Page 52 of The Gift of Patience
They walked together to the marbled entrance hall where they found Armstrong. Major Stuart was leaving just as a trap pulled up the front drive with Dr. Harvey inside.
Patience waited until he approached the door. “Good afternoon, Doctor. I will take you to my sister.”
“How is her ladyship faring?” he asked as they ascended the stairs.
“The contractions seem to be causing her discomfort, but she is very resilient.”
They reached the door and she knocked lightly again, then opened it as she could hear the chatter from those in the room.
Westwood exhaled with visible relief at the sight of the doctor, while her sisters and Vivienne stood to leave so Faith could be examined.
If Dr. Harvey thought it was strange that there seemed to be calling hours in Lady Westwood’s chambers, he did not mention it.
As she closed the door behind them, she heard the doctor ask, “How far apart have your pains been, my lady?”
“Why don’t we send for tea?” Patience suggested, steering the ladies towards the drawing room where she knew the dowagers and the aunts would be.
The tea tray had already been delivered, and Mr. Cunningham and Lord Montford were sitting there entertaining the ladies. Xander jumped up and came to greet Patience.
“There you are!” She kneeled to pet him while his whole body shook with excitement as though he’d not seen her in weeks.
“I apologize, Miss Whitford. I did not mean to monopolize him, but I did not find you when we returned to the house.”
She waved his apology away.
“How is dear Faith?” Aunt Flora asked.
“The doctor is with her now.”
“Her pains sound too close together for just beginning labour,” the Dowager remarked.
“Oh, she did not just begin,” Joy informed them. “Faith said the pains started last evening before bed.”
All heads swung towards Joy. “I beg your pardon? The younger of the two Dowager Lady Westwood’s asked. “Perhaps I should go and attend her now.” She hurriedly rose and left the room.
“It seems we might have a baby soon, after all,” the elder dowager remarked.
“Dash it all, I’ll lose the wager,” Aunt Rosemary bemoaned.
Patience supposed she should go and assist as well.
Ashley could not saywhy he had sought Patience out. It was one of the first conversations they’d had where they seemed to be in harmony. One of the things he liked most about her was her unpredictability. While she exasperated him at every chance, she also intrigued him more than was healthy. It was impossible to stop thinking about her.
Ashley was glad to escape the house. He wanted to be as far away from childbirth as possible. If he were being honest, he would be as bad as Westwood or worse if it was his wife going through those pains and he could do nothing to help. Worse, being the cause of it. So many women and babies did not survive, and he knew his brother must be suffering from crippling fear that he might lose his beloved.
Ashley found the others in the stables, preparing their show. He would look in upon Dominic later.
It had been agreed upon ahead of time that Ashley would remain since it was his brother’s house and Lady Westwood was giving birth. It would be more unusual were he to leave at a time like this.
A plain, hired conveyance was waiting near the stables, and all of the men had gathered in the yard. Renforth pulled them aside.
A few of them would ride along surrounding the carriage for protection as they would a normal prisoner. Westwood had some horses to be taken to London to their new homes.
He would ride with them as far as the village. The carriage would go all of the way to London’s Newgate Prison, just in case they were followed. It was an elaborate ruse, but they could not be too careful.
“There is a chance there could be trouble, so be prepared. Remember that everything you do, treat it as though you’re being watched. Any servant, anyone in the woods, do not trust that your actions or words are not being shared elsewhere.” Renforth prepared them as he used to do before battle.
Those things were deeply ingrained in Ashley and in all of them, but it was a good reminder to tell Patience. He’d shared details of their operation with her for some unknown reason, and she did not have the training that he and the others did.
