As Kath rolled out pastry on the kitchen table her thoughts were shattered as Annie flew in the door.
‘Kath… come quick!’
Grabbing her shawl from the nail on the back door, her heart skipped a beat. As they ran down the road and on into Trouse Lane heading for Gittins Manor, Annie puffed, ‘Violet’s started!’
‘Where’s Dr Shaw?’ Kath puffed back, suddenly feeling too old to be running.
‘He is with her, I fetched him first, Kath.’
‘Thank you, Annie,’ she said, snatching breath into her lungs. ‘How’s Violet doing?’
Violet’s time was very near and Kath worried for her. Many times women died in childbirth and although Dr Shaw was on hand, fear gripped her like a vice. She had watched her daughter’s excitement as she had prepared for the birth of her child knowing all the time Violet had no idea what was to come. There was no way Kath could make it any easier for her and she silently prayed it would not be a difficult birth.
‘She’s all right just now.’ Annie shot a glance at her friend as they hurried on. Although she’d had none of her own, Annie had helped bring many children into the world safely, and she had witnessed the pain of the women during their labour.
Arriving at Gittins Manor, they dashed up the stairs and into Violet’s bedroom, puffing and panting with the exertion.
Seeing the anguish in her daughter’s eyes and the sweat on her brow, Kath rushed to the girl lying on the bed.
‘I’m here bab, I’m here now.’
‘Ooooh Mum!’ Violet gasped as another spasm of pain racked her small body.
Looking at her, holding her hand, Violet didn’t look more than a child herself. ‘I know, wench,’ Kath said as Violet gripped her hand, squeezing it tightly, ‘you’ll be all right, just try to relax between the pains, let Mother Nature do her work.’
Annie went off to get hot water and fetch clean towels and linen, and in a moment she was back. Kath watched Violet as another bout of pain rolled over her, her heart aching at her own child’s suffering.
‘Ooh Mum!’ Violet called, the sweat beading on her forehead.
‘You’re doing well, Violet, I’m sure it won’t be much longer,’ Kath said, stealing a look at the doctor. She winced as she saw him shake his head.
Mopping away the sweat with a damp cloth, Kath talked quietly to her daughter giving her encouragement.
As another pain gripped her, Violet yelled out, ‘Mum… why is it… taking so long?’
‘Babies come when they’re ready,’ Kath said gently.
Violet closed her eyes in the brief respite from the agonising pains. Then she lifted her head and let out another howl.
Kath shot a look at the doctor who was at the end of the bed. ‘Violet,’ he said, ‘just grit your teeth now for a couple of minutes.’
Alarm showed clearly on Kath’s face as she saw him disappear below the sheet draped across Violet’s knees before popping back up again. Something was terribly wrong; it was written clearly over the doctor’s face. What was happening? Would the baby be stillborn? Would Violet die?
Agonising pains gripped the young woman again as she lay on the bed, her knees bent. She cried and gasped. She panted and cried some more. ‘Mum, I’m scared,’ she whimpered.
‘I know, sweetheart, I know.’ Kath felt sick with worry. She glanced again at the doctor and saw him dip down beneath the sheet once more. To her daughter she said, ‘Come on, love, be brave.’
Violet screamed again as another bout of pain ripped through her.
‘Right, Violet,’ Dr Shaw said as he peeped through Violet’s bent knees yet again, ‘when I say, I want you to push down hard, we need to get this little one out.’
Violet let out an exhausted moan before catching her breath again.
‘Now Violet, push wench…’
Violet let out a yell and then gritting her teeth she strained hard to no avail.
‘What’s wrong Dr Shaw?’ Kath asked as she looked at him, ‘Why isn’t the baby coming?’
‘It will,’ he said, ‘I just need to…’
Violet let out a shriek, lifting her head from the pillow; eyes wide with fear and pain.
‘It’s all right now,’ the doctor said, ‘the head’s through. Now, Violet, one more push and your baby will be born.’
Dragging air into her lungs, Violet pushed down hard then fell back exhausted.
They heard a slap, then a tiny wail as Dr Shaw said, ‘Violet, you have a fine healthy boy!’
Tears poured from Violet’s eyes as the doctor finished his ministrations with her. The baby boy was passed to Kath and she quickly wrapped him in a warm towel and carried him to his mother. Kath swelled with love for the tiny bundle in her arms and kissed him gently on his forehead.
Violet held her child, gazing at him in wonderment, her face aglow with happiness. Kath watched her own child watching her child, and her heart swelled with pride.
Annie stood by with more towels and water for Dr Shaw and came to the bedside with tears rolling down her face.
‘Annie,’ Violet whispered, ‘meet Harry Gittins.’
Annie clapped her hands in delight as Violet said to Kath, ‘I named him after my dad.’
Putting her face in her hands, Kath wept uncontrollably then heard Dr Shaw say, ‘Congratulations, Violet, he’s a fine boy and you did so well bringing him into the world. Get some rest now, wench.’ Turning to Kath, he said, ‘She’ll need you and Annie for a little while, and I’ll be back tomorrow to check on her.’
The doctor left and they watched as Violet’s eyes drooped. Lifting the baby from her arms, Kath passed him to Annie saying, ‘You sleep, Violet, rest easy now.’
Annie washed and swaddled young Harry and cradled him while he slept, never taking her eyes from his little face.
Kath said quietly, ‘I’ll go fetch Spencer from the works.’
‘Christ!’ Whispered Annie. ‘I forgot about him!’
Exchanging grins, Kath glanced at Violet sleeping peacefully before creeping out of the room.
*
Kath stayed overnight with Annie and Charlie and the following day she visited Violet. Spencer was like a cat who’d got the cream, a wide grin splitting his face.
Dr Shaw arrived and ushered Spencer out of the room so he could look over Violet and her baby. Satisfied all was well, Spencer was allowed back in.
As he moved to the door, the doctor flicked his head to Kath beckoning her to follow him.
‘I’ll see Dr Shaw out,’ she said to the happy parents who were gazing at their newborn child lying peacefully in Violet’s arms.
As they descended, the stairs Dr Shaw said, ‘It was a close thing, Kath.’ She shot a questioning look at him and he explained, ‘The cord was round the baby’s neck, if I hadn’t released it when I did, it would have strangled him.’
‘Dear God!’ Kath stammered.
‘Fortunately I was able to release it in time before Violet gave her last push. She’s a strong wench, Kath, she’ll do just fine and so will the baby.’
Thanking him, she watched his carriage pull away and then muttered her thanks to the Almighty. Kath walked round the gardens and heard the doctor’s words again, if I hadn’t released it, it would have strangled him.
Her thoughts immediately returned to Frank Woolley and she envisaged him hanging from the balustrade. As the picture formed in her mind her stomach lurched and she felt bile rise to her throat. She remembered how the others said Frank had struggled to free himself and how, as life left him, his eyes had bulged and his tongue lolled from his mouth.
Sitting on the bench by the lawn, Kath wept openly, partly for the terrible things she had done in her life and partly in thanks for the safe delivery of her healthy grandchild.
It was as she sobbed into her shawl she heard hoof beats and looking up she saw Joshua Gittins jump down from his horse. Rushing to her, he said, ‘Hey up Kath, whatever is the matter, wench?’
Drying her eyes, she related what Dr Shaw had told her.
‘Bloody hell!’ was Joshua’s response. ‘No wonder you’re weeping, but it’s all right now, mother and baby are doing fine aren’t they?’
Nodding her head, the tears fell once more and before Kath knew what was happening she was in Joshua’s arms. Holding her while she cried, she heard him whisper, ‘It’s all right wench, you’re safe with me.’
Allowing herself to fold into him, Kath relished the feeling of his strong arms around her. It had been a long time since she had been held this way and she succumbed to the joy of it.