Thank you for reading! I don't own any of Sense and Sensibility! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates on the second and fourth Saturday of each month!
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It was an indisputable fact that having a family suited Colonel Brandon.
Since his marriage, he had been loath to leave his house and journey to London whenever it had meant that his wife would be parted from him, but after his children were born, he practically became a recluse.
If Marianne and their daughters couldn't accompany him to a destination, then Christopher desperately tried to avoid taking the journey.
He delighted in parties and picnics where his family was welcome, although he admittedly spent more time conversing with his wife and amusing his little girls than he did mingling with others.
"Besotted." Mrs. Jennings chuckled as she sat next to Elinor one warm spring day and watched the Brandon family during an afternoon social, "Absolutely besotted! Look how attentive he is with Marianne and their little dears!"
Marianne sat on the side of the blanket Christopher had laid down for his family to rest on while he helped Emma and Cecilia gather daisies from the grass to make flower crowns.
He sat beside his wife and listened to their children with the utmost attention, as if every syllable that fell from their little mouths was an enlightening truth he couldn't afford to miss.
"Marianne is very happy, indeed…….I see the Colonel is as well." Elinor nodded as she gazed at her sister.
"And how are you, Mrs. Ferrars?" Mrs. Jennings smirked, "You and Edward have a fine boy, any more on the way?"
"No, I'm afraid not." Elinor laughed at Mrs. Jenning's nosy attitude. She gazed at her sister again as she narrowed her eyes in the bright sunlight while she replied, "Marianne, though….I noticed something in her eyes last night….I don't think she and the Colonel are quite done expanding their family yet."
"Oh?" Mrs. Jennings asked, her interest clearly piqued, "Has she confided in you?"
"No, it's just……It's something I know somehow…..as her sister…..I'm sure you understand, Mrs. Jennings." Elinor nodded.
"My dear, sisters are some of the best detectors of approaching motherhood!" Mrs. Jennings laughed.
As the two women gazed at the Brandon family, Marianne, Christopher, Emma, and Cecilia all failed to notice.
"You hold these, Daddy." Emma ordered as she placed a plethora of daisies into Christopher's large palm, "And I'll hold these ones."
"These." He corrected her as he carefully folded his fingers to secure the delicate flowers his daughter had entrusted to him. He gazed at his little girl with a stoic expression as he vowed, "I shall hold them in my keep until you're ready to use them, my darling."
On the other side of the blanket, little Cecilia frowned at the ground as she poked the surrounding blades of grass with a stick.
The blinding sun glinted off of her pale blonde hair.
Between the brightness of the light and the frothiness of her billowy, pastel dress, the Brandons' youngest child reminded her parents of an adorable little cream puff.
"...Cecilia?" Christopher asked as Emma turned away to resume her task of finding and gathering daisies.
He moved over to his youngest daughter as she looked up with a frown on her small face as he asked, "What's the matter, little one?"
"Sissy's taking all of the daisies for herself." Little Cecilia informed her father with a petite, angry scowl on her cherubic face, "...I hardly have any."
Chritopher smiled as he glanced over at Emma who diligently plucked daisies from the earth as if her survival depended on the final number of flowers she collected.
"That's no matter, your sister's only trying to help you." He told his youngest daughter with a confident nod.
Cecilia threw him a questioning look as Christopher promised, "We're going to make flower crowns for the two of you…..Emma's worried the daisies will blow away, my darling. She's gathering enough for you both."
"Is that true, Daddy?" Cecilia asked with a doubtful pout on her lips.
"It is, indeed." Christopher nodded, "Why don't you go and ask her?"
Cecilia frowned at him for a moment before she distrustfully went to ask her sister about what she had been told.
Emma had Christopher's gentle disposition.
Cecilia laughed as she discovered that her elder sister was more than happy to share with her.
Colonel Brandon smiled softly as he watched his daughters begin to work and play together.
In the sublime joy of that pleasant afternoon, Christopher turned his head, hungry for a glance at his beautiful wife.
He blinked when he noticed that Marianne had left the pleasant respite of their towel to walk towards the distant trees.
Across the lawn, Elinor listened to Mrs. Jennings' gossiping debate when she happened to look over and ask, "Where's Marianne going in such a hurry?"
Mrs. Jennings interrupted her chatter as she peered at Marianne's receding figure.
"I haven't the slightest idea, my dear, but perhaps your or the Colonel should pursue her?" Mrs. Jennings frowned.
Elinor made eye contact briefly with Christopher, who cast her a worried look.
She rose to her feet in answer to his silent request.
Elinor rushed over to sit with the girls as he stood to chase after her sister.
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Colonel Brandon was far older than his wife, but physically, his body had maintained its shape and stamina from his many years of intense military training.
He caught up with her staggering steps just before she reached the thick trees that bordered the property.
"Marianne?" Christopher called out, "Marianne, my love?...Why have you left us in such a hurry?...Where can you possibly be headed?"
He had expected Marianne to turn and speak with him.
He hadn't imagined for a moment that she would hunch over and begin to violently vomit into one of the dense trees.
"MARIANNE!" Christopher cried as his eyes widened.
He rushed forward while she continued to retch over and over again.
"Marianne, my darling!" He cried as he swept up behind her and pulled the few stray curls that hung towards her face into his hands to avoid letting them dangle in front of her mouth.
Marianne gasped for breath as she bent over in the warm sunlight and followed her body's demands to empty her stomach.
As she continued to retch, approaching footsteps prompted Christopher to turn his head in the direction of the sound.
Once he noticed Elinor walking towards them, he called out, "We must get her back to the house! She's dreadfully ill!"
Elinor's eyes widened as she beheld her sister.
While she tried to process what she witnessed, she thought of the couple's children, whom she had left in the temporary care of Mrs. Jennings.
"Marianne!" Elinor cried out as she dashed towards her sister at a sprint, "MARIANNE!"
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Elinor ran ahead to collect the children and send for the carriages, which sat waiting in the driveway by the time Christopher carried Marianne back after her stomach had finally settled.
He frowned in concern as he rode to his estate with his wife lying in his lap while Elinor kept the children company as they followed behind in a second carriage.
Colonel Brandon kept his frown once the carriages reached his home.
Although he was a very devoted father, he practically forgot his daughters existed as he hurriedly rushed Marianne into the house.
"Colonel Brandon!" Mrs. Millins exclaimed as he hastily burst through the door with Marianne in his arms, looking pale and grey, her dress stained with the odious colour of vomit.
"Send for a doctor, Mrs. Millins! Hurry!...My wife has suddenly fallen ill!" Christopher shouted as he carried his lover up to their bedroom.
Mrs. Millins and the servants scrambled to send for a doctor, collect cool water, and come to their mistress's aid.
Upstairs, Christopher lovingly removed his wife's soiled garments and helped her into one of her clean nightgowns before he laid her in bed as her eyes closed in exhaustion from her ordeal.
"Oh, my darling Marianne……" Christopher breathed as he held his lover's hand, "...What terrible ailment has befallen you?"
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Later that afternoon, Dr. Harris finally arrived and scrambled upstairs to examine his ill patient.
Although he feared the worst from the descriptions he had been given of Marianne's plight, after he completed his study of Mrs. Brandon, his worried frown fell away.
Christopher's mouth hung open once the doctor gave his final diagnosis.
"...Are you certain?...What you're saying is undoubtedly true?" He asked the physician.
"As certain as I am of anything, Colonel. Do you doubt my expertise?" Dr. Harris asked.
"Of course not." Christopher frowned, "I can only say that when our daughters were born, my wife never had such violent episodes of unimaginable sickness."
"Every pregnancy is different." Dr. Harris nodded, "It's not uncommon for a woman to report entirely different complaints with each child."
"Tell me, sir," Christopher requested as he furrowed his brow in concern, "Is something wrong in this instance?...Is this an indication of trouble?...A harbinger of ominous coming?"
"Colonel, I would say in my experience and learning, most likely not." Dr. Harris nodded, "If I were to equate the severity of your wife's symptoms to anything, I would most likely make the supposition that Mrs. Brandon may not be carrying a single life."
The doctor nodded again as he packed up his black bag while Marianne slowly opened her eyes.
As she had gradually returned to consciousness, she had listened to the conversation.
On his face, Christopher wore an expression of reverent disbelief, similar to the one he had shown when Marianne had thanked him for the first time.
"...She may not be carrying a single life?" He echoed in a low whisper.
As Marianne rustled around in bed, Christopher breathed a visible sigh of relief as he looked over and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
"Are you feeling any better, my darling?" He asked in a velvet drawl.
"A bit, yes." Marianne nodded, "I'm sorry about today……..That awful wave of nausea just overcame me."
"What I meant to say, Colonel," Dr. Harris explained as he turned towards the couple and glanced at them both before he announced, "...is that Mrs. Brandon is most likely expecting twins."
Marianne gasped.
Christopher gazed at the doctor before he turned to stare at his beloved with wide eyes.
Dr. Harris smiled as he watched the couple immediately embrace each other.
He thoughtfully lingered to answer the many questions he knew would be asked quickly.
Colonel Brandon took no chances when it came to his family, he wanted to learn all that he could about their care and well-being.
Perhaps it was the soldier in him or his great love for Marianne, but Christopher took great pride in protecting the ones dear to his heart.