a level of familiarity and fondness of each other, but surely not. Sophia was looking at him and saw the questioning frown on his face. He thinks Harold is my husband, she thought to herself with an inward smile. “Brandon, Harold is my Butler”. She almost laughed at the relief that flooded his face and the smile that followed. “I’m very sorry Sir, but My Lady is needed in attendance at a….. situation.” Harold said whilst backing away. “Is it something I can help with?” questioned Brandon, it would be nice to spend some more time with Sophia who had turned and was moving away. She turned and said, “Not unless you know something about giving birth.”
Brandon was somewhat relieved to shake his head at this. His only knowledge was visiting his sister in the Maturity Ward shortly after she gave birth to a baby boy. No notable knowledge in that, when you think about it. It was the no mess, no fuss version and it was about as close to child birth as Brandon had a desire to get. It wasn’t until Sophia disappeared down the path that Brandon wondered what knowledge Sophia had if Harold, the butler, had come to fetch her instead of a doctor? Who is this woman who wears size five work boots, can shovel dirt like a farm boy and has a personal Butler? Very interesting woman this Lady, he thought as he went back to his work.
Chapter Five
It was later in the afternoon when the workers finally came back to the courtyard. Brandon was hoping for a glimpse of Sophia. He was unsure why but her presence or lack thereof was making him a little agitated. He was just about to give up and go back to the Wobbly Boot when he saw her coming out of what he had correctly guess earlier was a stable block. She spotted him as he approached and if he hadn’t known better she seemed to hesitate. That made him frown, slightly. Perhaps he was intruding but then he looked into her eyes and saw that look that was there the first time they met, when she was semi naked. That seemed to immediately make his blood run faster through his veins. In an attempt to getting back to recognizing that look he chided himself. It was a weight of some kind, or at least that was how he was reading it. What weight could a woman who was married, with a beautiful little girl, a huge house and everything she could ever want on tap possibly be carrying? As he approached he thought he would just say his Goodbyes and leave. Then he heard a god awful groan coming from one of the stables. He looked at her “surely the woman giving birth is not in a stable, she’s not delivering Jesus is she?” He said with a smile.
“No, not quite. Actually I could use your help if you don’t mind? You can say no, if you’re not up to it. I‘m on my own, for a while, with this.” Well how could he say no to a challenge like that? Each step he took he was becoming more profoundly aware that he was about to walk into a stable with a women he had never met and see her at possibly her worse moment of her life, by the sound of that groan.
Sophia took a little tiny bit of satisfaction at the look on Brandon’s now suddenly ashen face as each step took him closer to the stable door. He looked terrified. She couldn’t help but smile on the inside. Grace couldn’t have timed the next groan any better. It was just before Brandon reached the door. The look on his face was priceless. Sophia couldn’t help but laugh. “Grace has been having a hard time of it and I’m waiting for her doctor to arrive.” she said as she peeped into the stable.
For a moment Brandon had a wild thought that if he kept his eyes shut it would help. But that would not look very mature, would it? So he looked and saw a very, very fat horse lying on a deep layer of straw. Grace, was a horse. Of course she was. She spotted him and tried to sit up.
Are you kidding me? Even the horse is trying to flirt with him and she is in the last stages of labor, thought Sophia. “Be a bit more dignified” was what she mumbled