CHAPTER 1
James was thrilled, Marion, his wife had only 4 weeks left of her first pregnancy. The last 36 weeks had been some of the most painful and enervating days of her life. First, there was the nausea and the vomiting that lasted all day and all night. That was semi tolerable and only lasted the first six months. Dr. Williams always assuring them both that it meant it was a healthy pregnancy. Then, about two weeks after the nausea and vomiting had subsided, she developed severe pain in her side and the Doctor's exam found two broken ribs. She had been in constant pain from then on out.

As the days passed she grew increasingly fatigued and he found that she spent more time asleep than awake. Her belly was stretched to the limit and covered in what she was sure would be everlasting stretch marks. When James was at home he would try to appease her endless cravings with what ever she had her mind set on.

James Clifford was the type of man that doted on his wife. He loved her explicitly and unconditionally. James was a baron and a businessman, his estates produced many crops and animals to feed his household and run his many businesses. He inherited twelve estates from many relatives, all over Cumbria County in England, since he was the last remaining male heir. He couldn't help but pray his offspring were also male, so that he could continue to provide for his bride, and their children, all the days of their lives. He would supervise the work of the estates when he was at home, when he was away, as noblemen frequently were, Marion, his wife would be responsible for the smooth running of their home estate. She would also be responsible for running the staff and the household obligations, a very complex and demanding job; which was significantly hindered as her abdomen swelled with his future heir.

Dr. Williams, the family physician and one of the patrons of Mr. Clifford's many estates, happily lived only miles from the Clifford's home estate and went there often to check on the progress of Mrs. Clifford's pregnancy. The doctor had confided in Mr. Clifford that her pregnancy was causing him some distress as it appeared the pregnancy was taking quite a toll on Mrs. Clifford's fragile body. Mrs. Clifford's frame was small, barely over five feet tall and prior to her pregnancy she weighed less than one hundred pounds. This pregnancy was taking more out of her every day and he feared it would not end well.

James was returning home from a two week sabbatical where he had been busying himself with preparing one of the estates for after the arrival of the baby. Once his first born was old enough to ride in the carriage for a whole day, he, Marion and the baby would spend some time in their summer estate. With only a few weeks left until the baby was due, James was glad he had decided what names he could tell Marion he preferred. While he was gone, Marion and he would write back and forth to each other regarding which names they thought would sound the most regal or the most romantic.

Marion had favored Jane for a girl and if it was a boy she wanted him to be named after his father, James. Jane was a fine name, but he would not name his son James. He had known too many self righteous men who named their sons after themselves as a way to build up their own self worth and exude their own malcontented qualities to the next generation. James explained this in the letter to his wife and wrote that he preferred a strong name, like Alexander. Marion had suggested making the name sound more romantic and name him Alec. James had yet to tell her that he considered the name to be quite suitable for a man.

As James' carriage pulled up the long drive at his home estate, he began wondering at the reception he would receive. He assumed that Marion would insist on meeting him in the Foyer to welcome him home as she usually did. He thought of her face. Her green eyes would glisten and fill with tears of joy upon his arrival, her pink cheeks would be sore later this evening because she wouldn't be able to keep from smiling. Her full lips, even fuller with this pregnancy would be soft and inviting. He thought of what she would say, "Oh my loving husband has returned... and brought along my heart I see!" She would say she was doing well and only missed a little. James knew his wife was not being completely honest. He knew that she found it difficult to be away from him for long periods of time but it was miserably unavoidable and he was looking forward to spending some quality time with her to make her forget her troubles and worries.

Marion. Oh, how he loved that woman. She was the first thing he thought of when he woke in the morning and the last thing on his mind as he fell asleep. He would often dream of her. On his way home he fell into a restless sleep, which is the best kind of sleep one will find in a carriage, while he slept he dreamt of her intoxicating smell... lilacs and cotton. He sighed as he remembered this and a smile crept onto his face. His carriage continued its way up to the house and as the neared the door; he had a sudden urge to run the rest of the way to see his beautiful bride.

He paused as the carriage stopped next to the front entrance and wondered what was different. He couldn't see anyone. Not the gardener, Robert, who never left the lawn even when it rained. Not Mary, the head housekeeper, who was insistent on all available staff greeting his family upon their arrival, no matter how long they were away. Nor did he see any of the servants that were required to meet every carriage to come to their home. He thought this was odd because he remembered writing in his last letter to Marion, to let Mary know the hour he planned on returning, so that she could have the necessary preparations completed for the meal this evening. Mary had requested an approximate time and had a special meal planned out per Mrs. Clifford's request.

He got out of the carriage and looked around. The wind howled and whipped around him stinging his face. He hadn't realized the wind was blowing so fierce while he had been in the carriage. He took a step forward and heard a woman's blood curdling scream and glass breaking somewhere within the house. He ran to the door and swung it open wide and saw a cluster of people scrambling about. He ran into the foyer and called for Marion. Robert, the gardener, ran past him with a basin full of steaming water. James reached for the man without making contact and asked what was going on. Robert looked at him with eyes full of fear and told him that Mrs. Clifford was having a fit and Dr. Williams was with her, trying to help her. James pushed past Robert and made for the stairs, he could hear Marion moaning. He came to doorway of one of the rooms and the scene froze him in his stance.

There was broken glass glittering all over the floor most of it covered in blood, Marion's blood. There was blood everywhere, and it was creeping toward him where he stood. Robert was there now and tried to maneuver his was around the glass and blood, putting the basin next to Dr. Williams. The doctor was crouched down over Marion's body pushing on her bulging stomach. Her back arched violently and she let out another scream, this was cut off by a loud cracking sound. Mary, who had been standing in the corner, put down the bundled blanket she had in her arms and sprinted over to her and tried to help the doctor by pinning Marion's shoulders down. Marion wheeled under her hands. She broke free from Mary, sat straight up and looked James right in the eye. A strange gurgling sound came from her mouth and suddenly her eyes rolled to the back of her head and her body went limp. Like a puppet whose strings had been cut, the thud her body should have made as it made impact was drowned by another sound, a baby crying.

The doctor rushed in between Marion's legs and returned with a small pink thing in his hands that he quickly wrapped in a blanket. Dr. Williams, with blood on his face and fresh tears in his eyes and handed Mary the baby. She took it in one arm and returned to where she placed the other blanket and picked it up in her other arm. The way she was holding the blankets in her arms made James gasp for air. He realized then he hadn't taken a breath since entering the room. ...Two... Mary had two bundled blankets in her arms. Twins? James was speechless and looked at the doctor.

Dr. Williams was at Marion's head placing two fingers on her wrist and then her neck. He immediately began pounding in Marion's chest. James rushed forward and took her head in his hands. He yelled for the doctor to do something. He screamed at Marion to open her eyes. The doctor continued his compressions; little by little his pace slowed with his fatigue until he stopped beating on her chest and felt her neck again. James grabbed at his hand and threw it away from her lifeless body. He shrieked at Dr. Williams to tell him what happened. The doctor bowed his head and his shoulders began to shake. He looked at James and began his explanation.