Page 63 of A Most Beloved Sister
She absentmindedly rubbed the subtle bulge of her abdomen as she walked down the hall. It was still too early for the quickening—at least she thought it was, but there was so much she didn’t know about being enceinte. With her mother having long passed on and no other married female relations nearby, there was no one with whom she could consult.
I wonder if there is a midwife in Meryton. Perhaps Elizabeth would know.
As if summoned by her thoughts, Louisa reached the staircase to go belowstairs just as Elizabeth did.
“Oh, Elizabeth! I was just thinking about you!”
“Oh dear, what have I done wrong now?”
Louisa began to stammer an apology, but then Elizabeth took her by the hand. “My dear friend, I was simply teasing you.”
She blushed. “I suppose that is something I will need to become accustomed to now that we are to be sisters. In fact”—she took a deep breath—“I am hoping that you will continue to stay here after the wedding.”
Elizabeth smiled. “I believe that is to be a condition of my sister’s marriage: that I am allowed to reside with her, no matter where she is.”
Louisa’s face lit up. “That is wonderful! I very much look forward to having two such amiable sisters in my home.”
The younger girl linked her arm with Louisa’s as they descended the stairs. “You have said nothing of your own sister, nor the other three new additions Jane will bring. I begin to wonder if I am perhaps your least favorite.”
This time, Louisa recognized the slight twitching of lips and twinkling eyes that revealed the humor, and, as they reached the drawing room and took a seat together on the settee near the fire, she responded in kind. “Why, I thought it went without saying that I would be inviting your mother, Caroline, and Lydia to take up residence as well.”
Elizabeth laughed and squeezed Louisa’s arm. “Oh, well done, sister!”
Louisa felt warmth rise within her, and it took her several moments to recognize the foreign emotion for what it was: pride in someone else’s approval of her. She hadn’t felt this way sinceher days at finishing school, where she would receive occasional bits of praise from her teachers over her accomplishments.
The sensations gave her the courage to say, “I actually wished to discuss another matter with you. Is there,” she paused and blushed, “a midwife in Meryton with whom I might consult?”
Elizabeth’s eyes widened, and she squeezed Louisa’s hands. “Yes, there is. Mrs. Fields is the wife of Dr. Fields, the parson of the living in Meryton. They are—quite coincidentally—planning to pay a call this afternoon to discuss the wedding with myself and Jane. Would you like her to visit you whilst she is here?”
“Oh, would she? That is, would you mind making the introductions?”
“It would be my honor.”
∞∞∞
And so it was that two hours later, Louisa found herself in her chambers, baring her stomach to a woman she had only just met a few minutes prior. Fortunately, Mrs. Fields had a kind, maternal nature that immediately made Louisa feel at ease.
Once the examination was complete, the plump, apple-cheeked matron sat back with a grin. As Louisa set her clothing to rights, Mrs. Fields said, “Well, my dear Mrs. Hurst, I would say that you are about halfway through your pregnancy. Your baby will come sometime in March, possibly April. Have you felt the quickening yet?”
“I don’t know… I’m not entirely certain what that even is or what it would feel like.”
“Oh dear, you really don’t know much, do you? Well, your little one is always wiggling inside of you. As he or she grows larger, you’ll start feeling those movements. It’s a feeling unlike any other, dear. Some women describe it as a light tapping or atickling sensation inside, a bit like the popping of small bubbles. Others say it’s like the soft flutter of butterfly wings.”
Louisa’s eyes widened, and she placed a hand on her belly. “I thought I might have been eating something that did not agree with me,” she confessed.
“Well, at first, it may be so subtle that you’re not quite sure what you’re feeling. But in time, these movements will become more pronounced, and you’ll know it’s your baby saying hello in its own special way.”
This caused Louisa to smile gently and rub the bulge that was more pronounced now that it was free of her stays. As she did so, the sleeve of her dress pulled back, revealing the bruise that lay beneath.
Mrs. Fields’s eyes narrowed, and Louisa tugged the lace cuff back down to cover the mark.
The matron clucked her tongue. “I daresay you came by that the same way you did the one on your chest.”
Louisa’s hand flew up to her collarbone. “How did you know?” she whispered.
“I’ve seen the signs often enough.”
“He wasn’t always like this.” Louisa hung her head, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks. “Ever since Caroline—my sister—came to live with us two years ago, he began drinking. Usually he only says things that are hurtful or cruel, but lately he has been a bit rough. He doesn’t mean to, and he always apologizes when the drink has worn off.”
