Hey everyone,
Sorry this has taken so long to post, I've been moving house, my computer killed this chapter by deleting it … and that's enough excuses!
Hope you enjoy this chapter – please read and review!
November 1925,
John stood at the foot of the bed, watching Anna resting her forehead against the window he saw her stretch out her shoulders and exhale a shaky breath, he worried, he always worried when Anna was in labour, but this labour was different. Where her first two labours had been long and hard they had been essentially simple, this one however was quite different. She had been throwing up all throughout the pregnancy, she had the shakes and was cold and clammy as she stood in their bedroom, he wanted to hold her and tell her that it would all be alright, that they would survive this as they had survived all that their marriage had already thrown at them, but he knew that she needed to be able to move, to not be held in his arms. He would have felt a little more confident and reassured if Mrs Lundy had been there, but she was sick with the 'flu, laid up in bed and wheezing as she was she couldn't look after Anna's labour. Normally he would have gone up to the big house, but what with the house in mourning after the death of Lady Grantham, now was not the time. Anna turned around and started to step towards the bed,
"Stop looking so worried John – I'll be fine, go downstairs and look after the children."
"They can wait Anna, please – let me try and find you some help. I'm worried about you – after what happened last year …"
"That was different John – that was … that was different, when I lost that baby … I was 3 months gone, I'm full term, I'm healthy, the baby's healthy. We, that's all 5 of us, are going to be fine … alright?"
"Alright – I'll go and see to Aoife and Patrick … will you be OK?"
"I will – I've done all this before – I know that I've got an age left to go yet before the baby comes – Dr Clarkson'll get here long before the baby arrives in the morning. I love you John …"
"I love you too …"
Making his way down into the kitchen, John wished that he could afford for Dr Clarkson to come for the whole of Anna's labour, but as it was, Dr Clarkson had agreed to make his way to the cottage first thing in the morning, on Anna's opinion that the baby wouldn't arrive until the next day. John relied on his wife's ability to judge when her baby would arrive. His daughter was asleep in the living room on the armchair, while his son was sat under the kitchen table driving his small tin car along the tiles. John paused for a moment, before carefully bending down to see his small son.
"Paddy … can you be a really grown up boy for me? I need you to sit in the front room with your sister – while your Da goes into the village for a few minutes … I need you to keep out of trouble, don't go into the fire, don't touch the lights, stay inside the room, and don't go upstairs, your Mammy's having a rest – is that alright? Can you do that for me?"
John pulled his coat off and lead Mrs Miles into the kitchen, he cast an eye up to the staircase, he could hear a low moan coming down, he wanted to run upstairs and be at Anna's side, but he couldn't, he paused before turning to give a small scared smile at Mrs Miles. The tall buxom woman gave him a reassuring smile in return,
"You needn't worry Mr Bates, I've seen all seven of my bairns into the world, helped all 4 of my daughters have their own, I've brought 13 healthy grandchildren of mine into life . Your wife's a healthy woman, and I'll do my best. Go and make yourself a brew and settle your lad down to sleep." and with that Mrs Miles straightened her house coat and walked slowly up the stairs towards the bedroom. John inhaled a deep and shaky breath before making his way into the living room, Aoife was still asleep on the armchair, oblivious to her mother upstairs or her fathers absence, Paddy was sat beside the fireplace, his sleepy eyes were half closed as he stared into the dying embers of the fire. He looked up at John for a moment as he walked into the room, before giving a tired half smile.
"I stayed up to look after Aoife Da …"
"Well done Paddy – you've been a very grown up boy."
"Is Mammy alright Da?"
"Oh yes – she's a strong girl your Mammy, she's going to be just fine I'm sure. Here why don't you sleep down here with your sister, get on the sofa eh? And you can get under this blanket here – how's that?"
"Fine … Da … you know how grown up I've been …"
"Yes … although I'm worried the direction this conversation is going in …"
"Well can we have a dog now?"
"Ha, no Paddy … me and your Mammy have got enough on our plates with you two."
"Aww but Da … Martin Morris has a dog!"
"Well – I've got a dodgy knee, do you fancy one of them too? No, thought not. Tell you what Paddy, if you're a very good boy – and when your Mammy's back on her feet again, maybe we can get a cat – cat's don't need as much looking after."
"Really? Do you promise Da?"
"I really promise that I might think about us getting a cat – if you're a very good boy."
Mrs Hughes sighed and started counting up the linen again, she was sure that there was a sheet missing, but she was so tired that she couldn't be sure. It was only when Anna took one of her periodical times off to have a baby that she realised how much that Mrs Bates did aside from her set duties as a ladies maid, Anna seemed to have been keeping all the housemaids in check as they had become vaguely feral in her absence. And now – why did the Bates' have to have another child now, what with her Ladyship dead, his Lordship in mourning, and everyone up in the air about what would happen – would his Lordship stay on? He could always move into the Dower house, and then would Lady Mary and Mr Mathew take on the title? Would Mr Bates move over to the Dower house with his Lordship … if he were to then Anna would almost certainly leave Downton, it was hard enough on the couple making their way up the house each morning before the sun had risen. Pausing in her counting Mrs Hughes muttered a mild expletive under her breath as she had lost count of the sheets as her mind had wondered. Giving up she tossed the heap of sheets onto her desk, she would make another attempt later on, hearing the back door go she made her way into the kitchen, one look at Mr Bates' face told her what had happened the night before, the mixture of exhaustion, joy and fear told her that Anna had given birth the night before.
"We've had a baby boy … a baby boy – Ciaran Bates."
"Oh Mr Bates, how wonderful – is Mrs Bates well?"
"Oh yes yes, tired, but she's grand … I've … God, I'm …"
"Here sit down Mr Bates, so the baby and Mrs Bates are well?"
"Yes yes, it was all very long and hard, but – she made it! Mrs Miles at the Gratham Arms has taken in Aoife for the day … and I've put Patrick in the garage with Mr Morey – I hope you don't mind, but Anna's just exhausted."
"No of course not – Mr Morey's good enough with him. Oh well Mr Bates, I really am so very happy for you both – I'll have to go …"
"Yes yes of course, I'll have to go and see to his lordship."
"Well be careful, he was in a bit of an odd mood last night."
"Wouldn't you be – I would, if I lost Anna …"
"Yes … but he's been very angry – I just wouldn't want him to spoil your good mood!"
John wandered how two boys, with the same genetic makeup could look so different, where as Patrick had been a small baby, cheerful and loud, Ciaran was all limbs with legs and arms that wriggled about constantly with an ill disguised desire to move, unlike his brother Ciaran had a serious considered look on his face, he was quiet and unlike his brother who always had to let his presence known he was easy to forget when he was lying his cot. Carefully setting a cup of tea on Anna's bedside table he smiled at her, he took her hand and sat gently on the edge of the bed.
"How are you feeling?"
"Tired but happy, how are the other two?"
"Oh they're fine, everyone up at the house is thrilled for you you know, Mrs Hughes and Mrs Patmore said that they'd try and come along in a few days to see the boy."
"That'll be nice – nice to have some adult company."
"You know – I really am very proud of you."
"You shouldn't be – woman all over the world give birth every day, I just did what I'm medically designed to do!"
"No no, everything you do makes me proud of you, you've stuck by me, you've given me life, you've brought three wonderful children into this world … you've done more than what many women would."
"Thank you – but you still shouldn't be proud of me – I'm your wife John, of course I've done all that, I love you – why wouldn't I?"
"… I don't know … there's no reason … I love you too."
"Good – I would hope you would love me after the pain I went through last night!"
"Ha, well I'm very grateful and happy and proud. My wonderful wife."