Philadelphia, July 1942.
Even thought it was late when Edward arrived home Eliza was awake waiting for him. He knew she'd be up, even before he drove up the driveway and saw the light shining out from the front parlour. He strode into the house which felt like home after only two weeks, and into the parlour. Eliza was knitting, but upon hearing his footsteps she looked up. Her eyes combed his tired face for any sign of clues, but there were none there, and she was forced to ask. "Well?"
Edward walked over to pour himself a scotch before responding. Alcohol was scarce now that they were in the middle of the war, but through contacts he managed to get the occasional bottle. He took a sip and then responded nonchalantly. "We got it."
Eliza squealed and jumped up to hug her husband, who was forced to hastily put his drink down lest it get spilt. Her own news was forgotten momentarily in the triumph of her husband's success. He smiled at her enthusiasm as he hugged her back, and then held her at arms length. "You realise this is going to impact on our family a lot don't you sweetheart?" He asked her.
Eliza nodded. "Of course I do Edward, but it's a necessary evil. It looks as though the war is going to go for awhile yet so we've all got to make sacrifices." She said, although in the back of her mind was the idea that the sacrifices were nowhere near as bad as the ones they'd all experienced in England.
Edward nodded. "You're right." He told her, picking up his drink again and taking another sip. "I suppose if anyone have told me the Gracie's would get involved in steel I'd have told them they were mad! After all it's pretty far removed from our normal business and all. Although I am sure Father's up there nodding his head. He was a pretty shrewd businessman and he won't see anything wrong with this expansion that's for sure! And once the war's over we can sell that part of the business and go back to what we do best."
There was a comfortable silence between the couple as Edward finished off his drink and Eliza sat down again and picked at her knitting. Her face was down so Edward couldn't see the look of thoughtfulness on her face. There were two things she had to discuss with him, and she decided to get the easiest one out of the way first.
"I had a letter off Rose this morning." Eliza said. "They had a change of plans and they're actually in Hollywood at the moment. Rose's manager thought that Rose could perhaps take her stage appeal from Broadway to the big screen. Naturally she's a bit nervous about the idea, but as she says "nothing ventured, nothing gained." She also said the children love California- the weather there is gorgeous apparently, and her husband has found some work to keep them going. The only dark cloud is she hasn't heard from Jackson in awhile, and I think she's a bit concerned about him."
Edward frowned thoughtfully. "He's in the marines right?"
Eliza nodded.
"According to JP a lot of our troops are being sent to South Africa for a campaign there. I imagine if that's where he is it would be rather hard to get a letter out." Edward said. "I'm sure he's fine."
"Oh I'm sure he is too." Eliza said. "Rose just wants him back."
Edward went over to sit down on the couch, stretching his feet in front of him with a sigh. "Did Mother come over today by any chance?" He asked.
Eliza shook her head. "No, although I was out for a bit, and the children were left with Maria." She said. "But you'd think they'd mention it if she came over." Maria was the young girl next door who had babysat for the Gracie's on a few occasions now. She was only fourteen but completely trustworthy, and Margaret and Ben loved her.
"Where were you?" Edward asked curiously.
Eliza sighed, and bit her lip. She knew she had to tell him- she couldn't exactly keep it a secret, but she was ashamed, and she was also worried about his reaction. "Actually Edward I was at the Doctors." She said softly.
Edward sat up in shock. "The Doctors? Is anything wrong? Eliza, why didn't you tell me you were sick?" He demanded worried.
Eliza took a deep breath. "Well I'm not exactly sick," she said. "I'm pregnant Edward."
Edward stared at her in shock. "Pregnant?" He repeated.
Eliza nodded.
Edward frowned and looked away for a moment and then he turned back to her. "We're going to have another baby?" He asked.
Eliza nodded again, wondering what was going through his head. His face was expressionless. Was he as ashamed as she was at her being pregnant at her age? She was thirty-six already, and her youngest child was six!
Suddenly a huge grin spread over his face. "Another baby!" He cried, getting out of his seat and hurrying over to embrace her. "That's the best news I've heard in a long time."
Eliza smiled, relieved, but she still had to voice the nagging doubt at the back of her mind. "You don't think I'm too old?"
"Too old?" Edward said. "No! Definitely not! Three kids! Wow!"
Eliza laughed. "I'm glad you're happy, but I wonder what everyone else is going to say. Especially your mother!"
"Screw everyone else including her!" Edward declared, pulling her to her feet and holding her against him. "I'm going to be a father again!"
Eliza smiled contentedly. She hadn't dreamed he would be this happy, and it relieved her burdens somewhat, although she was still conscious of the Doctor's comments. "You've got to take it very easy Mrs. Gracie." He had cautioned her. "I mean resting as much as possible- at the very least a few hours a day. And when it comes to the last few months I will be wanting you in bed all the time." Eliza had frowned. "Is that all necessary Doctor?" She had asked. "If you want to deliver the baby alive it is." The Doctor had said bluntly, making Eliza wince with the candiness of his comments. "Mrs. Gracie firstly when you gave birth to your last child you required many stitches, and from the sound of it the birth was a long and hard one. Secondly after those times in the war in England your nerves are frayed- perhaps a lot more than you realise. Your physical tells me this Mrs. Gracie and what all this means is that you can't stress at all whilst you are expecting this child, and must rest as much as possible." So Eliza had left the surgery with strict orders to rest as much as possible, but none of this conversation was relayed to her husband. Eliza told herself she didn't want to spoil his happiness, but she knew also that he would make her stick to the rules rigidly, far more rigidly than she believed was necessary. She'd had two babies hadn't she, so there would be no problem with the third!
Even thought it was late when Edward arrived home Eliza was awake waiting for him. He knew she'd be up, even before he drove up the driveway and saw the light shining out from the front parlour. He strode into the house which felt like home after only two weeks, and into the parlour. Eliza was knitting, but upon hearing his footsteps she looked up. Her eyes combed his tired face for any sign of clues, but there were none there, and she was forced to ask. "Well?"
Edward walked over to pour himself a scotch before responding. Alcohol was scarce now that they were in the middle of the war, but through contacts he managed to get the occasional bottle. He took a sip and then responded nonchalantly. "We got it."
Eliza squealed and jumped up to hug her husband, who was forced to hastily put his drink down lest it get spilt. Her own news was forgotten momentarily in the triumph of her husband's success. He smiled at her enthusiasm as he hugged her back, and then held her at arms length. "You realise this is going to impact on our family a lot don't you sweetheart?" He asked her.
Eliza nodded. "Of course I do Edward, but it's a necessary evil. It looks as though the war is going to go for awhile yet so we've all got to make sacrifices." She said, although in the back of her mind was the idea that the sacrifices were nowhere near as bad as the ones they'd all experienced in England.
Edward nodded. "You're right." He told her, picking up his drink again and taking another sip. "I suppose if anyone have told me the Gracie's would get involved in steel I'd have told them they were mad! After all it's pretty far removed from our normal business and all. Although I am sure Father's up there nodding his head. He was a pretty shrewd businessman and he won't see anything wrong with this expansion that's for sure! And once the war's over we can sell that part of the business and go back to what we do best."
There was a comfortable silence between the couple as Edward finished off his drink and Eliza sat down again and picked at her knitting. Her face was down so Edward couldn't see the look of thoughtfulness on her face. There were two things she had to discuss with him, and she decided to get the easiest one out of the way first.
"I had a letter off Rose this morning." Eliza said. "They had a change of plans and they're actually in Hollywood at the moment. Rose's manager thought that Rose could perhaps take her stage appeal from Broadway to the big screen. Naturally she's a bit nervous about the idea, but as she says "nothing ventured, nothing gained." She also said the children love California- the weather there is gorgeous apparently, and her husband has found some work to keep them going. The only dark cloud is she hasn't heard from Jackson in awhile, and I think she's a bit concerned about him."
Edward frowned thoughtfully. "He's in the marines right?"
Eliza nodded.
"According to JP a lot of our troops are being sent to South Africa for a campaign there. I imagine if that's where he is it would be rather hard to get a letter out." Edward said. "I'm sure he's fine."
"Oh I'm sure he is too." Eliza said. "Rose just wants him back."
Edward went over to sit down on the couch, stretching his feet in front of him with a sigh. "Did Mother come over today by any chance?" He asked.
Eliza shook her head. "No, although I was out for a bit, and the children were left with Maria." She said. "But you'd think they'd mention it if she came over." Maria was the young girl next door who had babysat for the Gracie's on a few occasions now. She was only fourteen but completely trustworthy, and Margaret and Ben loved her.
"Where were you?" Edward asked curiously.
Eliza sighed, and bit her lip. She knew she had to tell him- she couldn't exactly keep it a secret, but she was ashamed, and she was also worried about his reaction. "Actually Edward I was at the Doctors." She said softly.
Edward sat up in shock. "The Doctors? Is anything wrong? Eliza, why didn't you tell me you were sick?" He demanded worried.
Eliza took a deep breath. "Well I'm not exactly sick," she said. "I'm pregnant Edward."
Edward stared at her in shock. "Pregnant?" He repeated.
Eliza nodded.
Edward frowned and looked away for a moment and then he turned back to her. "We're going to have another baby?" He asked.
Eliza nodded again, wondering what was going through his head. His face was expressionless. Was he as ashamed as she was at her being pregnant at her age? She was thirty-six already, and her youngest child was six!
Suddenly a huge grin spread over his face. "Another baby!" He cried, getting out of his seat and hurrying over to embrace her. "That's the best news I've heard in a long time."
Eliza smiled, relieved, but she still had to voice the nagging doubt at the back of her mind. "You don't think I'm too old?"
"Too old?" Edward said. "No! Definitely not! Three kids! Wow!"
Eliza laughed. "I'm glad you're happy, but I wonder what everyone else is going to say. Especially your mother!"
"Screw everyone else including her!" Edward declared, pulling her to her feet and holding her against him. "I'm going to be a father again!"
Eliza smiled contentedly. She hadn't dreamed he would be this happy, and it relieved her burdens somewhat, although she was still conscious of the Doctor's comments. "You've got to take it very easy Mrs. Gracie." He had cautioned her. "I mean resting as much as possible- at the very least a few hours a day. And when it comes to the last few months I will be wanting you in bed all the time." Eliza had frowned. "Is that all necessary Doctor?" She had asked. "If you want to deliver the baby alive it is." The Doctor had said bluntly, making Eliza wince with the candiness of his comments. "Mrs. Gracie firstly when you gave birth to your last child you required many stitches, and from the sound of it the birth was a long and hard one. Secondly after those times in the war in England your nerves are frayed- perhaps a lot more than you realise. Your physical tells me this Mrs. Gracie and what all this means is that you can't stress at all whilst you are expecting this child, and must rest as much as possible." So Eliza had left the surgery with strict orders to rest as much as possible, but none of this conversation was relayed to her husband. Eliza told herself she didn't want to spoil his happiness, but she knew also that he would make her stick to the rules rigidly, far more rigidly than she believed was necessary. She'd had two babies hadn't she, so there would be no problem with the third!