"You are up early. Are you well this morning, love?" John asked his wife as he entered the dining room for breakfast.
"I am well, dear. I wanted to see you off to Liverpool today," Margaret answered, "You were up even earlier than usual."
"I had some things to do at the mill before my trip," he replied, "What are your plans for the day?"
"Oh just some sewing and time with the children. Remember today starts my confinement as it is a month until the birth."
"Ah yes, be sure to take care of yourself and give the children my love," he said.
"When do you expect to return?" she asked.
"Late this evening, I should be home around ten. I must be off," he said finishing his coffee, "I need to catch the early train."
Margaret had to use both of her hands on the arms of the chair to push her and her voluminous belly to a standing position. She did manage to make it all the way up before John could get around the table to help her, all the while protesting her need to rise on his account.
"I must give my husband a proper goodbye!" she exclaimed sliding her hands up to his cravat while he snaked his over her belly and around her waist, at least as far as they would reach. She straightened the cravat and then reached around his neck to pull him down for a kiss.
After a few moments of delicious silence he said, "Mmmm, I must go or I will miss my train."
"Yes, too bad. I'll be waiting for you this evening then," she said walking him to the door.
He put on his coat and hat and turned to give her another kiss. Then he grabbed his briefcase and left.
….oOo….
Margaret went about her day consulting the housekeeper and governess and overseeing the education and activities of her children. As usual she began to feel tired in the early afternoon and her back ached. She had never been this big with any of her other children even at nine months. She feared this child might be larger and her labor more difficult. Dr. Donaldson would be coming by tomorrow and she would mention her concerns to him then.
Since her mother-in-law was out for the afternoon, Margaret decided to join the children for tea in the nursery. Young Hannah has been learning how to be a hostess and was happy to be able to practice her new skills on her mother. She impressed Margaret by knowing exactly how she took her tea, without having to ask. Margaret often had to remind the younger children to mind their manners, but otherwise teatime was uneventful, at least until the end.
As the maid was clearing away the tea things, Margaret started feeling a tightening of her belly and sharp pains. She left the children with their governess and retired to her room to rest hoping the pains would go away.
After an hour of lying down not only did the pains not subside they increased in intensity and frequency. By this time the elder Mrs. Thornton had returned so Margaret decided to seek her out for her opinion. No sooner did she rise from the bed when she had to sit back down with a very sharp pain that made her cry out. Her mother-in-law heard this and came to her door.
"Margaret?" she inquired, "Are you well?"
"Yes, Hannah. Please come in," called Margaret with some worry, "I think I might be in labor, but it is too early!"
Hannah observed her for a few minutes and announced that they should send for the doctor. Margaret was alarmed but Hannah did her best to calm her daughter-in-law. She helped her out of her day clothes in preparation for the doctor's visit as well as potential labor and delivery. She gave orders to the maids to make the appropriate preparations.
Margaret voiced her next concern, "But Hannah, John is not here! He won't be back until late this evening."
Hannah reasoned that it was senseless to send an express to Liverpool for him. He would be coming home on the next available train anyway and the message may not even reach him as they did not know exactly where he would be. She would send the carriage to the station to be waiting for him upon arrival.
….oOo….
Dr. Donaldson arrived and confirmed that Margaret was indeed in labor and quite far along too. The midwife was also sent for and together she and the doctor were certain the child would arrive that evening.
"Not before John gets here, I hope!" Margaret protested.
"There is nothing we can do about that, my dear," the midwife quipped, "the child will come in its own time."
Margaret continued to labor. The doctor and midwife monitored her progress and often conferred with each other out of Margaret's hearing.
Additionally Mrs. Watson arrived to see if she could be of any use. Margaret often found Fanny's particularly prattling presence during labor to be a pleasant diversion from her pains. In John's absence his sister's arrival was a doubly welcome distraction.
Finally Margaret started in on active labor and it didn't take long for the child to be born – a healthy baby boy! However, as the child was whisked away to be cleaned and otherwise attended to, Margaret screamed out with more labor pains. A second child was born, this one a girl! Twins – what a surprise!
"Of course, this explains why I was so large!" Margaret stated as the babies were brought to her. "What time is it?" she asked, wondering if John would be home soon. "John will be so amazed! I wouldn't be surprised if he fell over in shock," she declared.
It was shortly after ten, so the carriage should be on the way home from the train station with John, soon to arrive.
When she heard John's anxious voice and quick footsteps in the hall, she asked Fanny and Hannah to each take a baby and turn their backs. Instead, they decided to step behind a nearby privacy screen and await a summons.
John entered the room and hurried to his wife's side. Kneeling next to her he caressed her check and asked if all was well.
"Yes, darling," she replied, "Oh, you are out of breath, here take a drink, your throat must be dry." She then indicated Bessy's cup on the bedside table just freshly refilled with water for her own use.
As he stood and grabbed the cup John inquired, "Where is the baby?"
As John took a drink from the cup his mother and sister emerged from behind the screen with the twins. In his shock and surprise John spit the water halfway across the room (thankfully none of those present got an impromptu shower).
"Two!" he said in genuine amazement, wiping his mouth with his handkerchief.
"Yes dear," Margaret said with a smile and taking his hand, "Are you not pleased? They are a boy and a girl."
He sat, no, more like fell, onto the bed next to her. Blinking and swallowing a few times as the shock wore off he replied, "It is absolutely wonderful!"
Hannah then stepped forward to hand him his son and Fanny brought his daughter to Margaret.
"They are perfect," his mother declared.
"Yes," added Fanny, "the boy looks like you John. He has your black hair and your scowl."
At this John gave one of his trademark scowls to Fanny for good measure.
His sister grinned at him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. She then continued, "The girl looks like Margaret and I can already tell that she has her mother's sweet disposition."
Margaret smiled and thanked Fanny for her kind words.
John asked if the older children had met their new siblings yet. Margaret replied that they had not. Hannah then reminded them that the children had been put to bed a few hours earlier. Their acquaintance with their new siblings would not begin until the morrow.
Hannah then declared that they would all clear out of the master bedroom and leave the couple alone with their new children.
John then slipped off his shoes and sat on the bed, leaning against the pillows, with Margaret. They stared in wonderment at their beautiful sleeping babies.
"What shall we name them?" he asked after some time, "We thought we still had a month to decide."
Margaret suggested, "I was thinking 'George,' for your father, and 'Maria,' for my mother, what do you think?"
"I think that is a fine idea," he replied, "George and Maria."
Margaret sighed in contentment and rested her head on her husband's shoulder quickly falling asleep in her exhaustion.
John placed a kiss on her head. He took another drink from Bessy's cup, swallowing it this time, and set it back on the bedside table. He leaned back against the pillows, making sure his son was comfortable in his arms, and joined his wife and their twins in slumber.