The doctor finally looked at him, his eyes exhausted but steady. “My lord, the child is still alive. I can try to rescue the child.” The words fell into the silent room like heavy drops of water.

Alex stared at him in disbelief. Then he hissed through his teeth. “Get out.”

Dr. Seedland gave him a look of compassion. “I will be outside. I can give you ten minutes,” he said. “After that point it will be too late to save the child either.” He put his hand on Charlotte’s forehead for a moment, looking down at his patient. Then he ushered the three serving women out of the room.

Only Sophie stayed exactly where she was, next to Charlotte’s head.

Alex looked down at Sophie’s fierce, unforgiving face. “I have to tell her,” he said, his voice breaking. “I have to tell her.”

“She can’t hear anymore,” Sophie said flatly.

“Please, Sophie,” Alex said. “Please.” She looked at him and in the deep blue depths of her eyes he met a contempt that he had never encountered from another human being. It pierced his heart like an arrow.

“Please.”

Sophie bowed her head. She leaned down and put a kiss on both of Charlotte’s closed eyelids. They were dark violet, the veins swollen from her labor. Charlotte’s breath was very faint and far away; she hardly stirred as a contraction rippled her stomach.

“Good-bye,” Sophie whispered. “Good-bye, sweetheart, good-bye.” Strong arms pulled her away. Patrick pushed her over against the door. Then he came back and hauled his brother around.

“You must wake her up, Alex. Wake her up and help her push. She has to push the baby out, or they will both die.” Alex looked into his brother’s face. Patrick’s eyes burned into his, giving him strength.

Patrick turned and gathered up Sophie, who stood motionless by the door where he had deposited her. He opened the door and they walked into the empty corridor. Seedland has probably gone to find a chamber pot, Patrick thought. He looked down at the fierce little person beside him. She was shaking with deep, wrenching sobs, so strong that they could not escape her chest. She struggled to breathe. Patrick gathered her into his arms and carried her into the bedchamber across the hall. He sat in an armchair, reflexively stroking her hair.

“I killed her,” Sophie said, gulping for air. “I killed her and I loved her. Oh, God …”

Patrick was startled out of his fearful attempt to hear across the hallway and into the master bedroom. “What?”

“I killed her. If I hadn’t sent the message, she would be fine. I thought, I thought that he should know, so he couldn’t suspect her of changing the baby’s birth date. I thought that if he was here for the birth, he would realize how stupid it was to suspect her.”