Page 99 of The Viscount's Unwanted Bride
She squeezed his fingers, using the sensation of his palm on her as an anchor to distract herself from the throbbing pain between her legs and in her lower abdomen.
She dragged in air, trying to do so slowly as she had been taught. As she exhaled, another ripple of agony rolled through her, and she shrieked and arched off the bed.
Unfortunately, there was no way to escape the source of her pain when it was within her own body.
“The accoucheur and the nurse are on their way,” Theo said, looking over his shoulder to where Nicholas hovered in the doorway, grimacing as thoughhewere the one with a massive baby trying to tear through his flesh.
“They’d best get here soon, or they’ll be too late,” she gritted out from between clenched teeth.
Theo placed a soft, damp cloth on her forehead. “Breathe.”
“Youbreathe,” she snapped. “Where is my mother?”
As if saying her name had summoned her, Lady Drake appeared in the doorway with the accoucheur, Dr. Hanson, behind her and Nurse Wilkins at her side. Lady Drake rushed over to Kate and perched on the bed beside her, taking her other hand and squeezing it firmly as if knowing that was exactly what Kate needed.
“We need to get your skirt up so I can see what I’m dealing with,” Dr. Hanson said briskly.
Another time, Kate might have been embarrassed or even horrified by this demand, but right now, she just wanted the baby out of her as soon as possible. She yanked her skirts up with the nurse’s help, and Theo left his station by her side to maneuver off her undergarments.
The accoucheur examined her, and she tried to swallow a scream as her muscles contracted and…
Damn, that hurt.
As a lady, she’d never had much cause to swear, but she thought she could make an exception now.
“What’s wrong?” Theo asked, trying to get between the accoucheur and Kate as if to protect her from whatever was causing her distress.
The accoucheur tutted. “Nothing is wrong. Childbirth is painful. I need you to step aside so I can do my job.”
“But….” Theo trailed off. “Surely there’s a way we can make it more comfortable for her?”
“There is,” the accoucheur agreed. “But I prefer not to give her anything to deaden the pain unless it becomes unavoidable. There is a higher chance of something happening to the baby if we dose her.”
Kate grimaced. She wished they’d stop discussing this and get on with it. Another contraction rolled through her, and she bit her lip so hard, she tasted blood.
Theo caught her gaze, and his eyes were frantic. He spotted the blood, and his throat bobbed as he gulped. “What can I do?”
“You can sit down,” Lady Drake said firmly. “Against the wall, where you won’t get in the way of Dr. Hanson performing his duties.”
Reluctantly, Theo did as he was told. Kate mouthed a silent “Thank you” to her mother. It was nice to have Theo’s support, and she was glad he was in the room, but she was going through enough without dealing with his nerves too.
At least where he was now, he would distract her less.
The process of bringing her baby into the world seemed to go on forever. Waves of pain and discomfort rolled through her, each one building on the last in some kind of excruciating crescendo.
By the time the cry of an infant pierced the air, it was halfway through the night, and Kate was drenched with sweat that had started to cool on her skin. Her entire body ached, and there was absolutely no chance she wanted to answer the call of nature any time soon, but hearing her newborn wail somehow made it all worth it.
The accoucheur dealt with the afterbirth and the nurse cleaned the baby and wrapped them in a soft blanket. Theo, whose face was haggard, his chest rising and falling rapidly, dragged his chair over to her as Lady Drake approached with the bundle.
“You have a son,” her mother said softly, offering the little boy to Theo first.
Kate didn’t mind. She wasn’t even sure she’d be able to hold him if she wanted to. Her arms were as weak as pansy stems.
“A son,” she breathed, leaning over to see his little face.
Theo awkwardly took the infant from Lady Drake and cradled him against his chest, gazing down at him as if he was the most precious thing he’d ever seen. Kate couldn’t take hereyes off the baby either. He had a few tufts of dark hair and red, squishy cheeks with a button nose.
“He’s perfect.” Theo raised his eyes to her. “You did it, Kate.”
