The late spring sun shone brightly over Downton, for the first time, after several days of rain. The weather was a lot warmer than it had been as well, which meant that Henry and Ella could finally start moving some items of furniture into their new home.
Ella was now seven months pregnant and her baby was growing strong and healthy, but with her considerable bump, she was finding moving around exhausting; not that it stopped her from trying. She enjoyed getting out of the Abbey every now and then and venturing down to her new cottage that she would soon be sharing with her husband.
They had spent the last couple of months refurbishing their cottage and decorating it; well, Henry did all the work between him, Tom and Charlie, whilst Ella, Sybil and Elsie sat and watched and provided refreshments.
Since Ella had decided to move out of the Abbey, Elsie had also decided that it was time she bit the bullet and moved into her cottage on a more permanent basis. It had, of course, taken a lot of getting used to and there was still the occasional sleepless night; but the time that she was able to spend with her husband and daughter, far outweighed the negatives.
'So when do you think you will move in properly?' Elsie asked as she and Ella sat in Ella's room back at the Abbey. They had just walked up from the cottage, leaving Henry and Tom to paint the outside walls. Sybil had walked back up with them as well, but she had returned to her own room to rest.
'I'm not too sure if I'm honest; I thought we might have moved in before the baby was born, so that we could get settled. However, Henry seems to think it would be better for me to wait until after,' Ella replied with a tired smile as she rubbed her protruding belly, which caused Elsie to smile.
'Are you comfortable enough?' She asked as she watched Ella squirm.
'I'm not actually, my back is killing me.'
'Sit foreword a moment,' Elsie replied as she stood up and went to her daughter's aid. She grabbed at the cushion behind Ella and plumped it up, before replacing it and leaning Ella back against it. 'Is that better?'
'Much better, thank you Mam.'
Elsie then sat back down and took hold of her knitting, that was placed beside her, whilst Ella rested her head against the back of her armchair and closed her eyes, just for a few moments; or so she thought. Elsie smiled as she watched her daughter sleeping peacefully, but jumped about twenty minutes later when Ella woke with a start.
'For heaven's sake Ella, you nearly scared the life out of me!'
'Sorry Mam; but I think I rather scared the life out of myself,' Ella replied with a laugh as she then rubbed her bump again. 'I was just having a nice dream about Mrs Patmore's cake, when the baby gave me a swift kick in the ribs.'
'Ah, I remember those well,' Elsie replied with a smile. 'You always used to wait until I was just drifting off to sleep; then you would wake up and I would have no peace.'
'Well, I think this little one must take after me, because it always seems to wake up in the middle of the night,' Ella explained. 'Would you like to feel it kicking?'
Elsie's eyes lit up brightly at Ella's question and she instantly moved forward, with her hand outstretched, which Ella placed on her tummy, over her growing baby. They sat in anticipated silence for a few moments until Elsie felt that strange, yet familiar, thump beneath her fingertips.
'Och that's certainly a strong kick if ever I felt one!' She exclaimed with teary delight, which made Ella's happy smile broaden further.
'Mam, can I ask you something?' She asked quietly, with a slightly concerned look on her face after a few moments, which caused Elsie's brow to furrow.
'Of course.'
'Well I want to ask you to be with me, when the baby is born I mean; I can't imagine going through it without you beside me, or Mama, so I want you both to be with me when the time comes,' she said, clasping nervously on to Elsie's hand.
'Well where else would I be, but by your side?' Elsie replied with a warm comforting smile and Ella gave her mam a loving, yet nervous smile back.
'I'm starting to get rather nervous actually,' Ella said shyly.
'It's only natural that you would be nervous…'
'But what if I'm not a good mother? What do I know about motherhood? What if I'm doing the wrong thing by raising my child, when all I've ever known are nannies and governesses?' She asked uncertainly.
'Now you listen to me my girl; you are going to be a wonderful mother and your child is going to be loved and cherished. None of us enters motherhood knowing how to be one and we all make mistakes,' Elsie replied as she cupped Ella's cheek, 'but you have got me and your dad to help you and a wonderful husband in Henry; so don't you go worrying yourself about not being a good mother.'
Ella nodded her head and felt silly for her irrational fears, but her anxieties weren't quite as easy to push away as she had hoped; but she knew that she had the love and support of her mam and that meant more to her than anything else possibly could.
