Ana Leigh - [The Frasers 4 - Jed] - One Night with a Sweet Talking Man (15 page)

“Seems you missed the twelve-hour deadline, Mrs. Fraser.”

A
fter all the congratulations to the newlyweds, the furniture was shoved against the walls and the carpet rolled up. Then with the applause of the assembly accompanying them, Jed led Caroline to the floor.

“You’re a lovely bride, Mrs. Fraser. Are you enjoying your wedding waltz?” he asked as they danced.

“Yes, I am. I think I’ve danced more in these last few days than I have the rest of my life.”

“I never would have suspected that. You’re an excellent dancer, Caroline.”

“I declare, sir, it must be due to the skill of my dancing partner.”

“You’re being very flirtatious, Mrs. Fraser.”

“Fiddle-faddle, sir. What need would I have to flirt with my own husband? Especially on our wedding day.”

“My very thought, madam.”

“I do have a favor to ask of you, Jed.”

“Ah-hah! The plot thickens.”

“It’s about our wedding night.”

“You can’t wait to get to it, either!”

“Please be serious, Jed. If you remember, last night we agreed not to be intimate again.”

“I remember no such thing, Caroline. I
do
remember, though, that you released me of
any
previous agreements. What is the favor you want?”

“Please don’t let your family know we won’t be sharing the same bed tonight.”

He began to reply hotly, and she said, “Let’s discuss this outside.”

Jed followed her out. “Why do you care what my family thinks if we don’t sleep together tonight?”

“We’re being so deceitful to all these people. They’re all so in love…they
believe
in love, Jed. You and I are merely playing roles.”

He tried to remain patient. “Caroline, we had this discussion last night; you’re feeling guilty because we made love, and you enjoyed it. I can’t see how that affects anyone here.”

“So you don’t think deceiving your family is wrong? I had hoped by now that you’d have enough common sense to acknowledge I’m right.”

“You’re wrong. Dead wrong. Why should a woman with your passion deny herself a God-given pleasure? That was His intention. So what are you trying to prove: God is wrong; you’re right? I believe the world has already had one Blessed Virgin, Caroline.”

“Oh, you have a nasty tongue, Jed Fraser.”

“It’s intentional. I’m trying to jolt you into facing reality.”

“Well, you’ve failed miserably and have only succeeded in making me feel more upset. As for any future
God-given pleasures,
I’m standing by what I said last night. No marriage bed. No more intimacy.”

She spun on her heel and went back inside.

The moment she entered, Clay grabbed her by the hand and led her to the dance floor. For the next hour she was passed from one brother to the other, until she finally plopped down exhausted next to Garrett and Rory on the couch.

“You must be pretty much done in, honey,” Rory said.

“Totally. When is it proper for a bride to leave her wedding? This has been a strenuous day.” She slipped her arm around Garrett’s shoulders. “What about you, sweetheart? You about ready to go to bed?”

“Me and Aunt Rory are having a good time watching all of you dancing. It’s like when I’d watch Granddad and Grandma, ’cept a lot noisier. Did you know, Mama, that Aunt Rory used to work in a saloon and it cost twenty-five cents to dance with her? She sure must have been a good dancer. That’s how she met Uncle Garth.”

Rory winked at Caroline. “And he was my best customer.”

“And just think, Mama, if you charged twenty-five cents each dance tonight, you could have made a lot of money.”

“Hey, that’s
my
specialty, young man,” Rory said.

“You and Uncle Garth sure did exciting things together. Working in a saloon, discovering gold, fighting off outlaws—nothing that exciting ever happens to me.”

“What are you talking about, Garrett Fraser?” Rory declared. “Didn’t you almost drown this morning?”

“My name’s not Garrett Fra—That’s right; my real name
is
Garrett Fraser. ’Specially since my mama’s name is Fraser now, too. Is Granddad a Fraser now, too, Mama?”

“Only in spirit, son,” Nathan said, patting him on the head in passing.

“Honey, I don’t want to spoil your fun, but you should get to bed. We’ll be leaving early tomorrow.”

“Good night, love,” Rory said. “Give Aunt Rory a kiss.” She leaned forward, then suddenly clutched her stomach and gasped in pain.

“Rory, what’s wrong?” Caroline asked.

“I think the baby’s coming.” She tried to get to her feet, then fell back again in pain.

“Garrett, run outside and get your Uncle Garth!”

Lissy and Cassie had noticed Rory’s reaction and came hurrying over. “Is she in labor?”

Caroline nodded. “I think so.”

“Why don’t you ask me?” Rory cried. “I can guarantee I’m in labor. Laboring to get some help to get off this couch.”

Garth rushed into the house, followed by all the men.

“Get that bunch of gawking males out of here!” Rory declared. Then she gasped in pain again. “Are you going to help me get off this couch, Garth Fraser, or are you just going to stand there with your mouth open?”

Garth picked her up, and she slipped her arms around his neck, still in pain.

“Where are you going with her?” Becky said, when Garth headed for the door.

“I’m taking her home.”

“Then what? You going to deliver that baby yourself? She can stay right here. Stephen, will you go for the doctor?”

“I’m halfway there,” he said and ran out.

Helena and Etta came hurrying into the house. “Stephen just told me. Let’s get her undressed and in bed.”

“Put her in my bed,” Caroline said. “Garrett can sleep with Jed tonight.”

They all paused momentarily and looked at her with surprise, until Becky said, “I’ll put some towels down.” She hurried from the room.

“Danny—somebody take care of Danny,” Rory cried out as Garth started to tote her away.

“Don’t worry, honey,” Cassie assured her. “We’ll take care of him.”

Paddy O’Grady came in, huffing and puffing. “Rory! Where’s me Rory?”

“The baby’s coming, Pop,” Cassie said.

“God be with you, darlin’,” he called out to her.

“Thanks, Pop,” Rory yelled back before Garth kicked the bedroom door closed.

“Take your party outside, boys,” Cassie announced. “There’s a baby to be born here.”

“What can we do to help?” Colt asked.

“Stay out of the way,” she said.

One by one they filed out, until only the women and Garrett remained.

“Time for you to get into bed, Garrett,” Caroline said.

“Can’t I stay up until the baby is born?”

“That could take hours, honey. You can sleep in Jed’s bed tonight.”

“It’s a good thing
somebody
is, since his bride won’t be there,” Cassie said.

It broke the tension among them, and they all laughed and relaxed.

Caroline didn’t see any humor in the remark and took Garrett by the hand into the bedroom. “Get undressed, honey, and I’ll be back to tuck you in.”

He sat down on the bedside and took off his shoes and stockings. “My nightshirt’s in the other room.”

“You can sleep in your drawers tonight.”

“Mama, how long does it take for a baby to be born?” he asked again as she pulled his shirt over his head.

“Some are born very quickly, and sometimes it can take hours—even days.”

“I sure hope it doesn’t take that long. Will Aunt Rory be okay, Mama?”

“I’m sure she will. And once she holds that baby in her arms, she’ll forget all about the pain.”

“How long did it take me to be born?” he asked as he crawled into bed and lay back.

“About twenty-four hours, you stubborn little dickens.” She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

Garrett slipped his arms around her neck. “I’m sorry I took so long to be born.”

Caroline smiled into his troubled face. “That’s why you’re so precious to me, sweetheart. The harder it is to get what you want, the more you cherish it when you finally get it.”

“I love you, Mama.”

“I love you, too,” she said. “Pleasant dreams.”

“Mama,” he called out when she turned down the lamp. “Do you think it would be okay if Buffer slept on the bed?”

“Sure. I’ll go and find him.”

She didn’t have to go far. As soon as she opened the door, the dog padded past her, jumped up on the foot of the bed, and stretched out at Garrett’s feet.

The men had been busy in her absence. The carpet had been replaced and the furniture returned to its proper setting in the parlor. She glanced out the open door and saw that someone had built a campfire, and all the men were standing or sitting around it in small groups, talking—relaxed but considerably less festive. The wedding celebration had turned into a baby vigil. With the exception of Jed and Rico, the rest of the men had been through it before—most more than once—so this was nothing new to them.

Lissy, Cassie, and Etta were sitting around the kitchen table drinking coffee.

Caroline joined them. “How is Rory doing?”

Cassie shook her head. “Not good; she’s in a lot of pain. Colt and I were here when she had Danny; she labored for forty-eight hours.”

Lissy nodded. “The doctor said some women just aren’t built for having a baby. She’s so tiny; my heart aches for her.”

“I hope Stephen gets back soon with the doctor, who can give her something to ease her suffering,” Etta said.

“How long do you think it will be?” Caroline asked.

“It takes about an hour to get there and back.”

Becky came out of the bedroom and sat down with them. “I can’t take much more. She’s in so much pain. We don’t know what we can do for her, and she’s so pale. I think she’s losing the battle.”

Becky jumped to her feet. “When is that doctor going to get here!”

Cassie poured her a cup of coffee. “You can probably use this.”

“I’ll go in with my mother,” Etta said, and got up from the table. “Sit down and relax, Becky. You’ve been working hard for the last couple of days.”

“How is Garth holding up?” Lissy asked.

Becky sat down at the table again. “He won’t budge from her side. Every time she has a contraction, it’s like someone drives a knife into him.”

“Do you think one of my brothers could convince him to come out and have a cup of coffee or something stronger?” Lissy asked.

“When pigs fly,” Becky said. “Rory’s also bleeding.”

“Staining or bleeding?” Caroline asked worriedly.

“It’s beyond a stain. I don’t remember any bleeding until my baby actually was delivered. Did any of you experience it before then?”

A long silence followed. Saying no would confirm the fear that they were trying so hard to repress. The knowledge that not all women survived was very real to every one of them.

Cassie went out to find Colt, needing the comfort of his arms around her.

“Becky, did you just call me?” Clay asked, suddenly appearing in the doorway. She shook her head. “Funny, I would have sworn it was you.”

Unable to restrain her tears, Becky ran to him, and they withdrew to find a spot to be alone.

Lissy bolted to her feet. “I better check on the children,” she said, trying to hold back her tears.

Alone with her grief, Caroline buried her head in her hands and swallowed her tears, the way she had always done in the past. She’d always sought some corner to escape to and hide from reality, in the hope her sorrow would go away.

She looked up, and Jed was standing in the kitchen doorway watching her. One look at him and her tears burst forth unrestrained. Caroline stood up and rushed into the comfort of his arms.

Word spread quickly among the people assembled. The grandfathers had already dozed off, and mercifully Paddy O’Grady had prematurely celebrated the birth of his grandchild by passing out. He lay on a blanket under a tree, snoring away peacefully, unaware that his daughter was fighting for her life.

By the time Stephen returned with the doctor, everyone was on pins and needles. The men were grouped in somber silence in the bedroom, along with the women, who had moved in to be near Rory.

“What are you men doing in here?” the doctor demanded. “You think it’s a damn convention?”

“We came in to give Garth and Rory some moral support,” Clay said.

The doctor raised his eyes heavenward. “God help me! Out of here, men and women alike,” he ordered. “Mrs. Garson, will you please remain.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Garth said.

His brothers squeezed his shoulder or tapped him on the back as they filed out.

“Hang in there, little sister,” Clay said to Rory. “We know you can do it.” Then he gave Garth a tap on the back and moved on.

“It would be easier if you left the room, too, Garth. At least while I examine your wife,” the doctor said.

“Please let him stay, Doctor,” Rory said weakly.

“It’s not advisable, Mrs. Fraser, but very well. If that’s what you wish.”

“You know, we haven’t eaten since morning,” Becky said. “I bet the men are starved, and we’ve got a baked ham and the rest of that food that we prepared for the wedding dinner.”

“Well, let’s put it out and get some more coffee brewing. I doubt anyone is hungry, but it gives us something to do, instead of sitting on our hands,” Cassie said.

The men had all moved outside for some fresh air when Dr. Meechem joined the women in the kitchen.

“I’m going to be honest with you, ladies. The prognosis isn’t good—she’s only three-quarters dilated and losing blood.”

“Why is she losing so much blood, Doctor?” Becky asked.

“The opening of her uterus is very small, and the uterus can only expand so far before it will rip. That’s what’s happening right now. The uterus rips every time the fetus tries to squeeze out, causing her to hemorrhage. If the infant isn’t delivered soon, she will likely bleed to death.”

“Dear God, no!” Caroline gasped.

Lissy and Etta began to sob softly.

“Dr. Meechem, isn’t there something you can do?” a tearful Cassie asked. “Anything to prevent it? We can’t just sit by and watch it happen!”

“I anticipated this might happen after I delivered her first child, so I’ve given her a drug to ease her pain and a medication to try and slow the hemorrhaging. But it can’t stop the bleeding entirely. She’s a courageous young woman with a strong will to survive. But the strength is flowing out of her. The longer she’s in labor, the less chance she has.”