Chapter Forty-Eight
AMSTERDAM, 1630
Clara woke to pain and sat up gasping, trying to get her breath until it eased. She climbed from her bed, returning to the chair before the fire, surprised to feel no fear for herself, only a steely determination her child should be safely delivered.
‘This is something we must do together, little one,’ she whispered, holding her belly, watching the embers glowing as small flames licked around them, until the band of pain tightened again.
She remained on the chair for some time, even managing to build up the fire between the pains. When they became harsher, she began to pace the room, wishing to remain alone for as long as possible. Like an animal. She wondered why Adela had needed women around her from the first moments. Could she manage it all alone
