This story has gotten away from me and I know I can't possibly make all of my ideas flow together into a publishable draft. However, this is one thing I wanted to make sure to address. I apologize for the time jump and any pacing issue it might cause as we near the end of the story.

There were good days and bad days. Sometimes those bad days were Cedric's, others were Evangeline's, and sometimes it was with the children.

The baby became Tora's go-to topic whenever she found herself alone with Evangeline and now and then Simon liked to check in with her and his father if they seemed to be having an off day. On more than one occasion, Evangeline caught Eric reading up on childbirth (which would have concerned her more if it were any of the children besides him), and Lily confided in her one night that if she ever had a baby, it would be hers. After all, Tora had taken Aggie under her wing. Having been too young when Chrissie was born, she was next in line for the next baby.

With the majority of the kids aware of the situation along with Mrs. Blatherwick, Cedric and Evangeline opted to tell them so long as the secret remained in their household until they were ready to go public. The children agreed, and as expected, there were mixed reactions.

"Does that mean we'll lose Evangeline, too?" Sebastian had asked, too young to remember Chrissie's birth and only having Aggie's as his reference. Chrissie had been elated until the idea had been set in her mind.

Cedric and Evangeline put on brave faces, putting their own worries aside.

"Everything will be fine," they said.

It had to be.

. . .

The months carried on without issue. According to the doctor and then the midwife, everything was going as it should. With this, Cedric finally began to ease and let himself show more excitement. Preparation went underway moving Aggie from the crib and into a new bed, the kids all divided up their belongings to see what could be passed down to their new half-sibling, and in general, it was a happy time in the Brown house.

However, once it was no longer feasible to hide her ever-growing belly during her outings, things grew more difficult for Evangeline.

"Have you noticed?" she'd heard a woman say to another at the market one afternoon. "Mr. Brown's new wife?"

"I did," the other woman scoffed. "I tell you, I'm surprised there hasn't been a baby sooner. I couldn't think of another reason Mr. Brown would marry so beneath him."

"I've thought the same."

"At least she's managed to tame those wretched children of his," the second woman said.

"I heard it was that new nanny they had months back."

"I'd forgotten all about it… whatever happened to her?"

The first woman shrugged. "Kids probably scared her away, too."

"Well, whatever the case, the second Mrs. Brown has her work cut out for her. What can she possibly know about mothering a child?"

"Wasn't she one of the servant girls that grew up around here? Motherless and fatherless?"

"Might've been from another town over, but that's the one."

"Frankly," the first woman said, "I don't know what Mr. Brown ever saw in her. He'd be better off if he'd gone through with Selma Quickly."

"He'd be dead!"

The women laughed and Evangeline had decided she'd heard enough. She scanned the crowd for her eldest stepdaughter, grabbing her by the arm as soon as she spotted her.

"Come along, Tora," she said in a dry voice.

"But I haven't found any parsnips yet."

"Cook can do without them. We ought to be getting home."

Looking in Evangeline's basket, Tora said, "You haven't got the herbs—"

"Perhaps we can use some fresh from the garden," Evangeline said as she kept walking.

"Are you feeling ill?" Tora then asked in a hushed tone, well aware that her stepmother had been cursed with morning sickness later on in her pregnancy.

Not wanting to have to admit the truth, Evangeline nodded. "Quite ill indeed."

. . .

"Rough day at the market, I hear?" Cedric said lightly as he came into the bedroom when he arrived home from work.

Evangeline had gone straight to bed upon arriving home. She kept replaying the overheard conversation over and over in her mind. She'd known all along that the women in the village and even the parish hadn't quite accepted her as her own, but to hear such vicious comments about her and her incapability to be a mother and her not being worthy of Cedric stung.

"A bit," she said, pretending she was reading.

"Is it your stomach again?"

With a sigh, she sat up. At this point, she knew she could hide nothing from Cedric. If she didn't tell him now, he'd hound her until she did. "I only told everyone that. I've felt good today."

"Then what's the matter?" he questioned, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"I don't really want to tell you because you'll be angry – not with me or any of the children. It's just… something I overheard."

"Tell me."

"Promise you won't react?"

"Evangeline…"

She took a breath and then answered. "Some women were talking about me today."

"Oh?"

"Hurtful things."

"Such as?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Of course I do. If there's gossip about us I have a right to know."

Begrudgingly, she told him word for word, his face growing redder in anger with each sentiment.

"How dare they!" he shouted when she was through.

"I don't want the children to know," she shushed. "I took Tora home in case they might continue once I left."

"The nerve of people," he seethed. "To be so cruel to you and wish death on me to save me from what they've deemed to be a shame?"

"I don't know what to do about it. I don't want to admit to eavesdropping, and I certainly don't want to hear the extent of whatever has been said since we've been married… but what if it does get back to the children? What if their friends' parents are among the gossipers?"

"Did you recognize these women?"

Evangeline shook her head. "Not by name, but I've seen them around town."

"It's probably a good thing you don't know. I don't trust myself not to show up at their door."

"And what? The damage is done."

"I have a right to defend you," Cedric grumbled.

"They'll just call me sensitive."

"And what of it?"

Reaching for his hand, Evangeline said, "Please understand… I knew all along our marriage wouldn't be received well. I'd hoped people would come around, of course. You know I don't have many friends outside of the house. I don't suspect I ever will outside of church groups. Even then I still feel the outsider. It's a strange sort of position. Some of my friends from before are intimidated by me now because I'm no longer considered an equal. It goes both ways. Some tolerate me better than others."

"You're not someone to be tolerated. I am proud to call you my wife."

"And that's enough for me," she said with a squeeze. "Yes, what they said does hurt. It will take a little while to come to terms with it."

"I can see you fighting back tears," he said. "You don't have to tolerate this slander."

"Maybe I don't… but that doesn't mean I'm able to handle the repercussions of speaking up right now. People… they're always going to have their opinions about people like me. They're going to be quick to throw me in some category of gold diggers and tarts simply because of my background. It doesn't matter that I've proven myself to be something other than what they've decided to believe. They're close-minded and can't see me for who I am, let alone take the time to know me."

"All the more reason to show them the errors of their ways."

"Part of me wants to," she sniffed. "I want to stand up for myself, and maybe I should have right there and then. I just froze. I didn't want to believe what I was hearing. I've never given anyone a reason to think I'm capable of such evil doings." Finally, her tears broke free. "How could they, Cedric?"

He pulled her into his arms and rubbed her back. He was at a loss as to what to do or say about the situation. She was right, of course, about people simply assuming one's character based on a position or belief. He knew this from his own experience. He was the widower who buried his grief by running around with the help – even if their relationship had remained chaste up until their wedding. He'd just never realized how much more difficult their situation was for her as a woman than for him as a man. Other men found amusement and even a bit of jealousy in his so-called conquest. He never stopped to think that a pregnant Evangeline would be regarded as his burden.

"I'd like to at least speak to the vicar about this," he said with his lips pressed against her temple.

She pulled back. "Cedric, no."

"I can't name who's said anything, so now's the time if for no reason other than advice on how to handle it. I don't trust my temper, but I refuse for this to continue."

"I don't want to make a fuss."

"It's not a blasted fuss. You are my wife and it's high time that you are treated as such."

Running her sleeve over her eyes, she said, "Hopefully someday."

"Someday will never come if we don't start addressing it. Isn't it better now than after the baby is born when all eyes will really be on us?"

Running her hand over her belly, she reluctantly nodded. "Start by talking with the vicar. See what he says about it."

"I won't do anything to embarrass you, darling," he said with a kiss. "That much I promise."

"It's not so much about embarrassment as it is retaliation."

"You are not the one at fault. All you've done is go about your business."

"I know that. It's just… complicated. They weren't completely wrong about my upbringing hindering me. I don't think I've done badly as a mother, but I don't know how to fit in among society."

"If you ask me, that's your most attractive quality," he winked.

"So long as you think so, what more can I ask?"

. . .

It was a while before Evangeline felt comfortable returning to the market or anywhere, really. Even being in the church had grown uncomfortable. Cedric said the vicar extended his sympathy, but by the looks of things, more might have been said in response. She felt more heads turning in the congregation, scrutinizing her and her family. Or maybe she was just more aware of it since the incident.

Thankfully, Cynthia and Mrs. Blatherwick were more than happy to take over the errands.

"You do so much around here," Cynthia had said, "Sometimes I feel as though I'm not needed."

Evangeline assured her that was far from the truth. As for Mrs. Blatherwick, she took a more familiar approach.

"About time you've let yourself rest. Look at ya, you're starting to hobble!"

To this, Evangeline rolled her eyes. "I've still about two months to go. I'm far from hobbling. But yes, it's time to slow down. Precaution and all."

Mrs. Blatherwick, knowing Evangeline as she did, didn't fully buy this explanation but accepted it nevertheless.

It wasn't easy for Evangeline to pass off her duties to anyone else. She'd never pictured herself as a lady of leisure even when she became the lady of the house. She didn't know what to do with herself. One could only spend so many hours reading and replying to letters. They got very few callers, and the children were busy enjoying their summer holiday free from their schooling. She took to strolling around the grounds, tending to the animals and garden as much as her swollen belly would allow. She hadn't quite adapted to the weight of the baby slow as the progression was. She had energy for which she was thankful, but overall, she was becoming uncomfortable in her own body. The monotony of her days was no help. She missed her strolls into town, getting her fill of whatever small talk was offered. What frustrated her most was that she'd let two strangers uproot her entire routine. When had she become so passive?

"I think I'd like to go into town tomorrow," she said to Cedric one evening.

Taking off his glasses and putting the paper down on his desk, he said, "I thought you'd handed that over to Cynthia and Mrs. Blatherwick?"

"Only because I've let the gossip intimidate me. I can still manage it. The more I've let it sit the more ashamed I feel. I've been a coward."

"You don't need to hear such things said about you, me, or the children or any combination."

"No, but I shouldn't let it change the way I live. I'm bored here all day. Cynthia won't let me help with the cleaning. I can't run around with the children... There's nothing for me to do."

"I understand that."

"Perhaps if I bring a couple of the children with me it will give me courage."

"I can already answer that Tora will be happy to go."

She chuckled. "She's a natural at being a mother's helper."

Cedric smiled. "She'd had lots of practice."

"Perhaps I'll bring Sebastian along, too. He's got the sweetest face of all of them. People wouldn't have the heart to say anything nasty with him around."

"Bring Aggie and you'll be too busy making sure she doesn't run off for anything else," he teased.

"I almost miss the days of crawling!" Then shaking her head lightly, she said, "No, I don't think I'm up to that. Tora and Sebastian will be fine."

Standing up from the desk and moving to his chair, he patted her knee. "I'm proud of you."

"Why? I shouldn't have stopped going in the first place."

"You can blame everything on pregnancy," he winked.

Rolling her eyes, Evangeline said. "I'm not sure about that. I think this has been something I've been putting off for too long as it is. You know better than anyone how insecure I've felt."

Tucking her hair, behind her ear, Cedric nodded. "I know."

"I want to keep making you proud."

"You don't have to try very hard for that."

"So, you approve then?"

"I don't suspect they're all waiting for you to return so they can speak more of you. You've gone all this time without incident, haven't you?"

"As far as I'm aware. It's the idea of it, you know? Wondering how long they've been at it and how foolish I've been made to look because of it."

"The only ones who look foolish are the ones stupid enough to believe what's being said in the first place, never mind the ones saying it."

Leaning back in her chair, she let out a sigh. "I just hope if something is said I'll find it in me to confront it. I don't like how worried I've become. This isn't me… I mean, beyond my moments here and there. I care most about what you think of me."

"I think the world of you."

"As always, that's enough for me."