Mary knew better than to press the issue of his brothers to Dave, so she didn’t mention his brothers to him except to inform him that Rick and Richard had defended her. Sally, Jenny, Jessica and Amanda arrived to apologize to them on behalf of Tom and Joel’s behavior. Dave said that he appreciated their supporting Mary but needed to hear it directly from them. Within a day, they settled back into the comfortable routine they enjoyed.
Two weeks passed without incident when Maureen Brown and Cassie arrived on their property. Mary did her best to hide her surprise. She set down the pail of milk on the ground next to the barn, walked past the jumpy puppy, and adjusted her bonnet. Shielding her eyes from the bright mid-morning sun, she looked up at the occupants of the horse-drawn buggy and waited for the older woman to pull the reins back to stop her horse.
“Good morning,” Mary politely greeted. “Do you need help?”
“Good morning, Mary,” Maureen nodded as she got down from the buggy and handed Mary the reins. “I need you to take care of my prized mare. She isn’t used to long treks out of town.”
Mary released the mare and put her out to the pasture so she could roam free with the other horses. Jasper nipped at her heels the entire time.
“Where is your husband?” Maureen asked, examining her surroundings with a critical eye.
“He’s checking the corn for bugs.”
Mary looked at Cassie who stood next to the older woman. Cassie didn’t make eye contact with her. Instead, she seemed content to watch Mrs. Brown.
Clearing her throat, Mary said, “It’s nice to see you again.” Returning her attention back to the older woman, she asked, “Would you like something to drink or eat?”
“That would be lovely. Cassie and I have endured a long journey and are in need of refreshments. The weather is unbearably humid this time of year.”
“If you’ll follow me, I’ll get coffee and brown sugar candy ready.”
She picked up the pail and led the way into the house. Jasper didn’t protest as she closed the door.
“I must say that these little homes are quaint, even if they are filthy.” Maureen grimaced. “Though you can’t blame Dave. He is doing the best he can. At least he has a better roof than old man MacPherson.”
Mary tensed and got ready to defend her husband when Maureen continued, “Of course, Neil is doing much better. One can tell that from his abundance of livestock. That’s where the money is, if you ask me. Cassie, you did well. When will Neil have the new house built?” Glancing at Mary, she explained, “It will be made of wood instead of dirt.”
“It should be ready before winter,” the raven-haired beauty sweetly replied. She adjusted her purple dress, decorated in flowers and small pearls, before she sat on a chair at the kitchen table. “I do admit, Mrs. Brown, I am anxious to be in better accommodations.”
Maureen brushed off the seat of her chair and sat next to Cassie. “Neil is a man of his word. You will have better things soon enough. He’s earned some money in his investments. If there’s one thing Gwendolyns’s son excels at, it’s finances. Gwendolyn is Neil’s mother,” she told Mary.
Mary set the pail on the table in front of the window and reached for the coffee beans from the jar on the shelf. A quick glance out the window showed her Dave coming out of the cornfield with a bucket of dead bugs. He paused when he saw Maureen’s buggy before he entered the barn.
“Ralph Linden said that you and Dave are expecting a bundle of joy,” Maureen rattled on.
She turned her attention to her guests. “Yes.”
While she got out the ingredients to make the brown sugar candy, the woman continued, “He said that Dave wore a grin that stretched from ear to ear. There’s nothing like a child to make a man puff up with pride. In fact, Dave isn’t the only one who’s going to be a father next year. Cassie just discovered that she’s in the family way as well.”
Mary looked at Cassie and smiled at her. “Congratulations. I’m sure that Neil is pleased.” To her surprise, she realized that she was actually happy for Neil. She hadn’t expected to ever be happy for him after the day she met him in the train station. Relief washed over her. She hated to hold onto a grudge since doing so hurt her more than the person she didn’t like.
“Oh, he is happy about it,” Cassie replied. “When I read the ad he put in the paper, he specifically requested a woman who could have children.”
“What a wonderful job you’ve done of providing that for him.” Maureen nodded and patted her hand. “It’s marvelous that you two are in the family way and neighbors. Why, you can experience the joys of pregnancy and birth together. Then your children can grow up side by side. There’s nothing like a bond between mothers.”
Mary had no desire to spend time with Cassie, though she couldn’t put her finger on the reason for her hesitation. It wasn’t the fact that Cassie was gorgeous. Her sister Grace, after all, had been blessed with beauty that rivaled Cassie’s. Something else bothered her. Deciding not to comment, she focused on heating the brown sugar and milk on the cookstove.
“Mary,” Maureen began, “I must say that you have as pristine a reputation as Cassie does. I hadn’t dared suspect that you have such a lovely personality. The ladies at your church are quite impressed with you. We could use an additional member for our ladies group. Don’t worry about not belonging to my church. The group is for all Christian women to get together to do good deeds in the community for those less fortunate.”
“Oh.” She hadn’t expected this turn of events. She assumed that Maureen and Cassie simply wished to pay a social visit.
“I don’t expect an answer right away. Take your time and pray about it. In the meantime, Cassie has agreed to join, and Neil was delighted to know we found her good enough to include in our group. Not everyone is welcome. We are very selective since we have an image of propriety to maintain.”
Adding butter, vanilla and walnuts to the brown sugar and milk, Mary nodded.
“Do you use cow chips to get the fire going?” Cassie’s voice revealed her disgust.
“Now, now, Cassie, dear,” Maureen quickly spoke up. “Dave can’t afford anything better than this. We need to be understanding. Remember, judge not lest ye be judged.”
“Dave provides very well for me,” Mary softly stated.
“Of course, he does. He does the best he can. No one is faulting him for that.”
“I am glad I replied to Neil’s ad,” Cassie remarked. “He said he’ll be able to get me a maid to do the more demanding chores in two years.”
“He is going to spoil you.” By the way Maureen chuckled, Mary realized that the woman was proud to be best friends with a woman whose son could afford the finer things in life.
Mary wondered how long it would take before they left.
Dave entered the house. Mary blinked. She hadn’t realized he left the barn.
“Good morning, Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Craftsman. I forgot my work gloves.” He smiled a greeting at Mary, so she smiled back.
“They came by for a neighborly visit,” Mary told him. “I’m making some coffee and brown sugar candy. Would you like any?”
“No. I have too much work to do.” He reached for the gloves on the wardrobe but one fell to the floor.
As he bent to pick it up, Cassie gave his rear end an appreciative glance. Mary’s face flushed in anger, but her shock prevented her from reminding the pretty woman that not only was she married to Neil but Dave was also spoken for. Maureen hadn’t noticed the exchange because she checked on the coffee.
Once Dave nodded a good-bye to them and exited the house, Mary breathed a sigh of relief. She poured the mixture into the buttered pan, thankful the candy would soon be done. The sooner she got Cassie off her property, the better off she’d be.
***
It was late at night in the middle of August when Mary woke up feeling an uncomfortable cramping sensation in her lower belly. The ache, though mild, created enough upset that it prevented her from going back to sleep. She stood up and got dressed, careful to not wake Dave, hoping that walking quietly in the dark would make her feel better. She had no idea what could be causing it. Perhaps women experienced this in pregnancy? She recalled her last discussion with Sally when she and Dave went to purchase items from the mercantile. Sally mentioned slight cramping to be normal, especially around the time she should expect her monthly flow. Deciding that was all there was to it, she relaxed and sat in the kitchen chair by the window.
She used the light from the moon to do some light sewing, though she spent a good portion of her time staring apprehensively out the window. When the sunrise displayed the beginning light blues and pinks that would soon give way to the full brilliance of the sun, she realized that the cramping had gradually gotten worse.
Maybe relieving her bladder would help ease the pressure in her abdomen. As she left the house, she noticed that the air was cool though the humidity dampened her brow. No, she wasn’t sweating because of the humidity. A slight nausea caused her stomach to flip over. When did she last have a bout of morning sickness? It had been a couple of days. That was much too soon to be over considering she hadn’t reached her fourth month yet.
Her mind struggled to force aside the thought that made her hands shake. Wiping the palms of her hands on her dress, she went to the outhouse to empty her bladder. When she was done, the pain seemed to get worse. Though Jasper found her, jumped around her and whined for his morning meal, her anxiety wouldn’t let her tend to him. She couldn’t dismiss the nagging feeling that something was wrong. She knew she had to get to the doctor but needed to get a drink of water first since her mouth felt so dry that she couldn’t swallow. Her legs felt like rubber as she struggled to walk to the river. Giving up, Jasper retreated to the house. She was relieved since his movements and whining only seemed to add to her nausea.
By the time she reached the riverbank, she panted as if she had been running. Easing herself into a kneeling position, she put her hand in the water to cup enough liquid to drink when the pain gripped her with such intensity that she nearly fell face-first into the water. Tears stung her eyes. She fought to keep her body steady, but her hands sunk deeper into the sand as the water pulsed against her elbows. Her sobs came heavily while the knife twisting pain in her lower abdomen prevented her from getting out of the water. Paralyzed with fear, she tensed.
Suddenly, a pair of strong arms reached into the water and lifted her up. “Mary?”
Dave’s voice and the dog’s barking sounded faint against the humming in her ears. He swore, held her close to him and carried her to the house. He gently laid her on the bed. When he backed away from her, she was barely aware of the blood covering his arms and chest. She didn’t have the strength to comment when he swore again and said he was getting the doctor before he ran out of the house.
***
Dave paced in front of the house, his nerves set on edge as he waited for the doctor to tell him what happened to his wife. God help him but he couldn’t go in there until he knew she was going to be alright. Even the thought of changing his bloody shirt couldn’t get him in there at the moment. All he could manage was to simply wash his hands. He must have looked like he needed help when he entered town. No wonder people gave him startled glances. For once, running into Sally proved to be a blessing. Now she aided the doctor in whatever Mary needed.
Mary has to be fine. She’s sturdy. He chose her because of her strength, and she had withstood the harsher elements of farm life. She has to pull through this ailment. He shook his head. What was wrong? Yesterday, she seemed normal. But this morning, she couldn’t even pull herself out of the river. He didn’t have to hear her crying to know she was in pain. The tortured look on her face told him that much. And then he saw all that blood. He shivered. He couldn’t recall a time in his life when he had been more terrified.
The doctor emerged from the house, his expression solemn.
“Is she going to live?” Dave anxiously asked.
“Yes,” Doctor Adams assured him.
Relief flooded over him. “What happened?”
“She had a miscarriage.”
The words took a moment to sink in. So it wasn’t all good news. With her in pain and bleeding, he couldn’t have expected the doctor to give him a glowing report.
“Miscarriages are fairly common. There isn’t anything either one of you could have done to prevent it. Mary’s healthy and young, and since both of you come from sizable families, chances are good that she’ll carry her next pregnancy to term. For the time being, you need to abstain from marital relations until her bleeding stops to give her body time to heal. I recommend she gets plenty of rest for the next couple of days, and I set aside something for pain should she experience discomfort.”
Dave nodded. He paid the doctor, thanked him, and cautiously entered the house.
Sally, who had removed Mary’s dirty dress and put a clean one on her and placed new sheets on the bed, glanced up as he softly closed the door behind him. “Doctor Adams gave her something to help her sleep. I’ll take the linens and her clothes to my home so I can wash them. I’ll come back at supper with a meal for you two to eat. Is there anything else you need before I leave?”
He pried his eyes from Mary’s sleeping but pale form so he could talk to her. “I can’t think of anything.”
“Did you feed the animals?”
He groaned. “No.” In all the drama, they slipped his mind.
“I’ll do that for you. Does the cow need milking?”
“Of course.” As much as he dreaded leaving his wife, even if she slept, he turned to go to the barn.
“David!” She grabbed his arm to stop him. “I said I would take care of it. I grew up on the same farm you did. I’m familiar with feeding and milking.”
“I’m not thinking straight.”
“Which is why I’m going to be back later today. You should rest. After all, that was your baby too.”
He recalled his excitement about holding the child. As much as the loss affected him, he realized that it had to be worse for Mary.
Sally collected the dirty laundry and patted his arm. “I’ll bring supper with me, alright?”
“Thank you, Sally.”
Once she left, he took off his shirt, shoes and hat so he could slip into bed with his wife. She didn’t stir but remained sound asleep on her side, facing away from him. He pulled her back against his chest and wrapped his arm around her waist. Closing his eyes, he buried his face in her soft hair and inhaled the sweet scent of lilacs that he had come to associate with her. Her steady breathing calmed him down and before long, he drifted off to sleep.
***
Mary woke up to the sound of people talking around her. Her eyelids fluttered open to see who spoke to Dave in hushed tones. Sally stood at the table in front of the window cutting vegetables and adding them to the large pot on the stove while Jenny sat across from him at the kitchen table.
“What will you do at harvest?” Jenny asked him. “You can’t take down all this corn by yourself.”
“Will you let me deal with this as I see fit?” A scowl replaced his usual easygoing smile. “I’m fully capable of handling my own farm.”
“No one is arguing that.” Sally sighed. “What we’re saying is that Tom and Joel will need your help as much as you need theirs. You don’t have to agree with what they said. You can be sure that Jessica and our parents are giving them an earful for what they said about Mary. If you don’t wish to deal with Tom and Joel after harvest, then that is fine, but you shouldn’t limit your profit because of ill chosen words. You work hard out here. You should enjoy the fruit of your labor.”
Mary eased her stiff body into a sitting position. For some reason, she thought she should be in pain but mercifully, she wasn’t. What were Sally and Jenny doing there? Why was she in bed in the middle of the day? Why wasn’t Dave out working?
“You don’t have to like it,” Jenny told Dave. “Sometimes you do what you have to do.”
He muttered something under his breath about meddling family members before he glanced at Mary. He bolted out of his chair and carefully sat next to her. “Mary doesn’t need this, alright? Let’s put the conversation on hold so she can have some peace.” Turning to her, he gently took her hand in his and asked, “How are you?”
Sally’s sympathetic expression brought the morning’s events flooding into her consciousness. The doctor made sure her body expelled everything it was supposed to and Sally cleaned her up the best she could. Mary wiped the tears that slid down her cheeks. “I miscarried, didn’t I?” What a stupid question. Of course, she did.
Dave took her in his arms and held her tightly against him.
Sally dumped the cut up vegetables into the pot before she and Jenny left the house so they could be alone.
“I’m sorry I lost the baby,” she whispered into his shoulder.
“Mary, you didn’t do anything wrong. It just happened.” Rubbing her back, he kissed her on the head.
“But you were looking forward to the baby’s birth.”
“Yes, I was, and so were you. We’ll get through this together.”
The fabric of his shirt collected her tears as she mourned the loss of their baby.
***
Nine days passed. On the tenth day, Jasper wouldn’t stop barking, so Mary glanced out the window as she finished cleaning the kitchen table after baking a midday snack. Judging from the worried expression on Tom’s face, she realized that his appearance marked an emergency. She quickly wiped her wet hands on a towel as she rushed to the front yard, ignoring the dog barking next to her.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
Tom turned the stallion from the barn and rode over to her. “Jessica’s water broke and the doctor is attending to a gunshot wound. I can’t find the midwife. Neil said you’ve delivered babies.”
She nodded, her eyes squinting up at him despite the cloudy sky. Neil would know that since she wrote it to him in the letter she sent when she answered his ad. “I’ve helped the midwife back home. I’ll be over as soon as I change into my pants.”
Without waiting for a response, she ran back into the house and quickly changed. She wrote Dave a quick note telling him where she was going so he wouldn’t worry about her when he returned from the mercantile with food and more cloth for her to sew into fall shirts and dresses. He had left her at home, saying she wasn’t ready for a wagon ride.
She realized he wouldn’t be pleased to discover she rode a horse over to his brother’s property, but with Jessica needing assistance, she decided to chance the consequences of upsetting him.
Once she saddled Susannah and told Jasper good-bye, she rode over to Tom’s farm where Jessica yelled at him to stay outside. “You are making me nervous! Birthing doesn’t have to be the terrifying ordeal you’re making it out to be. Now take the kids outside so I can have some peace and quiet!”
“But they’re crying. They need their mother.”
“Are you insane? I’m in labor.” She shoved him out of the house and urged the two girls after him. “They’re crying because you’re panicking, telling them that I’m in dire straits and might not survive. Really, Tom. At least pretend to be calm for their sakes.”
She slammed the door of their sod house on his face before she screamed in pain.
Mary swiftly dropped from the mare and tied her to the post. She smiled at Tom and the crying girls who clung to his legs.
“I’m sure everything will be fine,” she softly told him and the girls. “I’ve helped the midwife back home deliver babies and each time, the mother and child were healthy.”
She walked into the house and made sure to secure the door so some of Jessica’s screaming would be muffled from their ears. Jessica sat on the bed, gripping her large belly, her sweaty hair pulled back into a bun. A pile of old newspapers already covered the mattress to protect it from the impending afterbirth.
“Lay back and I’ll check to see how far you’ve progressed,” Mary softly instructed.
Gritting her teeth, she laid on her back.
After Mary estimated where the baby’s head was located, she gathered a bucket of fresh water, clean towels and a blanket. “It won’t be long.”
Jessica reached out and squeezed her hand. “Thank you for coming.” She gasped.
She smiled at her. “You’re welcome.” As soon as she opened the door to go outside, Tom and the girls practically jumped on her.
“Is she alright?” he asked.
“Can we see Ma now?” Nelly cried, hugging her little sister.
Closing the door behind her, she bent down and said, “Your mother is doing fine. She’s working hard to give you and Patricia a little brother or sister.”
“But she’s screaming.”
“Yes. It can hurt, but it’s worth it. You’ll see. As soon as the baby is born, your mother will be very happy.” She hugged the two girls. “I promise.”
“When will the baby be here?” Tom asked, shifting his feet.
“My guess is that it’ll be over in the next hour.” She stood up, wondering what to do with three people who stared at her as if she had the answers to all of their problems. Taking a deep breath, she decided to give them a list of things to do around the farm to keep them busy before she returned to Jessica.
The birthing process fascinated her in the past, but she had only been an observer who aided the midwife in giving her the supplies she needed in order to perform the task. This time, she was the one who directed Jessica in when to push and caught the baby. She wrapped the child in the blanket and handed her to her mother. A certain euphoria filled her heart, making her happier than she had been since her miscarriage. Bringing a new life into the world was a humbling and beautiful honor. She felt grateful that she took part in it.
“Another girl,” Jessica mused as she cradled the baby to her bosom. Her face red with exertion, her clothes sticking to her with sweat, and her weary body didn’t detract from her joy. Even after the toil of labor, she looked radiant.
“She’s got a patch of golden curls on her head. I have a feeling she’ll be as pretty as her sisters.”
“Mary, I am glad that you’re my sister-in-law, and I’m sorry about what happened with...”
Mary paused as she collected the dirty towels, understanding what a woman who had just given birth was trying to tell a woman who went through a miscarriage. “Thank you, Jessica. You don’t need to say anything else. Besides, it did my heart good to deliver your baby. I’m glad I was here.”
“You are a beautiful person. Beauty isn’t just on the surface you know. Dave did make a good choice when he married you.”
Mary didn’t feel beautiful on the outside, but she supposed inner beauty did count for something. She quickly finished cleaning so she could put Tom at ease. “I’ll go tell Tom and the girls the good news.”
Once she opened the front door, Tom nearly knocked her over as he ran up to her. “I hear the baby crying. Is everything alright?”
The girls turned their big eyes to her.
“Everyone is doing well.”
Their relief came upon them so suddenly that they leaned on each other for support.
“You have another girl,” Mary warned him, recalling his hope for a boy when she last saw him.
To her surprise, a big smile lit up his face. “A girl? That’s just what I wanted!” He picked up the girls, ignoring the two dogs that had just returned from the fields to play with them, and ran into the house.
She shook her head but laughed. At least, he was happy about it. In fact, he told Jessica how delighted he was with her and their new baby. He also made sure his other girls felt appreciated as well. It didn’t occur to her that Tom had a tender spot in his heart for those he loved, but she liked seeing that side of him.
She spent the next hour helping four-year-old Nelly give the baby a bath while two-year-old Patricia watched. Then she cooked a couple of meals to see the family through the next three days so Jessica didn’t have to worry about that chore while adjusting to the new member of their house.
When she completed her work, she wished them well and walked to her horse. Again, Tom surprised her when he called after her. She paused, her hands on Susannah’s reins and turned to him.
Stepping past the dogs that chased each other, he approached her, his hands in his pockets and staring at the ground. “I wanted to apologize for what I said about you. I didn’t realize you heard Joel and me talking until I learned you were in the scullery room, and... Well, it doesn’t matter if you overheard or not. The point is, I was wrong to even say those things to begin with. I was wondering if you’d forgive me and give me another chance to be a good brother-in-law for a change?”
“I accept the apology, Tom. We don’t have to mention it again.” Susannah turned her nose in her direction so she patted it.
He looked at her and grinned. “You know, you’re very gracious. If Dave had to marry anyone, you’d be my first choice.”
Just as she was about to thank him, she caught sight of Dave leading his wagon onto the property. She frowned. Was he mad at her?
Tom ran up to meet him.
While they talked, she slowly untied the reins. Knowing she wouldn’t leave until Dave came over to her, she patiently waited for him, pretending to be intensely interested in smoothing Susannah’s black mane. The sound of a couple cattle and horses met her ears but she didn’t notice. She hoped he wasn’t too mad. When she noticed him walking towards her, she subconsciously tightened her hold on the reins.
“How are you feeling?” he asked as soon as he reached her.
Realizing that his expression of concern meant he wasn’t mad at her, she breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m fine.”
“You’re not in any pain?”
“No.”
He pulled her close to him. “I don’t want you pushing yourself too hard.”
Her hands rested on his strong arms. To her pleasure, she realized that he still cared for her, even after she lost his child. Though she still mourned the loss, and knew he did too, it eased the ache in her heart to know that she hadn’t suffered the closeness she and Dave had developed over the past couple of months.
“I want you to take the wagon back,” he gently insisted. “I’ll take Susannah. You’ve done enough for today.”
“Alright.”
He leaned forward to kiss her. “I’m proud of you for helping Jessica, even though Tom said what he did.”
“He apologized for it. You don’t have to worry about that anymore.”
“I know. He explained things to me. Joel stopped me in town to apologize too. I won’t have anyone talking badly about you if I’m around.”
“So next month at harvest, we’ll be helping them with their crops and they’ll be helping us?”
“Yes, we’ll all be getting together after all.”
“I’m relieved.” She really didn’t want to be the cause of a family rift.
“I’ll go in and see our new niece before we head home. I’ll be right back.” He kissed her again and went to the house.
She smiled and got ready for the trek home.