Obeying, she inhaled a sweet, dizzying fume that soothed the pain and gave her a surprising moment of euphoria. “Oh, thank you,” she said gratefully as he lowered the handkerchief. “What is that?”

At the same time, Ross appeared at the bedside, looking suspicious. “Is that safe?” he asked.

“Nitous oxide,” Linley replied calmly. “It is used at ‘inhalation frolics,’ at which people entertain themselves by taking whiffs. But a colleague of mine, Henry Hill Hickman, proposed using it to relieve pain during dentistry. There has been little interest shown by the medical community so far. However, I’ve used it a few times to relieve women in labor, and it seems both harmless and effective.”

“I don’t like the idea of your experimenting with my wife—” Ross began.

Sophia interrupted as another wave of intense pain gripped her. She seized Linley’s wrist. “Don’t listen to him,” she gasped. “Where is that handkerchief?”

With another breath of nitous oxide, and a few hard pushes, Amelia Elizabeth Cannon was born.

The next day, as Sophia sat with the tiny black-haired infant nursing at her breast, she glanced at Ross with a vaguely apologetic smile. Although she was privately thrilled with her newborn daughter, it was usually considered a failure for a woman to give her husband a girl instead of a boy as his firstborn. Predictably, he was too much of a gentleman to express disappointment, but Sophia knew that most of the Cannons, especially Ross’s grandfather, had hoped for a male to continue the family line.

As Ross’s long fingers traced gently over the silky dark hair that covered his daughter’s miniature skull, Sophia spoke softly. “I am certain that we’ll have a son the next time.”

He looked up from the baby with a puzzled glance. “Another daughter would be equally welcome.”

Sophia smiled doubtfully. “You are very kind to say so, but everyone knows that—”

“Amelia is exactly what I wanted,” he said firmly. “The most beautiful, perfect baby I’ve ever seen. Give me a houseful of daughters just like this, and I’ll be a happy man indeed.”

Sophia caught at his hand and brought it to her mouth. “I love you,” she said fervently, pressing kisses to the backs of his long fingers. “I’m so glad you didn’t marry someone else before you met me.”

Ross leaned closer and slid his arm behind her back. His mouth moved over hers in a long, caressing kiss that made her shiver with pleasure. “That would have been impossible,” he said, drawing back to smile into her eyes.

“Why?” Sophia leaned back against the support of his arm while the baby continued to nurse at her breast.

“Because, my love… I was waiting for you.”