An Unexpected Love (46 page)

The older woman nodded. “I think we’ll have a baby before nightfall. I’m going downstairs to gather the things we’ll need. You stay here with Sophie. You don’t need to do anything except remain calm. Prayer would help, too,” she whispered.

The moment Mrs. Atwell walked out of the room, Sophie clutched Fanny’s hand. “I’m afraid the baby and I are both going to die, Fanny. But if anything happens to me and the baby lives, I want you to promise that you and Amanda will help Paul raise the child.”

Sophie continued her sobbing diatribe until Fanny realized she must push aside her own fears and calm her cousin. “Don’t talk like that, Sophie. You are going to be absolutely fine, and so is this baby. I don’t want to hear another word about dying. You are a strong young woman. You and this baby will live. We’re going to pray and trust God to take care of you.” She clenched Sophie’s hand. “Is that clear?”

“Now, that’s what I like to hear,” Mrs. Atwell said, coming into the room. She dropped the clean linens at the foot of the bed. “The foul weather is going to prevent my husband from going to Clayton to fetch the doctor, but with God’s help, you’re going to be holding your fine little baby before long, Sophie.”

31

Friday, November 25, 1898

Tears trickled down Sophie’s cheeks as the lusty cries of the tiny baby girl filled the bedroom. Mrs. Atwell gently wrapped the newborn infant in a soft blanket and handed her to Fanny. “Take care of the little one while I tend to Sophie.”

Sophie beckoned her cousin to come closer. “Let me have a good look at her.” She pushed upward against the pillows to gain a better view until Mrs. Atwell objected. The older woman had raised the baby into the air immediately after she’d delivered her, but Sophie hadn’t yet had an opportunity to examine her daughter closely.

Mrs. Atwell motioned her to lie back. “I know you’re anxious to see your little one, Sophie, but right now I’ve got to tend to this bleeding.”

Sophie dropped back against the pillows. The older woman’s words were enough to send fear spiraling from her throat to the pit of her stomach and back again. Bile clung in her throat, and she swallowed hard, hoping to rid herself of the acrid taste. Perhaps she’d expressed her joy too quickly. Mrs. Atwell’s brow had furrowed into a frown. That couldn’t be a good sign.

“Am I going to die?” she whispered.

Mrs. Atwell’s eyebrows shot upward like two arched cats. “Of course not. You’re doing just fine. Every woman bleeds after giving birth, so stop your worrying. As soon as we’re finished, you can hold the baby. And before you begin to fret about her, I’ll tell you she has all her fingers and toes and looks to be fit as a fiddle. She’s tiny, of course, but that’s to be expected. We’ll need to keep her nice and warm.”

Sophie permitted herself to relax while Mrs. Atwell completed her ministrations. “I do wish Paul could have been here to greet his daughter. He’s going to be as surprised as we were.”

“Mr. Atwell will go to Clayton and send a telegram to Paul once the weather clears. I doubt he’ll be able to go before morning.” The older woman gave a nod. “That’s good. Now let’s get this bed changed, and you’ll be more comfortable.”

As usual, Mrs. Atwell was correct. The clean linens and nightgown did feel much better. Of course, the cessation of her labor pains had provided the greatest relief. And once Sophie felt the warmth of Elizabeth Jane in her arms, all thoughts of the pain were pushed aside.

Mrs. Atwell came to the side of the bed. “I believe we should offer a prayer of thanks for this fine little girl, don’t you?”

While the housekeeper led them in prayer, Elizabeth yawned and stretched her body as if to affirm that she was indeed God’s special creation. When the prayer ended, her tiny lips pursed into a knot, and her narrow brow creased with a frown.

“She’s a bit red, don’t you think?” Sophie glanced up at the older woman.

“That’s natural,” Mrs. Atwell assured. “If you two think you can manage that wee baby for a little while, I’ll go downstairs and brew a pot of tea and make some sandwiches.” She glanced at Sophie. “I’m sure you’re hungry after all that hard work.”

Some hours later, Fanny got up and stretched. “If you are feeling all right, I think I’ll go get cleaned up and ready for bed.”

Sophie looked down at the sleeping babe in her arms. There was the tiniest bit of apprehension in having Fanny go, but she knew it was selfish to keep her cousin any longer. “Go and rest. I’ll be fine. Mrs. Atwell plans to come check on me before nine.”

Fanny yawned. “All right. I’ll hurry back after I wash up.”

Sophie waited until Fanny had gone before pulling back the covers to view her daughter. She was so very tiny. Mrs. Atwell had assured her that was normal, but Sophie worried she might hurt the child.

Elizabeth began to fuss. Her mewing cry at first alarmed Sophie, but then something began to change. Something deep in Sophie’s heart seemed to awaken. This was her child—her daughter. She drew the baby close to her breast as Mrs. Atwell had shown her earlier. Instinct caused Elizabeth to settle a bit and begin rooting. Sophie guided the baby’s mouth to feed and gasped in surprise as Elizabeth latched on with surprising strength.

How natural it all seemed—the way Elizabeth fit in her arms, the way she nursed without coaxing. Sophie relaxed against her pillows in amazement as she continued to watch her daughter. In that moment a love more fierce and complete than anything Sophie had ever known took hold of her. She loved this baby. Despite the mistakes she had made in giving her heart to Wesley and the sorrow that had followed in his betrayal of her trust, Elizabeth was neither a mistake nor a sorrow.

“I want to be a good mother to you,” Sophie whispered. “I promise to try my very best. I won’t betray your trust. I will never abandon you.”

Elizabeth opened her eyes as if to acknowledge her mother’s promise. Sophie stared into the deep blue eyes of her daughter and smiled. “I love you, little babe. I don’t know what kind of mother I will be, but I want to be a good one.”

She thought of Paul and felt the love she held for Elizabeth multiply and overflow until it encompassed him, as well. “I want to be a good wife and mother,” she whispered, but then shook her head. “I
will
be a good wife and mother.”

Paul clasped Amanda’s hand and assisted her down from the train. “Watch that patch of ice,” he cautioned as they proceeded into the Clayton train station. “Mr. Atwell should be here any time now.” Though patches of ice had formed on the river, boats were still able to traverse the waters of the St. Lawrence. Once the river was completely frozen, sleighs would carry the year-round residents and any visitors to the islands—a thought that struck fear in Paul’s heart. He envisioned a weak spot in the ice and a sinking sleigh. Sophie had told him such incidents occurred from time to time, but most folks knew the waters and didn’t take chances. He hoped that when the time arrived to take Sophie and the baby back to Rochester, they could leave by boat.

“There’s Mr. Atwell,” Amanda said as the older man entered the station. He doffed his cap and hurried to their side.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. I had to pick up some items at the store for the ladies.” He grinned at Paul. “Congratulations to you, Mr. Medford. You’ve a fine little daughter waiting for you back at the island.”

“Sophie? Is she—”

“Ah, she’s doing fine. The birth went well by all accounts, and the missus says the babe is holding her own. She’s tiny, for sure, but strong.” He winked at Paul. “She’s got a lusty cry, so you’ll not be able to ignore her when she wakes up during the night.”

Paul stepped into the boat and turned up the collar of his heavy wool coat. His excitement continued to build the closer they got to the island. When Mr. Atwell docked the boat, Paul jumped to the pier as though he’d been catapulted from the vessel. He extended his hand to Amanda and helped her out.

Mr. Atwell waved them on. “You go ahead. I’ll bring your luggage up to the house later. I’m going to secure the boat inside the boathouse. Don’t think we’ll need it for the remainder of the day.”

The path leading to the house remained covered with the snow and sleet from the earlier storm, and the two of them carefully picked their way along the slick surface. Amanda sighed with relief when they reached the veranda. “Thank goodness. I wondered if I would fall and slide back down to the river.”

A rush of warmth greeted them when Paul opened the front door. Before they could remove their coats, Mrs. Atwell scurried down the hall. “There you are. I’m pleased to see you’ve arrived safe and sound. This weather has been a fright, hasn’t it?” She continued to chirp while she brushed and hung their coats. “What would you prefer first? Something warm to drink or a peek at the new baby?”

Paul pointed to the stairs. “I’m not willing to wait a moment longer to see my wife and daughter.”

Mrs. Atwell laughed. “Then hurry on up. She’s every bit as anxious to see you.”

True or not, the older woman’s words warmed Paul’s heart. During his most recent visits to the island, Sophie had acted as though her feelings for him had grown stronger; he hoped those feelings hadn’t changed with the baby’s birth. Taking the stairs two at a time, he stopped short outside the bedroom door and tapped lightly. He didn’t want to wake the baby if she should be sleeping.

Fanny opened the door and waved him inside. “Where’s Amanda?”

“She’s following behind,” he said, crossing the room in three giant strides. He searched Sophie’s eyes, anxious to see if they would reveal pleasure at seeing him.

She extended her hand and pulled him forward. “Aren’t you going to reward your wife with a kiss?” she whispered.

He grinned and nodded. “It would be my great pleasure,” he said before placing a gentle kiss upon her lips. The baby lay cradled in her right arm, and Paul gazed upon the sight of mother and daughter, both so perfect. “May I hold her?”

“Of course.” Sophie gently lifted the babe into his arms.

“She’s perfect—just like her mother,” he whispered, tears forming in his eyes. “Hello, Elizabeth Jane.” He traced a finger along her cheek, and the infant turned her head toward his touch. “If you are only half as wonderful as your mother, you shall be everything a father could dream of.”

Sophie laughed. “I do hope she’ll prove to be less of a challenge than I’ve been for my father.”

“Well, your father sends his love and is quite excited over the prospect of meeting this new addition to the family.”

“Speaking of meeting family members, I’m afraid I’ve waited as long as I can to see my namesake,” Amanda said, crossing the room. Paul laughed and pushed the soft flannel away from the baby’s cheeks, but Amanda shook her head. “Why don’t you and Sophie visit? I’d like to hold her. I believe Fanny and I can see to Elizabeth Jane’s welfare. We won’t go but a few paces away.”

Paul carefully placed the baby in Amanda’s arms and then sat down on the bed beside Sophie. “I wish I could have been here with you for her birth.”

“I said the very same thing. It would have given me great comfort to have you close at hand when she was born.” Sophie shifted on the pillows. “I’ve been doing a great deal of thinking over these past weeks. I’m excited at the prospect of going home and beginning our new life together as a family. I know we have a great deal to learn about each other, but I believe God will direct our steps.”

Paul tried to hide his private heartache as his thoughts drifted to Sophie’s love for another man. He wanted to be strong for her and for their daughter. He had prayed that God would ease his mind from the one worry that had not ceased to haunt him. His wife loved another man.

“There’s something else I want to tell you,” Sophie said in a serious tone.

Paul met her gaze. Oh, but she was beautiful. He feared what she might say, but nevertheless said, “I’m listening.”

She smiled. “I realized something not long ago, and I thought I should share it with you. You see, when I went to England, I felt so alone and empty. My mother had died, and my father didn’t have the time of day to share with me. I had Amanda and Fanny’s love, yet it wasn’t enough. There was a vast hole in my heart. I wanted only to fill it—to feel whole.”