“Once the baby comes,” she said. “Even though I plan on coming back, it won’t be for some time. And His Grace…” She rolled her eyes. “He insists that my days in the kitchen will be done. Too busy raising the baby, he says it.”
“He is just watching out for you.”
“Oh, I know,” she agreed. “But that does not mean –” Her eyes suddenly widened, she grabbed hold of her belly, and she doubled over in pain.
“Lucinda!” Yvette hobbled across the kitchen, ignoring the pain in her ankle. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing…” the cook grimaced and groaned. “Just another cramp. I’m – argh!” she doubled over further, clutching her belly, nearly collapsing to the ground. “Oh no.”
“What?”
“I was sure it was too soon. But… the baby… I think… yes, it’s coming…”
Naturally, Yvette lost all composure.
She stumbled back as Lucinda panted and groaned. The room turned as Lucinda started to breathe in and out. And her legs trembled and then buckled as Lucinda screamed and water began to drip down her legs.
Oh no… no, no, no, no… not again…
Memories flooded Yvette’s consciousness in ways that she tried so desperately to stop. Images of her mother covered in blood. Sounds of screaming. Her father’s wailing. And the baby…
“Yvette!” Lucinda puffed and stumbled toward her. A hand grabbed Yvette by the arm and pulled her from her imaginings. “I need… a bed… help… you need to…”
“Oh!” Yvette shook her head and pushed the horror away. Then, thinking quickly, blocking out the memories the best that she could, she lifted Lucinda’s arm around her shoulder and took her weight.
Her ankle cried out in agony, Yvette nearly lost balance, but she pushed through the pain and started to guide the pregnant cook through the kitchen.
“Spare room…” Lucinda panted. “Down the hall… by the… the servant’s staircase…”
Yvette knew the room that she spoke of, and she led her there as quickly as she could. But it was slow going, the manor was pitch black, and each step they took not only had Lucinda groaning and panting and puffing, but Yvette’s ankle throbbed so painfully she wondered if it might be easier to snap the thing off entirely.
The room was empty, but what was needed. There were several single cots lined against the walls, and Yvette led Lucinda to the one closest.
“Careful…” Yvette said as she helped the pregnant woman onto the cot. “There you… almost…”
“Thank God!” Lucinda exclaimed as her body collapsed onto the cot with a thud.
She breathed heavily. She sweated terribly. And even in the darkness, Yvette could see the physical toll that labor was taking on the poor woman. She writhed and groaned as she held her belly, and all Yvette could do was gape.
“Mrs. Fletcher…” Lucinda panted. “She… she will know what to do…”
Still, Yvette stared blankly.
Again, she was visited with memories of her own mother. Yvette had been just ten years old at the time, and she remembered the day as if it was yesterday. They were outside in the field, playing in the sun, the world was perfect, and Yvette did not have a single care. That was when her mother started to scream…
“Yvette!” Lucinda cried. “Go!”
“Y – yes!” Yvette stumbled back. “I… I will be…” She turned and staggered from the room.
Yvette could not remember what happened next. Not with any real clarity. Vague images of her rushing through the house and waking Mrs. Fletcher. Blurred visions of her babbling aboutLucinda’s pregnancy, tears streaming down her face, feelings of utter uselessness.
Thankfully, Mrs. Fletcher was far more composed than Yvette could ever hope to be. The elderly housekeeper was quick to push past Yvette and rush to wake the maids. Then, she was just as quick to take them downstairs, where they began to help Lucinda with her delivery.
Yvette wanted nothing more than to go to bed and forget that this had ever happened. To wake tomorrow and hear joyous news of the birth and how nothing went wrong. But she knew that was not possible.
Her body rebelled against her as she started back toward the room where she had left Lucinda.
As she went, she heard the poor cook crying out in pain. The sound of her wailing echoed through the house and battered Yvette to the ground so that she had to drag herself closer. When they reached the room, she was relieved to see that the door was closed. That was until she heard it…
