midwife
stepped back, then felt Selly’s head and listened for her heartbeat. “Nothing
can be done for her. I’m sorry, dear.”
“No!” Caroline’s
head lowered. She began to sob quietly.
“There, there,
dear. I am sorry for your loss,” said Mother, her hand gently patting
Caroline’s shoulder. “She was so brave.”
“Yes, she was.”
“May I remain in
here with her?” Caroline whispered as she wiped her cheeks and straightened.
“Certainly,” said
the midwife as she departed the room.
“Take all the
time you need,” Mother Superior offered. “I shall be sending someone for the
priest, to give the poor girl Extreme Unction.” Sister quietly closed the
door.
Caroline dabbed
her eyes with her handkerchief, then reached for the young girl’s limp hand and
held onto it, still wet with perspiration. She tenderly brushed back a lock of
hair on the girl’s forehead and caressed her damp head. Caroline released a
long, mournful sigh. Ironically, a burst of sunlight lit the room in glorious
color.
She hadn’t
noticed the surroundings before now, but as she glanced about at the white
walls, it gave her comfort to see Selly in such a clean and bright room. The
plain white linen sheet was devoid of lace or any sort of monogram. She
glanced up at the wall above Selly’s bed to find a simple wooden crucifix.
Caroline gently
placed Selly’s hand under the sheet and moved to the small desk. A piece of
parchment was on top. The ink well was positioned to the top right of the
paper and the quill pen, hastily cast aside, lay on top of the letter. Small
droplets of ink like blood had dripped onto the page. Caroline picked up the
paper.
“Mother Superior
has asked me if I would like to stay here after the baby is born. She said
that perhaps I can work in the kitchen.”
Caroline lifted
the first page from underneath.
Dear Miss
Caroline,
She closed her
eyes and sighed.
“ I want to
thank you so much for the kindness which you have shown me these past few months.
When I received your letter, I was especially happy. You have treated me with
the utmost respect as if I was someone special. I never before felt special.
Thank you for that, Miss Caroline.
“And please
don’t go on about Mr. David. I don’t know why he said the things he did to me,
accusing me of being with someone else, but despite that, my heart still aches
for him. I can’t help it, but after everything that’s happened, I still love
him with all my heart. And isn’t that the way love ought to be? Loving
someone even when he is unkind to you is what it means to truly love him .
Caroline shook
her head, and repeated the girl’s last words, “Loving someone even when he’s
unkind to you is what it means to truly love him.” She felt herself cringe as
she thought of the reason Selly was in this predicament and why she was now
dead. She folded the letter and placed it in the pocket of her skirt. Then,
walking to the foot of the bed, she studied Selly once again. In death, she
remained lovely, her eyelashes long. Her hair, though damp, was a vibrant shade
of brown.
The young servant
looked as if she were sleeping; the cover pulled up to her chin, yet traces of
blood had seeped through the top sheet. For a moment, Caroline thought she
might retch, but the feeling passed as her eyes caught sight of the bundle
beside Selly’s covered, motionless feet. Out of curiosity, she lifted the sheet
and gasped when she noticed how small the baby was. The miniature girl’s skin
was gray and covered with a whitish coating. She lay on her side, curled up,
like a tiny porcelain doll long ago discarded. Caroline caressed the baby’s
moist arm and was surprised to find it was warm. Sleep well, little one .
She glanced again
at Selly’s face, peaceful, yet beautiful in death. Had she not been so pretty,
David would never have paid her any attention and she would never
stepped back, then felt Selly’s head and listened for her heartbeat. “Nothing
can be done for her. I’m sorry, dear.”
“No!” Caroline’s
head lowered. She began to sob quietly.
“There, there,
dear. I am sorry for your loss,” said Mother, her hand gently patting
Caroline’s shoulder. “She was so brave.”
“Yes, she was.”
“May I remain in
here with her?” Caroline whispered as she wiped her cheeks and straightened.
“Certainly,” said
the midwife as she departed the room.
“Take all the
time you need,” Mother Superior offered. “I shall be sending someone for the
priest, to give the poor girl Extreme Unction.” Sister quietly closed the
door.
Caroline dabbed
her eyes with her handkerchief, then reached for the young girl’s limp hand and
held onto it, still wet with perspiration. She tenderly brushed back a lock of
hair on the girl’s forehead and caressed her damp head. Caroline released a
long, mournful sigh. Ironically, a burst of sunlight lit the room in glorious
color.
She hadn’t
noticed the surroundings before now, but as she glanced about at the white
walls, it gave her comfort to see Selly in such a clean and bright room. The
plain white linen sheet was devoid of lace or any sort of monogram. She
glanced up at the wall above Selly’s bed to find a simple wooden crucifix.
Caroline gently
placed Selly’s hand under the sheet and moved to the small desk. A piece of
parchment was on top. The ink well was positioned to the top right of the
paper and the quill pen, hastily cast aside, lay on top of the letter. Small
droplets of ink like blood had dripped onto the page. Caroline picked up the
paper.
“Mother Superior
has asked me if I would like to stay here after the baby is born. She said
that perhaps I can work in the kitchen.”
Caroline lifted
the first page from underneath.
Dear Miss
Caroline,
She closed her
eyes and sighed.
“ I want to
thank you so much for the kindness which you have shown me these past few months.
When I received your letter, I was especially happy. You have treated me with
the utmost respect as if I was someone special. I never before felt special.
Thank you for that, Miss Caroline.
“And please
don’t go on about Mr. David. I don’t know why he said the things he did to me,
accusing me of being with someone else, but despite that, my heart still aches
for him. I can’t help it, but after everything that’s happened, I still love
him with all my heart. And isn’t that the way love ought to be? Loving
someone even when he is unkind to you is what it means to truly love him .
Caroline shook
her head, and repeated the girl’s last words, “Loving someone even when he’s
unkind to you is what it means to truly love him.” She felt herself cringe as
she thought of the reason Selly was in this predicament and why she was now
dead. She folded the letter and placed it in the pocket of her skirt. Then,
walking to the foot of the bed, she studied Selly once again. In death, she
remained lovely, her eyelashes long. Her hair, though damp, was a vibrant shade
of brown.
The young servant
looked as if she were sleeping; the cover pulled up to her chin, yet traces of
blood had seeped through the top sheet. For a moment, Caroline thought she
might retch, but the feeling passed as her eyes caught sight of the bundle
beside Selly’s covered, motionless feet. Out of curiosity, she lifted the sheet
and gasped when she noticed how small the baby was. The miniature girl’s skin
was gray and covered with a whitish coating. She lay on her side, curled up,
like a tiny porcelain doll long ago discarded. Caroline caressed the baby’s
moist arm and was surprised to find it was warm. Sleep well, little one .
She glanced again
at Selly’s face, peaceful, yet beautiful in death. Had she not been so pretty,
David would never have paid her any attention and she would never
Similar Books
