Free Where The Heart Is (Choices of the Heart, book 1) by Jennie Marsland

the step for a moment. In the kitchen, a few minutes later, under pretence of checking the water heating on the stove, she whispered to Chelle.
    “John told me he thinks Phyllis’ heart has been acting strangely. She’s been putting her hand to her chest now and then, and her hands and feet have been swelling, though she denies anything’s wrong. Let’s hope it’s just him being jittery.”
    The next few hours gave Mr. Wilson’s fears the lie. Phyllis’ labor progressed like clockwork. By midnight she was in the final stages, ready to push her child into the world.
    And then the unthinkable happened.
    In the middle of a strong contraction, Phyllis relaxed and stopped breathing. She just lay there, eyes staring up sightlessly. Caroline grabbed the woman’s wrist. Her face turned stark white. “I can’t find a pulse. Chelle, run for Doctor Halstead, then go and fetch Mr. Wilson.”
    Chelle stood rooted in place. In her mind, Mrs. Wilson’s face became her mother’s, as it had looked on the bright March morning when Chelle walked into her room and found her—
    “Hurry, lass! Go!”
    Her aunt’s voice snapped Chelle out of her trance. She ran as fast as she could, though in her heart she knew it was already too late. Little Annie and her brother and sister would have to grow up without their mother.
    Chelle found the doctor home. He left for the Wilsons’ before she’d even finished explaining. Then she had to face Mr. Wilson.
    As soon as he saw her outside the pub window, he ran to the door. Seeing the fear on his face nearly strangled Chelle’s voice. “You’re needed at home. The doctor should be there by now. Hurry.”
    Mr. Wilson disappeared down the street. Chelle stood there, gasping for breath, a hand pressed to the fierce stitch in her side. Scalding tears trickled down her cheeks.
    Chelle, you promised Aunt Caroline you’d be ready for anything.
    But how could anyone be ready for something like this? How could Aunt Caroline be ready? It was too cruel.
    Moving as stiffly as an old woman, Chelle returned to the Wilsons’. Mr. Wilson sat on the front room sofa, his shocked face pale in the dim light of the lamp on the mantel. Chelle’s heart broke for him, but she walked through the room without speaking. What could she say that would matter?
    She found Aunt Caroline sitting at the kitchen table with the doctor. She looked ten years older. “There you are, lass. The baby survived. A healthy little lad.”
    Doctor Halstead laid a hand on Caroline’s shoulder. “Will you call for Mrs. Wilson’s mother on your way home? I’ll stay here until she arrives.”
    “Aye.” She rose stiffly and picked up her bag. In the front room, Caroline stopped to speak to Mr. Wilson. “I’m so sorry, John. Try to remember that you have a healthy new son.”
    He didn’t acknowledge that she’d spoken. Caroline and Chelle left him sitting there, staring stonily into space.
    Out on the street, Chelle wiped the traces of tears from her cheeks. “Aunt Caroline, I’m ashamed of myself. I couldn’t even speak to Mr. Wilson. I know we’re strangers, but I could have at least said I was sorry.”
    A weary smile tugged at Caroline’s lips. “Don’t worry yourself, lass. He knows.”
    Perhaps, but Chelle still felt like a coward for skulking by the man twice without a word. She could only hope that in his shock, he hadn’t noticed her.
    “What will he do now? He won’t be able to look after the children alone.”
    “The baby will have to be put out to nurse, of course, and the other three will likely go to their grandmother until Annie is old enough to keep house for her father. Of course, John might marry again before then… though I doubt it, somehow. He’s the type that takes things hard, like Martin Rainnie.”
    “I hope he won’t reject the baby the way Mr. Rainnie rejected Leah.”
    “Don’t judge, Chelle. Eleanor was Martin’s whole world, and she hasn’t been gone a year yet. He’s doing the