realize,” Nell said. “That’s... that’s wonderful.”
“Congratulations,” Will said.
Chloe glanced up at Nell as she poured the tea. “You’re wondering why he didn’t tell you.”
“Well...”
Setting the cups in front of her guests, Chloe said, “It’s not the first time I’ve been in the family way. We’ve lost three wee ones, Colin and I. Our first was stillborn, a little boy we named Patrick, and the other two never even made it this far.”
“I’m so sorry,” Nell said. “That must be incredibly painful.” It was a pain Nell knew all too well, having suffered, after Duncan’s final, savage beating, a miscarriage that had more than likely left her sterile.
“I trust you’re seeing a physician,” said Will as he pulled Chloe’s chair out for her.
“Yes, indeed, Dr. Mathers.”
“I know of him,” Will said. “He’s very well thought of.”
“He’s given me a list of rules meant to keep this babe tight in the womb. No strenuous activity—I can’t even weed this disastrous garden. No... restrictive garments.”
“Good for Mathers,” Will said. “Whenever I see a pregnant woman in a corset, I want to throttle her.”
“Dr. Hewitt is a physician,” Nell said, by way of explaining his frankness.
“Non-practicing,” he said. “My only experience with expectant mothers was during medical school at Edinburgh, back before the war.”
“Is it true,” Chloe asked, “what Dr. Mathers says, that there’s no way to stop a...mishap, if you feel one coming on? He...he said it was God’s will, that all I could do is lie down and ‘let nature take its course,’ but he’s so old, you know. You’re younger. You were trained so recently. Is there something new? Some tonic, or...?”
With an apologetic little shrug, Will said, “Bed rest is what we were taught to prescribe. Miss Sweeney actually has a good deal more experience with such matters than I do.”
“I served as nurse to a doctor on Cape Cod for four years,” Nell explained. “There are some herbs native to this country that the Indians use for that purpose, but no tonic per se. The best thing you can do is to try to prevent such a mishap by not over-exerting yourself.”
“Oh, I’ve been pretty much staying at home,” Chloe said, “reading, doing embroidery and watercolors... I’m bored out of my wits, but I don’t mind. I don’t mind looking this way, I don’t mind any of it. I want this baby so badly—Colin, too. He hired a girl to come in at noon for the cooking and cleaning. I asked him not to tell people I’m expecting. He thinks I’m being superstitious, but that’s really not it. There’s just so much pity I can bear, and if...if anything were to happen to this baby...”
“Surely you’ve told your family,” Nell said as she stirred sugar and milk into her tea.
“My parents are gone. I’ve just got the one older brother, James—he lives in New York. He’s a constable, too. Colin has no kin at all in the States. He came over alone. I have a friend, Lily Booth, who lives around the corner. She’s the only person I’ve told. She spent most of yesterday with me, trying to keep me calm for the sake of the baby.”
“She was right to do so,” Will said. “Given your condition, and your past history, it’s best that you not allow yourself to become too overwrought.”
“Your advice is well taken, Doctor,” Chloe said, “but given what’s happened...” She sat back wearily. “What they’re saying Colin did...”
“We actually know very little about the circumstances,” Nell said. “Detective Skinner paid a call on me yesterday afternoon, but he didn’t tell me much.”
Chloe grimaced. “He came to see me, too. Loathsome man. Colin can’t bear him.”
“All we know,” Nell said, “is that Detective Cook is supposed to have shot someone named Johnny Cassidy at a place called Nabby’s Inferno Tuesday night.”
“When did you last see your husband?” Will asked
“Congratulations,” Will said.
Chloe glanced up at Nell as she poured the tea. “You’re wondering why he didn’t tell you.”
“Well...”
Setting the cups in front of her guests, Chloe said, “It’s not the first time I’ve been in the family way. We’ve lost three wee ones, Colin and I. Our first was stillborn, a little boy we named Patrick, and the other two never even made it this far.”
“I’m so sorry,” Nell said. “That must be incredibly painful.” It was a pain Nell knew all too well, having suffered, after Duncan’s final, savage beating, a miscarriage that had more than likely left her sterile.
“I trust you’re seeing a physician,” said Will as he pulled Chloe’s chair out for her.
“Yes, indeed, Dr. Mathers.”
“I know of him,” Will said. “He’s very well thought of.”
“He’s given me a list of rules meant to keep this babe tight in the womb. No strenuous activity—I can’t even weed this disastrous garden. No... restrictive garments.”
“Good for Mathers,” Will said. “Whenever I see a pregnant woman in a corset, I want to throttle her.”
“Dr. Hewitt is a physician,” Nell said, by way of explaining his frankness.
“Non-practicing,” he said. “My only experience with expectant mothers was during medical school at Edinburgh, back before the war.”
“Is it true,” Chloe asked, “what Dr. Mathers says, that there’s no way to stop a...mishap, if you feel one coming on? He...he said it was God’s will, that all I could do is lie down and ‘let nature take its course,’ but he’s so old, you know. You’re younger. You were trained so recently. Is there something new? Some tonic, or...?”
With an apologetic little shrug, Will said, “Bed rest is what we were taught to prescribe. Miss Sweeney actually has a good deal more experience with such matters than I do.”
“I served as nurse to a doctor on Cape Cod for four years,” Nell explained. “There are some herbs native to this country that the Indians use for that purpose, but no tonic per se. The best thing you can do is to try to prevent such a mishap by not over-exerting yourself.”
“Oh, I’ve been pretty much staying at home,” Chloe said, “reading, doing embroidery and watercolors... I’m bored out of my wits, but I don’t mind. I don’t mind looking this way, I don’t mind any of it. I want this baby so badly—Colin, too. He hired a girl to come in at noon for the cooking and cleaning. I asked him not to tell people I’m expecting. He thinks I’m being superstitious, but that’s really not it. There’s just so much pity I can bear, and if...if anything were to happen to this baby...”
“Surely you’ve told your family,” Nell said as she stirred sugar and milk into her tea.
“My parents are gone. I’ve just got the one older brother, James—he lives in New York. He’s a constable, too. Colin has no kin at all in the States. He came over alone. I have a friend, Lily Booth, who lives around the corner. She’s the only person I’ve told. She spent most of yesterday with me, trying to keep me calm for the sake of the baby.”
“She was right to do so,” Will said. “Given your condition, and your past history, it’s best that you not allow yourself to become too overwrought.”
“Your advice is well taken, Doctor,” Chloe said, “but given what’s happened...” She sat back wearily. “What they’re saying Colin did...”
“We actually know very little about the circumstances,” Nell said. “Detective Skinner paid a call on me yesterday afternoon, but he didn’t tell me much.”
Chloe grimaced. “He came to see me, too. Loathsome man. Colin can’t bear him.”
“All we know,” Nell said, “is that Detective Cook is supposed to have shot someone named Johnny Cassidy at a place called Nabby’s Inferno Tuesday night.”
“When did you last see your husband?” Will asked
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