‘We need to time how far apart the pains are,’ Amber told him and he instantly unhooked his gold Hunter watch from his waistcoat and checked the time. ‘An’ per’aps Mrs Carter wouldn’t mind gettin’ the bed ready.’

Once the pain had died away Amber felt better and began to wonder if perhaps it had been a false alarm but ten minutes later another pain had her gripping the arms of the chair.

‘It’s all right,’ she told her uncle who had gone alarmingly pale. ‘No need to send for the midwife till they’re at least five minutes apart.’

It was five o’clock in the afternoon before Biddy was duly sent to find Nurse Bonnet, the midwife her uncle had employed to deliver the baby. Amber had as yet refused to go to bed but when the little woman appeared she bossily ordered her upstairs and much to his relief told Jeremiah, ‘An’ you can stay downstairs, if you please, sir. The birthing room is no place for a gentleman, although I’d be glad of Mrs Carter’s help if only to fetch me hot water and towels.’

‘Of course.’ Mrs Carter gave a faltering smile, although she was quaking in her shoes. She’d never attended a birth before and had no notion what to expect, but she had an idea it wasn’t going to be pleasant.

Nurse Bonnet had come highly recommended. She was a tiny woman almost as far round as she was high with white hair and faded blue eyes. Over the years she had delivered hundreds of babies so at least Jeremiah felt that his niece was in safe hands.

‘Reet then, lass, get your arm round my neck an’ we’ll get you into bed,’ she told Amber in a no-nonsense voice and, too afraid to refuse, Amber obliged.

As the evening progressed Jeremiah paced up and down in the parlour, too worried to even concentrate on his newspaper or take Fancy for a walk. Slowly the wails from upstairs were becoming louder and closer together and he had never felt more helpless in his life. But he trusted Nurse Bonnet and that gave him a measure of comfort. Biddy had been running up and down all night with jugs of hot water and towels and now she looked worn out, but her work wasn’t over yet nor would it be until the baby arrived.

Ten and eleven o’clock chimed on the grandfather clock in the hallway and then midnight, by which time Jeremiah was convinced something must be terribly wrong.

‘Run up and ask Nurse Bonnet if she wants me to fetch the doctor,’ he urged Biddy.