Act II
Scene V

The labour was a long, slow process. All men were barred from the bedchamber, of course, leaving Katya with only maidservants until the doctor arrived. Sitting in the drawing room with Tino, all Berwald could do was worry. The baby was coming too early, and even he, as a young man who had no education in the ways of childbearing, knew that it was not a good sign.

But being alone like this, simply waiting and waiting for hours on end, gave Berwald ample time to think and plan. He had already sent for Matthew Williams, who was to make the long carriage ride from his secluded country house to here – and arrive at nightfall – but there were other people to summon.

The message sent out was clear: Yekaterina Oxenstierna was dying in childbirth.

Her brother and sister arrived within hours. Ivan looked pale, his light eyes wide with shock and sadness, while Natalya was almost spitting with anger.

"What did you do to her?" she demanded of Berwald, and she would have grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket had Ivan not held her back.

"It is not his fault," the huge man said, his light voice low and mournful. "When can we see her?"

"Natalya can now," Berwald said quickly, hoping to alleviate her anger, "but you must wait." No men until the child was delivered. Natalya stormed off to the bedchamber, and Ivan joined Berwald in the drawing room. Again, to wait.

It was late afternoon. Ivan was twisting the edge of his shirt, rocking back and forth slightly with nerves, while Berwald sat still as a statue, eyes on the wall.

They were too far from the bedchamber to hear any sounds. Both a pity and a blessing.

Then the door flew open, Natalya standing there, clothes rumpled and hair falling from its neat arrangement.

"Katya is fine," was all she said. "Perfectly fine."

Ivan let out a deep, relieved sight, then a laugh, that infamous high giggle of his. "We must see her!"

"And the baby?" Berwald asked as the three of them left the drawing room, making their way to Katya's chamber. "How is it?"

Here Natalya's face turned grave. "It was a girl."

"Was?" Berwald's heart dropped.

"Is," Natalya corrected herself. "I only saw her for a few minutes, for she couldn't breathe properly and the midwives took her away. She is tiny…" For a second, her icy expression softened into one of almost pity. "Tiny and fragile. She wasn't due to be delivered for another month, the midwives said."

"But she's alive?" Both of them alive and well, that was all Berwald could ask for!

"As far as I know," his sister-in-law confirmed.

Katya was sitting up in bed when they arrived. She looked tired, her hair long and loose around her, but her eyes were bright with love for the small bundle in her arms.

Berwald had never seen her look so truly happy. He wanted her to be happy like that more often; all the time, even. But he knew that while she was married to him, it just wasn't possible.

If she agreed, that would change.

Once all the servants had been sent away, only Berwald, Katya, Ivan and Natalya were left in the room.

"I've a proposition," Berwald began. "For you, Katya."

She sat up a little straighter. All eyes were on Berwald.

"If you could be Matthew Williams' wife, would you?"

Katya sighed with a little chuckle. "You know my answer to that, Berwald, and as much as I would say yes, it isn't possible!"

"Why would you ask such a thing?" Natalya asked suspiciously, eyes flickering between her sister and her brother-in-law.

"You can be his wife, if you wish." That was his proposition, and the room filled with silence as each of the three others tried to work out exactly how he could mean that.

"How?" Katya was the first one to speak, utterly confused.

"He's coming tonight. He will take you with him, if that's what you wish. The doctor will also come, and if you decide to go with Matthew, he will write you a death certificate. Nobody out of this room must know that you have left, so they will think you dead." If Katya wanted this, she had to be dead to their society.

Ivan let out a quiet gasp of understanding.

"You are suggesting that I leave you and become wife to another man?" Katya asked faintly.

"If you'd be happier as such," Berwald told her.

"But… what about the baby?"

"She is too delicate," Natalya cut in. "Will she withstand such a journey?"

"You may take her with you." Berwald sighed, coming to stand over Katya and look at the tiny, sleeping face of his newborn daughter. "She is yours."

"She is yours too!" Katya argued, looking up at Berwald with a little frown.

"I just want what's best."

Again, silence fell. This time it was Katya who was thinking hard.

"If I left her in your care," she started, "would you make sure she knew me? I would write to her every day when she becomes old enough to read, and I would always think of her as my daughter, but she would still be your heir. That must be what happens, Berwald." Here the soft woman became firm. "She must be your heir, and have all the privileges as she would have, had she been a boy. If you can promise me that, I will leave her in your care."

"Of course," Berwald agreed instantly. "I'd never treat her otherwise."

"Then I will go." And Katya's cheeks coloured with happiness.

"You," Natalya said with disbelief, "both of you, are pinning all your hopes and plans on this one child. This tiny baby that may not survive the night!"

"She will survive," Katya said with a soft smile, bringing the baby up to gently kiss her little forehead. "Berwald's blood runs in her veins. She is strong." Then she offered the bundle to Berwald himself, who took it with the utmost care.

Even swaddled tightly, he could see that she was perfectly formed, with the most delicate of fingers, curled into a tiny fist at her chin. Her face was a ruddy, healthy pink, and when her eyes opened, they were bright blue – the blue of the deep sea, as Berwald's were.

"Before I leave," Katya told her siblings, "I must cut my hair. Sister, will you cut it for me? I'd like it…" Her eyes lit up with excitement. "As short as Ivan's. It will be so much more freeing!"

A/N: The last chapter shocked a lot of people, I know, so I decided to speed up the writing of this, just so that you don't all think I'm totally heartless. We still have one more chapter to go, so stay tuned for a little while longer!