Chapter Thirty-Three

Dawson Manor – October – 1912.

5 months later…

Jack held his breath when he heard the sounds from the bedroom.

Emma was keeping his sons' occupied downstairs but he'd been asked to stay outside. Rose's pregnancy progressed finely after their wedding so long ago. May seemed to bring with it blessings and graces. The couple honeymooned in the local area and Jack explored more depth horseback riding for William. The stallion, whom he named General, was a member of the family though Jack promised himself he would have expressed a better name but he was William's. John, on the other hand, was beginning to ignite his passion for race cars and both of his sons' were ten and six. As he sat outside of the bedroom, he felt Drosselmier staring through his skull as he smoked a pipe.

"Don't stare so, Jack! She's going to be alright. Give her a few more…"

There was a scream and Jack rose. He made a fist as he replied.

"I can't handle the suspense any longer! Her water broke this morning and she's been in labor for ten hours!"

"It's typical for first time mothers to have long labors, Jack." Drosselmier replied. He was not only a doctor but also an annoying source of information. Instead of storming over and opening the door, Jack turned and placing his hands behind his back, started to pace as he started to pray. Praying the Hail Mary as well as the family Rosary in the evenings was Jack's source of strength and throughout the period of his marriage to Elizabeth, whom he loved with all his heart, Jack was liking how the Blessed Mother was helping him through the new changes. He didn't oppose when his sons' would run to her and ask her to read them something from the Bible. And he himself was thankful for that. And as any pregnant mother would appear – Elizabeth glowed whenever she would read to her sons' and when she would retire, she would kiss him with all her heart and he turn… did the same for her.

Along with her continuance of her pregnancy, Jack came to know Elizabeth more as the months of their marriage progressed. Rose was feminine and gentle and soft spoken. Though at times – he remembered the time when William used to fight her – she would use her temper to correct them yet in the end – she always remained the same loving mama. But then another scream made him turn and he raised his hands up.

"Drosselmier! I can't tell which is worse! Enduring childbirth cries or pacing?"

Puffing out the smoke, Doctor Drosselmier replied.

"I would take pacing to hearing a woman scream in my ears."

"Helpful." Jack answered as he resumed pacing.

Drosselmier merely chuckled and to cover up Elizabeth's moans, Jack heard him ask.

"Jack? Has the city council contacted you concerning the pirates' treasure? And the ship?"

"Yes." He replied and remembering this, Jack narrowed his eyes. He continued to pace as he explained.

"The board informed me that the boat will be used as tourist display from the Dawson pirate though our name will not be mentioned. One of the men informed me that the gold will be transferred to American dollars and as you probably know," he gestured towards the bedroom, "my wife and I agreed that most of it would go to the Church while the other part would go for the funding of our sons' education. As you can probably guess, William wants to be a horseback rider and John a race car driver. I can afford what I can for their education but the inherited gold has helped. The gold should be transferred soon and the rest will be donated to the Church."

"Wise move, Jack. I'm proud of you for doing that. Kingston never would have thought of doing something like that. What else did you find out about him?"

"The council informed me that Kingston had the key to open the chest early on. That was something I didn't know about and Rachel never told me that. The both of us were blind to that and the investigators' told me that they found the key in the galleon ship."

"He sure did a splendid job trying to make it from the original!" Drosselmier added and blew out another puff of smoke.

Jack, accustomed to such things, ignored this as he replied.

"Yes. That was part of the plot for the treasure. Some of the mates from his side were skilled boat makers and throughout the time I was married to Rachel, they started to secretly construct her until the time was right. The key was in his possession but he didn't have the coordinates or the machine to fish out the chest."

"Yes because the original Dawson pirate had that made specifically for that chest only."

"And my ship was well hidden to prevent Kingston from bringing her to the light."

"Which would explain why he didn't attack you out front early on." Drosselmier replied and again – another puff of smoke.

"Kingston wanted to make sure he had you in the right place."

"But seems greed was replaced with generosity." Jack answered as he folded his arms. He was pleased knowing that he did the right thing when it concerned his family's pirate treasure. Kingston was dead and his son was out of state… living with relatives Jack hoped would keep him in line… and hopefully… make amends sometime later. Even Elizabeth's relatives were praying that Richard Kingston would repent and become someone new and not be an influence towards others. As Jack thought back to the events, he was thankful God brought Elizabeth to him. She, being a part of the pirate descendants, given to him as gift to restore their ancestors' wishes! And how Edward Mayfield would have been proud of her!

Then the door to the bedroom opened and both men turned.

One of the nurses, who'd arrived with Doctor Drosselmier, turned and smiling, announced.

"Congratulations, Mr. Dawson. You're the proud father of a baby girl."

His heart pumped and he thought he would run around the yard, mad with happiness when he heard the baby's cries. Peering over the woman's head, Jack asked.

"Can I go in and see her?"

"Yes, sir; you may." The nurse answered and with Drosselmier gesturing for him to follow, Jack rushed over and following the nurse… entered the master bedroom and when he met the mother's eyes… they were soft and moist as she whispered.

"Here she is, Jack and she has a lovely expression."

He swallowed as he approached. Labor and ten hours passed when he leaned towards his daughter, who was wrapped in a blanket. He always liked it when babies were born and remembering the time when John arrived… Jack softly answered.

"She will have Edward's eyes but her mother's features."

"He would have been proud." Rose replied as she turned and held his daughter out towards him. Lovingly, Jack took his stepdaughter into his arms as he replied.

"Yes, Edward would have been proud indeed."

Then a voice from the doorway called.

"Papa! Is the baby here?"

It as John. Turning, Jack smiled at his son as he answered.

"Yes, son. The baby's here and it's a girl."

"Can I see?"

"Yes. Get over here."

The youngest or no longer the youngest "Dawson" made his way over and holding the baby out, Jack watched as John's face softened when he stared at his new baby sister. Even Rose leaned over and feeling her head on his chest, Jack watched as his youngest boy took in the sight of his new baby sister.

"She's so tiny!" He exclaimed and Jack nodded as Rose answered.

"Yes, John; she is but she'll grow bigger."

Then another voice timidly asked.

"Papa? Can I come in, too?"

"William! Come over and meet your baby sister!" Jack heard Rose exclaim. He was in awe that his wife, against the labor she'd gone through, was strong enough to call her older son to walk over and practically pull away from being timid in the doorway. He inwardly laughed when she pushed aside the feeling of "leaving William out" as she added.

"My son! She's just as much your sister as she is John's!"

"I shall step out and leave you alone." The nurse spoke and Jack thanked her. He was still holding his daughter when the baby opened her eyes and stared at him. Jack felt William approach and John gasp as the baby girl blinked at her papa. Rose must have noticed as she reached out and pushed a little bit of the blanket from her daughter's chin.

She spoke.

"There, sweetie; it's alright. Your papa's here and so are your two brothers."

As Jack gaze down at his daughter's expression, he watched as the baby reached up and instead of touching his cheek, her tiny hand touched William's. The boy was close enough for his sister to touch him and when this happened… Jack heard William softly say.

"Papa! She touched me!"

"Yes, she did. Would you like to hold her?" Jack asked and he gestured for Drosselmier, who stood in the doorway, to pull out a chair. The man complied silently and when John made his way around, he crawled on the bed and being careful, held his arms out for Rose to gather him in her embrace. This was a routine the two had grown into before and after their marriage and as Jack waited for Drosselmier, he whispered to William.

"She wants you to hold her, son."

"Here's the chair, young Dawson." Drosselmier announced and Jack waited before William was sitting to hand her his sister. As he drew back, Jack finished.

"What do you think, son?"

As he watched, Jack's heart softened as William stared down and his eyes were moist. He lovingly touched his little sister's cheek and even Rose and John paused in hugging each other when they watched this. William was silent for a moment before he replied.

"I love her so much, papa."

Then the family watched as William Jack Dawson leaned forward and gave his little sister a kiss on the forehead. She only squealed and reached up again as she responded to her older brother's love. William, now ten, only laughed when she did this and gave her another kiss.

"They're going to bond finely if you ask me." Jack heard Rose reply.

Turning, he wrapped his arm around his wife as he replied.

"Yes. They most certainly are."

"I want to hold her next!" John barked and Jack heard his ears ring.

"Patience, young man. Patience." Drosselmier answered but John only folded his arms as he answered.

"Why is it William gets to hold her first?"

"Because I'm older." William replied but he gave John a reassuring smile which told him he would be next. This soothed John so he resumed his hugging Rose. As Jack took this in, he was thankful to God, Our Blessed Mother, as well as Drosselmier and to all his staff, who helped him learn that God works miracles.

"Even in the strangest ways we can't even fathom." Jack's last thought was. With his arm wrapped around his wife and son, Jack offered a prayer of thanksgiving as the day of his daughter's birth continued on. It was October, 1912.