next to Margaret's mouth for what seemed several minutes. Then, arising slowly, she looked at Richard blankly and said, 'She is deed, Richard.'
'She can nay be deed,' Richard cried and he held her head in his hands. 'Margaret, comb back to me,' he said loudly. Then he lowered his head and rested it on her own and cried. As the tears flowed down his cheeks, he heard his son start to cry also.
After a short while, Richard slowly raised his head and said calmly to the midwife, 'I must get the priest. Whot shall I do with me sone?'
'You go, 'urry, and get the priest. I will take your sone to a wet nurse.'
Richard kissed Margaret again, 'God speed, me luv. I am soory. I will take care of our sone.' As Richard was about to walk out the door, he stopped and turned again, halfway expecting to see Margaret's smile and radiant countenance.
Richard considered All Saints' to be his parish despite the fact that there was a new priest and no building in which to meet. So, despite darkness and the tears that dimmed his vision, he ran as fast as he could to Saint Leonard's Priory and summoned James. James came to the entrance carrying a candle lantern. He was startled to see Richard standing at the entrance to the priory. He was especially concerned when he saw Richard's red eyes.
'Whot is it, Richard?' James asked with a concerned look on his face.
'It is me Margaret, Father,' Richard said in a halting voice. It took him a moment to catch his breath so that he could continue. 'She is deed.'
'Deed?!' James exclaimed. ''ow?'
'She delivered me a sone, boot then she bled.'
James grabbed Richard's arm. 'Richard, I am so soory. 'urry and take me to 'er.'
The two of them hurried as quickly as they could through the darkness back to Stamford and to Richard's cottage. The midwife had taken Richard's son and Margaret lay alone in a room only lit by one candle in the corner. James entered first and went straight to the bedside. Richard hesitated at the door. The sight of his beloved companion laying lifeless was almost more than he could bear. He was thinking that she looked like Margaret, but she was so cold and quiet. Whatever it was that made Margaret herself was now gone. And he deeply missed her.
The day was dawning by the time James completed his prayers for Margaret. The two men sat in silence as the light of day started to fill the room.
'I will send sumeone around to fetch 'er,' James assured Richard.
'I am grateful, Father,' replied Richard.
James left and Richard was alone with Margaret. He felt so alone. He looked outside and saw a beautiful day dawning, but it didn't seem beautiful to him. Margaret had been his beloved companion for so long, he didn't know how he could, or whether he wanted to go on without her. He was grateful to have a son, but without a wife to care for the lad, what was he to do?
Richard sat in the corner of the room on the floor and rested his head on his arms and knees and closed his eyes. Soon tears began to flow down his cheeks again and he found himself sobbing. It was a couple of hours before someone came from the priory for Margaret's body. Richard didn't rise, but watched from the corner as they carefully carried her away.
The midwife also returned and started to take care of the bed coverings. Richard just sat on the floor with no intention of leaving the cottage. Soon he was alone again. As he sat in the room and thought about Margaret, he could almost feel her near. He looked up at one point almost expecting to see her standing beside him. And if he listened, it seemed as though he could hear her voice.
He thought about Elizabeth also and the pain he had felt when he gave up his search for her. This pain was different though he thought. He had lived with Margaret for so long and her lose was so sudden and shocking that it seemed to intensify the pain. He had lost Elizabeth over a period of time and though he had mourned, the pain had come on slowly, rather than suddenly. Now he mourned them both.
At the Darby estate, John was preparing to go to Stamford when he saw Ralf approaching the house. He thought that was very unusual and