Free THE WAR BRIDE CLUB by Soraya Lane

To not have a choice in the matter, even at a time like this?
          During the day, when they were together, even at night when they were in one another’s company, she loved him. So much she could burst sometimes. But this? Something about it just didn’t feel right. But then she was the inexperienced one, so maybe it was just normal? If only she was brave enough to broach the subject with her mother, or one of her sisters to ask.  
          “Madeline?”
          “Give me a moment,” she said, forcing a smile. “I’ll be back in a second.”
          She ran to the bathroom, toes light to avoid waking anyone. She clicked the door closed behind her and sunk to the floor. Humiliation suffocated her.  
          All she had ever wanted was to be married. But right now, her husband was acting like a monster.
           Was she being immature?  
      She let her tears fall, staying as silent as she could, then rose to press a cold cloth to her face. She didn’t want to disappoint him, but…
          She almost wished he was back on the battlefields already.
          Madeline touched a dab of perfume behind her ear, took a towel with her, and decided to be braver. If this was what marriage was all about, then she’d just have to get used to it. Besides, he was a man about to return to war. Her mother would tell her to suck it up and fulfil her wedding vows, and that’s exactly what she had to do.
     
    * * *
     
          “Madeline!”
          She raised her eyes from surveying the ocean and pushed up on her elbows, pleased to put her memories at bay again.
          “You don’t have to get that excited over my sandwich.” She smiled as June came flapping toward her.  
          The smile died on her face. “What is it? What’s happened?”
          June was puffing and stopped to catch her breath before pushing out the words. “It’s, it’s Betty. We think she’s in labor, but she doesn’t want us to call the doctor.”
          Madeline jumped up and scrambled for her shoes. “Where is she now?”
          June’s eyes were wild. “Alice is taking her back to the cabin.”
          They started hurrying toward the door.  
          “You know anything about babies?” June asked.
          Madeline laughed. She knew more about babies than she cared to. That was one thing she wasn’t naïve about.  
          “I have three sisters, and they’ve all got children. I helped deliver one before we left, and I’ve been at most of the births.”
          June looked ready to pass out. Madeline grabbed her arm and marched her faster.  
          “I can deliver this baby, with some help,” she told her. “So long as nothing goes wrong I know what to do.”
          June nodded, the color slowly inching its way back into her face.  
          “She’s a silly girl saying no to the medics though.”
          But she wasn’t going to tell her off. Betty could get in trouble for lying to the authorities, and now was not the time for her to worry. All they had to do was make sure this baby came into the world kicking and screaming, with no complications. They could deal with any trouble later.
          “Isn’t she rather early?”  
          June eyes widened. “At least three weeks, she thinks.”      
          Madeline didn’t even think about it. If the baby was ready to come out, there was nothing they could do to stop it. She picked up the pace.  
      “Come on, June. Hurry!”

CHAPTER SIX
     
    WATER hit the deck as the ship swayed from side to side, and Betty tried to focus on the movement rather than the next wave of pain. She listened to the insistent drum of rain as it intensified, bracing herself for the next contraction. The pain was explosive, unlike anything she could have ever imagined before – her pain and the raging storm conspiring against her in