The doctor sighed sadly. ‘That explains it then. Poor little devil. It looks as if she’s going to lose the child anyway,’ he said quietly to Maddie. ‘I can’t see how she could keep it after the fall she had yesterday and all things considered it might be for the best. But it’s not going to be easy for her . . . she’s so small and so young . . . ’

‘Then we must do what we can for her,’ Maddie told him calmly.

‘I think me courses have started again,’ Ruby whimpered, and when the doctor pulled the bedclothes back, he frowned as he saw the blood in the bed.

‘I’m afraid it is as I thought,’ he told the women present. ‘Ruby is losing the baby. Perhaps you would all like to wait downstairs and I’ll do what I can. Please ask Miss Wood if she will come to help.’

As the morning wore on the bleeding increased and the doctor became concerned. ‘I don’t like the amount of blood she is losing,’ he whispered to Miss Wood. The girl’s head was tossing from side to side and she was almost incoherent with pain.

‘Is there nothing you can do to help her?’ Miss Wood was frantic with worry and felt helpless as she bathed Ruby’s burning forehead and whispered soothing words to the poor girl.

The doctor shook his head. ‘I’m afraid not. It’s all in God’s hands now.’

At last, almost an hour later, Ruby let out an unearthly scream and after bending to examine her the doctor nodded.

‘It’s all over,’ he told Miss Wood regretfully. ‘Now if we can only staunch the bleeding, she just might come through this. Fetch me more towels, if you would, and more clean water.’

The woman sped away to do as she was asked, wishing she could do more to ease Ruby’s pain.

It was after lunch by the time the doctor returned to the kitchen. ‘I have managed to stop the flow and she’s sleeping,’ he informed the waiting women wearily. ‘There is nothing more I can do, but God willing, she will survive.’

Cook quickly made the sign of the cross on her chest as they all breathed a sigh of relief.

The doctor snapped his bag shut. ‘If she does come through this, I fear it’s going to be a slow recovery for her, what with her other injuries to contend with as well. I hope that she will make a full recovery eventually however . . .’ He paused. ‘I cannot say what her chances of having any more babies will be later in life after this happening at such an early age.’

‘Poor little soul.’ Mrs Petty started to cry. ‘I’d like to get me hands on that father of hers, I don’t mind telling you! He should be shot.’