Wallflower (Old Maids' Club, Book 1) (42 page)

Now that was beyond toleration.
Tabitha sat up as far as she was capable. “If Jo is leaving, I’m
leaving.”

“
You, my dear, are not
going anywhere until this child is born.” Aunt Matilda took her
turn to shove Tabitha’s shoulders back into the pillows.

“
Then I suppose Jo is
staying, too. If Lavinia thinks someone ought to leave, she is more
than welcome to go.”

Lavinia huffed from her position in
the corner, well away from being useful in any context. “Well, I
never.”

Elaine came closer to the bed,
carrying more clean strips of fabric. She set them down on the
bedside table beside Aunt Matilda, and then dipped one into the
basin of water before using it to wipe down Tabitha’s legs. Her
gentle touch was more soothing than anything else up to that point.
“I wished someone would help me cool my legs when I was having
Lily,” she murmured. “Can I get you anything?” she asked when she
had finished.

But then another pang struck. This one
was worse than before, worse than all the rest combined. Tabitha
let out a scream, only no sound came from her mouth.

When it finished and she regained her
ability to reason, she turned to her sister-in-law. “Yes. Yes, you
can bring me something. Two things.”

“
Of course.” Elaine jumped
to her feet, prepared to do anything Tabitha asked.

“
I need you to bring Noah
in here. And a pistol. A loaded pistol. I’m sure Toby will help you
out with that one, if Owen won’t.”

Noah had gotten her into this
predicament, after all. He could damned well participate in every
aspect of it.

Elaine’s jaw dropped. “A
pistol?”

“
Yes. A pistol. Go.
Quickly.” Another pain shot through her center.

“
They’re coming much
closer together now,” the midwife said. “It won’t be much
longer.”

Jo motioned to Elaine to hurry along.
“Get your brother.”

“
Don’t forget my pistol!”
Tabitha shouted through the waves of torture washing over her by
the moment.

A moment later, Noah replaced Aunt
Matilda by her side, taking her hand into his own and brushing her
hair back from her head. “You asked for me?” He brushed a kiss over
her forehead. “And a pistol, I understand.”

“
I’ll kill you. If I
survive this, if you ever do this to me again, I swear I’ll kill
you.”

“
Ah, yes. The twisted
Shelton love. I love you, too, Tabitha.”

“
It’s time to push. Help
her sit up.” A voice from the foot of the bed.

Strong arms lifted her and settled
around her as a firm chest pressed against her back. “Push,
sweetheart.”

“
And keep
breathing.”

Tabitha pushed. She felt ripped
straight through the middle, and still she pushed and screamed and
pushed some more, until there was nothing left to push.

Moments later, the cries of her child
filled her consciousness.

“
It’s a girl.”

“
What shall we name her?”
Noah asked as their baby was placed gingerly in Tabitha’s waiting
arms. “She’s beautiful. The most beautiful little girl I’ve ever
seen.”

She looked at her baby, at her red
little face and head full of light brown hair, just like her
father’s, and was instantly in love. “Lucinda. For my mother.”
Tabitha glanced over at Jo’s tear-stained face and winked. “I
suppose we’ll have to call her Lucy, I think.”

Elaine came rushing back into the
room. “I see I’m too late. Congratulations. Are you still in need
of a pistol? Toby said he could arrange to borrow one from Lord
Leith.”

Noah looked at his sister
like she was daft. “My wife is most assuredly
not
in need of a pistol. She vowed
she would never hold one on me again. Every last one of you heard
her say it, too.”

Tabitha laughed. “That’s true. I did
make a promise. I suppose I’ll have to keep it.” She looked down at
her daughter, resting peacefully in her arms. “But I haven’t yet
provided you with an heir.” Tabitha caught Elaine’s eye and
grinned. “We’ll have to wait and see how I feel about things next
time.”

Next time. And the time after that.
And the time after that.

About the Author

Catherine Gayle has been an avid reader of
romance novels (and almost anything else she can legally get her
hands on) for as long as she can remember. Her mother might say it
started in the womb. When she is not writing or reading, she can
often be found buried beneath her sleeping cat or chasing the
Nephew Monster.

Catherine would love to hear from her
readers. You can send her an email at
[email protected]

Other Catherine Gayle titles coming
soon:

Pariah

An Old Maids’ Club
novel

After selling his major’s
commission in the Dragoons, Lord Roman Vanderbilt wants nothing
more than a sedate life in the country, acting as steward over his
brother’s estate. If seventeen years in the military had not been
enough, the vast casualties suffered by his men at Waterloo
certainly made his decision clear. But leave it to Miss Bethanne
Shelton, the generally shunned, enticingly pixie-ish caregiver to
both the village’s senile old biddy and a rambunctious young boy,
to forcefully remove all hopes of a quiet life from his mind. Timid
and yet brave, secretive and yet loving, Bethanne presents Roman
with a series of contradictions he can only hope to solve before
she runs him from her life for good.

Pariah
will be available in December, 2011.

Shelved

An Old Maids’ Club
novel

Miss Josephine Faulkner refuses to
come in second to anyone—not even to a husband. Oh, sure, Duncan
Ramsey, the Earl of Leith, has been owner of her heart since she
was a girl, chasing after him and her older brother when they tried
to leave her behind. And while it is true she once gave herself to
Duncan completely, when she was only offered marriage in return
(and therefore, second class status within the relationship), she
told him in no uncertain terms where he could put his blasted
chivalry. Now he needs an heir to prevent his ne’er-do-well cousin
from one day inheriting his father’s marquessate, but having sulked
over the mistakes he’s made with Jo for over a decade, he can’t
imagine anyone else being suited for the job. Somehow he must
convince her that a life at his side will be more worthwhile than a
life of stubborn independence.

Look for
Shelved
in
2012.

Other titles available from

Catherine Gayle

LORD ROTHEBY’S INFLUENCE
SERIES

Twice a Rake

Saving Grace

Merely a Miss

wanton wives

Available individually and as an
anthology

Of Love and Lust

One Lonely Night

A Perfect Pearl

Leg-Shackled

Uninhibited

Regency Christmas Summons
Anthology

Collection 1: A Summons From Yorkshire

Collection 2: A Summons From the Duke

Collection 3: A Summons From the Castle

Collection 4: A Summons from His Grace

(A Summons From the Castle features
Catherine’s novella, An Unintended Journey)