The Midwife's Tale(105)

Ellen’s pregnancy continued without incident, and in the fall, Dorothy Mann delivered her of a stillborn girl. Once the child had been born, preparations began for Ellen’s execution. Edward had pressured me to attend, saying that I was the woman responsible for her capture, but I denied him. A few weeks after Ellen’s death, I made a decision that would prove the most consequential since I agreed to marry Phineas and come to York. Martha and I had just returned from delivering a woman in Goodramgate parish, and once again Martha had proven herself useful. I found her in the kitchen.

“Martha, please come to the parlor with me.” She was a bit taken aback but followed. “You have acquitted yourself well since coming to my house. You kept your head and acted quickly when you had to. Let me see your hands.” At this she hesitated, but she held them out, palms up. They were rough, of course, thanks to the work she did. Her fingers were long and thin, not as gnarled as they would become with years as a maidservant and then a lifetime as wife to a blacksmith or clothier. I put my hands into hers. “Squeeze.”

“My lady?” This was not what she had expected.

“Squeeze my hands,” I repeated, and she did, with a firm grip. “Good. You need a quick mind and strong hands, and clearly have both. I can teach you the rest.”

“The rest?” she asked, wiping her hands on her apron, looking nervous.

“Martha, I want you to be my deputy,” I said. “I will teach you the mysteries of my profession, and in due time you will become a midwife yourself.” For the first time since we’d met, Martha seemed unsure of herself.

“My lady,” she said, “I don’t know what to say. What would I do?”

“Well, you’d still be my servant, and you will assist Hannah as you have until today. You will assist me in the delivery room as you have these last few months. Over time I will ask much of you and teach you more. You’ll learn how to care for women when they are with child, in travail, and after they deliver. Once you gain a reputation as a skillful midwife, women will start to seek you out on their own. If you are good at it, you will have more respect and earn far more money than you ever would otherwise.”

“I would be honored to do this, my lady.”

“Good,” I said, taking her hands in mine. “I think we will work well together.”