“I’m certainly not,” Arabella said. “The way you talked about him, it was evident you were attracted to him, despite yourself. But what does that mean for you two?
Evie made a little grunt and sat up. “Rub my back, won’t you?” she asked. Julia began to do so. “Is he going to be your protector?” Evie’s voice was slightly strangled. “Is it something more?”
“I don’t know,” Julia admitted. She thought of his proposal in the carriage. She should tell her sisters, but somehow she hesitated. Not out of fear they would tell her not to change her mind, but more that they’d start convincing her she should. That they would wheedle out of her the truth about the threats, the fears, that would perhaps take her from them.
“Julia,” Arabella said, the same way she’d said Julia’s name when she was young and her eldest sister was acting as the mother she’d never had.
“Fine!” Julia burst out. “I do know. It can’t mean anything, can it? These things aren’t real.”
Evie rested her head on her bunched-up knees and said in a muffled tone. “I think the fact I’m about to give birth is very much proof that isn’t true.” She grunted again and gripped the covers in both hands. “Oh, that’s a big one. I think they’re getting bigger,” she said, voice strained.
“We really shouldn’t talk about this right now,” Julia insisted.
Evie lifted her face and her expression was fire, as was her tone when she barked, “I want to talk about it.”
Arabella exchanged glances with Julia. “I would suggest you don’t make the demon angry. She looks like she could break you in half.”
Julia couldn’t help but laugh and so did Evie. “Fine,” Julia said. “I’m not saying it isn’t real for you two. But not for me.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Arabella said. “Here, let me stand beside Evie. She looks like she might slap you for denying your own happiness while she’s trying to bring life into the world.”
“Good idea,” Evie grunted.
Julia stepped aside and folded her arms. “It’s not ridiculous.”
“Of course it is,” Arabella said. “You are the romantic, the dreamer of the three of us.”
“Not anymore.”
Evie glared at her and it was truly terrifying. “Stop that! You deserve happiness and love as much as we did. I won’t let you give up on that dream.” She twisted a little and her voice got sharper. “I won’t let you give up on love. Now, will you go get my husband?”
Julia rushed to do so and Vaughn and Mrs. Culvers entered the room. They stepped away to let the midwife lift the sheets and look at Evie. She nodded. “You are progressing a bit faster than I expected. It shouldn’t be long before you push.” Vaughn moved to her side and the midwife glanced at him. “Normally the husband doesn’t stay, my lord.”
“Well, I’m not leaving, so I genuinely don’t care about normally.” He sat on the bed at Evie’s side and put his arm around her.
Julia smiled at his unwavering support of her sister. They wouldn’t talk about Alexander anymore and she didn’t wish to. She needed to focus on Evie and what would come next. But she felt off kilter now. Like her sisters had forced open the door Alexander had cracked in the carriage.
And she didn’t want to want what was behind it because the disappointment would be crushing if it was taken away.
But she shoved those thoughts aside as the waves of Evie’s pain came closer. Caroline arrived during the next part, with kisses and further support. Julia rubbed feet and held hands even when Evie crushed her fingers. She said words of encouragement to Evie, to Caroline, to Arabella and to Vaughn as the time passed.
Finally, the midwife moved, Evie was placed into position and Julia bit back her terror as her sister began to push. It felt like a lifetime, but it also felt little more than a moment and then her sister’s cries of pain were replaced by the gorgeous sound of a baby screeching air into their lungs.
“A little girl,” the midwife proclaimed as she set the child on Evie’s bare chest.
Julia, Arabella and Caroline stepped back, arms around each other, all crying as they stared at the family their dearest sister and niece had created with the man she loved. And though there were others in the room, it was just the three of them there in the glow of their utter joy as they passed their baby back and forth before Evie fed her for the first time and she calmed.
After a while, Mrs. Culvers finished what she needed to do for Evie’s health and slipped away. Only then did Arabella come forward with Julia and Caroline.
“My God, she is beautiful,” she said. It was rare for Arabella to cry, but she did so as Vaughn handed her the baby and she looked down into her face. “I would burn the world down for you, lovey.”
Caroline took the child next. “She looks so much like you girls did all those years ago. What a joy.”
After a moment, she handed the child to Julia and she cradled her just as carefully, looking into the face that felt so new and yet so familiar. Vaughn moved aside and Caroline left the room to tell the gentlemen downstairs the good news. The three sisters looked at each other, looked at that little girl.
“She’s beautiful,” Julia said through her happy tears.
Evie reached up and touched her hand. “She is. And just as Caroline said, she’sus. Another Comerford girl, but without the horror or abuse to mar her life. She isusand don’t you ever, ever tell me again that you don’t deserve happiness. Because our blood runs through her veins and she definitely deserves every good thing in the world.”
