counted the money and handed half back to Manda.

“You keep it,” Manda said. “I shouldn’t have been so careless.”

Copper folded Manda’s fingers over the money in her palm. “The lesson you learned is more valuable than the few coins you might have lost. Don’t you agree?”

“Yes, I guess so,” Manda said, her eyes shifting.

Their interchange left Copper with a disquieted feeling. After supper that day, while Manda was playing yard games with the children, Copper talked to Remy about it, which was probably a mistake. Remy trusted few people. And Copper knew she’d never cottoned to the hired girl. Remy wanted to do everything herself.

Remy’d leaned on her crutch and made one of her pronouncements. “Girl acts like a sheep in the wrong pasture. She bears watching, I suspect.”

“I can’t figure it,” Copper said. “She’s always been honest with me.”

“All’s I’m saying is she’s up to something. Market day she took out of here fast as a pullet wanting to lay an egg. And she was all fancied up in a dress that fit her like the bark on a tree. Who fancies up just to carry some eggs to town?”

Copper had to smile. What did Remy know about being fancy? “She’s young. Girls like to look pretty and be admired.” She watched Manda run across the yard, dodging Jack’s tag. “I think I’ll let it pass this time.”

Remy had nodded. “Bears watching, though.”

Now the buckboard hit a rock, and Copper nearly bounced off the seat. “Mr. Morton, it won’t do your wife any good if you turn this vehicle over.”

“Sorry, but I’m that worked up over Miz Tierney and all. I’m telling you she’s sick enough to die.”

“Who?”

“Miz Tierney, Emerald’s mother. She’s real bad off. She won’t let Emerald even open the door to her room. She says she don’t want to mark the baby with her pain.” He flicked the reins again. “And you can see why I can’t go in there—me being her son-in-law and that. Miz Tierney is real modest.”

The horse and buggy splashed through the small pond Chessie had faltered over. Copper was surprised Mr. Morton could get a buckboard over this precarious trail. She knew she couldn’t have.

Ruby. It was Ruby who was ill. Copper had a momentary feeling of relief. Emerald wasn’t in danger of losing her baby. “When did Ruby take sick?”

“I reckon I heered her about three o’clock this morning. I got up real careful-like so as not to disturb Emerald’s sleep and found her mother pacing on the porch. Soon as Emerald woke, Miz Tierney went in her room and ain’t come out since. Finally she hollered through the door, ‘Ernie, go see if Miz Pelfrey can come.’”

Ernie Morton pulled the reins sharply when they passed the bent sycamore. “Gee!” he hollered to the horse. “Gee.”

Copper steadied herself with one hand against the side of the buckboard. “Can you tell me what her symptoms are?”

“Symptoms?”

“Did she say what she thinks is causing her pain?”

“’Course Miz Tierney wouldn’t say nothing to me, but Emerald told me her ma’s got plumbing problems. Rocks in her pipes.”

“Ah, kidney stones. That explains the pain. They say it’s worse than labor.”

Ernie took off his hat before swiping his arm across his forehead. “I don’t know how women stand their plight. It’s just one thing after another.”

Emerald was waiting on the porch, still dressed in her nightgown. She was crying and wringing her hands. As soon as Ernie helped Copper down from the buckboard, Emerald ran across the yard and grabbed Copper’s hands. Her face was red as a beet. “You’re here. Oh, thank You, Lord, for bringing Miz Pelfrey.”

Ernie retrieved the doctor’s bag and Copper’s valise and followed them to the house.

“Emerald,” Copper said, “splash some water on your face and calm down. You’re not helping your mother this way.”

Ernie poured some water from the bucket on the wash bench into a small basin. He held it like an offering in front of his wife.

Standing in the middle of the porch, Emerald scooped up handfuls and dashed them in her face.

“Now,” Copper said, “I want you to sit down and put your feet up. Your pressure’s probably sky-high. I’ll take care of your mother.”

There were two doors off the kitchen of the house. It wasn’t hard to tell which one led to Ruby’s bedroom. It was the one from which long moans came. Copper cracked the door. “Ruby, whatever is the matter?”

Ruby was on her back on the floor with her knees drawn up. Her fingernails clawed at the thin piece of carpet underneath her. She turned her head to look at Copper with the pleading eyes of an animal caught in a trap.

Copper knelt at her side and brushed strands of sweat-soaked hair from her face. “I’m here to help.”

Ruby caught Copper’s hand with the clasp of a drowning person. “I think my innards are falling out.”

“May I examine you? Would that be all right?”

Ruby arched her back and pushed her heels against the floor as a powerful contraction seized her.

Copper had seen this move before. She placed one hand on Ruby’s abdomen. “I believe you’re in labor.”

Ruby rode the wave of the contraction, then looked at Copper as if she’d lost her mind. “That can’t be. I’m too old.”

“Evidently not,” Copper said with a smile.

“I can’t figure it,” Ruby said, rolling her head from side to side. “I’ve been through the change.”

“Look at it this way. It’s much better than your innards falling out.”

When she began to check her patient, she saw an alarming sight. A loop of navel cord protruded from between Ruby’s thighs. It could easily be mistaken for an intestine.

Emerald was so overwrought, Copper was averse to involving her. She didn’t need two deliveries today. Ernie would do. Still kneeling, Copper cracked the door behind her. “Ernie, bring me water—hot, if you have it—lye soap, a basin, and clean linen. Hurry!” With her foot she pushed the door closed. Copper helped Ruby into the knee-chest position. That should buy a little time by easing the compression of the cord. She jerked a quilt off the bed and draped Ruby for modesty.

There was a light knock at the door. “Here’s your stuff,” Ernie said.

“Just set it down out there. I can get it. Stay close by, though, so you can hear me if I need you.”

Copper gave Ernie a few seconds to get away. Ruby would die of mortification if she was seen in such a position. As Copper retrieved the things, she saw him sitting in a kitchen chair just a few feet away. His back was to his mother-in-law’s bedroom. “Thank you, Ernie,” she said.

“You’re welcome and all.”

There was no time for her usual antiseptic technique. Lye-soap scrubbing of hands and tools would have to suffice. From her kit she took her ankle-length apron, her hair covering, the ligatures, and the scissors. Poor Ruby seemed to doze a minute with her face twisted sideways on the rug.

Copper touched her back. “Let’s get that baby out of there.”