Charlie noticed that the news of the baby hit everyone in a certain
way. He alone couldn't be happier. He imagined Kate dropping the baby off
at Uncle Charlie's while she went off to work. He would show that kid such
a good time, and he/she would grow up maybe with a sense of acting in them
from ole Uncle Charlie. He grinned to himself as the foursome (five some)
settled down to dinner. Uncle Charlie. He liked the ring to it. Suddenly,
his smile faded as reality made an impact on him. He would never see his
niece/nephew. Kate would go back to her century and have the baby there.
Stuart was quiet, mulling over the news. He wasn't jealous that the baby wasn't his. He'd been a lousy boyfriend to Kate, and he was happy…happy that Leopold followed him back. Stuart wondered what would have happened if Leopold hadn't cared, hadn't tried to stop Stuart from jumping. He glanced over at Leopold, who'd clasped Kate's hands in his own, talking quietly. Kate had had her rough share of life, and it seemed as though that weekend with Leopold had changed her life forever.
The sole person whose happiness probably exceeded Charlie's was Leopold's. He daydreamed constantly from the moment Kate said she was pregnant, as he was doing now. His eyes were soft as ever when he imagined waking to a child's insistent cries, holding him/her, rocking him/her. Oh…Leopold didn't care if the baby was a boy or girl, dark or light skinned, blue eyes like Kate's or brown like his own. All he cared about was the baby growing happy, healthy…and his and Kate's.
Kate stood to clear the dishes, and as usual, Leopold stood as well. Charlie looked up from his veal and shot to his feet, grinning awkwardly. Stuart, brilliant as he was, didn't quite catch on about the chivalry of standing when a lady leaves the table. Leopold let it go, Kate observed, for her husband's eyes were fixated on her, ready to jump to her defense if she so much stumbled.
Leopold hurried over to help with the dishwasher, somewhat eager to show Stuart just how much he knew about the 21st century life. Kate intercepted him with a soft kiss.
"I'll take care of it, Leopold," Kate assured him, breaking the silence at the dinner table. She glanced around at the somber faces and sighed. "Come on, you guys! You look like someone just died or something, much less the fact that a person is beginning to live!" Silence answered her. "You all are really starting to worry me!" she turned to her brother. "Charlie, you are too quiet for your own good!" She looked at Leopold, who seemed to be holding in a smile. He nodded subtly to Charlie.
"Oh bloody brandy! I do declare, Leopold, that milady Kate here has gone a bit off her rocker, wouldn't you say, old chap?" Charlie announced suddenly, switching into his sorry British accent…or that's what Leopold would say.
Leopold looked slightly baffled for a moment, then slipped into the routine as well. "Charles, my friend, I don't believe you've ever been more correct. Our Kate is much too serious. Perhaps, my friend," Leopold rustled through the fridge and pulled out a container, glanced at the label, and made a face. "Perhaps she shall be drawn back to her senses by the creamy taste of Farmer's Bounty. With a child on the way, it is sure not to add to the luxury of her waistline." His eyes sparkled mischievously, although he winced at the memory of the commercial.
Kate stood, open mouth, and stared at her brother and husband. What were they trying to pull? She glanced at Stuart, whose mouth was pressed into a thin line…a hidden smile. Leopold and Charlie prattled on.
"Leopold, my Duke, allow me to butter your scone, my lord," Charlie said grandly as he smeared Farmer's Bounty onto a roll. Leopold smiled brightly, but it looked more of a grimace.
"The lengths I'll go for you, Kate," Leopold muttered as he sank his teeth into the roll. His face twisted and he chewed painfully. Kate couldn't hold it. Her shoulders shook and a giggle escaped her lips. She proceeded to explode into a full out belly laugh. Stuart, never having seen the commercial, smiled warily.
Charlie grinned. "That wasn't so hard, was it, Leo? We made her laugh." He looked at Leopold, who was dousing his mouth with wine, groaning. Kate walked over to her husband, laughing, and took his hand.
"I fell in love with a madman. How did I do it?" she grinned. "we'll be back," she said over her shoulder to Stuart and Charlie, as she led Leopold outside.
They sat outside, Kate snuggled against Leopold, her head on his chest. Leopold had his arms wrapped around her, a contented smile on his face.
"It was here that I was going to ask you to marry me," Leopold said suddenly. "You were very nearly asleep, and I suppose I lost my nerve.:
Kate looked up at him in surprise. "You..were going to propose?" she asked, her eyes turning misty. Leopold nodded wryly, the drone of Breakfast at Tiffany's wafting through the air.
"That could have been the biggest mistake of my life, not asking you. Had you not come back…." His voice trailed off, and he glanced at his watch, which flicked to 12:00. The light across the street switched off, and Leopold nudged Kate. "Come, my grace, our alarm has alerted us." He lifted her, as he'd done before, and carried her to bed.
Routinely, Leopold slipped in beside his wife, and draped the covers over them, turning off the lamp. "'Night Leopold," Kate whispered softly. "I love you." Leopold kissed Kate gently.
"Goodnight, my duchess," Leopold murmured, pulling a strand of blond hair from Kate's face. "Sweet dreams."
Stuart was quiet, mulling over the news. He wasn't jealous that the baby wasn't his. He'd been a lousy boyfriend to Kate, and he was happy…happy that Leopold followed him back. Stuart wondered what would have happened if Leopold hadn't cared, hadn't tried to stop Stuart from jumping. He glanced over at Leopold, who'd clasped Kate's hands in his own, talking quietly. Kate had had her rough share of life, and it seemed as though that weekend with Leopold had changed her life forever.
The sole person whose happiness probably exceeded Charlie's was Leopold's. He daydreamed constantly from the moment Kate said she was pregnant, as he was doing now. His eyes were soft as ever when he imagined waking to a child's insistent cries, holding him/her, rocking him/her. Oh…Leopold didn't care if the baby was a boy or girl, dark or light skinned, blue eyes like Kate's or brown like his own. All he cared about was the baby growing happy, healthy…and his and Kate's.
Kate stood to clear the dishes, and as usual, Leopold stood as well. Charlie looked up from his veal and shot to his feet, grinning awkwardly. Stuart, brilliant as he was, didn't quite catch on about the chivalry of standing when a lady leaves the table. Leopold let it go, Kate observed, for her husband's eyes were fixated on her, ready to jump to her defense if she so much stumbled.
Leopold hurried over to help with the dishwasher, somewhat eager to show Stuart just how much he knew about the 21st century life. Kate intercepted him with a soft kiss.
"I'll take care of it, Leopold," Kate assured him, breaking the silence at the dinner table. She glanced around at the somber faces and sighed. "Come on, you guys! You look like someone just died or something, much less the fact that a person is beginning to live!" Silence answered her. "You all are really starting to worry me!" she turned to her brother. "Charlie, you are too quiet for your own good!" She looked at Leopold, who seemed to be holding in a smile. He nodded subtly to Charlie.
"Oh bloody brandy! I do declare, Leopold, that milady Kate here has gone a bit off her rocker, wouldn't you say, old chap?" Charlie announced suddenly, switching into his sorry British accent…or that's what Leopold would say.
Leopold looked slightly baffled for a moment, then slipped into the routine as well. "Charles, my friend, I don't believe you've ever been more correct. Our Kate is much too serious. Perhaps, my friend," Leopold rustled through the fridge and pulled out a container, glanced at the label, and made a face. "Perhaps she shall be drawn back to her senses by the creamy taste of Farmer's Bounty. With a child on the way, it is sure not to add to the luxury of her waistline." His eyes sparkled mischievously, although he winced at the memory of the commercial.
Kate stood, open mouth, and stared at her brother and husband. What were they trying to pull? She glanced at Stuart, whose mouth was pressed into a thin line…a hidden smile. Leopold and Charlie prattled on.
"Leopold, my Duke, allow me to butter your scone, my lord," Charlie said grandly as he smeared Farmer's Bounty onto a roll. Leopold smiled brightly, but it looked more of a grimace.
"The lengths I'll go for you, Kate," Leopold muttered as he sank his teeth into the roll. His face twisted and he chewed painfully. Kate couldn't hold it. Her shoulders shook and a giggle escaped her lips. She proceeded to explode into a full out belly laugh. Stuart, never having seen the commercial, smiled warily.
Charlie grinned. "That wasn't so hard, was it, Leo? We made her laugh." He looked at Leopold, who was dousing his mouth with wine, groaning. Kate walked over to her husband, laughing, and took his hand.
"I fell in love with a madman. How did I do it?" she grinned. "we'll be back," she said over her shoulder to Stuart and Charlie, as she led Leopold outside.
They sat outside, Kate snuggled against Leopold, her head on his chest. Leopold had his arms wrapped around her, a contented smile on his face.
"It was here that I was going to ask you to marry me," Leopold said suddenly. "You were very nearly asleep, and I suppose I lost my nerve.:
Kate looked up at him in surprise. "You..were going to propose?" she asked, her eyes turning misty. Leopold nodded wryly, the drone of Breakfast at Tiffany's wafting through the air.
"That could have been the biggest mistake of my life, not asking you. Had you not come back…." His voice trailed off, and he glanced at his watch, which flicked to 12:00. The light across the street switched off, and Leopold nudged Kate. "Come, my grace, our alarm has alerted us." He lifted her, as he'd done before, and carried her to bed.
Routinely, Leopold slipped in beside his wife, and draped the covers over them, turning off the lamp. "'Night Leopold," Kate whispered softly. "I love you." Leopold kissed Kate gently.
"Goodnight, my duchess," Leopold murmured, pulling a strand of blond hair from Kate's face. "Sweet dreams."
