As we finished luncheon, someone knocked at the door. Matt slipped outside with the baby cradled in the crook of his arm. I heard voices in the hall, and moments later he ducked back in.
"Aunt Letitia is requesting more time with her grand-nephew," he said. "Do you feel well enough to have the entire household come in? I told them you need to rest, so they won't stay long."
I agreed, hastily buttoning the housecoat I had donned over my nightgown. Then I rose cautiously from the armchair (where our lunch tray rested on a small table) and went to stand by the foot of the bed.
Matt's aunt entered first, followed by Duke, Gabe Siefert, Chronos, and finally Willie.
"India, my dear!" Aunt Letitia embraced me, then held me at arms' length. "You look well. Motherhood suits you. Much more than it did my sister-in-law, I must say."
Duke and Chronos clustered around Matt, clapping him on the back and peering at the baby, as though believing he would have grown bigger since yesterday.
Willie, too, was craning her head around Matt's shoulder. She seemed very curious about the new addition to the family.
I asked, "Would you like to hold him, Willie?"
"No!" She looked horrified. Jamming her hands into her pockets, she backed away. "I mean…he's real handsome, India, but I'm afraid if I touch him, I might break him."
Matt chuckled. "I felt the same way."
"You won't break him, Willemina," Aunt Letitia said. "But I'll take him, Matthew, if I may."
Matt passed the child to her. Beaming with pride, she crooned to him.
Gabe came over and touched my arm. We chatted for a few minutes, until Aunt Letitia's voice caught my attention.
"I've been writing correspondence to all my friends, announcing the happy news." She had taken the baby close to one of the windows, as though showing him off to the trees and birds.
"I thought I should start with a letter to the Rycrofts," she went on. "I do hope it galls Beatrice to know that you've produced a male heir so soon, India. She was most likely hoping you would have only girls, like she did, so your children wouldn't inherit the title. It will be so satisfying to tell her the news. In fact, I should arrange to meet her for tea so I can do it in person."
Matt stood behind his aunt with arms crossed and one eyebrow raised. I caught his gaze, rolling my eyes, and he smiled.
A moment later he came to stand next to me, putting an arm around my waist. The recent meal had helped me feel steadier on my feet; still, I appreciated Matt's solid strength.
I heard him asking Gabe to stay behind after the others left, to check both me and the baby.
Now Duke was taking James from Aunt Letitia. Chronos started to offer advice, but Willie cut in.
"Duke don't need your help, Chronos. He's an old hand with babies, on account of all the little cousins he helped take care of back in California."
I had begun to realize Duke's skills just yesterday. He even, it seemed, had no qualms about changing diapers. Unlike Aunt Letitia. She was happy to hand the baby back to me or Matt if he required more than simple rocking.
Duke offered to take the baby for an hour or two, so we could sleep.
"I won't say no to that," Matt replied. "Thank you."
Aunt Letitia began to ask us about hiring a nanny, but Matt put her off. "We have plenty of time, Aunt. Besides, didn't you say my cousins were raised exclusively by nannies and governesses? Look how they turned out. I'd like to do precisely the opposite while raising my child."
Aunt Letitia looked like she couldn't decide whether to agree, or to scold Matt for his impertinence.
A few minutes later, Gabe ushered everyone out.
The doctor took our baby from Duke, then shut the door. Matt assisted me out of the housecoat and into bed. As I leaned back against the pillows, he hovered anxiously next to me.
I met Gabe's eyes. We exchanged a look of wry amusement. I suspected he was doing this check-up for the same reason I was: to humor Matt, not because it was medically necessary.
Gabe examined the baby first, then handed him to his father.
"He's a fine, strong boy, Glass." Glancing at me, the doctor smiled. "You're very lucky."
Matt murmured, "Indeed."
After looking me over, Gabe declared us both in good health. "Just continue to do as you're doing, India," he said. "Rest, drink herbal tea, eat nutritious meals. You may call on me, of course, if you have any concerns. Though I have full confidence in Mrs. Franklin."
Matt gave him a hearty handshake. They agreed to ready the carriage so the doctor could return to his lodgings in London.
I thanked Gabe for his help, and he bent down to kiss me on the cheek.
Matt, cradling our son, said, "I'm holding Duke to that promise of babysitting," then left the room with Gabe.
I snuggled under the covers. It was very quiet with everyone gone, and I closed my eyes.
I must have dozed off, because the next thing I knew, Matt was back. He moved about the room, pulling closed the curtains that we'd opened at lunchtime.
I watched him strip off his clothes, next, and drape them on a chair. When he wore nothing but drawers, he headed for the bed. Pausing by the jacket he'd hung on the bedpost, he reached into the pocket.
His gaze connected with mine. "Are you too tired to open your gift?"
"Another gift? No, I'm not too tired."
He climbed into bed. We lay on our sides facing each other, propped on several pillows.
Matt placed a rectangular box on the mattress. I peeled away the paper and lifted the lid to reveal a ruby pendant.
I caught my breath. The gem was a graceful oval shape no wider than my thumb. A simple gold setting fastened it to the chain.
Matt watched me as I took the necklace and held it up to the light that stole through the curtains. The center of the stone seemed to glow with crimson sparks, as though the light came from within. Darker red shadows glimmered along the edges.
"Matt, it's…stunning." I tried to find more words, but what came out of my mouth was, "It must have cost a fortune."
He chuckled. "Only a small one. You deserve it, India." He gave me a warm smile, then touched my forearm, stroking his hand down to mine. "Yesterday was…miraculous. I will remember our son's birth as long as I live. And I want to be reminded of it every time you wear this."
"You didn't need to buy me jewelry for that purpose, Matt."
He shook his head. His hand cupped my face, fingers threading into the hair by my ear. "I wanted to give you something valuable, because you've given me things that are invaluable. My own life, when you fixed my watch. Our son. And your love."
He leaned close and kissed me, tenderly. I held the necklace in one hand, gripping his bare, broad shoulder with the other.
I kept my eyes closed when the kiss ended. I felt myself sink deeper into the pillows, sighing with contentment.
"Are you asleep, wife?" His low voice rumbled through the bedding.
"No." I opened my eyes, gazing at the pendant he'd given me. "Is there a significance to your choice of stone?"
"There is. Not the ruby itself, but the color. Though I'm afraid you'll think it macabre."
"Now I'm intrigued."
"I chose red because…" His hand slid down my arm, gently over my waist, and rested on my hip. "You nourished our child with your own blood for nine months, India. And you lost much of it giving birth to him. I wanted to show you how much I appreciate what you endured for our family."
"It's not so great a sacrifice, Matt. You've shed your own blood too many times, protecting me."
He looked as though he would protest that the situations were different, but seemed to think better of it.
"And I don't think that's macabre at all," I said. "It's very generous."
He nodded at the necklace. "Would you like to try it on?"
"I would—but not right now. This is so elegant, and I…I feel the opposite of elegant."
He smiled, stroking my hair, not seeming to notice that it needed both washing and combing. "You look beautiful."
I rolled my eyes, though he sounded perfectly sincere.
"I'll wear it in a few days' time," I said. "I can put on a priceless necklace with a rumpled housecoat, just to laze about the bedroom and work on my son's new watch."
"I look forward to that."
Carefully, I placed the pendant back in its box. Matt took it, rolled over, and set it on the nightstand.
When he turned back to face me, I smiled impishly. "If this necklace will make you happy by reminding you of the past two days, I'll be sure to wear it the next time you're in a foul mood, or behaving badly. So that it reminds you," I finished in a teasing, airy tone, "of all I've done for you."
He groaned. "You, my darling wife, are far too clever for your own good. Or rather, my good."
I chuckled, and so did he. Then we both yawned, one after the other.
"Let's get some rest, Matt, while we still can."
"Agreed."
Pushing away the extra pillows, he cuddled closer to me. We had an awkward moment trying to arrange our legs so our knees didn't bump. But then I curled into him, my arm draped over his strong ribcage, his hand resting on my shoulder.
"Thank you, Matt," I murmured sleepily against his chest. "My husband. Bringer of wonderful gifts."
"My pleasure, India."
His fingers found my chin and tilted it up. If I'd expected the kiss to be clumsy because we were exhausted, I was wrong.
His lips moved sweetly against mine. He kissed me so softly and completely that I knew how much I was cherished.