He swallowed.
"But I can be angry without making you fear for your safety."
Clara stared.
For a moment, she couldn't speak.
Then whispered, "Thank you."
Gabriel nodded.
He opened the door.
Cold morning air entered the kitchen.
Then he stepped outside.
And Clara sat alone at the table, beginning to understand that the man she'd married was far more complicated than the simple refuge she'd imagined.
He had his own pain.
His own pride.
His own reasons to mistrust.
Yet even while struggling with betrayal, he was trying not to become cruel.
She looked toward the documents.
Then whispered to herself, "I have to earn his trust."
Not by hiding more.
Not by pretending the past hadn't happened.
But by telling the truth.
Even when she feared what it might cost.
Mrs. Martha Bell arrived the following afternoon in a small wagon driven by her nephew.
She was sixty-one, broad-shouldered, practical, and known throughout the valley for speaking with remarkable directness.
Her hair was nearly white.
Her hands were strong.
And she carried a leather medical bag that seemed to contain everything from clean linens to instruments Gabriel couldn't identify.
She stepped into the kitchen and looked around.
Then smiled.
"So this is the famous new bride."
Clara stood nervously.
"Mrs. Bell."
The older woman took her hand.
"Martha, if you please. Half the territory calls me Mrs. Bell, and it's beginning to make me feel ancient."
Clara laughed softly.
Martha studied her face.
Then glanced toward Gabriel.
He stood beside the stove looking deeply uncomfortable.
The midwife raised one eyebrow.
"Well, what's the trouble?"
Gabriel cleared his throat.
"I asked you to come because Clara's expecting."
Martha looked toward Clara.
Then back at Gabriel.
For a moment, she seemed surprised.
But she didn't comment.
Instead, she smiled.
"Then let's make certain mother and child are doing as well as possible."
Clara felt relief flood through her.
Martha asked Gabriel to put more water on the stove.
Then guided Clara upstairs for a private conversation and examination.
She asked about the pregnancy.
The nausea.
Dizziness.
Appetite.
Sleep.
Pain.
Bleeding.
And whether Clara had received medical attention before traveling.
Clara answered honestly.
The examination was careful.
Martha explained what she could assess and what would require a physician if complications appeared.
She didn't pretend frontier midwifery could solve every problem.
But her confidence reassured Clara.
Afterward, she sat beside the bed.
"You're frightened."
Clara looked down.
"Yes."
Martha nodded.
"Most women are, the first time."
Clara swallowed.
"It's not just the baby."
The older woman studied her.
Then said gently, "You needn't tell me anything you don't wish to."
That kindness nearly made Clara cry.
For several seconds, she was silent.
Then she whispered, "Gabriel only just learned."
Martha's expression changed.