Page 29 of The Lovers (Echoes from the Past #1)

The day was overcast, with a gauzy mist shrouding the buildings in a blanket of moisture.

It wasn’t very cold, but a raw damp seeped into her bones as Elise got closer to the river, and her face was wet to the touch as mist settled on her skin.

She picked her way carefully, avoiding piles of refuse and pools of mud.

She turned off on Black Friars Lane and then made another turn onto Carter Lane, where she made her way slowly down the street.

It wasn’t long until she spotted what she was searching for.

A heavily pregnant woman was walking carefully down the street, an empty basket swinging over her arm as she set off to do her daily marketing.

“Do excuse me,” Elise called out to the woman. “Me mistress sent me to fetch the midwife, but I seem to have lost me way. Would ye be able to direct me?” If anyone knew where the midwife was to be found, it was a woman near her time, Elise reasoned, and she wasn’t disappointed.

“I surely can, pet. Old Nan lives just round yon corner in Creed Lane. Third house on the left. Ye can’t miss it. There’s a birch tree as grows right in front. ”

“Thank ye, mistress,” Elise said with a smile.

“Glad to help,” the woman replied and got on her way, waddling down the street at a glacial pace.

Elise followed the directions and was in front of the house in mere minutes.

The birch was still bare, its slender trunk silvery in the morning mist. It was the only tree in the street, the old Tudor houses standing so close together that they practically leaned on each other for support.

The upper floors overhung the lower ones, blocking out daylight and casting the street into a gloomy pall.

The lack of sunlight prevented anything green from thriving, so the birch tree was a surprise.

Elise took a deep breath before knocking softly on the door.

She hoped Old Nan was in. A woman in her thirties opened the door, a smile of welcome on her face.

“I’m looking for the midwife,” Elise said.

“You’ve found me, then. Have someone’s pains started?” she asked as she reached for her cloak.

“No, I’m here for a somewhat different reason.”

“You’d best come in, then.”

The woman stepped aside and invited Elise into the house.

A single candle burned on the table, casting a glow onto the walls.

The room was sparsely furnished, but it was clean and warm.

Old Nan herself looked clean and warm as well.

There was a kindness in her eyes, and she was motherly in her manner, which put Elise at ease.

“Here, have a cup of broth,” Nan said. “’Tis bone raw out there today.”

Elise accepted the cup of broth gratefully and took the proffered seat. The broth was rich and hot, and she took a few warming sips before setting the cup down and raising her eyes to meet Nan’s .

“What can I do for you?” the older woman carefully asked.

“You see,” Elise began but faltered. She wasn’t sure exactly how to ask what she wanted to know.

“You wish to know if you’re with child.”

“No. I wish to know if there’s a way to prevent getting with one,” Elise blurted out.

“Are you married?” Old Nan asked.

Elise felt a momentary panic. She didn’t want to lie, but if she told the woman she was wed, the midwife might think it a sin against God to try to prevent conception.

“No, not yet,” Elise fibbed.

“I see.”

Elise cringed inwardly. She just proclaimed herself to be a fornicator, probably a worse sin than not wanting to get with child. “I’m not… W-well, that is,” Elise stuttered.

“It don’t matter to me, love. ’Tis not my place to judge. I’ve seen it all by now, and let me tell ye, it isn’t always pretty or proper. There are some decoctions that women swear by, but I myself don’t believe them to be effective. Sooner or later, they all fall pregnant anyhow.”

“Is there nothing?”

“There is something ye can do. It works for some, but nothing is guaranteed, save keeping your legs crossed. Find some thick cloth and cut it into small bits, ’bout this size,” she said, holding her thumb and pointer about two inches apart.

“Dip a piece in vinegar before yer man comes to ye and insert it as deep as ye can into yer quim.”

“How would that prevent me getting with child?” Elise asked, curious .

“The thick fabric blocks the seed from spilling into yer womb, and the vinegar kills its potency. It don’t always work, mind, but ’tis better than nothing. Just make sure to remove the cloth after ye’ve used it or it’ll begin to fester inside ye.”

“Are there ways to get rid of a babe should the need arise?” she asked carefully.

“There are, but I’m not one who’ll tell ye about them. ’Tis a sin against God to do away with a child. I’m a midwife; my calling is to bring new life into the world, not snuff it out.” She didn’t sound angry, but Elise could see that Nan felt strongly and didn’t persist.

Elise took a coin out of the pocket of her cloak and laid it on the table. “I thank you for your advice.”

Old Nan inclined her head and pocketed the coin. “God be with ye,” she said as she let Elise out into the street.

“And you.”