Lords of the White Castle
“Her labour lasted from the hour of compline until the second matins bell and the midwives had little enough to do to earn their pay except catch the baby in an apron, clean its face and cut the cord. The infant squalled lustily the moment she entered the world, announcing her presence to all and sundry.'Red hair and a temper to match!' the senior midwife laughed.'And a red face!' Maude laughed too, and blinked back tears. She was exhausted, sore, overjoyed and overwhelmed. It was almost impossi...ble to believe that this tiny, furious creature was hers. Seeing the ripples and kicks beneath the skin of her belly was one thing; meeting their cause was another. She held her newborn daughter awkwardly in her arms and gazed into the crumpled, bawling features.'She'll calm in a moment,' the second midwife said cheerfully. 'Shows she's strong. It's when they don't yell that you have to worry.'Emmeline, who had come for Maude's lying-in, cooed over the baby, tears running down her cheeks. 'Just like her poor grandmother,' she sobbed, wiping her eyes on her blue wool sleeve.Still bawling, the baby was gently bathed in a ewer of warm water, dried in a soft towel, then tightly swaddled, bands of linen cloth replacing the muscular constriction of the womb.MoreLess
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