AN: Thanks for the many lovely reviews! This is, not surprisingly, the second to last chapter of this story.

Hope you like it!

Have a good weekend everyone!

Kat


January 1891

"It should be about two or three more weeks until your wife gives birth," the doctor says and smiles at him understandingly.

"And is everything the way it should be?" Cora feels so uncomfortable at night. She does not say anything, but he still sleeps next to her and knows that she thrashes around and wakes up several times a night.

"Yes. Your wife is doing very well. You are taking good care of her."

"Thank you," he says and hopes that the very young doctor does not only say that because of his social status. There will be a doctor from London for the birth, but Cora insisted on being in the care of Dr. Clarkson, the young village doctor, as long as possible.

"Lord Downton, I am serious about this. You are taking good care of her. She is happy, she talks about you the whole time. When I asked her if her maid assisted her day and night, she said the maid only had to do so during the day because you did so at night. You have no idea how few men of any station but especially of yours would do such a thing. You are making her very happy and that is very good for the baby as well."

"My parents say I should stop sleeping in her room. That I should have stopped long ago. They say I shouldn't take care of her. That it is wrong." He does not know why he tells the doctor that. The man cannot be older than 26 or 27 and doesn't have any children himself. The doctor shakes his head.

"If you want to take care of her, by all means do so. But I advise you to not be too close to her room during the delivery. It is very painful and I don't think that it would be good for you to hear her scream in pain. And she will scream. All women scream during child birth."

"I will be downstairs. But I won't leave the house. I am scared that something will happen to her and if she comes close to dying I want to be able to talk to her one last time." The doctor nods again, puts a hand on his shoulder and says

"Don't worry Lord Downton. There is no reason to worry. Your wife is young and strong and the child has moved into the correct position. In all likelihood, it will go well."

"Thank you, doctor, and your words in God's ear," he says and watches the doctor take his leave.