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Leonardo motioned for her to undo her clothing, preparing to place his ear near the lower right side of her chest.
“No, Da Vinci, what are you doing?!” she exclaimed.
Looking back, it was both infuriating and amusing.
Doctors in this era would have patients remove their upper garments and then listen to the heartbeat between the armpit and chest to diagnose illnesses. This applied to both men and women, and the practice continued until the 19th century.
To find out how many children she was expecting, Hedy, while her musician husband was performing his whistle skills, sketched a quick diagram and instructed him to create a small device based on the notes in the sketch.
There were no rubber tubes yet, but even a small, trumpet-shaped hollow wooden tube could conduct and amplify sound.
When Leonardo received the little device, he was initially doubtful of its functionality.
“There are more amazing things than this,” Hedy said, stirring Caesar salad slowly. “There was a very famous musician who, after losing his hearing, still composed many pieces and could even control the rhythm while playing the piano.”
“Why?!” Leonardo exclaimed, looking shocked. “Did you give him new ears? Were they human ears or donkey ears?!”
“No—bone conduction,” she said with a suppressed laugh. “Just a bit of basic physiology.”
As they discussed the topic, they continued adjusting the position of the makeshift stethoscope.
First, it was the young mother's heartbeat.
It was steady, strong, and very clear.
Leonardo listened to the sound for a long time, and when he stood up, he gave her a lingering kiss.
“Now, let’s hear the child’s.” Hedy said gently. “Be a little lighter with your touch.”
He knelt beside her, pressing his ear against her abdomen to listen for the baby’s heartbeat.
“There really is…” Leonardo reflexively looked at her, then pressed his ear back to her belly. “Though the sound is faint, it’s still completely audible—wait, is there another one?”
Hedy relaxed her posture, half-lying on the bench, and pressed her temples.
It seemed she really was expecting twins. It looked like she’d have to brace herself for some challenges ahead.
Leonardo listened for a long time, distinguishing the two heartbeats.
The louder one had a faster frequency, with clear and noticeable fluctuations.
The other was gentler and more prolonged, located more towards the right side.
"My God… we're going to have two children…" he muttered. "I haven't even learned how to be a father yet."
Hedy lowered her gaze and gently stroked his brown hair, her fingers brushing against his cheek.
"You will," she reassured him.
There was a knock at the door, and a guard outside announced, "Lord Niccolo Machiavelli requests to see you."
"Let him in."
As Niccolo entered, he pulled out a white weasel sewn from soft cloth from his coat. "Perhaps I should say congratulations, Your Majesty?"
Hedy motioned for Leonardo to handle the papers on the desk, and looked at Niccolo, raising an eyebrow. "Only you noticed?"
"You hid it well," Niccolo said with a smile, putting the weasel back into his coat. His tone was slightly probing. "It seems you don’t want others to know about this?"
