The Lost Lady Read online

  Cass looked at her with concern and relief. Luveday dropped her cloak, she knew not where, as she rushed to the side of the large bed and opened her satchel.

  The popular practice was to run poultices and ointments over the pregnant woman to help ease the pain, but rose oil was not very helpful, though extremely popular a practice. Cassandra and Emmalyn had their own ideas for what worked and what didn’t. There was no one thing that any healer agreed upon except prayer and that they were doing in abundance. Cass poured out a drop of willow bark to help ease Clair, but they both looked at each other, hesitating to give it to her. It was clear that the girl was exhausted. Modern medicine would have cut the womb to get the baby out, but here that was a death sentence for the woman. The practice of cesarean section was occasionally practiced on horses. Luveday had asked at the Abbey, and neither of her mentors had ever heard of it attempted on a woman.

  Luveday washed her hands and donned a linen apron as she looked to Clair. Both women spoke soft, encouraging words to her though neither was fully aware of exactly what they said. They worked for a long time turning her, encouraging her, and using oil in intimate areas to help smooth the delivery, as Luveday remembered the midwife doing for her own sister. The screams lessened after the tincture of willow bark was administered, but so did the force of Clair’s pushes. Both women were worried for their patients and urged Clair to push hard just a few more times. Cassandra thought the baby had turned back into position and a few moments later the head appeared. Cassandra let loose a large sigh at the sight of the crowning head, but neither knew if they had been quick enough. A few more moments and the babe was free of his mother. They tied and cut the cord and looked from mother to child as the baby had yet to make a noise.

  Archer and several men stood just inside the door looking anxious as not a sound came from the infant. Clair began to weep, Cassandra looked at the men and shook her head. Luveday was helping to clean up the afterbirth, so focused that she had yet to realize something was wrong. Archer hit his knees and began to cry silently. Gregori began a prayer in a language that sounded like Latin and Iain helped the young man-at-arms out into the night.

  Luveday finished her task to find unnatural quiet and was confused. She turned to Cassandra who lay the baby to rest in a small cradle near the hearth. It was customary to wash and swaddle the babe before returning him to the mother, but Luveday watched Cassandra lay down the newborn and walk away. She sat a moment at the end of the bed, where she had been working, and looked to find Gregori, rosary in hand and lips moving in a prayer she could barely hear. She glimpsed movement outside the open door and men seemed to look out at the figures of two men, one she immediately recognized as Lord De Lane. The other took a moment to register, it was Archer.

  Cassandra moved to the bed in slow motion as Luveday gained her feet. A moment later she found the baby in her arms and unwrapped the linen that covered him. He was a mess of blood and fluids, and pink, though losing color. He was not breathing. Luveday watched him for a heartbeat, not thinking of anything. There was a great emptiness inside as if the world had stopped. She acted without really knowing what she was doing.

  Luveday used an edge of the linen swaddling to clean off the infant’s face. She cleared out the baby’s mouth with her forefinger, pulling out a gob of something dark. Holding the baby as she stood before the fire, she covered his nose and mouth with her lips and blew a large breath in. Nothing happened. She heard voices behind her, someone was angry, but nothing really registered beyond her and the child. Flipping the child over she held onto the neck and chest with one hand as she tapped his back with the other. Increasing the force of the movement, she pounded in the little back two more times before something dislodged from the little mouth and hit the floor.

  There were footsteps behind her, movement drew close out of her peripheral vision, but she flipped the baby over again to cradle him in her arms, and the infant let out a cry that stilled the room. Luveday quickly looked the baby over and turned with a radiant smile to look at Cassandra and back toward the door.

  Iain stood at her elbow, behind him, Warin and Gregori held Archer by the arms to keep him from advancing on her, though, at the moment, he no longer struggled to break free.

  Luveday turned to Cassandra and Clair. The midwife stood at the foot of the bed, looking confused and a little lost, but no more than Clair whose expression also held a hint of hope. The baby cried again and began to wiggle in Luveday’s grasp ending the spell he had put over the room.

  Cassandra took the babe as Luveday offered him to the older woman and began to clean up the baby boy as was a tradition. Archer ran to his wife’s side, cuddling and whispering together, they both watched the midwife perform her duties. Luveday watched until Clair cradled her son in her arms and suddenly Luveday needed air.

  People moved out of her way as she walked out of the cottage. Luveday didn’t stop until she was free of the crowd and underneath a great oak tree several yards from anyone else. The moon shown brightly as she leaned against the trunk and closed her eyes to just breathe. She didn’t know how long she stood there until the world righted itself, her head stopped spinning, and her stomach settled. She heard something move closer and opened her eyes to find the familiar shape of Lord Iain and wondered how she could recognize his form so easily even in the dark.

  “Lady Luveday,” he began, but hesitated and held something out to her. She took it without thought and realized he had brought her cloak. For the first time, Luveday felt the cold though she had the feeling she’d been shivering for a while it had nothing to do with the temperature. “Luveday… I do not know what you did, but you have worked a miracle tonight.”

  She shook her head. “I…” It was barely a whisper; her voice didn’t want to work. Her body trembled so much she had trouble putting on her cloak. Iain moved to help, and in the moonlight, she could see the concern on his face.

  “Are you alright, lady?” He looked at her, placed a hand on her cheek, and turned her face into the light. If he could not see her trembling, he could surely feel it.

  Luveday thought her teeth might chatter if she tried to speak, so she stepped away, taking great gulps of air. It seemed to help, but Iain wouldn’t let her escape and turned her back towards him. It took a moment for her to realize that heat that was spreading through her limbs came from Iain as he moved his hands vigorously up and down her arms. His nearness lent a warmth of its own.

  There was a moment that stretched out as their eyes met. The nearness was startling, as something pulled them closer as if gravity had suddenly shifted to draw their bodies together. They leaned in, but some noise stopped either from taking a step as they turned in unison to see Warin approaching. Torches were lit around the house as merriment broke out despite the late hour.

  Warin cleared his throat before he got too near, not able to see them clearly in the dance of light and dark. “Archer and Clair wish to see you, Lady Luveday. To thank you. Cass wants to speak to you as well, though she says at your convenience, lady.” He looked concerned, though Luveday couldn’t guess exactly what troubled him. “She’s a bit of work to do, and then she’s heading to bed. ‘Tis been a long night.”

  “Twill be a longer one for these fools.” Iain laughed at the songs and merry-making, though he could understand their mood having come so close to tragedy. His attention turned to the lady at his side, and he wrapped an arm around her still able to feel the tremors that racked her body. “Thank you, Warin. We will head back in a moment.” His eyes never left her, so he saw the vigorous nod she gave the man-at-arms. Warin left without further ado, and Iain was glad he was gone. The concern he felt for this lady was eating up his gut, and he didn’t know why. He had never seen her act this way before and wondered if bringing the child back from the dead had weakened her somehow. “Are you well, Luveday?” He asked though he was not entirely sure he wished to know the answer or what had really transpired in the cottage.

  She looked up at him, an
d he could see the startled look in her eyes as if she had for a moment forgotten he was there. Instinctively, Iain tightened his hold on her. “Luveday?”

  She smiled at the concern in his voice and let loose a breath as if she had been holding it. “I think I am in shock.”

  Iain watched her for a moment not understanding what she meant. It was a shock, the events of this night, but that was not what she had said, so he waited for the usual explanation that followed when she said something he did not understand. Silence descended around them as he waited until he could wait no more. “How can one be in shock?”

  Again, she looked startled and smiled at him, but he also noticed that the shivering had subsided a bit.

  “After an accident or a fight, after instinct and action are over, a person can experience a feeling of… of being disconnected from what is around them. It is their mind and body trying to understand what has happened to them. People can look dazed, be unaware of others around them. It’s hard to focus, and they can tremble and shake,” she held out her hand before them, and both could see the fine shaking of her hand, “and feel as if they might be ill.” She looked out at the house as the noise of the celebration rolled across the distance to them.

  “I believe you are right, though I have seen this before, I have never heard it named such.” She looked to him, and he ushered her toward the cottage. “After a skirmish or a battle that we were not expecting, some of my men would have a similar look. They couldn’t hear us as we spoke to them and later they could not say what happened, but they would suddenly come to themselves not realizing how they got from one place to another, though they did so under their own power. Is this what you would call shock?”

  “Yes. Exactly.” She sounded relieved, and he was happy that she seemed more herself.

  They were greeted by many people as they entered the light of the torches. Iain watched over Luveday and cut their visit short when she started to pale. If she could not look after herself, then he would.

  Luveday remembered the previous night, but most of it was as if it had happened to someone else. She remembered feeling something similar after working on Benedict’s leg, but it was nothing so powerful and disconcerting. She remembered the awed looks she received while Archer and Clair thanked her again and again for what she had done. The group that surrounded the couple parted like the red sea as she’d come and gone. A part of her brain thought that something was wrong with their reactions, but she was still too far gone to do anything about it. Cassandra had already left by the time they entered the cottage, and she hoped to meet up with the midwife later today to explain and stop some of the gossip that had started.

  A messenger had been sent to the Abbey to see if Lady Emmalyn might return, but it was learned that the Lady and the Abbey’s guest had left that afternoon to visit another friend not too far off. Luveday was glad as she doubted Emmalyn would have arrived in time to be of any help anyway, and the older Lady certainly didn’t need the stress.

  Try as she might, Luveday couldn’t clearly recall how she had gotten back to the castle and into bed. She remembered a large presence that must have been Lord Iain. She remembered mounting his horse and started for the castle, but his warmth and the slow rocking of the horse had added to the sudden exhaustion, and the particulars of the rest of the journey were missing. Had he carried her up the stairs to her room? Was it he or Elli that had helped her undress? Luveday was sure her face was bright red as she wiped off the head table as she gave way to her thoughts. Luckily Elli, who worked beside her, had yet to notice.

  She thought she remembered the girl helping her with her undergarments and exclaiming as she opened the chest to retrieve her night clothes, but she couldn’t remember if Iain had been present at the time. Surely not!

  Luveday tried to focus on the task at hand as she pushed away thoughts of last night. And when had she started to leave off the honorific and started to refer to him as Iain and not Lord Iain, or Lord De Lane. Thinking about it she could not ever remember using the latter address. Her thoughts turned over again, but she was saved as Cassandra made her presence known and caught the young lady’s attention.

  Elli waved her away before Luveday could excuse herself. It was clear to Elli that Cassandra wanted to talk to the lady alone.

  Cassandra did not stop until they were secured inside the healing hut with a glass lamp lit to overcome the shadow of the great castle wall. She looked at her student with a hard eye but noticed nothing different about her, save for the exhaustion that Cass was sure was mirrored in her own face. Cassandra had seen a lot in her life. The superstitions and practices of many women sometimes bordered on some things that were truly of the dark, not that such practices had ever helped heal a woman or save a child. The midwife was sure she’d be able to spot any darkness in the girl if there was any to find. After a long look, she could perceive nothing, but the Luveday she had come to know. She was satisfied that the girl held no evil within and now wanted only an explanation of how her pupil had saved the child she could not.

  “What have you done, child?” Luveday had never heard such a stony tone from her friend before. Then again, she could not fathom what the woman must think of her.

  Luveday was not unaware of superstitions and the dawning horror of what trouble this act could cause her. Was she to pay for saving the child with her life? She prayed not. So, she thought of how to explain, not sure if she could do a creditable job. Her mother had explained to her CPR and had helped her get her certificate before becoming a babysitter in her teens. She remembered her mother’s instructions and wondered what they would only be used now when she was a world away. “My mother taught me the technique. Sometimes, when a person stops breathing, you can use it to help restart their breath. The baby looked fine except for the fact he wasn’t breathing. I don’t know what I was thinking,” she looked to Cass as she leaned against the workbench. “I don’t think I was thinking anything at all, I just acted.” She saw the mid-wife smile and thought her friend was taking pity on her and could understand that sentiment readily enough. “The practice is a little different with infants than with grown men. Babies are much easier to injure, so one has to be careful, but still apply enough force to get the breath moving through the chest.” Luveday explained the technique of CPR, both to breath for the injured party and how to help restart the heart. Cassandra had many questions and was not completely satisfied until Elli arrived to tell them a message had come, and they were able to ‘practice’ on the girl. Luveday stressed that only in certain circumstances would CPR be useful and that the technique did not always work. People would still die.

  Elli, on the other hand, was fascinated by what she heard. Rumors were running around the castle of how Luveday had brought the baby back from the dead, but she and Cass promised to explain it to anyone who would listen, that it was just a bit of healing that the Lady had learned from her homeland. That the true miracle was that it had worked, and not some form of magic the lady had practiced.

  The awaiting message was from Lady Emmalyn saying that a large party would be arriving with her, and while she could not name their guest outright, she said he was a great friend of Lord Iain’s and to make haste, while making the best preparations for their guest’s extended stay. The women bustled about in a flurry of activity, speculating about who such a guest could be and why the lady could not name him in her missive. Warin was sent out to find his lord, who once again was overseeing some aspect of his estate.

  By the time the travelers were spotted by the watch at the gate, the best rooms were ready, the evening meal was added to, and refreshments were just being finished. Luveday was happy with the progress, though nervous about who could be visiting. Elli was beside herself with excitement and nearly jumping up and down beside Luveday, while Iain descended the stairs for the solar where he had washed after returning with Warin.

  The noise in the bailey reached the hall first, as they exited to greet their guests. Luveday had never seen
so many people. She spotted Lady Emmalyn and Father Quinn among the newcomers, but couldn’t reach them, though she could clearly see their smiling visages. Iain went to greet a man who looked to be in his late thirties, while the women held back. Elli clutched her arm like a vice and had stopped running around like a giddy school girl. Luveday took the change as a sign and tried to act accordingly. Obviously, the girl recognized their guest, but Luveday couldn’t get her to speak and feared her friend was in shock.

  Another Lady, dressed in a gown Christabel would envy, dismounted with the help of several men. Iain kissed her hand as he bowed over it. Lord only knew who she was, though Luveday could see affectionate glances pass between her, and the man whom Iain had greeted first. Both of their guests had sable hair, were fair skinned, and had a pleasant air about them that Luveday could not explain. They were clearly happy to see Iain or was it happy to have reached their destination?

  The rest of the party appeared to be mostly knights and servants. There were a few stern-looking gentlemen, but they seemed to cave under the lady’s smile. As the group approached the stairs, Elli sank into a deep curtsy, and Luveday quickly followed. She heard Iain’s voice above her, introducing her, to King Edward and Queen Augusta and Luveday thought her heart might stop.

  “Your Majesties, may I present Lady Luveday, recently of Lander’s Keep. Lady this is King Edward and Queen Augusta.” Iain sounded pleased to make the introductions.

  The Queen spoke first. “A pleasure to meet you, Lady Luveday. What a lovely and unusual name. Is that not so, my dear?”

  The King seemed to agree, as he looked between the women and Lord De Lane.

  Luveday rose to find the couple looking at her curiously, though their smiles were kind. Before she could say something in return, she was nearly knocked over as a small body collided with her, followed by another impact after that. Luveday was able to brace herself before all three of them went down. She looked down to find two boys, one looking to be about eight, and the other a little younger, were clutching her skirts and looked up at her as startled to see her as she was to see them. The boys were unfamiliar to her and dressed in clothes so fine she knew these must be the young princes accompanying their parents on their journey.