14th August 1895

"She hates me." Cora sighed as she waddled into the Library.

Robert looked up from his papers to watch his heavily pregnant wife lower herself onto the settee with a wince. "Who does?" he asked, returning to the work in front of him.

"She hates me Robert."

Robert found his wife utterly baffling sometimes. "Cora, what are you talking about?"

"Mary. She told me she hates me." He looked up at her again. She looked like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. "Robert my own little girl hates me." A single tear dropped out the corner of her eye and rolled down her face. Robert took his handkerchief out of his jacket pocket and passed it over to her, sitting down next to her.

"I'm sure she doesn't. She actually said that? Whatever happened?"

"I went up to the nursery to see the girls. My back has been troubling me all day. Mary wanted me to play with her dolls house with her. I told her I couldn't because of my back and she got really cross with me. I told her off for being rude and she said I never play with her anymore and I only care for the baby," she paused to wipe at her tears, "then she said she hated me."

"She doesn't mean it. She's just a spoilt little girl in a bad mood saying the first thing to come to her head."

Cora shook her head. "She meant it Robert. You didn't see her. She was so angry with me."

Robert took her hand in his. "Angry and saying things she didn't mean. She's hot tempered and doesn't always think before she speaks. I hate to admit it but she's much like me in that respect. She should never have spoken to you like that but I promise you, she does not hate you."

Cora said nothing. "Don't let it upset you. Let me go and talk to her."

"Nanny, Mary is going to come with me for a minute. I think we need to have a talk." Robert stood in the doorway of the nursery where Edith and Mary had been playing happily together under the supervision of their nanny. At the sound of her father's voice Mary turned around and stood up, suddenly looking very worried.

"Mary come with me please."

The little girl followed her father in silence out of the nursery down the corridor to sitting room.

"Sit down." Robert waited for Mary to sit on the settee before taking a seat himself on the opposite chair. "I've been speaking to Mama. Would you like to tell me what happened this morning when she came to visit you?"

Mary looked down at her lap and shook her head.

"She told me you shouted at her and said something to her. Would you like to tell me what you said Mary?"

She kept her head hung low and mumbled something.

"Speak up. I cannot hear if you talk into your lap."

Mary raised her head but still did not meet her father's eye. "I just wanted her to play with me but she wouldn't because of the baby." She crossed her arms and frowned as she uttered the word baby with disgust.

"Mary Josephine you will not take that tone with me."

She hung her head again and Robert soften his voice. She needed to be told off for what she'd done but at the same time he was aware it was a situation that needed to be handled carefully. There were obviously reasons for Mary's outburst which needed to be dealt with without adding further fuel to her fire.

"You said something to your Mama that made her extremely upset. You know what it was don't you?"

Mary's head shot up, "She is sad?"

Robert nodded gravely, "Very."

As the realisation set in Mary began to cry. "I didn't mean it. I was cross."

"I know you were but that does not mean you can say hurtful things. Especially to your Mama. You made her really very upset Mary. In future you must learn to think about what you say before you say it. Saying you hate someone is a horrid thing."

Mary cried even harder. "I didn't mean it."

"I know you didn't but it doesn't make it right. Your Mama would love nothing more than to be able to play with both you and Edith but she can't at the moment."

"Because of the baby."

"Because of her back. When the new baby comes you are going to be a big sister again and you need to start behaving like one. There will be a new member in our family, a new baby brother or sister but this does not mean you're loved any less. You must remember that Mary. Mama may not have as much time to play with you as she does normally. She may be tired or busy with the baby but it doesn't mean she does not love you or want to ever spend time with you.

When I was a boy Granny never played with me or aunt Rosamund. Not like your Mama does. You're a lucky girl. You need to remember that. You have to learn that you can't always get what you want in life and not getting what you want is no reason to hurt people and be rude. You're a young lady, you need to behave like one."

Mary hiccoughed, tears still rolling down her face.

"Now come on. Stop crying." He reached in his pocket for his handkerchief before remembering that Cora had it. "Why don't we go and clean your face and then I think you have someone you need to say sorry to, don't you?"

"Yes," Mary sniffled. "I really didn't mean it Papa."

"I know darling. Come on." The two stood up, Mary taking her father's hand and set off.

"Papa, is Mama really sad?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Because of what I said?"

"Yes," Robert looked down at the little girl holding his hand and she looked decidedly glum but he could also see the clogs whirring in her brain, "Her sore back isn't helping either."

"We should be nice to her," she announced like she'd just made a great decision.

"I think it's best to always be nice to Mama."

"Yes but can we do something extra nice for her Papa?"

His daughter was on to something. The baby was due soon and Cora deserved a treat. The pregnancy had been harder than the others and he felt like spoiling his wife.

"What were you thinking?"

"How's your back?"

"Sore." Cora sounded utterly fed up. Robert had just arrived in the room after getting ready for bed in his dressing room. Cora was already curled up uncomfortably on her side as he discarded his dressing gown.

"Do you want me to call for Dr Clarkson tomorrow?"

"No. Unless he can get this baby out of me there's no point."

"You need to keep it in for a few more weeks yet."

"Need you remind me?"

Robert chuckled to himself. It had been the same with the other two girls, by eight months she'd get thoroughly sick of being pregnant and would demand at least once that he go find someone to 'get this baby out of me,' and every time he'd have to remind her it wasn't time yet and that it should probably do good to leave it where it was just a little bit longer.

As he climbed into bed she let out a hiss that caused him to freeze.

"Sorry. Do you want me to go sleep next door?"

"No. Stay." The last thing she wanted was to suffer alone, "Please."

He continued to get in bed moving as carefully as he could so not to jostle the mattress too much.

"As you wish, but do tell me if I'm hurting you. I'll try to stay as still as possible." He was always so nice to her during all the pregnancies, checking up on her, making sure was okay. There came a point however when, endearing as his concern was, Cora started to find it jarring.

"Robert it's fine. Honesty. I want you here."

"As long as you're sure."

"Yes Robert." Even with her back to him he knew she was rolling her eyes at him.

She shifted slightly, stopping with a sigh. "All I want is to lie on my back but I don't think I can move."

Robert moved as gently as he could over to her and kissed her shoulder. He reached down and began to rub her lower back.

"Helping?"

Cora murmured in agreement.

"What are we going to do about Mary?"

"I think she will be fine. She just needs to realise the world doesn't revolve around her."

"Well, she is a Crawley…"

"I'm choosing to ignore that comment. I think my talk helped her."

"I don't want her to think we've forgotten about her but she needs to realise the baby – oww –"

"Sorry."

"She's going to a big sister again." She turned her head slightly, "I didn't ask you to stop. Just not so hard." Robert resumed rubbing his wife's back. "Edith's no longer going to be the baby either. It's been just the two of them for a while. I don't want them to resent me or the baby."

"Cora. Sweetheart." Robert stopped massaging her back and pressed a kiss to her temple. He wrapped his arm around her waist, letting his hand resting on her large bump. Cora threaded her fingers with his as his thumb stroked her palm. "The girls will not resent you or the baby. Mary was distraught at the thought that she'd upset you. She loves you. They both do."

Cora sighed.

"They're going to be so excited once the baby arrives. As long as we make a point to spend some time with them I really cannot see there being a problem."

"I could do with spending some more time with them. I haven't spent as much –ooff-"

"I felt that." Robert stroked over where the baby had just kicked.

"Be glad it isn't your insides being kicked!"

Robert stroked her stomach again.

"Maybe I should spend some time with them both, individually."

Robert agreed, "They would like that."

"Yes, I'll spend the morning with them."

"You need to get some rest though. Spend the afternoon with them. You don't want to worsen your back."

Cora turned her head and looked at Robert. "What are you up to?"

"I'm not up to anything. I just want to be sure you are rested enough for when the baby arrives."

Cora looked sceptical. He was definitely up to something.