The Secret Healer(78)

Madlen remembered. “We only have two dresses ready, and one of them was made for Elsbeth. That’s not many. Shouldn’t we select some fabric right away so we can start making more?”

Agathe shrugged. “I don’t want to assume the worst. First, we should try to sell the dresses we already have. If we can’t find a buyer, then we can save money to pay for some fabric.”

“Why do you think that nobody here will buy our dresses?”

Agathe made an expansive hand movement. “Look at the ladies. The dresses that we currently produce are far too simple for their fancy tastes.”

“Can we alter the dresses we have now?”

“Yes, we can do that. Before we sew new ones, we should buy some pearls and make the dresses very ornate. We should come up with a completely original but lovely design. The ladies here have their own seamstresses. If the dresses we offer aren’t any different, they’ll have no reason to buy from us.”

“And then?” Madlen looked at her helplessly. “How will we survive if we can’t sell our dresses?”

“We’ll just have to see. Let’s try it first.”

“All right.” Madlen didn’t want to dwell on this uncertainty. Previously, she had no doubt that the dresses they produced would be highly prized everywhere. She quickly tried to distract herself from these thoughts. “This Ruppert fellow you mentioned, have you known him for a long time?”

Agathe thought it over. “It’s been about six years. He is always traveling on business from his home base in Emmerich to Bruges, and then from Trier and Worms to Strasbourg, until he makes his return journey. I don’t believe he’s home very much.”

“So he’s probably not here in Emmerich right now?”

“Who knows? We’ll ask and hope for the best. And if he’s not here, we can try to sell off our dresses anyway.” She laid her arm on Madlen’s shoulder. “Believe me, little girl, it will all work out.”

All of a sudden, something rolled around in Madlen’s abdomen. She put a hand on her belly, a startled look on her face.

“What?” Agathe looked worriedly at Madlen’s face.

“A movement,” she said. She waited for a minute, but there was nothing further. Her pregnancy was at the end of the third month, so it wasn’t uncommon to feel movement at this point. However, the stress of the last few days could be dangerous to the health of the unborn child.

Agathe looked at her niece, still worried. “And? Is it better now?”

Madlen nodded. “It just lasted for a moment.” She made an effort to smile.

“Should we go back to the tavern so that you can lie down for a moment?”

“That won’t be necessary.” Madlen looked around until she noticed a small boulder just beyond the marketplace stalls. “Let’s go sit over there for a bit of rest. Then we can get going again.”

She was bent over slightly when she sat down on the boulder, relieved to rest her legs for a bit. Agathe stood next to her, stroking her back gently as Madlen struggled to calm her breathing. She knew that Madlen was making a fierce effort to be tough thanks to her strong words from earlier.

“How’s that now?”

“It’s getting better. Thank you.” Madlen tried to smile. “You know, that’s completely normal. The earlier stages of the pregnancy can be rough. In two or three more weeks, things will be much easier.”

“It almost seems as though you’ve already had three children,” Agathe joked.

“I’ve been around so many women during this special time that it does feel almost as though I’ve experienced it myself.”

“It must be a wonderful feeling.” Agathe sighed.

“What do you mean? To be pregnant?”

“Yes, and to help pregnant women. So many would be forever thankful to you.”

Madlen smiled. “Some, of course.” Her facial expression changed. “And if it weren’t for those other negative experiences, I couldn’t think of a more fulfilling way to live . . .” She shrugged. “Oh well, in the future, these pregnant women can deal with the real midwives—thanking and cursing them at the same time. I’ll have nothing more to do with it.”

“Do you regret it?”

Madlen stroked her growing little belly pensively as she thought about her reply. “I don’t regret it, but I miss it. Everything would be different if I were a man. My greatest wish would have been to be a doctor, a wise one. Or to at least have become a real midwife, yes. But of course, that’s no longer possible. I have no desire to be hunted down like an animal again.”