Ladies, I have often shared on the topic of working together to accomplish a goal. I’ve seen men do this too, of course, but no one knows how to rush to the rescue of a brother or sister like a kindhearted woman. I’ve seen the ladies in our community tend to the needs of others, even putting their own wants and wishes aside to do so. This is an example of the Christmas spirit, is it not—giving without any expectation of receiving in return? This year, as you look after one another, ask yourself, “How can I bless a sister in need today?” Then, go forth and serve with all of your heart. The Lord will honor your efforts, I assure you.
—Ellie Cannady, editor of The Modern Suffragette
* * * * *
ALANNA BOLTED TOWARD THE HOUSE behind Tessa. As she reached the door, she turned back to Tanner, who followed on her heels. “Tanner, you have to go after Katie and your mother. Margaret will need them.”
He shook his head and pointed to the car, which was covered in snow. “It’s a real blizzard out there. Might take me a while to get there and back if the roads are snowed under.”
Alanna stopped to stomp the snow off her boots before entering the house, her thoughts now shifting to Tanner’s safety. Once inside, she turned back to him. “I’ve got the perfect solution. You can borrow Brett’s sleigh. You’ll be there and back in no time.”
“It’s still covered in bells.”
“That’s perfect.” Tessa grinned and then sprinted toward the stairs, adding, “Katie will hear you coming and know that something has happened.”
Alanna placed a hand on Tanner’s arm, all former misgivings erased in a moment. “Go, Tanner. Please.”
“I’ll do my best.” He glanced through the window, worry lines now creasing his forehead. “Though, to be honest, I’m worried about bringing them out in this. I just hope we make it back in time.”
“What can be done if you don’t?” Alanna paced the room, her heart in her throat. After a couple of minutes she pursed her lips and released a slow, steady breath. “There is no choice. Mama and I will have to deliver the baby.”
Mama entered the room carrying a handful of blankets and towels. “We will keep her calm and steady, Lana. Don’t fret. I’ve been through this before, you know.”
“I—I won’t fret.” Alanna spoke the words but didn’t mean them. Her gaze shifted back to Tanner, who bolted toward the door. He turned back to gaze at her with piercing eyes. In them, she read a thousand things—an apology for what had happened in the barn. Empathy for the situation with Margaret. And…love. She read love in his eyes as clearly as anything she’d ever seen.
For a moment, anyway. Just as quickly, he disappeared out of the door. A short time later, after bounding up the stairs to her sister’s room, Alanna heard the jingling of bells and peeked out the window. She watched as the sleigh sailed away from the house and then turned her attention back to Margaret, who sat propped up in the bed with a pained expression on her face.
“Is—is he going after Katie and his mother?” Margaret blew out a few short breaths and leaned back against the stack of pillows Mama placed behind her.
“Yes. Shouldn’t take too long on the sleigh.”
“Those bells.” Margaret’s eyes flew open. “Hope they don’t summon every woman in the county.”
“What do you mean?”
Tessa looked up from her spot on the edge of the bed and grinned. “It’s a signal, silly. The suffragettes all know to pay attention when they hear the bells. They’re to follow the sound.”
“So, you’re telling me that every woman in the county might follow Tanner back here?” Mama paled. “If so, we’ll need to get ready for them.”
“We’ve got wassail made and all those sweets you baked with Mrs. Jacobs. The foods for tomorrow’s Christmas celebration are ready to be cooked, as well.” Margaret released several pants then squeezed her eyes shut. “Ooh, that was a hard one.”
“I do hope Katie gets back in time.” Tessa rose and paced the room.
Brett popped his head through the doorway. “Anything I can do?”
“Yes.” Margaret nodded, and Alanna could almost see the relief in her eyes. “I need you to prepare the turkey and the ham and get them into the oven right away.”
“I—I beg your pardon?” He gripped the door and stared at her, eyes narrowing in bewilderment. “We’re cooking Christmas dinner? I thought we were having a baby.”
“We’re…” Margaret paused to puff out a few quick breaths. “We’re doing both. Please, Brett. Put the turkey on. Company’s coming.”
“Well, sure.” He pointed at her belly. “Company’s coming, but I don’t think he—or she—will be up to eating a big meal right away.”
Margaret swatted at the air. “Not the baby, silly. The neighbors. They’re coming, I guarantee you, and we need to be ready for them.”
“Darlin’, I’m sure they’ll understand if we’re not.” He looked as if he wanted to say something else. Instead, he nodded and turned to go down the stairs.
“He will forgive me later.” Margaret managed a weak smile. “But you know me. I can’t abide the idea that folks might stop by on Christmas Eve and not have anything to eat.”
“We’ve got cookies and pies aplenty,” Mama said with the wave of a hand. “So don’t fret. Your guests won’t go hungry.”
Alanna felt her frustrations mounting. “I cannot believe we’re having this conversation. Here you are, having a baby, and you’re worried about your neighbors. It’s…ludicrous.”
At this, Margaret erupted in laughter. “I know you’re right. What’s wrong with me?”
“Nothing is wrong with you. You’re just always thinking of others.” Alanna sat on the edge of the bed and reached for her sister’s hand. “But this is your day. You must focus on yourself and on this baby. Promise me that’s all you’ll think about.”
“I’ll try.” Margaret’s weak smile twisted into a grimace as another pain set in. She squeezed her eyes shut and counted “One, two, three, four…twenty-six, twenty-seven.” Her eyes popped open, and she rubbed her belly. “They’re getting longer.”
Alanna, gave her a warm smile, one she hoped would bring encouragement. “You’re so strong, Margaret. Truly, you amaze me.”
“Me? Strong?” Margaret laughed then winced in pain. “Right now I feel anything but. I don’t mind admitting that I feel weaker right now than I’ve ever felt.”
“With good reason,” Mama chimed in.
Margaret’s face contorted. “I’m a firm believer that we have to come to the Lord admitting our weakness so that He can do the work of strengthening.” Here she began to puff and pant. “How many times I’ve tried to strike out on my own without depending on Him.”
“You?” Alanna could hardly believe it.
“Yes, me.” Margaret released a few slow breaths as the contraction appeared to ease. “I set off to Montana—so flippant in the way I left all of you behind—and felt sure I could make it for the sake of my husband. I put my head up and squared my shoulders and made the journey. But somewhere along the way I had to admit that my strength—what looked like strength, anyway—was nothing more than pretense. Inside, I was broken and lonely and confused.”
“Oh, Margaret.” Tessa rose and Alanna wrapped her arms around her sister. “I had no idea.”
Mama and Tessa joined them on the bed, and before long a lone tear trickled down Margaret’s cheek. “Some of us pretend to be strong when we’re not, and some of us pretend to be weak when we’re not,” Margaret said. “There’s really no difference.”
“We simply have to acknowledge that all strength is found in Him and that we’re capable of great things when we allow Him to work in our lives,” Mama said quietly.
“That’s what I want,” Alanna whispered. “For God to work in my life.”
“Me too.” Margaret offered a weak smile. “And in the life of this little baby, too.”
Her face twisted in pain again, and Alanna rose and walked to the window, praying that Tanner would arrive soon. She whispered a prayer for their safety and an extra one pleading with the Lord to bring them before the baby arrived.
She continued to pace the room and make light conversation, even as the banging and clanging of dishes from downstairs interrupted their reverie.
“What do you suppose Brett is doing down there?” Margaret swung her legs over the edge of the bed, but Mama signaled for her to stay put.
“I’ll go down and check,” their mother said. “Don’t fret, Margaret. You have enough to do without worrying about Brett.”
“He’s never been at home in the kitchen.” Margaret blew out a few short breaths, her brow knitted. “Though…not…for…lack… of trying.” A long, slow breath followed, and then her pained expression eased into a peaceful one. “He has such a good heart, but his cooking skills are for the birds.”
Alanna fought against rolling her eyes. “I cannot believe we’re having this conversation right now, of all things. This is not the day to worry about who does the cooking. Just let the man put the turkey in the oven.”
Margaret giggled. “Listen to yourself, Alanna. You’re actually advocating a man doing the cooking.”
“On a day like today, with you giving birth? I daresay, he can put the turkey in the oven.”
“Yes, but can he actually cook it without burning the house down?” Margaret offered a weak smile. “That is the real question.”
“Never fear, Mama is here.” Their mother rose and made her way to the door. “If you can do without me for a few minutes, Margaret, I will help him get the meats started. And I will peel the potatoes, as well. Heaven knows we’ll need them once the ladies start showing up.” She disappeared through the doorway.
Alanna shook her head as she turned back to her sister. “You don’t honestly think the women will come just because they hear those bells, do you? Because…” Her words drifted off as the jingling of bells sounded from outside. She rushed to the window.
“W–who is it?” Margaret panted. “Is Tanner back?”
“No.” Alanna wiped the frost off the window and squinted to get a better look. “I think it’s Mrs. Sullivan.” She blew warm breath on the window and then wiped the pane with her sleeve. An unladylike gesture, for sure, but desperate times called for desperate measures. “Yes. It’s definitely the Sullivans.”
“She brought her husband?” Margaret groaned.
“Hope the men aren’t hungry.”
“Don’t worry about that. Just…”
Alanna gazed at her sister as she counted, “One, two, three… twenty-nine, thirty.” The contractions were definitely intensifying.
Downstairs a knock sounded at the door, and before long, Alanna could hear voices rising in excitement. Moments later, Mrs. Sullivan bounded into the room, her hands clasped together and her eyes dancing with delight.
“We’re having a baby!” she exclaimed.
“Indeed.” Margaret gave several quick pants. “We are.”
“Well, don’t fret. I know just what to do. I’ve helped with many deliveries over the years.” Mrs. Sullivan rolled up her sleeves and went about the business of checking on Margaret’s progress, something Alanna had never witnessed before and hoped to never see again. “There now. Looks like it could be any minute now. Just breathe slow and steady, my dear.”
Another long contraction followed, and Margaret winced in pain.
“It’s all right to cry out, honey,” Mrs. Sullivan said with a half smile. “No point in trying to be heroic.”
Margaret’s face twisted. “I–I’m just worried about scaring the men.”
“There she goes, thinking about others again.” Alanna plopped down on the side of the bed, feeling a little woozy herself. “Next thing you know, she’ll be up baking a cake for them.”
“Such a good-hearted soul, your sister.” Mrs. Sullivan gave Alanna a warm smile. “Must be her Southern upbringing.”
Just then Margaret let out a string of near curses, startling them all. She gripped her belly and doubled over, wailing.
“Nothing to be ashamed of.” Mrs. Sullivan put up her hands and grinned. “Happens to the best of us.”
Off in the distance the jingling of bells rang out. Alanna raced to the window to discover another sleigh arriving. It did not carry Tanner and Katie, however. Instead, a group of young women emerged and ran toward the house. Minutes later another sleigh arrived. And then another.
From the bed, Margaret remained focused and steady, though she occasionally cried out as she panted. The room began to fill with women young and old. Mama came first, followed by Tessa, and then all the Sleigh Belles poured in. Margaret, in her usual fashion, extended a hand of welcome before counting, “One, two, three…thirty-one, thirty-two.”
Only when she hit thirty-three did Alanna realize the time had come. With the help of nearly a dozen feisty Sleigh Belles, Margaret pushed a baby girl out into Alanna’s waiting arms.
* * * * *
TANNER SNAPPED THE REINS, HURRYING the horse along. Katie sat to his right in the sleigh, her nerves showing as she babbled nonsensically about the weather. Mama sat to his left, her eyes wide with excitement. Moments later, Brett and Margaret’s house came into view, though it was not as he’d left it, by any stretch of the imagination.
“Oh my goodness. Look at that, will you.” Katie pointed to the sleighs—probably six or seven of them in total, all covered with bells. “The Sleigh Belles have come to the rescue.”
“I knew they would come.” Mama grinned. “You can always count on the women in these parts to rush to lend a hand.”
“Looks like they’ve come in force.” Tanner chuckled. “Hope Margaret and Brett were ready for them.”
“I’m just glad to see others here,” Katie said as their sleigh came to a halt in front of the house. She scrambled down from her perch and took off running. Mama followed on her heels, moving at a slightly slower pace.
“You left your bag.” Tanner held up Katie’s bag then bolted from the sleigh, following on her heels. She turned, and he pitched it her way before tending to the horse.
When he arrived at the barn, he found nearly a dozen other horses inside, including the pastor’s two palominos and a variety of others. He made sure they were all warm and fed and then headed to the house.
No sooner had he arrived inside than a flurry of activity met him. He wasn’t sure which had him more discombobulated—the smell of burning piecrust or the voices of nearly a dozen women as they shared the story of Margaret’s new baby girl.
Finally, breaking through the cacophony of sounds, a clear, angelic sound emerged. An infant’s cry.
In that second, everything else came a halt. The spirit of Christmas took over, and his heart was filled with a hopefulness he had never before known.
Now, to find Alanna, so that he could share this blissful moment with her.