Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 95326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Elsie laughed again, had hardly stopped laughing since sitting to talk with Clara.
“I owe my good marriage to your mum,” Clara said with a soft smile, “God bless her. It is because of her I realized how a husband needed to be treated if I wasn’t prone to obedience.”
“How so?” Elsie asked curiously.
“I came upon your mum and da and heard them arguing. Actually, they weren’t arguing, it was your da who was angry. No one ever saw or heard your da angry with your mum… until me. They didn’t see me, and I was young and curious, so I listened. Your mum handled your da in a similar manner. She remained so clam and spoke gently to him, then she kissed him and took his hand and with a smile led him to the keep. Your da went willingly and with a smile. Your mum was a good and kind soul, bless her.”
Elsie was careful how she worded her question. “Do you recall what they argued about? I am curious since I never heard them argue.”
Clara’s brow puckered, giving it thought, then she smiled so wide you could see she was missing a tooth. “Your da said not again, Terena. Something like… I worry what will happen and your mum said he need not worry all would be well, but your da insisted it was dangerous and that it was the last time she would do this. Later I realized he must have been talking about her traveling when she was with child, for sure enough, she returned home with Sky and never had another bairn again.”
“Traveling after giving birth could not be easy for either mum or bairn,” Elsie said, hoping Clara might say more that would help.
“The women all talked and worried when she arrived home with Sky. Your mum was pale and your da so concerned, and Sky only hours old. Your mum had to have delivered on the road home. But when we finally saw Sky, we understood why they were upset, God bless the sweet bairn. Such a curse for a child to carry. But you and Leora protect her just as your mum did, good sisters that you are. You are a good woman, Mistress Elsie,” Clara said. “And we are all proud of you.”
Elsie’s mind was churning when she left Clara and she could not believe what she was thinking, did not want to have such unbelievable thoughts, but after hearing what Clara said, it could be possible and it certainly would be a secret her da and mum would keep for the safety of their daughters. She had to find her husband and speak with him about this.
When she spotted May, she hurried to her and asked, “Have you seen Cavell?”
“I haven’t seen him,” May said. “Is something wrong? You look upset or are you not feeling well?”
This was something she would not share with anyone but her husband, so it was easier to allow May to believe she was feeling ill rather than upset.
She pressed her hand to her stomach. “A roiling stomach and I wondered if Cavell felt the same since we both ate the quail eggs this morning.”
May’s eyes brightened. “Or perhaps it could be something else. Have you missed your monthly bleed?”
Elsie went to shake her head and stopped.
“You are not sure, are you?” May asked when Elsie remained silent.
“It is at least a week away,” Elsie said, having gotten accustomed to keeping track of it since she first got her monthly bleed.
Leora had warned her that if she did not bleed monthly, then it meant she carried a bairn. It was not until she learned how a bairn got inside of a woman that she stopped worrying that she would round with child. She had gotten so used to keeping track of it that she continued to do so. She thought Leora had purposely made her worry but when she mentioned how a woman got with a child to Leora, her sister had cringed and insisted she would never have children since she would never do something so disgusting as allowing a man to stick his shaft inside her.
“You could be showing early signs of being with child,” May said low so no one could hear. “Do you know if your mum showed early signs? Sometimes daughters follow as their mums did.”
“I don’t recall her ever mentioning it,” Elsie said and with what Clara had said, her thought took on new concerns.
“I can give you a brew to calm it,” May offered.
Elsie shook her head. “It does not bother me that much.”
May smiled. “It would be wonderful news to hear. Let me know if you continue to feel unwell and I will see you get that brew to help you.”
Elsie walked away, her mind in more turmoil. She wasn’t in a rush to speak with her husband any longer. She preferred a bit of time alone to think and perhaps make more sense of what Clara had told her. She went to her favorite spot behind the keep to sit under a large spruce, its bottom branches spreading wide creating a lovely canopy.