The Whippoorwill Trilogy - Sharon Sala Page 0,324

room was lit now by nothing but a single candlelight and the glow from the dying parlor fire in the other room. Sitting in the dark only added to the drama of the night. True panic hadn’t come until one long, agonized scream.

He stood abruptly, ready to dash back up the stairs and beg Letty not to die when, moments later, he heard a baby cry. Every muscle in his body went weak. Even though the cries continued, he felt certain the crisis had passed.

He leaned against the stair rail and then swiped a shaky hand across his face as the wails continued. One long, angry yelp after another ricocheted through the rooms downstairs. Finally, the cries began to subside and there was a moment of blessed silence.

Then he heard Letty laugh.

After what she’d been through, it was the last thing he would have expected to hear.

He reached for the newel post as the echo of her laughter faded around him. He looked up—waiting for someone to give him the news.

Moments later, Alice appeared at the head of the stairs with an oil lamp in her hand.

“It’s a boy,” she said. “But if you ask me, I’m predicting here and now that he’s just a male version of his mother. Never heard so much complaining from a newborn in my life.”

Robert Lee grinned.

A boy.

Then his smile slipped.

Eulis would have been so proud.

“Reckon I can come up?” he asked.

“Oh. Yes… I almost forgot. Letty sent me to get you.”

Robert Lee took the stairs two at a time, then smoothed his hands down the front of his shirt, wincing as he felt the dampness. He should have thought to change into dry clothes, but quickly abandoned the notion. He’d had them on so long that they were almost dry again.

He entered the room behind Alice, his gaze going immediately to Letty.

She was sitting up in the shadows, leaning against the headboard with the baby in her arms.

“Come say hello,” she said.

Robert Lee could have easier faced a man with a gun. If she’d asked him to strip naked in front of all these women, it wouldn’t have been any harder than it was to walk to her bed.

Robert Lee looked at the baby. It was little and red and wrinkled. He wished he could say the same for Letty, and then maybe he wouldn’t be so damned tied to staring at her face, because she looked beautiful. He cleared his throat and nodded.

“He’s a fine baby. Eulis would have been real proud.”

Letty looked up.

“That’s part of why I asked you to come in. It’s because of Eulis and you that my child was born.”

Robert Lee looked startled.

“No, ma’am, I didn’t have—”

“Eulis gave me this child, but you kept us both alive.” Then she looked down at the sleeping baby and lightly ran her finger down the side of his cheek. “Eulis hated his name, but I got real fond of it and him.” Then she looked up at Robert Lee, watching the expression on his face as she announced. “I’m naming the baby Eulis Slade Potter after the two men who made this night possible.”

Robert Lee’s mouth went slack. His vision blurred.

“I don’t know what to say.”

“Well, for starters, sit down in that chair and hold out your arms. Alice… if you don’t mind, would you hand Little Bit to Robert Lee? I think the two men on this place need to get acquainted.”

“Little Bit?” he asked.

“He’s going to have to do some growing to handle the name I just gave him. For now, Little Bit will do.”

Alice grinned.

Robert Lee paled as the baby was laid in his arms.

At first, he couldn’t feel anything but the thunder of his own heartbeat pounding in his ears. Then the baby squirmed, and he felt the warmth and the weight, and reality dawned. He blinked away tears only to find that the baby’s eyes were open, and that he seemed to be looking right at Robert Lee.

“See there,” Letty said. “He likes you.”

“What do I do?” Robert Lee asked.

Letty leaned back against the pillows, watching the changing expressions on Robert Lee’s face.

“Exactly what you’re doing right now,” she said softly, then closed her eyes. Within seconds, she was asleep.

“Let her be,” Alice said, when Delilah would have scooted her back down in the bed.

Together, the women began gathering up the basins and bedclothes and carrying them out the door.

Delilah followed with an oil lamp to light the way.

Mildred glanced back at the sleeping woman, and