Simmonds knocked on the kitchen door and came straight in.
‘Come up, please,’ Bella said. ‘Ma said she wanted to have a lie-down.’
‘Quite right,’ the midwife answered, glancing round. ‘Better get her rest now while she can, though I expect she’ll be pleased to have your help; still, you’re all old enough to be able to look after yourselves, aren’t you?’
‘You’d think so, wouldn’t you?’ Bella said ironically as she saw both Joe and William with their legs stretched out before the fire. ‘It’s nearly time to open up,’ she said to her brothers. ‘Are you going to get out of your working clothes?’
William got up immediately and headed towards the stairs before Bella did, but Joe still sat there without moving.
‘When I’m good and ready,’ he muttered. ‘Not before.’
Mrs Simmonds gave a little shrug and turned down her mouth. ‘Lads,’ she muttered. ‘He’s not like your da, is he? He was a worker all right, and it’s a pity he’s gone.’
‘Yes,’ Bella said quietly. ‘This way, please, Mrs Simmonds.’
The child, a boy, was born in the early hours of the following morning.
‘Well, there’ll be no more, you can be sure of that.’ Ada Simmonds wiped the sweat off her own brow before wrapping the baby in a clean towel and bending over the mother to put him in her arms.
‘Give him to Bella,’ Sarah said, turning her head away. ‘I just want to sleep.’
Mrs Simmonds raised her eyebrows, but said nothing and opened the door. Bella was sitting at the top of the stairs with her head bent to her knees.
‘Come on in, lass,’ the midwife said. ‘Your ma’s fair worn out.’
Bella scrambled to her feet, almost falling over with tiredness. Everyone else had gone to bed, the bedroom doors firmly shut.
As Bella took the child from Mrs Simmonds and saw his damp dark hair, his flickering eyelids and rosebud mouth, she had a sudden vague memory of another baby, Nell, who had taken her place at her mother’s breast. A recollection of being pushed away so that the newcomer could suckle instead of her, and of howling in dismay until a sharp slap on her leg made her catch her breath.
Now she looked down at this sleeping babe and smiled. ‘He’s beautiful, Ma, simply beautiful.’
Her mother didn’t answer, but lay gazing towards the window, not seeing, only remembering.
‘What’ll we call him?’ Bella asked softly. ‘I wish we could have called him Joseph after Father, but we can’t cos of Joe.’
‘Henry,’ her mother murmured. ‘It was your father’s middle name.’
‘Henry! I never knew,’ Bella said. ‘That’s a good name. Does he need feeding? Will he be hungry?’
‘He’s all right for a bit.’ Mrs Simmonds took him from her. ‘Let’s put him down for a rest whilst your ma has a sleep; he’s had a rough old journey, haven’t you, my lovely?’ She stroked his cheek. ‘He’s a right bonny bairn. Look at all that hair – he’s going to look just like his da.’
She placed the baby in a crib, one that Sarah had asked William to bring down from a cupboard in the dormitory loft only a week ago and Bella had all but forgotten was there.
‘I’m going home now,’ Mrs Simmonds said. ‘I’m fair wore out. I’ll be back later in ’morning. If bairn cries,’ she added to Bella, ‘give him a drop o’ cool water on a spoon till your ma’s ready to give him his first feed. Not too cold, or you’ll give him belly ache. And not too hot either.’
Bella drew in a breath. Oh! She hadn’t thought that she’d be responsible for him; what if he cried and she was asleep?
‘What if I don’t hear him?’ she said.
Mrs Simmonds gave a wry grin. ‘You’ll hear him,’ she said. ‘But keep your bedroom door open.’
Bella bit on her lip. ‘My room’s in ’roof,’ she said. ‘I might not.’
‘Sleep in ’chair, Bella.’ Her mother’s voice came from the depths of the bed. ‘It’s onny for one night. I’m that tired.’
‘All
‘Come up, please,’ Bella said. ‘Ma said she wanted to have a lie-down.’
‘Quite right,’ the midwife answered, glancing round. ‘Better get her rest now while she can, though I expect she’ll be pleased to have your help; still, you’re all old enough to be able to look after yourselves, aren’t you?’
‘You’d think so, wouldn’t you?’ Bella said ironically as she saw both Joe and William with their legs stretched out before the fire. ‘It’s nearly time to open up,’ she said to her brothers. ‘Are you going to get out of your working clothes?’
William got up immediately and headed towards the stairs before Bella did, but Joe still sat there without moving.
‘When I’m good and ready,’ he muttered. ‘Not before.’
Mrs Simmonds gave a little shrug and turned down her mouth. ‘Lads,’ she muttered. ‘He’s not like your da, is he? He was a worker all right, and it’s a pity he’s gone.’
‘Yes,’ Bella said quietly. ‘This way, please, Mrs Simmonds.’
The child, a boy, was born in the early hours of the following morning.
‘Well, there’ll be no more, you can be sure of that.’ Ada Simmonds wiped the sweat off her own brow before wrapping the baby in a clean towel and bending over the mother to put him in her arms.
‘Give him to Bella,’ Sarah said, turning her head away. ‘I just want to sleep.’
Mrs Simmonds raised her eyebrows, but said nothing and opened the door. Bella was sitting at the top of the stairs with her head bent to her knees.
‘Come on in, lass,’ the midwife said. ‘Your ma’s fair worn out.’
Bella scrambled to her feet, almost falling over with tiredness. Everyone else had gone to bed, the bedroom doors firmly shut.
As Bella took the child from Mrs Simmonds and saw his damp dark hair, his flickering eyelids and rosebud mouth, she had a sudden vague memory of another baby, Nell, who had taken her place at her mother’s breast. A recollection of being pushed away so that the newcomer could suckle instead of her, and of howling in dismay until a sharp slap on her leg made her catch her breath.
Now she looked down at this sleeping babe and smiled. ‘He’s beautiful, Ma, simply beautiful.’
Her mother didn’t answer, but lay gazing towards the window, not seeing, only remembering.
‘What’ll we call him?’ Bella asked softly. ‘I wish we could have called him Joseph after Father, but we can’t cos of Joe.’
‘Henry,’ her mother murmured. ‘It was your father’s middle name.’
‘Henry! I never knew,’ Bella said. ‘That’s a good name. Does he need feeding? Will he be hungry?’
‘He’s all right for a bit.’ Mrs Simmonds took him from her. ‘Let’s put him down for a rest whilst your ma has a sleep; he’s had a rough old journey, haven’t you, my lovely?’ She stroked his cheek. ‘He’s a right bonny bairn. Look at all that hair – he’s going to look just like his da.’
She placed the baby in a crib, one that Sarah had asked William to bring down from a cupboard in the dormitory loft only a week ago and Bella had all but forgotten was there.
‘I’m going home now,’ Mrs Simmonds said. ‘I’m fair wore out. I’ll be back later in ’morning. If bairn cries,’ she added to Bella, ‘give him a drop o’ cool water on a spoon till your ma’s ready to give him his first feed. Not too cold, or you’ll give him belly ache. And not too hot either.’
Bella drew in a breath. Oh! She hadn’t thought that she’d be responsible for him; what if he cried and she was asleep?
‘What if I don’t hear him?’ she said.
Mrs Simmonds gave a wry grin. ‘You’ll hear him,’ she said. ‘But keep your bedroom door open.’
Bella bit on her lip. ‘My room’s in ’roof,’ she said. ‘I might not.’
‘Sleep in ’chair, Bella.’ Her mother’s voice came from the depths of the bed. ‘It’s onny for one night. I’m that tired.’
‘All
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