Leon stood. “We have insulted each other quite enough to satisfy even your hunger for theatrics. Good night, ma’am.”

Her hand reached swiftly, found, clutched, and twisted the bottom of his jacket. “I shan’t let you get away with despising me.”

He pulled away from her. “Don’t think, Lauretta, I haven’t seen you making faces at Bonard. You cannot win anything there, you know. He is not free to take and grant favors.”

“You are jealous!” Her voice rose in a happy, singing moan. “You are jealous! Admit it, sir?”

“Again I bid you good night, ma’am.”

16

At eleven o’clock in the morning of October 5, 1835, Lauretta’s child was born. It was not an easy or a quick birth. On the day before, after the customary large Sunday dinner at midday, Sarah and Lauretta retired to their separate rooms to rest for an hour. Lauretta occupied the bedroom that had once been Leon’s and was converted into a guest room when Leon and Sarah married. Lauretta had made it hers since her arrival on the second day of August.

Having dozed, Sarah woke slowly to a sound she instantly recognized: the surprised protest of a woman commencing labor pains with her first child. Slipping from her bed, not yet fully awake, she ran in her petticoat to her sister’s room and found Lauretta sitting on the edge of the high bed, hands on either side of her low-bulging belly, eyes staring down fearfully, as if at last realizing the strength of a mortal enemy.

“I am here!” Sarah exclaimed, going to Lauretta and sitting beside her to put an arm about her.

Lauretta shrugged her away. “Get someone to help me,” she whispered, her face pale with fear.

“Will it be better if you lie down? Try to relax.”

“For pity’s sake, go and fetch someone who knows!”

“I’ll get Lovey and send to town right away for the doctor.”

She ran from the room and down the stairs, not pausing to dress. Leon was not in the office. From the breezeway she saw him in the yard talking to Floyd. “Leon!” she called, then went to the kitchen and poked her head in. “Is Lovey here?”

“No’m,” said both girls who were washing the dinner dishes.

Having been alerted to her alarm by the way she called to them and then rushed on, Leon and Floyd met her at the steps. “Floyd,” she said first, “find Lovey for me and send her to my sister’s room. She thinks the baby is starting.” Without a word, Floyd ran off toward his family’s cabin.

Leon was looking quite as pale as Lauretta had when Sarah left her. “I’ll go for the doctor.”

“Send Floyd when he comes back.”

“No! I will go myself.”

She kissed his cheek quickly. “You are good.”