Rose (Suitors of Seattle) (18 page)

She found her belongings neatly put away in the room she’d stayed in when she was first married.  She sank down on the bed and cried.  She’d known he didn’t love her, but treating her like this went way beyond a lack of love.  He was trying to hurt her
, and she didn’t know why.

*****

As Shawn watched her run off, he knew he’d hurt her.  He didn’t know why when she obviously cared about someone else more than him.  He thought about going after her but decided against it.  If she wanted to tell him the truth about her relationship with the man he’d seen her with, they could talk.  Otherwise she’d stay in the other bedroom for the rest of their lives as far as he was concerned.

He shook his head furiously.  If divorce wasn’t a sin, he’d divorce her in a heartbeat.  His mother would be scandalized, though, and he wouldn’t upset her that way. 

He picked up his book again and stared at the pages.  He needed to figure out his mess of a marriage and do it soon.

*****

As the months progressed, Rose got bigger and sadder.  By Christmas, she and Shawn were barely speaking.  She made him a special scarf and gloves to match that he could use to keep from getting too cold on winter mornings.

He gave her a pretty necklace that she knew she’d never wear because he’d given it to her out of obligation.  She stood and walked to him, her stomach preceding her.  “Thank you, Shawn,” she said and kissed his cheek.

“I hope you like it.”  His eyes didn’t meet hers as he made the obligatory statement.

“It’s very pretty.”  She sat down beside him on the small sofa, the closest they’d been in months.  “Please tell me what to do to make things like they used to be between us.  It breaks my heart that you’re so cold to me.”

“You just have to be totally honest with me.  Are you being honest with me?”  His eyes met hers as he watched for an indication that she knew what he was talking about.  When there was nothing, he stood up and walked out of the room in frustration.

She stared after him, searching her mind for something, anything she’d hidden from him, and there was nothing.  She’d been totally honest about everything including how she felt about him.  She sighed, knowing she’d made her bed and it was time for her to lie in it.

Shawn stared out the window at the rain.  It was April, and it had been raining every single day.  He was so tired of rain, he was ready to scream.  He’d had only three patients all day, and none were scheduled for the afternoon.  He still hadn’t been able to convince most of the good people of Seattle that they needed to see him when their teeth didn’t hurt. 

Rose was due any day.  He was ready to be a father, but he was also ready to see the sadness leave his wife’s face.  He knew she wasn’t sneaking around anymore.  She couldn’t now that she was so big.  The
servants told him she’d stopped going anywhere, including the home for battered women.

Shawn sat in his own waiting room, contemplating.  He needed to talk to her, but he needed to do it before the baby was born.  He’d tell her he’d forgive her for her indiscretions as long as she promised to be faithful from that moment on.  Obviously she didn’t want to leave him for the other man or she’d have done so long ago.

He’d talk to her that night, after supper.  Once she knew that he knew what she’d done, and that he forgave her, it would all be over with.  They would be able to live in peace again.  He needed that peace.  He needed to hear her tell him she loved him, something that she hadn’t said since he’d had her things removed from his bedroom.  He wanted to have his wife back.  More than that, he
needed
to have his wife back.   He hadn’t seen a genuine smile from her in months.  It was time to change that, and he knew how to do it.

*****

Rose rubbed the lower part of her back as she smiled at Amaryllis.  “I’m glad he’s in town for a few days.”  The nagging ache in her back today was making her crazy.  She just wanted to feel better.

Amaryllis smiled.  “So am I.  Thank you for letting us meet here.  Mama would have fits if she knew that I was seeing a boy so seriously.”

“I know she would, but we know Alex, and he’s a good person.”  She shrugged.  “If I can help the course of love, you can bet I will.”

Amaryllis frowned at the way Rose was rubbing her back.  “Turn around and let me rub your back for you.”

Rose turned her back to her sister, thankful she was willing to soothe the ache.  “The baby is making it hard to do anything.  Every time I move, I can feel her just sitting there on my back.  I’m ready to cry.”

“We don’t have to do this today, Rose.  I don’t want you to be in pain just so I can have tea with Alex.”

Rose shook her head.  “You two will keep my mind off my troubles.”  There was a knock at the door, and Rose teased, “Here’s Prince Charming now.”

Amaryllis blushed and smiled all at once. 
“I do know he’s not perfect, Rose.”

Alex was led into the room by one of the maids and immediately took the chair perpendicular to the couch.  He reached out a hand to squeeze Amaryllis’s.  “I’ve missed you.”

Rose smiled at the two young people, wishing she still believed in happily ever after.  She stood up.  “I’m going to leave you two here alone for a minute while I tell the cook we’re ready for tea and cookies.”  She gave them a quick wink before waddling toward the door. 

Halfway to the door, she stopped abruptly as she felt something wet trickle down her legs.   Her eyes widened in shock.  She turned back to Amaryllis and Alex.  “My water just broke.”  She took a deep breath.   “Alex, run to Shawn’s office and tell him to come home.  The baby’s coming.  Amaryllis?  Get two maids.  Have one go for the doctor and the other run and get Mama.  I want my mama here when the baby’s born.”  She felt tears prick her eyes.  “I want my husband and my mama.”  She turned to climb the long staircase while the other two rushed to do the jobs she’d given them.

She climbed slowly, going into her bedroom and changing into a nightgown and then wandering across the hall to Shawn’s room.  Their baby was going to be born in the bed it was conceived in, whether Shawn liked it or not. 

She climbed into the bed, stopping only once to rub her back.  That nagging ache she’d felt all morning was back.  She hadn’t felt any contractions yet, though.

Amaryllis flew into the room.  “I did what you said.”   She eyed her sister sitting calmly on the edge of her bed.  “Now what?”

Rose shrugged.  “I don’t know.  I’ve never had a baby before.  Haven’t you read books about it?”

Amaryllis shook her head.  “I don’t read medical books.  I just read books that have good stories.”  She sat down beside Rose.  “Aren’t you supposed to be feeling something?”

“I thought so, but I haven’t really.  Just this nagging back ache that’s been coming and going all morning.”  She’d planned to go to Aunt Harriett’s when she had her little girl a few months before, but it was born in the middle of the night, and they’d decided not to disturb her.

“I wonder if that’s the labor pains.”  Amaryllis shook her head.  “Mama better hurry, because she’s not going to want me to be in here with you when you have the baby.”

“I know.  Your house isn’t far, though.  She’ll get here soon.  I know she will.”

*****

Alex ran through the streets of Seattle at breakneck speed.  He’d never been much of an athlete, but he knew that if he ever needed to run fast, this was the time to do it.  He hadn’t been to Dr. Shawn’s office before, but he knew where it was, having passed it a few times when he was home on school holidays. 

Finally, he reached the office door, panting heavily.  He leaned forward to rest his hands on his knees and jumped up when he saw Dr. Shawn leave his office.  “Dr. Shawn,” he panted.

Shawn took one look at Alex, and his fist connected with the younger man’s nose.  He had no idea why he was standing there in front of him, but he knew this was the young man Rose had been stepping out on him with.  “Stand up.  I won’t hit a man while he’s down.”

Alex covered his nose with both hands, trying to stem the gushing blood.  “I think I’ll stay down here then, thank you.”
 

Shawn made a fist, but didn’t move away from his position towering over the other man.  “Stand up.”

Alex shook his head.  “Rose sent me.  She’s in labor.”  He remained where he was on the boardwalk but gave the news Rose had sent him with.

Shawn looked down at the man on the ground and knew he could deal with him later.  Why had he been with Rose today?  What was happening?  Did it matter?  He was about to be a father!

Shawn started running toward home, dodging the people blocking his way.  Why couldn’t Rose have gone into labor on a day when no one was out and about?

*****

Rose lay in bed while the doctor checked her, wondering again where Shawn was.  “Is my husband here yet?” she asked for the tenth time. 

“Give him time to get here, Rose.”  Mary sat beside her eldest daughter on the bed, holding her hand.  “He’ll be here soon.”

The doctor poked his head out from under the sheet.  “It’s going to be a while.  Your husband has plenty of time to come home.”

“I want my husband now!” she said unreasonably as another pain hit her.  She wasn’t sure if she wanted to hit Shawn for causing her this much pain or beg him to stay with her as she went through it. 

The door slammed open and Shawn rushed into the room, his hand reaching for Rose’s.  “Are you okay?” he asked, his eyes wild and concerned.

She nodded.  “I’m just glad you’re here.”  She brought his hand to her lips and kissed it softly.  All the time they’d been estranged vanished in her eyes.  She needed him
, and he was there for her.

Dr. Davis shook his head.  “A birthing room is no place for a husband.  Go on downstairs and wait.  We’ll let you know when the baby’s here.”

Rose shook her head.  “No.  I want my husband here!”  She didn’t care if she was being unreasonable.  He was her husband. and it was his baby, too.

Mary stood up and caught the doctor’s arm.  “Let’s give them a few minutes alone.  You said yourself she’s nowhere close to having the baby.”

Shawn took the spot on the bed that Mary had vacated.  “I’m so sorry,” Shawn told her.  “I should have been more considerate of how you were feeling during your pregnancy.  I shouldn’t have cared so much about your indiscretions…”

Rose looked at him in confusion.  “Indiscretions?  What are you talking about?”
  Did he think she’d cheated on him?  Why on earth would he think that?

Shawn held her hand tightly.  “I know you’ve been seeing the man you sent to tell me you’re in labor.  I saw you with him
back in September.”

Rose thought back.  “Oh!  That was the day he came by to see if Amaryllis would let him write to her.  They had to send the letters through me, because Mama and Papa won’t let any of us court until we’re eighteen.”

Shawn blinked a few times, shame washing over him.  “He’s courting Amaryllis?”  And he’d been rude to his wife for seven months while she carried his child?  And he’d punched the man in the face?  What was wrong with him?  “I’m so sorry, Rose.  I was certain you were stepping out on me with him.”

Rose made a face.  “With Alex?  He’s like a brother to me.”  She stared at him in disbelief.  “You mean that’s what you thought I was hiding from you?  That I was seeing Alex?”  Another contraction hit her then, causing her to groan.  When it was over, she glared at him.  “Why would I want another man when I love you so much?  You, Shawn Henry, are the biggest idiot alive, but I love you anyway!”

The smile slowly spread across Shawn’s face.  “You don’t hate me for thinking that?  Or for punching Alex?”

Rose shook her head.  “Wait.  You punched Alex?”  She sighed.  “Alex may hate you.”  She pushed him.  “Go apologize to him.”
  Why were men such idiots?

Shawn leaned down to kiss her brow.  “I love you, Rose.” 

Rose watched him as he left her alone in his bedroom.  “He loves me?”  She was grinning from ear to ear when her mother and Dr. Davis got back into the room.

Mary looked at her eldest daughter.  “Are you sure she’s in labor
, doctor?  She looks too happy to be in that much pain.”

The doctor shook his head. “No, she’s definitely in labor.” 
They both stared down at Rose as she grinned happily in her bed.

*****

Shawn went into the parlor downstairs, which was crowded with people.  “Alex?  May I speak with you, please?”

Alex looked at Amaryllis who nodded at him.  He pulled the cloth from his nose and Shawn could see the bruising.  He stood and followed Shawn from the room, carefully staying several feet behind the older man.

Shawn led him into his study and sat down behind the desk, gesturing to the chair in front of it.  “I want to apologize.”

Alex snorted.  “Go ahead then.”