Yet, after she had silenced Joseph's shocked objections and induced him to wait in the hallway, the examination proved to have been quite unnecessary. The doctor put on his silver rimmed spectacles, held the vessel to the light, peered at if and through it, wagging his head, then placed it on a table. 'Entirely satisfactory, my dear madam. Entirely. Nullius ›ddictus jurare in verba magistri,' he added, rolling the rich syllables over his tongue.

Theo had a fleeting impulse to giggle, immediately quenched by uneasy disappointment. If only she might consult Doctor Rush in Philadelphia, or Doctor Eustis at home. Would they, too, think her a silly, fanciful woman, unwarrantably, almost indecently concerned about her condition?

'Nature, salubrious and omnipotent Mother Nature, will dispose of all these little inconveniences of which you complain. They are,' said the doctor, describing a sweeping gesture, 'the inherent concomitants of parturition. Nil disputandum. I will compound for you some Balm of Gilead, a sovereign remedy for nervous disability. Partake of it frequently, and remember'—he waggled his plump forefinger—'Mens sana in corpore sano.'

He bowed himself out, after assuring her that he would await summons, 'whenever—that is—when circumstances force you to suspect that new developments may be imminent'. Joseph accompanied the doctor to the front door and returning said to Theo: 'A most gentlemanly physician, and learned too. Now that he has set your fears at rest, I hope that you will show a little more spirit. So much lying in bed can scarcely be good for you.'

She smiled wanly. 'I know, Joseph; I'll try.'

Theodosia dragged herself through the next week, forcing herself to eat and drink, fighting against the constant throb in her temples, the ever more frequent dizzy spells, when the world blurred and her eyes seemed filled with darting black flashes.

On the sixth of May, she felt better and her spirits burst through the chains that weighted them when she received a letter from Aaron. He had arrived at Clifton, where her father-in-law had entertained him. He would be with her in three days.

At once she plunged into feverish activity. She called the servants and impressed them with the unparalleled importance of the occasion, directed the sweeping and garnishing of Aaron's bedchamber herself. She harried the cook, ordering menus far beyond that placid black woman's comprehension, and finally in desperation engaged the best caterer in town for Thursday.

'You are wearing yourself out,' said Joseph crossly. 'Your father will hardly expect such an elaborate welcome.'