He set off in the direction of the river, and as soon as he was out of sight the baronet and his manservant vanished with remarkable alacrity in the opposite direction, Sir Anthony having very vociferously checked that his pistol was indeed primed and cocked. They rode for some time in silence, carefully watchful.
"Where are we going?" asked Duncan as Alex suddenly veered off the route home, heading instead for the Strand.
"If the midwife is worth her salt, as I'm sure she is, she won't leave her current patient until she's safely delivered, no matter what her husband says. The authorities will revoke her licence if she does. And Maggie needs help now." He turned down a small respectable street just off the main thoroughfare and knocked loudly at the door of a shop.
There was a short pause, and then a muffled voice came from behind the door.
"I'm closed," it said. "Who is it?"
Sir Anthony announced himself, and there was the sound of a bolt being hastily pulled back. The door opened and a young woman in a dressing gown peered cautiously round it.
"Sir Anthony?" said Sarah, her eyes wide with alarm. "What's wrong? Is it Beth?"
"No, not exactly," he replied, moving past her into the shop without asking permission. "What do you know about childbirth?"
"Lady Anne," said Sarah confidently, that being the only woman of Sir Anthony's acquaintance in the family way, as far as she knew. "I'll get dressed."
She turned away and he reached out and caught her arm, marking how she shrank from his touch, even though it offered no threat. He let her go.
"I'm sorry," he said. "No, it's not Anne. It's my cook. She's started her pains, but she's very early. Beth's with her, but she's no idea what to do, and the midwife has been sent for, but is at another delivery. I'm sorry to wake you, but I thought a woman of your … er … past experience might be able to help. Will you come?" His voice was tense and held none of the normal flowery affectations of the dandy.
"Yes, of course I'll come," she said, rushing off to dress. He had never alluded to her background before, had never treated her with anything less than the utmost respect, which was one of the reasons that she liked him so much. The fact that he had now, told her that he was more worried than he appeared to be. He was right, she did know something about childbirth. Midwives were often reluctant to attend women of ill-repute, and the prostitutes tended to help each other rather than call in the authorities, whom they instinctively, and generally with good reason, mistrusted.
They arrived home twenty minutes later, Sarah feeling somewhat shaken, having been mounted behind the grim-faced Duncan, to whom, in spite of her aversion to physical contact with the male sex, she had clung as though her life depended on it as they galloped through the deserted streets. He jumped down from the saddle and reached up, lifting her down as though she were a feather and placing her carefully on her none-too-steady legs. He smiled, and the grimness was gone.
"I take it you're no' accustomed to riding, lassie," he said.
"I've never been on a horse before in my life," she said shakily. "And will never go on one again, if I live to be a hundred." She detached herself from his steadying hand and followed Sir Anthony up the steps to the house.
Beth had never in her whole life been so grateful to see anyone as she was to see Sarah. So grateful that she didn't even question why she was here instead of the expected midwife. She had done everything that she could in the practical sense: the fire was blazing, soothing mulled wine was steaming by the bedside and Beth was sitting with Maggie, holding her hand and feeling utterly helpless. She looked up at Sarah with the same expression that men generally adopted in the face of childbirth.
"It's coming too soon," she said, Maggie being temporarily incapable of speech.
"I know, Sir Anthony told me," said Sarah. "How too soon is it?"
"About ten weeks," gasped Maggie. Her face was white, her lips pale.
"Can we do anything to stop it being born now?" Beth asked desperately.
Sarah looked doubtfully at the pregnant woman. This was a new experience for her. The last time she had been present at a premature birth the mother had been glad it was coming too early, having tried unsuccessfully for four months to dislodge it from her womb. But then to prostitutes babies were often an inevitable but unwelcome side-effect of their profession. This one clearly wasn't.
"Well, we could raise the foot of the bed so her legs are higher than her head," she said tentatively. Beth shot off the bed as though from a cannon, ready to go and call the men. "Wait," said Sarah, "have your waters broken yet?"
Maggie nodded.
"It's coming," she said tearfully. "I hoped it was false pains, but it isna. Oh!"
Sarah nodded, watching as Maggie fought her way through another contraction, sweat pouring down her face. They were very close together, she noticed. It would not be long. Maybe an hour or two.
"I need towels or clean cloths," she said, thinking fast. "To put under her. When the baby's born it'll be very messy. And oil, warm water and something to wrap the baby in when it's born. And a sharp knife and string."
Beth ran from the room and Sarah took her place on the bed, taking Maggie's hand in hers. The woman was trembling, and Sarah's heart went out to her.
"Is it your first child?" she asked.
Maggie nodded.
"We've been trying for three years," she said. "I couldna bear it if … "
"Don't think about that now," interrupted Sarah hastily. "Concentrate on getting through this, and we'll worry about the baby when it arrives. Get used to the pains, because you'll probably be having them every year now your womb's discovered what it's there for." She saw Maggie's face light up as she grasped at the straw Sarah had given her and hoped God would forgive her the white lie.
"Try to breathe slowly," she said. "Can I have a look at you?"
At Maggie's nod she folded back the sheet and gently pushed the woman's legs apart.
"There's no point in keeping your legs together," she said gently. "It doesn't work anyway."
"It's burning," said Maggie indistinctly, her face contorted.
"I know," said Sarah. "It does. I'm not a midwife, but I've seen several born. When Beth brings the oil I'll feel to see if the baby's in the right position, but I think – oh shit!" she said, as the top of the baby's head suddenly appeared. She felt carefully with her fingers as she'd seen the midwives do, to see if the cord was looped around its neck, but before she could be sure, Maggie gave a strangled cry and the baby slithered out in a mess of blood and fluid into Sarah's hands.
Beth, choosing that moment to reappear, her arms full of the things Sarah had asked for, nearly fainted on the spot.
"It's all right," said Sarah frantically, glancing over her shoulder. "It's normal. Just a bit faster than I expected, that's all. Give me the knife."
She tied and cut the umbilical cord and reached for the jug of water, taking it and the baby over to the corner of the room, where there was a basin.
"Beth," she said, hooking her finger into its mouth to pull out any mucus and then gently washing the tiny infant, who showed no sign of life. "In a few minutes the afterbirth will come. You can help by pulling very gently on the cord, but only when the contractions start."
Hopefully that will occupy Beth and stop her from fainting, Sarah thought, although a quick glance told her that the colour had come back to her face. Not so Maggie's. The absence of a child's cry was deafening in the small room. Sarah kept her back carefully to the bed, gently rubbing the baby's limbs dry. It was a boy, but too small, much too small. His skin was wrinkled and almost transparent and he was very thin. At least she could clean him, and let Maggie hold him before his body cooled and she had to accept he was dead.
"It's a boy," Sarah said, feeling Maggie's eyes boring into her back.
"Let me see him," Maggie said, trying to accept the inevitable. "Please. Just once, before … .please."
Sarah held the tiny baby easily in one arm, and picked up another cloth, intending to wrap him up before giving him to his mother. The little chest fluttered, and he suddenly opened his mouth and uttered a tiny, thin wail that stilled all activity in the room.
"He's alive!" Sarah breathed in awe, her eyes filling with tears.
"Let me see him!" cried Maggie desperately, struggling to rise. Beth pushed her back gently as Sarah hurriedly crossed the room, placing the minute bundle into his mother's arms.
"Oh, mother of God, oh God, he's beautiful," she said, bursting into tears. Her face screwed up as the contractions began again, but she hardly noticed, so intent was she on her son.