Honeycombs and Bittersweets

Chapter Two ~ Blessings and Tragedy

Chapter Two

Blessings and Tragedy 

In a brightly lit room large and spacious with wide long embossed floral patterned walls of tranquil green and ivory wallpaper, and a curved white ceiling with a single large chandelier handing from the centre. As the back of the room held giant fashionable expensive mirror which suited the furniture placed on the far spacious wall, while in back of the corner stood a curved shaped wardrobe which had a similar design as the wallpaper with miniature engraved roses and leafy vines which were painted gold. Next to it was a stylish ivory dressing table with a decent size oral mirror, while the table contained rich expensive glass bottles of perfume in different colours with a small cushioned stool. There was no window in the room to the natural light of the sun in or let the fresh air into the room as it was scented with the fragrances of lavender and orchards. On top of a fluffy cream rug was a double sized four poster bed which had a headboard shaped like a white diamond shell like the painting of Aphrodite, with white covers and pillows with golden lace around the edges. While at the foot of the bed was a large decorative trunk painted with vibrant colours of the landscapes of china.

Although the bedroom was suited for a queen for relaxing and enjoying peace and quiet without any disturbances, instead the room was filled with distressed panting which soon changed into aloud sounding of a desperate sucking of air, breathing in and out with haste which then erupted into long painful moans of extreme pain. Laying in her bed in only her night gown with her blonde her in a chaotic mess, as sweat covered her body while she panted to smooth the growing pain and to cool herself down. Looking scared and helpless as she was alone in her room as her husband was out in London and her in laws somewhere in the mansion she prayed with all her heart that someone would discover her as her water broke an hour ago.

She huffed and puffed feeling the pain increase as she knew what was to come she cried as her tears slid down her heated cheeks, when she had thought that all was lost someone knocked on her door slowly turning the golden door handle as they entered with a plate of hot porridge on a plain tray. Carrying the tray was an old small woman with wispy grey hair that reached her shoulder, wearing a black traditional dress with long sleeves while an emerald green shawl around her shoulders that covered her back, her hands were wrinkled while her face looked kind and gentle with merry grey eyes. As she asked her daughter in law whether she would like some porridge to keep the January’s chill away unaware of the poor girl’s condition, waiting for an answer she turned her head round to look at the girl with a smile on her face. She saw her daughter in law’s face flustered and dripping with sweat as she watched her pant heavily, the smile on her face dropped as she race to put the tray of porridge on the dresser as she shouted at the top of her lungs. “Harold, fetch Betty and tell Angelique to bring a tub of warm water!”

There was silence in the long empty dark corridor as the old woman raced over to her bedside and aligned her pillows to her daughter in law’s back making her lean on them as she asked “how long has it been since your water’s broke my dear?”       

In between furious pain and gasping for breath she cried back “over an hour ago.”  

Panicked the old woman raced round the room trying to think what to do, she heard light footsteps echo from the dark corridor until they came to a halt beside the bedroom door. Knowing exactly who stood there the old woman stood in the doorway as she looked at the tall man who towered the entire family as he said with a emotionless voice, “Betty is on her way here and Angelique is filling the tub as you asked, would you mind telling me what’s wrong?”

“Pamelia is in labour Harold”

Without further word his auburn eyes widened as shock was written over his long angular old face, “what?” he asked once more looking more serious and yet surprised.