Nora drew her eyebrows together. The infant’s condition was hardly Aunt Wilcox’s fault. “Whyever—”
But Aunt continued, “I haven’t paid your bill.”
“Bill?” Nora laughed as she caressed her stomach again. “What bill?”
Aunt frowned. “For attending me in my sickness.”
Nora dropped her hand in surprise. “I would never charge you, Aunt.”
“I thought as much,” the woman concurred with a curt nod. “Which is why I have planned to show my gratitude in another way.”
“Another way?”
Several yards away, the baby choked on the rich rush ofmilk, coughing and releasing the breast. Mrs. Nugent wiped up the dribble of milk with her skirt and started again with coaxing words. Aunt diverted her eyes, most likely uncomfortable with the rough brown nipple in plain view.
“An ongoing contribution to your hospital. You are doing valuable work.” Aunt’s hand smoothed the cuffs of her sleeves. “Enough to hire the women you’ve trained. Mrs. Franklin is an admirable midwife. Heaven knows they must all need steady employment. And we need them.” Her clipped words couldn’t hide the emotion.
Nora turned away from the sight of Ellie wiggling the baby’s chin to convince her to suck harder. “I agree. But you already give so much to your other causes.”
“You made me your cause.” Aunt Wilcox exhaled and looked away, the words costing her. “I will make you mine.”
Nora blinked, unsure whether to protest again or accept and give thanks. As she deliberated, she pressed her hands to her stomach, bolstering her courage. Best to grab the iron when hot.
“Did you hear that, Ruth?” she called.
Ruth turned to her, blank-faced.
“As of this moment, Aunt Wilcox is patron of this hospital. She’s going to help fund it.”
No one moved. Mrs. Phipps frowned so deeply with confusion that Nora hurried on before Aunt grew insulted. “I told you about the conversation we had when we were convalescing and now…” Her voice dwindled.
Why didn’t anyone say something congratulatory? Nora wished she was close enough to covertly give one of them a pinch.
Ever polite, Julia found her composure first with a dazed, “Oh.”
Beside her, Aunt’s eyes narrowed to slits.
“That’s wonderful,” Julia said, shaking herself from the shock. “Mrs. Wilcox, how generous of you.” At last, she remembered to smile, and the spell binding the others into stunned statues broke as she beamed.
“I can hardly believe it,” Mrs. Phipps fumbled, attempting to turn it into a compliment by elevating the last syllable.
Nora laughed at their astonished faces. It seemed miracles came in threes: her child, this orphan, and now Aunt’s funding. But why stop there?
“Ruth, as founder of this hospital, I’d like to offer you the paid position of head nurse and midwife.”
Mrs. Phipps’s hand flew to her open mouth.
Julia threw her arms around Ruth before the woman managed to take a breath. Her reticent face rippled with minute signs of disbelief and joy.
“Well,” Nora prodded with a grin. “Do you accept?”
Ruth nodded several times, blinking fiercely. “Gladly,” she said, her voice unsteady.
Nora admired her control. She embodied Horace’s maxim to never let yourself be caught off guard. “I’ll do it gladly,” Ruth answered.
A harsh throat-clearing silenced them all. “Very well, but will that baby live?” Aunt’s voice sharpened to her usual briskness.
Julia’s head jerked to the little one, her celebration cut short as her blue eyes swelled with distress.
