The Bet

Chapter 22: Master Kenworthy

Sanah gasped again, this time Marcus felt the contraction as she was leaning heavily on him.

'There is no place for maidenly modesty in the labour ward, just stay!' shouted Lady Sanah, as Frances fumbled with the buttons.

Sanah gasped again in pain, 'Just tear it' she said through gritted teeth. They quickly changed her clothes, Marcus carried Sanah and laid her on bed.

'Can you check how much centimeter -' Sanah gasped loudly ' -my cervix is dilated' her speech was laboured.

Both Marcus and Frances looked confusedly at her.

She spoke with exaggerated patience as though explaining one plus one equals two, 'You need to check how long my uterus has opened to deliver the baby.'

She explained making an O with her hand, 'this is my uterus, insert two fingers and measure how big it has opened.' she expanded her finger mimicking a scissor.

Marcus looked at Frances, but she looked as though she would faint of fear. Marcus squared his shoulders and bent down to check, he held up his hand. 'It's just 4 centimeters.'

Sanah's gasps grew nearer and with greater pain. She shouted words Marcus didn't understand. Water was pouring out of her now and then, the maid was cleaning it with a rug, Sanah had instructed the maid to inform her if she spotted any blood.

Marcus was now scared, he wondered loudly 'Is this normal? why is she in so much pain, where is the physician and Antony?.'

Sanah, who Marcus noticed to be bossy, was downright unpleasant, she was snapping and looked as though ready to bite.

'It's supposed to hurt, you bloody' she didn't finish her sentence as she gasped with pain.

'I'm just gasping now, only when I start screaming baby is ready to come out,' as she said she screamed.

Sanah was breathing heavily, 'Check how much it's dilated now.'

Marcus checked and showed, this time he had to use three of his fingers to measure.

'It's nearing 10 cm,' said Marcus.

'I should start-, Aahhh! pushing, Vandam, I want you to help me to push. Aahhh! Frances once the baby- Ahh! comes out, puncture the embryonic sac. Aahhh! Once out, hold the baby upside - Ah! , -down by the legs for a few seconds.' She screamed with pain every few seconds as she said it.

'There will be an umbilical cord, a pipe connecting from the baby's belly button, tie it with this thread tightly and cut it.'

Sanah pushed, it was rather like the abdominal crunching exercise Marcus did. Marcus held Sanah's one hand while his other hand supported her shoulder, partially carrying her as she tried to pull her body for each push.

The maid said, 'I could see the head Ma'am, just a few more pushes.'

Sanah was panting, she looked exhausted but she kept pushing, Marcus marvelled Sanah. If this this is how childbirth was, he found new respect for women.

Pop and a gush as the baby gushed out. The baby was covered by a transparent sac, Sanah fell back in relief. Frances quickly set about carrying out Sanah's instruction.

'It's a boy,' said Frances in a choked voice, she had tears in her eyes. Marcus felt something wet rolling in his eye and found he had tears too.

The boy started crying, and Frances quickly took him to the hot water tub to give him a bath.

Thankfully Antony arrived with George and the physician. George came running straight to Sanah, he was crying too. George bent down and kissed her brow.

Frances handed him the baby, he was wrapped in a white cotton cloth.

'He looks like you,' said George and handed him to Sanah.

Marcus and Frances left the room, as the physician instructed Sanah to nurse the baby.

Marcus hugged Frances, they both were crying. Marcus lifted Frances' face and kissed her, he put all the emotions he couldn't express in words. Frances had been kissed by Marcus before, but this kiss humbled her. They didn't break apart for several minutes.

Marcus whispered, 'I love you Frances, I am sorry that I ever hurt you, I promise I will devote my life just to make you happy. Please be my wife.'

'Yes,' replied Frances.

Marcus smiled, but gasped 'Ahaw!' as she punched him in the gut saying, 'but am still angry with you.'

Marcus was grinning broadly, as he said 'I can live with that.'

When they turned, Marcus saw Antony and the entire workforce of the Kenworthy House staring at them. Marcus held Frances' arm and walked out. Hot bath was prepared for everyone as they were all soaked and shivering, in the case of Marcus and Frances they were dirty.

George had lent his clothes both to Marcus and Antony and invited them to stay for dinner.

Sanah was exhausted from the child birth and was confined to her bed. Sensing George's desire to stay with Sanah, Frances suggested they all have dinner with Sanah in the nursery.

The Master Kenworthy, now called Chundu, was sleeping in a crib next to Sanah. Frances already loved him.

Sanah was sitting propped with some pillows, George was sitting in the bed next to Sanah and feeding her porridge, while the rest ate on the table near the bed.

George looked at Marcus and said, 'Thanks, thanks for helping Sanah during the difficult time.'

Marcus waved him off telling, 'It was my pleasure helping Master Chundu.'

Marcus held Frances' hand.

George narrowed his eyes a little and said, 'I'm still upset with the way you insulted Frances in your house.'

Marcus said, 'I'm not proud of what was done. They are no longer my mistresses. I will never hurt Frances, I promise.'

Frances gasped, 'The ladies at my table! They were.. they were your mistresses, all three of them.'

Marcus said 'Frances' in the most patronising way.

Smach! Marcus howled with pain, Frances had punched his nose, he clutched his nose.

He called 'Frances' again, Smach! This time she had blackened his eye.

Frances stood and left the room.

Marcus stood up to follow, cursing in pain.

George said with a smirk 'Don't follow her if you value your life.' However, Marcus did.

'10 on Frances giving him another blackened eye' said Antony,

'20 on Frances breaking his legs' said George.

'30 on Frances blackening his eye and then kissing him' said Sanah as she lay down.

Marcus thought Sanah was most likely to win the bet as he caught up with Frances.

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