[A/N. I realise this chapter has been a long time in coming, but I've been
pretty busy and any time I've got to write on stories has basically been
spent on my "Harry Potter" story, or should I say my "Snape" story. Anyway
I don't think a lot of people read this anymore so it probably doesn't
matter. But I won't stop writing it because I am enjoying writing it. After
two or so more chapters I am probably going to skip a few years like I did
awhile back. It seemed to work pretty well then, so hopefully it does this
time as well.]
Philadelphia, November 1942.
Eliza sighed and leant back on the pillow. She knew it was time to get up but it was the last thing she felt like doing. The last few days had left her feeling sick and weak, but she hadn't mentioned it to anyone, especially not Edward for fear of worrying them. But today she had to get up, she had no choice: it was Margaret's seventh birthday. And in a few months Ben would be nine. Sometimes Eliza wondered where the time had gone, but she wouldn't have swapped a moment of seeing her children grow up. The only regret she had was that as a married woman, especially a pregnant one, she couldn't join anything like the WASPS and help America win the war. Not that Edward was complaining. When Eliza had mentioned it being a pity his face had turned red, and he'd snapped "No wife of mine would be joining any fighting." Since she was pregnant anyway Eliza hadn't bothered to argue the point, but occasionally she wondered whether she would have stuck up for her rights if she had been able to join?
"MAMA!" Margaret was suddenly in the room and on the bed. "Why aren't you up yet Mama?"
Eliza sighed and sat up. Edward had gone to work a few hours before and she'd debated getting up, but decided it was far too early. "Good morning sweetie." Eliza said. "Happy birthday." And she reached into the draw beside her bed to get Eliza's present. It was a porcelain doll, something Margaret had her eye on for a long time. Seeing it Margaret's eyes lit up, and she went away to get dressed. Eliza sighed again and got up and dressed. She wondered what part of her brain hadn't been functioning when she'd invited Margaret's school friends over for a party that afternoon, and when she'd told Edward he didn't have to come home from work early to help out if he was too busy.
Downstairs she met Ben who complained to her about "all the silly girls coming over."
Eliza laughed and ruffled his hair. "One day in the not so distant future you're going to like girls sweetie." She said.
"Yuk!" Ben made a face. "Never."
Eliza laughed. "Are you going to be a good boy and help me with some things for the party? I know Katy will, and Cook's made some nice treats for the party."
"Treats hey?" Ben mused. "Maybe the party will be all right after all. But if I don't help you I won't get to have the party treats will I?"
Eliza started to say yes, and then shook her head. "No so you better help me then."
"Okay Mama, I'll help." Ben agreed. "And Daddy told me to help you anyway because of the baby."
Eliza smiled, and held out her hand. Ben took it and they went into the living room.
*****
"Do you want me to hand out that plate of cupcakes Mrs. Gracie?" One of Margaret's friends mother asked. "You're looking kind of pale."
Eliza nodded gratefully. "I haven't exactly been feeling too well lately." She admitted, glad that one or two women had stayed to help out. Without them she would have been having trouble keeping an eye on things in her weakened state.
The woman, whose daughter was perhaps Margaret's best friend, looked concerned. "Maybe you should go back to the Doctor?" She suggested, but Eliza shook her head.
"I'm not due back to the end of the month. I don't want to waste his time with some stupid little thing." Eliza argued.
"What if it's not some stupid little thing?" The woman asked.
Eliza shook her head. "I'm sure it is." She said. "Anyway, thanks for handing out the cupcakes."
The woman laughed. "That's your polite way of telling me the discussion is over hmm? Well I don't mind, as long as you're sure."
"I'm sure." Eliza confirmed, and the woman took the plate and started circulating. Taking a deep breath Eliza walked over to where Ben was standing watching the food carefully.
"It's not too bad is it?" She asked him.
He shrugged. "I guess not, but I wish there were some boys here to play with.Mama?"
"Mm?" Eliza answered.
"Will we ever go back to England?" He asked, and Eliza was surprised at the question.
"I don't think so honey." Eliza said slowly. "This is your home, and our home."
"Margaret tells everyone we'll go back to England one day." Ben said. "I think she is pretty sure about it too."
Eliza raised an eyebrow. Margaret had never mentioned anything about going back to England to her.
"We're not going anywhere at the moment sweetie," Eliza assured her son. "And if we ever do decide to go somewhere you'll be the first to know."
"Pinkie swear?" Ben asked.
Eliza smiled and pinkie swore her son that he would be the first to know if they were going anywhere.
*****
Eliza glanced over at the grandfather clock in the room and saw with relief that the party was almost over. She'd almost made it. She was having trouble breathing and so she sunk into the nearest armchair and put a hand on her chest.
"Miss Eliza?" Katy the maid asked.
"Yes?" Eliza responded.
"Are you all right Miss?" Katy asked, peering at her employer worriedly.
"I'm fine Katy." Eliza lied, and Katy, not looking as though she completely believed her, hurried away with the remnants of "pass the parcel."
Eliza suddenly felt strange, and the world around her began to swim. A moment later everything went black..
Philadelphia, November 1942.
Eliza sighed and leant back on the pillow. She knew it was time to get up but it was the last thing she felt like doing. The last few days had left her feeling sick and weak, but she hadn't mentioned it to anyone, especially not Edward for fear of worrying them. But today she had to get up, she had no choice: it was Margaret's seventh birthday. And in a few months Ben would be nine. Sometimes Eliza wondered where the time had gone, but she wouldn't have swapped a moment of seeing her children grow up. The only regret she had was that as a married woman, especially a pregnant one, she couldn't join anything like the WASPS and help America win the war. Not that Edward was complaining. When Eliza had mentioned it being a pity his face had turned red, and he'd snapped "No wife of mine would be joining any fighting." Since she was pregnant anyway Eliza hadn't bothered to argue the point, but occasionally she wondered whether she would have stuck up for her rights if she had been able to join?
"MAMA!" Margaret was suddenly in the room and on the bed. "Why aren't you up yet Mama?"
Eliza sighed and sat up. Edward had gone to work a few hours before and she'd debated getting up, but decided it was far too early. "Good morning sweetie." Eliza said. "Happy birthday." And she reached into the draw beside her bed to get Eliza's present. It was a porcelain doll, something Margaret had her eye on for a long time. Seeing it Margaret's eyes lit up, and she went away to get dressed. Eliza sighed again and got up and dressed. She wondered what part of her brain hadn't been functioning when she'd invited Margaret's school friends over for a party that afternoon, and when she'd told Edward he didn't have to come home from work early to help out if he was too busy.
Downstairs she met Ben who complained to her about "all the silly girls coming over."
Eliza laughed and ruffled his hair. "One day in the not so distant future you're going to like girls sweetie." She said.
"Yuk!" Ben made a face. "Never."
Eliza laughed. "Are you going to be a good boy and help me with some things for the party? I know Katy will, and Cook's made some nice treats for the party."
"Treats hey?" Ben mused. "Maybe the party will be all right after all. But if I don't help you I won't get to have the party treats will I?"
Eliza started to say yes, and then shook her head. "No so you better help me then."
"Okay Mama, I'll help." Ben agreed. "And Daddy told me to help you anyway because of the baby."
Eliza smiled, and held out her hand. Ben took it and they went into the living room.
*****
"Do you want me to hand out that plate of cupcakes Mrs. Gracie?" One of Margaret's friends mother asked. "You're looking kind of pale."
Eliza nodded gratefully. "I haven't exactly been feeling too well lately." She admitted, glad that one or two women had stayed to help out. Without them she would have been having trouble keeping an eye on things in her weakened state.
The woman, whose daughter was perhaps Margaret's best friend, looked concerned. "Maybe you should go back to the Doctor?" She suggested, but Eliza shook her head.
"I'm not due back to the end of the month. I don't want to waste his time with some stupid little thing." Eliza argued.
"What if it's not some stupid little thing?" The woman asked.
Eliza shook her head. "I'm sure it is." She said. "Anyway, thanks for handing out the cupcakes."
The woman laughed. "That's your polite way of telling me the discussion is over hmm? Well I don't mind, as long as you're sure."
"I'm sure." Eliza confirmed, and the woman took the plate and started circulating. Taking a deep breath Eliza walked over to where Ben was standing watching the food carefully.
"It's not too bad is it?" She asked him.
He shrugged. "I guess not, but I wish there were some boys here to play with.Mama?"
"Mm?" Eliza answered.
"Will we ever go back to England?" He asked, and Eliza was surprised at the question.
"I don't think so honey." Eliza said slowly. "This is your home, and our home."
"Margaret tells everyone we'll go back to England one day." Ben said. "I think she is pretty sure about it too."
Eliza raised an eyebrow. Margaret had never mentioned anything about going back to England to her.
"We're not going anywhere at the moment sweetie," Eliza assured her son. "And if we ever do decide to go somewhere you'll be the first to know."
"Pinkie swear?" Ben asked.
Eliza smiled and pinkie swore her son that he would be the first to know if they were going anywhere.
*****
Eliza glanced over at the grandfather clock in the room and saw with relief that the party was almost over. She'd almost made it. She was having trouble breathing and so she sunk into the nearest armchair and put a hand on her chest.
"Miss Eliza?" Katy the maid asked.
"Yes?" Eliza responded.
"Are you all right Miss?" Katy asked, peering at her employer worriedly.
"I'm fine Katy." Eliza lied, and Katy, not looking as though she completely believed her, hurried away with the remnants of "pass the parcel."
Eliza suddenly felt strange, and the world around her began to swim. A moment later everything went black..