“I suspect you are more like six months along.” Abigail frowned. “I would have thought you would be, well, bigger and that the sickness would have faded away.”
“From what I recall, most of the women in my family carry small. A lot goes to the hips and all. My mother used to like to say the babes nested sideways in a Hawkins woman.”
Abigail tried not to, but she laughed a little. “One way to look at it. May I feel your stomach?”
“Why?”
“Just to see if I can feel anything. Occasionally a good feel of the belly can tell one a lot.”
“Oh. All right.” Julia lifted her gown and lay still.
“What is this wrapping around you?”
“I was trying to make the bump less noticeable.”
“Well, do not do that anymore,” said Abigail as she unwound the binding. “It could do something to the baby.”
“Will the binding hurt the babe?”
“I do not really believe so, but I cannot think that tightening the area it needs to grow in is a good thing.” Under her hand Abigail felt the bump of a small foot and watched Julia flinch. “Now I understand those odd twitches you have developed. Babe is alive and moving. Do you wish the doctor to see you?”
“No. That would be akin to putting a big sign on the door, and I am trying very hard not to let the whole town know.”
Abigail pulled a chair up beside the bed and sat down, taking Julia’s hand in hers. “Julia, you should tell Robert. Maybe he can find a way for you two to marry now and give his child his name. You can always have a fancier service to celebrate with his family when this cursed war is over.”
Julia frowned. “I suppose that would be a solution. It would not be all I had dreamed of but, you are right, it would name my child.”
“I know others have done it. Well, maybe not because of a child, but they have married a soldier during the war. Half the widows here are soldiers’ widows.”
“I know. I will talk to him the next time I see him.”
“Good. Then all you will need to concern yourself with is caring for the child you carry.”
Julia rubbed her belly. “Yes. That is for the best. I promise I will tell him. I see him soon, this afternoon actually, so it will soon be done.”
Abigail pulled up the blanket to hide Julia’s belly when she heard footsteps on the stairs. A moment later, Mrs. Beaton stood there. The woman just looked at Julia and frowned.
“Should I tell Mr. Collins that you cannot see him now, Julia?”
“Oh no, Mrs. Beaton. Please tell him I will be down in just a moment.” Julia cautiously sat up as Mrs. Beaton left. “He has come a lot sooner than I thought he would.”
“That is for the best. Quickly done and problem quickly solved,” Abigail said.
“I suppose.”
“You said he had already asked you to marry him and you said yes,” Abbie said as she followed Julia to the door.
“Yes, he did.” Julia straightened up, walking to meet Robert with her head held high.
Abigail studied the man waiting for Julia and decided he could not be much older than her. He was about a head taller than her and lean bordering on skinny. His hair was as raggedly cut and long as was James’s and a dark blond. When he smiled at Julia one could easily see why the girl loved him. There was a soft glow in his blue eyes that backed up the message in his smile. When the two of them went into the little parlor, Abigail walked into the main room and sat down, planning to wait until Julia and Robert called for a minister.
“She and that boy sitting in the parlor?” asked Maude as she came and sat down next to Abigail.
“Yes. No walk today.”
“Those two have walked one time too many, I am thinking.”
It was hard, but Abigail bit back the urge to laugh at Maude’s pointed statement. “They have a few serious things to discuss.”
“Oh, they most certainly do. Reckless children that they are.”
“Maude, you can’t be much older than either of them.”
“You are sweet. I am nearly forty, child. None of these boys running around here in their uniforms interest me. Got my eye on the major. Man has some time under his belt but is still a fine-looking fellow. A widower.”
Maude was a strong, pleasant-looking woman with thick black hair and bright hazel-green eyes. “He sounds perfect.”
“No man is perfect, love, not even that Scotsman who brought you here despite how much I love how he talks, but the major is a good man, a strong man, and that is worth a lot.”
“Yes, yes, it is.”
“My boy is still living although he is back East, out of the war, which I am very glad about. He was in for a short time but when he left it he went to train to be a doctor. He had worked in the infirmary and got a taste for fixing people. My girl got wed three years back just as all this nonsense was winding up. So, I am a free bird and I feel like making a new nest.”
She couldn’t help it; Abigail laughed and Maude joined her. They then began to talk about the lack of so many things. Soon Julia dashed into the room but came to a fast halt when she saw Maude.
“Spit it out, child. What is it you are so excited to say?” asked Maude.
“Robert is going to fetch a preacher.” Julia clutched her hands together and pressed them to her breast. “I hope the man hasn’t left town yet.”
“The minister was leaving?”
“Coward,” snarled Maude. “He says the war is too close. Seems to me it is the perfect time for a man of God to minister to his flock, but he is bolting.”
“That is shameful,” said Julia, truly shocked.
“He can get out of the war and he is doing it, as fast as his chicken legs will let him. I think he will find that, depending which way he heads, he might have chosen dangerously, however.” Abigail shook her head.
“That is a fact. Traveling anywhere is a risky business at the moment. I think the war is soon to be mostly south of us though,” said Maude. “The army is gathering on both sides down that way or our way. You know what I mean. Virginia, Georgia, and all that.”
“Okay. Let it all go there. Fine with me,” said Abigail.
“But my major will go.” Maude sighed.
“Then we will pray that he gets sent somewhere safe.”
Maude patted Abigail’s hand. “Thank you, child. And I will make sure he knows where to find me after it is all over.” Maude glanced at Julia. “And time for us to listen to this girl who looks about to jump out of her own skin.”
“I am going to marry Robert. I need to find a nicer dress.”
Abigail stood and took Julia by the hand. At times, it was hard to remember that Julia was the same age as she was. Too often the woman acted so much younger than her twenty-three years.
“Then we shall go find something.”
Maude stood up. “As soon as we know the lad found the preacher we will get some food together to have in celebration.”