Here Be Dragons - 1 Sharon Penman (paper ebook reader .TXT) 📖

so far that her hair was sweeping the floor rushes, and the taut, corded muscles in her throat told Llewelyn more of her pain than any scream could have done.Dame Rhagnell had stepped in front of him, barring his way. He thrust her aside, knelt by Joanna. The contraction was easing; she was no longer writhing upon the birthing stool, no longer gasping for breath. He murmured her name, and she turned her head toward him. Sweat ran down her face like rain, soaked the bodice of her chemise; he was close enough now to see that her skirt was filthy, soiled with mucus and urine, stained with blood. But what appalled him was the expression in her eyes, the hopeless, despairing look of an animal caught in a trap."Llewelyn ..." He'd never heard so much gladness compressed into one word, had never before heard his name invoked as a prayer. Her lips were cracked and bleeding; he touched them with his fingers, and she reached for his hand, clung tightly, desperately."I've sent for Catrin. She'll be here soon, love," he said, saw her try to smile, and found himself blinking back tears. He'd long ago learned to freeze feelings until he could deal with them. If he had not, he'd not have been able to survive twenty years of border warfare, to see death claim men who mattered to him, and not mourn them until the battle was won. But the lessons of a lifetime now served for naught; he could not disassociate himself fromJoanna's pain. He watched the red stain widening over her skirt, and could think only of Tangwystl, bleeding her life away in the bed they'd so often shared.The midwives were by no means reconciled to Llewelyn's alien presence in a female sanctum. But they temporarily abandoned their protests, turning all their attention to Joanna as her pain began anew. Dame Rhagnell knelt before the birthing stool, poured oil onto her hands, and began to probe underJoanna's skirt. She withdrew her hand only when the pain subsided, beckoned the other midwife aside.When Dame Meryl continued to shake her head, Dame Rhagnell turned away from her, said abruptly, "From what I could feel, the mouth of the womb is fully open. But her waters have not broken and the membranes of the water bag are blocking the babe's passage from 'he womb." She'd not even glanced at Joanna or the other women, was speaking to Llewelyn and Llewelyn alone.'Do you understand?" Challengingly.He nodded. "Yes. You're saying this water bag should have broken rts own accord by now, but has not. Can you break it?"Yes. But there are risks in doing so. Ofttimes a woman's delivery be hastened by breaking her waters. But once the bag is broken, the

292pains become more severe, and if the birthing is prolonged, she'll sufff more.Dame Meryl thinks we should wait for the bag to break on K own. I would rupture it myself. The mouth of her womb has been oper for hours; the babe should have come by now. So ... you tell me, u,, lord. Since you are here, you decide. What would you have us do?"Llewelyn knew what she was doing, acting to protect herse). should the wrong choice be made, should Joanna die. He knew, too that she was also taking vengeance the only way she could, trying t0 punish him for his intrusion into her domain. What he did not knon was which choice was the right one. How could he know? If he guessed wrong...He looked at Joanna in an agony of indecision. She was alread exhausted, could not survive many more hours of this, that he did not doubt. Still he hesitated, but with him the need to act would always prevail in the end. He swallowed, opened his mouth to tell her to go ahead, when Joanna forestalled him. She'd not grasped all of what was said, but she did understand that the midwife was forcing upon Llewelyn a choice no man should have to live with."It is my decision to make," she said, speaking slowly and very carefully in her faulty Welsh. "I want you to break the water bag, Dame Rhagnell."The midwife studied her for a long moment, and then nodded. "It is the right choice, Madame, I am sure of it."They all watched tensely as she anointed her hands again in oil, seized a goose quill, and lowered herself onto her knees before Joanna "My lord, sit behind her on the stool and put your arms around her, high over her belly. We must wait for the next pain."Llewelyn did as she instructed, straddled the wooden plank protruding from the end of the stool, and braced Joanna back against his own body. She had closed her eyes tightly, was whispering rapidly, "Mary, Holy Mother of our Lord JesusChrist, into thy hands and those of thy blessed Son now and forever I commit myself, body, soul, and spirit." Llewelyn stroked her hair until he felt her stiffen, twist against him.The midwife at once jerked up Joanna's skirt, leaned forward. J°' anna continued to writhe in Llewelyn's embrace. And then the midvviK was pulling back, and suddenly there was liquid gushing onto Joanna j skirt, onto the floor rushes, even splashing over Llewelyn's mud-cake boots.Llewelyn could tell almost immediately that Joanna's discomi° had been eased somewhat; her breathing was no longer so rapid an shallow, and when Branwen put a wine cup to her lips, she dran* gulps.

293Dame Rhagnell let Joanna's skirt drop "The bleeding has ceased," e sald triumphantly, and Llewelyn forgave her all"So, too, has the pain " There was wonder in Joanna's voice at first, nd then, returning fear "What does that mean, Dame Rhagnell7 Why have the pains stopped'""It ofttimes happens after the water breaks, my lady " The midwife had regained her professional poise, said now with calming certainty, Soon the pangs will begin again, and when they do, the child will come quickly/ and with surprising