Cathy Sharp - The Winter Orphan

‘Yes, I’m sure you did,’ Arthur said. ‘I intend to speak with Lady Rowntree concerning this place. It may be that things will change here, but I cannot guarantee it.’

Florrie curtsied and thanked him and Arthur left. He knew that, even as he went out to his carriage, Mistress Brent would be complaining to her husband. If he was a man at all he would come after Arthur and try to force an apology from him. Otherwise, the guilty couple would flee. It all depended on whether they believed Arthur’s story. If they called his bluff he might not be able to prove anything, but if they ran … A smile touched his lips. Florrie had told him what little she knew, but others would tell more if they thought it safe.

In the meantime, Arthur would visit the chain works and hear what this Karl Breck had to say. If he was willing to sell the child Bella to him, he would buy her and take her back to London – and if not? Mentally, Arthur shrugged. He could not rescue every child forced to do unsuitable work, but he would not stand by and see cruelty.

Bella emptied the clothes from the copper where they had been boiled and then left to cool. She put them through the big mangle with its wooden rollers and turned the metal handle. It was almost too hard for her to turn full circle and she was panting by the time she had finished. Now she had to rinse them all in clean water in the zinc bath and then put them through the mangle again. She had filled the bath with cold water and dumped the load of sheets and pillow covers in it, sighing as she stirred with a big wooden stick.

‘Bella! Bella, come and help me!’ The scream came from the kitchen and Bella rushed in to discover her mistress bent almost double and writhing with pain. She saw that there was a puddle on the tiled floor and where Annie had pulled up her skirts she could see red stains on the cream flannel petticoats.

‘My baby!’ Annie gasped and clutched at her stomach again. ‘It’s coming early. Oh, I knew it would happen after what he did last night …’ Tears rolled down her cheeks and she clutched at Bella’s arm. ‘He won’t leave me alone. He won’t see I need rest!’ She gave a sob of utter despair.

‘Let me help you to bed,’ Bella said. ‘The beds are newly made and the old sheets are soaking.’

‘I need the midwife,’ Annie moaned. ‘Help me upstairs, Bella – and then run to Fornham for the midwife.’

Bella nodded, looking at her with big, scared eyes. She had not been frightened of the mistress at the workhouse even though she was beaten regularly, but the thought of Annie giving birth terrified her.

Annie leaned on Bella heavily as she helped her upstairs. Once in the bedroom, Bella was kept busy covering the clean sheets with old towels and a torn sheet, but by the time it was done, Annie was panting and grimacing like an animal, her teeth bared as she tried to control her pain.

‘Go now and get the midwife,’ she gasped.

Bella hesitated for a moment. She’d seen women give birth at the workhouse and she sensed that the babe was coming soon, but Annie gestured angrily at her to go and so she ran. She rushed down the stairs and across the fields at the back of the house towards the village, running as swiftly as her legs would take her. Annie was in terrible pain and Bella was afraid she might die alone with no one to help her.

She ran and ran as fast as she could, her chest heaving as she gasped for breath. It seemed a lot further than it had the day her master brought her to his house and gave her to the mistress. She was gasping and there was pain in her chest by the time she reached the village of Fornham, which was just one street and a huddle of houses to either side, two shops and a larger house that belong to the doctor. She’d run so fast that she was out of breath and it was a few moments before she was able to tell the first person she saw what was needed. The woman looked at her down her long nose when she heard who her employer was.

‘Jenny Midwife lives in that cottage at the end of the street,’ she said coldly. ‘But you’ll not find her there – she’s at Mr Tucker’s farm. His wife is having her baby and she’s gone there to nurse her.’

Bella felt the panic rise. ‘If no one comes to Annie’s aid she will die – please, ma’am, will you come?’

‘Me? Come to that house?’ The woman’s eyebrows arched in horror. ‘No, indeed I shall not – fetch Annie’s husband to her or someone else.’

Bella looked at her in disgust and ran off. She met three women coming from the village shop but they all shook their heads when she begged them to come to Annie. In despair, Bella ran to the workshop and called for her master. When he came out to her, he looked furious, as if she had committed a sin by asking for him.

‘The midwife is away and no one will come,’ Bella said. ‘Annie is bad and I fear she may die!’

‘Get back there and see to her,’ Karl said and cuffed her ear. ‘You’re not a babe. You should’ve stayed with her and ’elped her.’

Bella knew that any excuse would fall on deaf ears. He went back into the cavernous interior of the dark workshop and Bella began to run back to the cottage. She was terrified of what she would find because she knew that without the midwife it would all fall on her shoulders. She had seen babes born but she did not know what to do for the mother and she feared that Annie might not survive. The babe was coming early and that meant something was wrong. Without proper help, there was little hope for either Annie or her child.

‘Where is the midwife?’ Annie gasped as Bella returned to the bedroom. ‘Is she coming?’

‘She was at a farm,’ Bella said. ‘I know not where – and no one else would come.’ She moved closer to the bed. ‘I will help you, mistress. I have water on the range. I will fetch it.’

Annie gave a little scream and half rose from the bed. ‘No, don’t leave me. I can’t be alone – it hurts so much. Neither of the others was like this!’

She screamed again loudly and clutched at Bella’s arm. ‘It is tearing me apart!’

Bella bent over her, stroking the damp hair from her forehead. ‘What can I do to help you, mistress?’

‘Nothing, I need the midwife,’ Annie moaned and screamed again.

Neither of them heard the knock at the door or the voice that called out, nor did they hear the footsteps on the stairs as Annie screamed and screamed. She was panting wildly, her eyes fearful as the pain ripped at her.

‘Where is the midwife?’ a man’s voice asked suddenly and Bella whirled to see a man in clothes that fitted him like a second skin. She had never seen one in her life but she thought he must be a gentleman.

‘She is away helping a farmer’s wife and no one else would come,’ Bella said, a sob in her voice. ‘I think Annie will die.’

‘We cannot have that,’ the man said and smiled at her. ‘Are you Bella?’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Then take care of your mistress while I fetch the doctor. I shall be as quick as I can …’

Bella wanted to beg him to stay but he was out of the door and mounting his horse. She watched Annie writhing in pain, terrified that the gentleman would not return in time and her mistress would die. Going nervously towards the bed, she stroked Annie’s sweat-stained brow.

‘The gentleman has gone for the doctor, Mistress. He won’t be long … he promised he would be back soon.’

Annie stared at her wildly, her body tossing as she arched with pain. Unable to do more than comfort her with words, Bella stayed by her side, reassuring her as best she could, until after what seemed ages, she heard the sound of voices downstairs and then the gentleman brought the doctor into the room.

‘Fetch up the boiling water, girl,’ the doctor said, ‘and then you can help me. Now I shall examine you, young lady and we shall see if this child is willing to be born …’ he said, bending over Annie.