Page 36 of Echoes on the Wind (Borrowed Time #2)

Betty let out another loud wail, and Joseph and I led her over to the settee as she clung tightly to us both.

“Not on there,” Gethin shouted as we sat her down, more concerned for the furniture.

“Do you need to lie down?” Joseph asked, his voice gentle, but she clenched her jaw and shook her head as tears rolled down her cheeks.

She tensed up as another wave of pain came, and her face, pale just a moment before, flushed red as she cried out, glistening with sweat.

“Breathe,” I urged, mimicking breathing techniques I’d seen on the television.

Betty’s wails brought Mrs Hopkin rushing from the kitchen, and she came to a stop in the doorway with her hands to her mouth. “Elizabeth!” she cried as she dropped to her knees in front of her daughter. “You can’t. It’s far too early.”

“I don’t think we have much choice,” Mair said, kneeling down beside Mrs Hopkin. “That baby’s coming.”

“No,” Betty cried out. “I’m not ready.” Between her yells and attempts at deep breathing, she was letting out long, loud sobs, and it was clear how terrified she was.

Mrs Hopkin turned to Gethin, waving at him to get up. “Get Nellie. She has to come back.”

He tossed his paper aside with a huff, apparently inconvenienced, and left without a word. His mood had been so awful through the whole thing that I think everyone was glad to see the back of him.

“Mama, it hurts.”

“I know, my darling. I know. But it won’t for long.” She softly brushed away the damp strands of hair that had come loose and clung to Betty’s cheek. “I’ve brought seven babies into this world, and I know you can do this. Do you hear me?”

Betty clenched her jaw and shook her head, crying so hard that her shoulders shook. “What if I’m not good enough, Mama? What if it doesn’t love me?”

Mrs Hopkin held her daughter's face gently in her hands, raising her chin up so that they were looking directly at each other, giving her a reassurance that only a mother can give. “You will be perfect,” she said softly. “And so will this baby.”

She smiled again at her daughter, and Betty attempted to force a smile back, but was overcome by what I assumed was another contraction and instead let out a loud groan.

“Zack,” Mair called out, and he poked his head in from the hallway. “Take Iris home and get her to bed. I’ll stay and help here until Nellie comes back.”

“Are you sure?” he asked, and Mair gave him a nod before he rushed off.

“We need to get you down on the floor, darling,” Mrs Hopkin said. “Gwyn, go and get some clean sheets. Lee, water and flannels. Don’t just stare at me. Get going.”

They dashed from the room, and I could hear Gwyn bounding up the stairs and stomping around on the floorboards above us. When he got back, he was holding a bundle so large that we couldn't see his face behind them. He must have grabbed every sheet that Nellie owned.

“Lay one of those down there,” Mrs Hopkin said.

She reached for the pile and grabbed a loose sheet, sending the others tumbling to the floor beside her. She laid it over the expensive rug in front of the settee, then with a nod to us, me and Joseph lowered Betty down gently onto it.

Once Lee returned with the water, Mrs Hopkin waved him and Gwyn from the room to give her space. I considered following, wanting to give Betty some privacy, but she gripped my hand as I tried to move, so I slid down onto the floor beside her.

“Big breaths,” I said, trying to get her to mimic my breathing.

Mrs Hopkin tore her headscarf off and tossed it across the floor, letting strands of hair fall loose, then she wiped the sweat from her brow, rolled her sleeves up, and turned to me and Joseph. “This is no sight for menfolk,” she said. “Go and wait in the kitchen.”

I felt a slight relief as I moved to get up again, not wanting to see Betty in so much agony, but she gripped hold of me even tighter, shaking her head at her mother. “No! I want them to stay,” she panted, leaving me torn about what to do.

Mrs Hopkin’s eyes widened. “But it’s not right. ”

Before Betty could argue about the social conventions, she let out a long, low cry and dug her fingers into my skin so hard that I thought she would draw blood.

Mrs Hopkin reached under Betty’s skirts and took off her garments, then pulled her daughter's knees up and apart. Joseph and I leaned back into the couch, away from any inappropriate view, while Mrs Hopkin reached for the flannels and water that Lee had brought.

She wrung one out and handed it to Joseph. “Keep her cool,” she said, giving him a reassuring nod.

He dabbed her forehead as instructed, his hand trembling, and he looked just as scared as she was. Every so often, Betty would look at him, and he would smile as though he was perfectly calm, but the instant she looked away again, the fear in his eyes would return.

Mrs Hopkin reached under Betty’s skirts, then nodded a moment later, seemingly satisfied by whatever she’d felt. “This won’t be a long one,” she said, reassuring Betty. “Not like with you. Stubborn little thing. You wouldn’t come for me at all. Nanna Jacob walked me around that farm all day and night, from Thursday to Saturday, but you just wouldn’t come.”

Mrs Hopkin smiled as she recounted the memory, and the frantic energy of the room relaxed as we all listened. Even Betty’s laboured breathing eased, and she appeared calmer from the distraction of her mother’s words.

“Your father was watching the children, but Nellie escaped somehow. She was only about four at the time and could never sit still. She came creeping up behind us by the cow shed and slapped me on the bum. Gave me such a fright I nearly fainted. Twenty minutes later, there you were in my arms after two days of waiting.”

Betty reached out to her mother, taking her hand with a smile, and for a moment, it was like they were the only two people in the room. Their connection only broke as another contraction hit, and Betty leaned back to let out another moan.

Mrs Hopkin tipped her head under her daughter's skirts again, then when she reappeared, she began to silently count, bobbing her head as she did. She repeated the same action with every contraction for the next forty minutes or so, until the time between Betty’s wails shortened significantly, and each cry was rolling straight into the next.

When the latest contraction hit, Mrs Hopkin felt under Betty’s skirts once more, then turned to Mair, nodding firmly. Both women shuffled closer, preparing themselves, while Joseph pressed his head against hers, closed his eyes, and began whispering in French.

As Betty began to cry out again, Mrs Hopkin grabbed her daughter’s knees, staring firmly at her. “Elizabeth, I need you to push for me,” she said.

Betty immediately tensed up and shook her head, terrified.

“You have to push!” her mother insisted.

Her eyes flashed with panic, but with a grip of steel on my arm, she tilted her head back and let out a scream that could wake the dead.

“Good girl,” Mair said, glancing down to look at the progress under Betty’s skirts. “That’s it. And another one. Push. ”

Betty tensed up, then let out a low, long groan that built up into a scream as she pushed.

I couldn’t even begin to imagine how much pain she must have been in, going through it all with no medical assistance. Every bit of it seemed to flash across her face as she panted and sweated through her labour.

“Mama, it hurts,” she wept.

“I know, darling, but we need one more,” Mrs Hopkin said. “You’re almost there.”

“I can’t,” Betty cried out.

“You can do it, sweetheart,” Joseph whispered. All the fear drained from his face as she turned to him for reassurance, and he smiled, letting her know that she was alright and he was there.

She clenched her teeth once more, then squeezed my hand so hard it felt like it might break. Her body tensed, and she pushed with every last bit of energy she had left as a final agonising cry escaped her lips.

Seconds later, her screams stopped, and another loud cry filled the room instead. An instant sense of relief washed over Betty, and she laughed through her tears as she heard the baby’s cry for the first time, as though all the agony of the last hours had simply melted away.

Mrs Hopkin pulled herself upright, cradling the tiniest baby I’d ever seen. “You have a boy,” she said, beaming with pride at Betty and Joseph. “A beautiful son.”

She wiped the baby’s face and mouth, then handed him to his mother. Betty scooped him up into her arms and sobbed happily as she smiled down at him .

“Oh my god,” I whispered, not realising that I’d been holding my breath the entire time. I stared at the little baby in her arms, his mop of dark hair still damp, and couldn’t believe I was one of the first people in the world to ever meet him.

As I watched Betty and Joseph gazing in awe at their newborn, her smile began to fade, and a look of discomfort crept across her face. She shot her head up quickly, looking fearfully at her mother.

“Take the baby,” she shouted, pushing the little boy towards his now-panicking father. “Quickly.”

The second he was out of her hands, she pressed down hard on the floor either side of her, tensing up again.

“It’s alright,” Mair said, rubbing her leg reassuringly. “It’s just the gubbins. Nobody ever tells you about that part.”

But Mrs Hopkin seemed to think differently. When she pulled up Betty’s skirts once more, she shook her head at Mair, then reached for more sheets. “You’re not done yet, my love,” she said, as Betty screamed again. “There’s another one coming.”

Betty had no time to register the news, and began pushing downwards with all of her energy as a second baby began to make its entrance into the world.

“Did you know it was twins?” Mair asked Joseph, and he shook his head, once more looking terrified.

“Where’s Nellie?” Mrs Hopkin shouted out between Betty’s wails. “Gethin should have reached her by now.”

“That might be her,” I said, as someone knocked at the front door .

Mair looked at me impatiently and rolled her eyes. “She wouldn’t knock on her own door.”

“Come on, Betty. One more,” Mrs Hopkin urged, and Betty pressed down so hard, I thought she might lift herself off the ground.

“Tom, can you come out here,” Lee shouted from behind the door, but I had no choice but to ignore him.

“Nearly there,” Mrs Hopkin said.

Betty pushed again with all of her energy and clenched her mouth closed so tightly that barely a noise escaped it. Her face grew redder, and sweat was pouring down her cheeks, the strain almost unbearable as she reached her peak. Then, with a final moan, she relaxed back with a soft cry.

“It’s a girl,” Mrs Hopkin exclaimed with a wide smile, as she sat upright holding another tiny baby. “You have a girl.”

Betty’s exhaustion was even more evident now, but she reached for her new daughter with gentle tenderness, cradling her close as she smiled, completely mesmerised by her.

“It seems you missed your calling,” Mair said as she put a hand on Mrs Hopkin’s shoulder. She looked nearly as tired as Betty from all the excitement, and slumped down onto the floor amongst the blankets, breathing heavily.

“Tom?” Lee called impatiently from outside again.

I let out a huff and pushed myself up from the floor, aching from sitting awkwardly for so long. Leaning down over Betty, I gently took her daughter's tiny hand between my fingers. “They’re gorgeous,” I whispered, and Betty looked up at me, glowing with pride. “You were amazing,” I added, kissing the top of her head before reaching out and shaking Joseph’s hand.

Lee was waiting outside the door, and I looked down the hall to see Tish now sitting in the kitchen with Gwyn. “Is she alright?”

He sighed and shook his head. “We’ve got a problem.”

Gwyn had an arm around Letitia as I entered the kitchen, and it was clear she’d been crying. She didn’t look up as I took a seat, so I looked to my brother for a prompt of what I should say.

“Tish, love. Tell Tom what you told us.” Lee said, kneeling beside her and taking her hand.

She sniffed and wiped her eyes, smudging her makeup, then finally looked at me. “It’s Daddy,” she said, her voice shaking. “I tried to calm him down, but he just wouldn’t stop drinking. He wasn’t making any sense. He kept shouting that we had no money left, that Lee had ruined us. Then he stormed out, saying he was going to fix things once and for all. I thought he might have come to find Lee, but now I’m worried he’s going to hurt himself.”

“He hasn’t been here,” Gwyn said.

“The mine,” I replied, looking desperately at Gwyn and Lee. “He said he’s going to fix things. He’s got to be planning on doing it tonight.”

“Doing what?” she asked.

“Tish, I’m really sorry,” I said. “We haven’t got time to explain everything, but we think your father is going to blow the mine for the insurance. We found all the evidence.”

“What? No. He would never,” she protested .

“We think he’s planning to frame me for it,” Lee added.

“But he wouldn’t do that,” she cried out.

“And maybe we’re wrong,” I said, trying to offer her some hope. “But do you really want to take that chance?”

She stared around at us all, then buried her face in her hands, shaking her head.

Mair’s footsteps in the hall caught my attention, and she wrapped her shawl tightly around her shoulders as she came into the kitchen. “What’s going on?”

Gwyn pulled her aside, and I could hear him quietly filling her in while I turned back to Tish and held her hand. “I know he’s your father, but you have to help us stop him.”

She stared down at her feet in silence, crying as she considered everything we’d told her. When she finally looked up she looked pained by her decision, but she nodded her head slowly, agreeing. “What can I do?”

“Go with Mair,” I said. “Find Inspector Phillips and bring him to the mine. Tell him it’s an emergency.”

“But they’ll arrest him,” Tish said, suddenly looking like she might back out of helping us.

“Yes,” Gwyn replied firmly. “They will. But if we’re wrong, they’ll let him go, and if we’re right, you’ll be saving hundreds of lives.”

“Lee, go to the mine with Gwyn. Grab anything with your name on and get rid of it. Find a furnace and toss it all in.”

“And what are you going to do?” Gwyn asked.

“I’ll find Mr Awbrey. With any luck, this will all be a big overreaction on my part and there’ll be nothing to worry about. If it’s not, then I’ll try to talk him out of whatever it is he's planning.”

“Maybe I should be the one to do that?” Lee countered.

“No. You know your way around the office better than anyone. If anything is locked away or hidden, you’re the only one who’ll be able to get to it.”

He put a hand on my shoulder and nodded, knowing I was right. “Please be safe, brother.”

“I will. Go. I’ll check on Betty and follow you down.”

As everyone headed out, I grabbed Lee in the doorway, holding him back. “Take this,” I whispered, grabbing the bundle of Graham’s things from the counter. “Hide it in the office.”

He looked at it apprehensively as I placed it in his hand, then tucked it in his coat with a sigh and headed out with the others.

I didn’t want to rush off without making sure that Betty was alright, so I ducked into the living room to check on her. Mrs Hopkin was sitting on the settee folding blankets, and she’d wasted no time bringing everything back to order. The babies were cleaned and swaddled, Betty’s hair was perfect, and the living room was tidied up.

“How are you feeling?” I asked, kneeling down beside Betty. She was holding one of the babies and grinning widely, but it was sleeping so soundly, all wrapped up, that I couldn’t tell which one it was.

“We chose a name,” she said, turning so I could see more clearly, and her eyes sparkled as she spoke. “Meet Alfred Thomas Joseph Bérenger. ”

My heart swelled with pride, and I couldn’t stop smiling. “It’s wonderful,” I replied. “I’m honoured, Betty. Truly.”

“And this little one is Cecelia Sophia Joyce,” Joseph added, turning his daughter towards me.

“It’s perfect,” I said, so happy for them. “They both are. I’m sorry I have to run out on you, but I will be back as soon as I can.”

By the time I reached the door, all eyes were back on the babies, so I grabbed my coat from the hallway and headed out.

There was a chill in the air, and I pulled my coat tight as I walked. The lamplighters hadn’t been out yet, so I stayed tight to the pavement, using the lights from the houses to guide my path. Down the hill, the alarms sounded in the mine, signalling the shift change, so I quickened my pace, praying I’d get there before Awbrey could do anything stupid.

Just ahead, in a gap between the houses, a figure stepped out onto the pavement. I immediately sidestepped to avoid walking straight into his path, but he mirrored my movement, making me come to a pause. When I stopped, so did he, then he took a step towards me into a patch of light coming from one of the windows, and I could see that it was Ellis.

“Hello, Tom,” he said, taking another step in my direction. “I’ve been waiting ages for you.”