Chapter 5 - The Emergency Delivery
Hidden away in the dark, damp recesses of the estate’s old root cellar beneath the service stairs, Clara cried out in agony.
“The baby is coming right now, Martha! I can't hold her back!” Clara sobbed, clutching her stomach as another violent wave hit.
Martha ripped off her apron, folding it into a makeshift cushion beneath Clara’s head on the cold stone floor.
“Look at me, Clara! Breathe with me! You are strong enough to do this!” Martha commanded with fierce, maternal authority.
The distant sounds of firefighters shouting and axes chopping through wood echoed faintly from the upper levels of the mansion.
Clara screamed, pushing with every fiber of her being against the terror, the smoke, and the betrayal of her husband.
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A sharp, piercing cry echoed through the damp cellar walls, cutting through the chaos of the burning house above.
Martha caught the tiny, slippery newborn, wrapping her instantly in a clean woolen blanket she had scavenged from the shelf.
