The Midwife's Dilemma (18 page)

The yearning to marry the man she loved resonated in Victoria's voice. It was just as deep as the longing in Martha's heart to marry Thomas, and she sighed. Resigned to the fact that there was really no good reason to deny Victoria's request, other than selfish ones, Martha also felt vindicated that she had not been entirely wrong about one of the purposes for this meeting. After suggesting that she would discuss the matter with the betrothed couple on their way to the cottage and then sending Oliver and his family to the confectionery to fetch the key, she got to her feet.

“Excellent proposal,” Reverend Welsh announced, then gave Martha a hug and whispered in her ear, “I believe you mentioned to me once that when you and John Cade wanted to marry, Trinity wasn't even town enough to support a full-time minister. As I recall, you also mentioned that you only had to wait a matter of a few weeks for the minister who rode this circuit to arrive and marry you, rather than the many months you're asking this young couple to wait. I might be tempted to share that tale with them if you decide against giving them your blessing.”

Horrified, she pulled back and stared at him, only now remembering the very same thing. “You wouldn't!”

“That's entirely up to you, but I think you might want to tell them yourself. Children rather like the idea that their parents are just as human as they are,” he whispered and left her standing there, surrounded by her ever-growing family and the reality that in a matter of weeks, her responsibility to provide for both of her children would end and an entirely new phase of her life would begin.

The gift they had given her today, however, meant she actually had some very, very hard choices to make about her own future—choices that would impact her life as well as Thomas's.

How she wished that she could ask Aunt Hilda for her advice, but she was not here any longer. In fact, the only one she could turn to who could guide her and who could truly lead her to the life she was meant to enjoy in the years ahead was her Creator and her God.

Which meant she needed lots of time to pray in order to silence her own mind so she could listen to the answers God was sure to whisper to her heart.

E
ven the weather seemed to know that today was a special day when the third Sunday in July dawned bright and clear and comfortably warm.

Only three short days after Thomas left for New York, Victoria would become Mrs. Benjamin McMillan. The wedding would take place in just a few hours.

Today should be a day of celebration and joy for Martha, not a day spoiled by disappointment that her brother and his wife could not be here or bittersweet memories of the day she had married John Cade. While she did regret that Thomas was not here to share this momentous day with her, she had tucked away the dilemma of his final ultimatum deep within her heart, unwilling to let anything distract her from enjoying the last few days she had Victoria at home with her.

When she pinned the brooch from Dr. McMillan to the collar of her gown, she could scarcely believe that over the past eight days, she had managed to safely deliver two precious babes, regretfully eliminated one more woman from the dwindling list
of potential candidates to replace her as midwife, tended to an entire family suffering from ringworm, and visited with Oliver and his family, especially her two darling granddaughters. And she had still managed to help Victoria pack for her wedding trip and help make arrangements for the celebration they had planned for later that morning with the entire congregation.

The moment she slipped out of her room, the tantalizing aromas filtering up from the confectionery testified to the fact that the entire household had been just as busy preparing for this day as she had been. She hurried to Victoria's room, where she found her daughter looking out the window.

“It's a perfect day! It's warm and sunny and there's not a cloud in the sky!” Victoria exclaimed as she turned around. “We can have our celebration outside after the ceremony just like we hoped.”

Martha caught her breath. She had always thought Victoria was an attractive young woman. Wearing the lavender gown she reserved for Sunday services and special occasions, her daughter was a pure vision of loveliness. The excitement of the day had painted her cheeks just rosy enough, and her eyes shimmered with joy that must have flowed straight up from her heart.

“You look beautiful,” Martha said. “The needlework Comfort added to the collar of your gown makes a lovely backdrop for your brooch.”

Victoria swirled about the room, swishing her skirts and grinning. “I'm so happy. I just wish I had wings so I might fly all the way to the meetinghouse. I can't wait to marry Benjamin.”

Martha chuckled. “Even if you could fly there straightaway, you'd still have to sit through the services before Reverend Welsh performs the ceremony.”

“While everyone else is waiting to sample some of the treats that Miss Fern and Miss Ivy have spent the past week making
for today,” Victoria teased. She crossed the room and wrapped Martha in a long embrace. “Thank you for not making us wait any longer.”

“You should thank Reverend Welsh, too. If he hadn't given you permission to marry on such short notice, you would have been forced to wait, regardless of whether or not I approved.”

“We already did,” Victoria replied and her eyes twinkled even brighter. “Don't you think it's exciting that we're going to follow Oliver and his family this afternoon to go to Boston for our wedding trip?”

Martha hugged her daughter back, inhaling the scent of her to store away in her scrapbook of memories. “I'd be a whole lot happier if I could be certain that you and your new husband won't be so taken with Boston while you're visiting some of his relatives there, too, that you'll change your mind about returning to Trinity. I don't think I could bear it if both of my children lived so far away from me.”

Victoria tried to step back, but the betrothal brooch she had pinned to her gown caught on Martha's, and she froze. “It looks like we're pinned together at the moment, which may be a sign that you needn't worry. I've had my fill of city living, although I'd love to go back to New York someday to visit Mr. and Mrs. Morgan and to see how Nancy is faring. But don't worry. As far as I'm concerned, our home will always be right here in Trinity, and Benjamin feels the same way,” she insisted and frowned for a moment before she found her smile again. “Maybe we could all go to New York early next spring, right before our articles appear in that magazine. We could see Nancy and the Morgans and then go to Boston to visit Oliver!” she exclaimed and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Maybe by then you'll be married to Mr. Dillon, unless you decide to just enjoy the gift we gave you instead. Better still, you could do both,” she teased.

“We'll . . . we'll see,” Martha replied. She could not stop the warmth creeping up her neck that threatened to paint a blush to her cheeks. “There. That should do it.” She stepped back after freeing their brooches and examined the needlework on Victoria's collar. “No damage done. Now, is there anything else you need to do up here, or can we start downstairs? There's only an hour or so left before we have to leave for the meetinghouse.”

Victoria hooked her arm with Martha's. “That's just about enough time for you to get your fill of sweets,” she teased and ushered them out of the room and into a future that was waiting for them both.

Immediately following the Sunday service, Reverend Welsh invited Victoria and Dr. McMillan to join him at the front of the packed meetinghouse.

Even though Oliver and his family were sitting with her in her customary bench and the meetinghouse was completely filled, Martha felt like she was all alone inside of a large, translucent bubble, unaware of everyone else there. As Victoria and Dr. McMillan pledged their lives and troth to one another and became husband and wife, she thanked God for the privilege of being here to witness this moment and prayed that God would forever be the center of this young couple's lives.

Following the very brief ceremony, Martha followed the newly married couple out of the meetinghouse, where they were joined by the rest of the congregation in the side yard. A soft breeze chased away the heat of midday, and friends had set up a long row of planked tables that were decorated with vases of wild flowers and covered with plates of sweet treats from the confectionery, along with bowls of punch.

While the newlyweds were off receiving congratulations and
Oliver was introducing his new family all around, Martha received her own well-wishes from longtime friends, including Anne Sweet, who did not miss the opportunity to question Martha discretely about her own future plans—questions Martha left unanswered.

After an hour or so, with the excitement of the day still holding exhaustion at bay, she welcomed an opportunity to stand alone and simply watch everyone else.

Bless their hearts, Fern and Ivy were watching over the treats on the tables, refilling the serving plates as they emptied, and chatting with Rosalind Andrews, who had insisted on helping today. Jane and Cassie were assisting, too, busy at work keeping the punch bowls filled.

When Martha spied something sparkling at the edge of the woods at the rear of the property, she saw the outline of three familiar figures standing within a copse of trees and realized that the sun must have caught on one of Fancy's many earrings.

In truth, she was not surprised that Fancy was nearby, keeping a watchful eye on Cassie, but she was surprised to find Samuel so close to so many people. She waved to catch their attention when they turned to leave and held up one of her fingers to urge them to stay there. After quickly filling several plates with goodies, she carried them over to the odd threesome.

As she handed the plates to Will and Fancy, she saw the sugar crumbs stuck at the corners of the boy's lips and grinned. Will had obviously ventured out of the woods to snatch a few treats, but he was not about to turn down more. “I've been looking and looking for all of you,” she scolded gently as she put a plate of desserts into Samuel's hand. “I'm pleased to see that the bruises on your face are fading, and I'm glad you're still wearing that sling,” she offered, but she did not comment about the walking stick leaning against a nearby tree.

Samuel shrugged. “Can't say I don't welcome the sweets,” he said, ignoring her comments about his health before he shifted the plate to the hand sticking out from the sling so he could pick up a cookie. “You know I don't take to bein' around so many people, especially all in one place, but I waited for young William to let me know that you saw I was here before we left,” he said before he popped the cookie into his mouth.

“I wanted to thank you again for letting Will take care of Bella for me, too. It's a relief not to have to worry about that horse,” she admitted, still surprised that Samuel had needed no convincing at all.

He snorted. “Responsibility is good for William, but I'm guessin' it must be a bit humblin' for you to admit you finally met somethin' you couldn't control.”

She frowned and decided not to offer a retort and turned to address Fancy. “I trust you're making good use of Will's spyglass.”

“Yes, ma'am, as a matter of fact, I am,” he said between bites of strudel. “No harm's gonna come to young Cassie. Not as long as I'm around.”

“Even so, I appreciate that you're looking out for her, and so is everyone else at the confectionery,” she offered before turning her attention to Will. “As for you, young man, I was wondering how you and Bella were getting along. Mr. Sweet down at the general store tells me you've been in to get the feed you need for her.”

He shrugged his shoulders and shoved two molasses cookies into his mouth. “She ain't bad, for a horse. Me and Fancy started on a lean-to already. She'll be needin' it come winter,” he replied, although he had so much in his mouth that his words were garbled.

“She will at that, assumin' I decide you can keep her,” Samuel
argued. “You still got half a summer left to prove yourself. I don't have eyes that work anymore, but Fancy does, and I got a good pair of ears. You might do well to remember that.”

“Yes, sir,” Will grumbled.

Martha kept a chuckle from escaping her lips. She didn't need to worry about how well Will was taking care of the horse. She trusted Samuel to handle that. And she trusted Fancy in that regard, too.

“There you are, Martha! Yoo-hoo! Yoo-hoo! Martha!”

When Martha turned around, she saw Fern waddling in their direction and waving her handkerchief in the air. “I'd better go.”

Obviously anxious to leave, Samuel held out his half-filled plate, but she urged him to keep it. “Take the plates with you. I'll stop by the cabin in a few days to get them,” she insisted and hurried off to meet Fern to see what she wanted.

By the time they met, Fern was practically gasping for breath. “If you don't hurry, you're going to miss them. They're all ready to leave, but they can't go before they say good-bye to you. Come with me. I'll take you straight to them.”

Martha's heart skipped a beat, then settled into a series of dull thuds. She had looked forward to many things on this day, but saying good-bye to her children and grandchildren was not one of them. Even though she knew right where to go, she followed Fern back to the front of the meetinghouse where Oliver and Dr. McMillan had positioned their carriages.

The crowd that had gathered around them parted to let her through, and she approached Oliver and his family first. After hugs all around and promises to visit again soon, she waited for her son to get his new family settled before she walked over to the carriage where Victoria and Dr. McMillan were standing, waiting for her.

Beaming with pride, Dr. McMillan held Victoria's arm, but
he left her side to embrace Martha. “Don't forget to remind folks that if they really need a doctor that they should send for Doc Williams in Sunrise, although I'm rather certain you can handle most any emergency. And if you can find it in your heart not to be stubborn about it, you might want to reconsider using the office I'd set aside for you months ago while I'm gone. And don't worry. I won't keep your girl away forever. We'll be back in a month or so,” he promised.

“I'm going to hold you to your word,” Martha teased and hugged him back.

When he stepped aside, Victoria moved right into her mother's arms and held on tight. “Benjamin will take good care of me, and Oliver will be right there in case he doesn't. And I'll write. I promise,” she said before she lowered her voice to a whisper. “And I'll be thinking about the secret we share, too.”

Martha was surprised at how quickly her tears welled and overflowed, and her throat constricted as she embraced her daughter, who had no idea of how Thomas's proposal had changed. “I know, dear girl. I know,” she managed.

“Safe travels. All of you,” Martha cried when both carriages finally pulled away. While the guests showered Dr. McMillan and Victoria with wild flowers, Martha gave up trying to stem another flow of tears and simply dabbed them away.