Ok we're doing this, but one more after this and then that's it for this story at least.
Thanks for all the kind reviews, it's quite helpful in the motivation department :)
I gave Mrs. Pelham a name because it was too weird to me not to, I hope you all think it fits
"Edith, I just got off the telephone with your mother. She'll be coming up on the next train with your father they should be here in time for afternoon tea. I also took the liberty and phoned Miss. Edmunds in London and let her know-"
"-Mother please! Edith needs to rest and prepare, you shouldn't be bothering her with all this..."
Although in the very early stages of labor Edith was feeling far from helpless, and was sitting up in bed waiting for the real action to happen and trying to manage her husband's anxiety.
"Bertie it's fine, you're getting all worked up when you don't need to. She is just being helpful, which I appreciate very much..." Edith added with a grateful smile to the woman who had just burst into her bedroom in a whirlwind.
"...Mother if you could, can you please tell Mrs. Lewis to prepare the Rothbury room for Mama and Papa I think they prefer it."
"It's already taken care of, I also squared away the baby nurse and told Drummond to keep a car at the ready to fetch the doctor. Marigold just finished her breakfast and I told Nanny to be ready to take her into my apartment when you actually start, I know how...stressful birth can be and I would hate for her to hear you and get frightened."
Mrs. Harriet Pelham finished to the stunned faces of her son and daughter-in-law, she really had begun to think of everything when Edith woke late last night with slight contractions, Bertie nearly screamed the house down and the doctor was summoned, but with the contractions so light and extremely far apart the doctor was confident in saying that they all had a very long wait ahead of them and planned to return the next day sometime before lunch.
Of course Bertie refused to leave her bedside so he relied on his mother to take care of the more practical matters, and she seemed to deliver.
"Thank you Mother, that's all so very kind of you. I hope you managed to get some rest after last night." Bertie sincerely said as he invited her to sit in the chair next to Edith's beside.
"Truthfully not really, but it's all so very exciting so I don't mind in the least!" Harriet answered with a smile towards Edith
"I do feel very silly for raising the alarm last night when we still have to wait so long, and getting everyone so worked up." Edith said slightly embarrassed
"Oh it's no matter, your body was telling you to get ready, that's all. And we've waited more than a year for this baby we can stand a few more hours. Can't we Bertie?" Harriet turned to her son who was leaning against the bed post
"We'll have to, there isn't much of a choice. But the sooner the better..." Harriet caught the slight wink Bertie gave to Edith as he finished, in the beginning it used to drive her crazy, it was no way for a Marquess to act, throwing flirty looks and gestures to his wife for all the world to see. But she resigned herself to the fact that her quiet unassuming son was head over heels in love and there was no changing it.
"...in the meantime can I get you anything? Maybe some more to eat or something?" Bertie asked Edith and waited to get her anything she might have needed
"Actually I'd love for you to take Marigold on walk, maybe down to the stables. I don't want her feeling abandoned and she's barely seen either of us all morning."
"I'd really hate to leave you Edith." Bertie seriously said
"Darling nothing is happening anytime soon, I want you to take a break to stretch your legs and spend some time with Marigold."
"You're sure?"
"Yes!" Edith impatiently said "If I need anything I know you asked one of the maids to stay within earshot, and if we need you one of the footmen will run to find you. Plus I have Mother here and she fusses over me just as much as you do."
Accepting the fact that his wife was right Bertie sheepishly went to give her a kiss on the cheek
"Alright, but I'll see you very soon."
With a final look back at his mother and Edith, Bertie smiled and shut the door.
"That was very good of you, I could see he was driving himself mad with concern the minute I stepped in here." Harriet confidently said
"If any one was going mad it was me, every time I so much as cleared my throat he was ready to jump up and call the doctor. In fact he spent the night in that chair, he told me he 'didn't want to take a chance and disturb my sleep' it will do the both of us good for him to clear his head for a bit and for me to get some peace." Edith tiredly said
"Yes, and you should. I'll just be in the library if you need anything." Harriet said as she rose from the chair
"Oh no, I didn't mean anything like that. Please stay, I'm afraid we really haven't had much of a chance to talk over the past few months. It seems there is always a dinner being thrown and recently Bertie's been so concerned about the baby that he's been hovering over me like a hen." Edith added with a laugh
"It's not very surprising, he's always been a bit of a worrier, especially when he loves something, and if there is one thing that's apparent now it's that my son loves you in spades." Harriet added as Edith blushed and shyly turned her head.
She had known Bertie was infatuated with the girl since he started to spend more time visiting London, normally he would only have to travel there three or four times a year for business and he preferred to spend his time on the estate, so she suspected something when he started to travel south once or twice a month and each time he would come back giddy and smiling and it seemed already planning his next trip. Then there was the business of him visiting her at her parent's house. She became concerned after he returned from Africa when he was so melancholy and down, spending most of his time locked away in his office and only eating off trays. She knew Bertie and Peter were close but she figured the Crawley girl would have snapped him out of the funk, or possibly she was the cause of it.
Before she could really ask him about it Edith and her parents showed up on the doorstep ready to announce the news, she had wondered about the timing, there had been rumors in the past about Lord Grantham going through financial troubles and now Bertie was quite the catch, but that wouldn't explain Edith spending so much time with him when everyone thought he had no chance at the title or any money, and once she found out Edith had her own source of income those thoughts were put to bed.
She found out that weekend that he certainly cared for her, when Bertie told her that he didn't want Edith to tell her the truth about sweet Marigold. Her son, with his strong moral compass was ready to lie to his mother for the rest of her life all in order to protect Edith and the little girl.
It wasn't until about six months into their marriage that Harriet realized how deeply her son really felt about his wife, she realized at every grand dinner they hosted while others were trying to steal the attention of the young and fashionable Marquess and Marchioness of Hexam, Edith and Bertie always stayed close to each other, just a glance over the shoulder or reach of an arm away. Orbiting each other like small planets. She also realized that at every dinner she would almost always catch Bertie shooting a small smile or lingering gaze at Edith while he should have been attending to his guest.
The final realization came after Bertie and Edith asked her into the library in late summer and told her to be expecting a grandchild in about six months, Bertie was beaming with pride and love like she had never seen anyone else before. He was so excited to be a father and so happy that Edith was the one that would be the mother to his child, the whole experience made her a bit emotional. Firstly because she was going to become a grandmother, full and proper, and secondly because she saw how utterly thrilled her son was at the prospect of growing his own family, and she knew it was all because of the woman sitting next to him, holding his hand while he shared the good news.
"It seems he does-" Edith replied still trying to hide her obvious smile "- and I love him."
"I know you do, dear. And I know it might not be obvious at times but I'm terribly happy you and Bertie found each other." Harriet quietly but sincerely said as Edith looked a bit confused at what she was actually hearing
"I'm very...glad to hear that. You must have known how terrified I was of you when Bertie and I became engaged, and now I feel so blessed to have you as a part of our lives."
It was Harriet's turn to be embarrassed as she busied her hands smoothing out her dress and mumbled something about responsibility and her being nothing special as Edith interjected
"I'm serious, if you weren't here to keep an eye on the household and lend a hand I couldn't possibly be as involved in my magazine as I am, it's much easier popping off to London for a few days when I know you're here to take care of Bertie and Marigold. And I can't possibly tell you how happy it makes me to see that you've taken to Marigold so well."
At the mention of the little girl Harriet's eyes shot up and she met Edith's truly grateful gaze
"She's a darling little thing, she reminds me of someone special so I'm just pleased you've allowed me to get close to her as I have."
Edith could see the emotion in Harriet's eyes and could feel her wanting to share something and took a chance
"Bertie mentioned that you had a child after him but he doesn't remember many details, is that who Marigold reminds you of?"
With a sad smile and a tear spilling over her eyes Harriet nodded and continued
"I became pregnant again just after Bertie was about six months old, we didn't plan it but James and I were happy. Soon enough we had a little girl, Alice, and she made a perfect complete little family for us. Of course he can't remember much now but Bertie adored her and the two of them were very sweet. One day when Alice was around seven or eight months she got a terrible fever, we moved Bertie here, to Brancaster immediately and hoped she would pull through. She was such a happy and active baby so we thought it wouldn't be a problem, but it only took two awful weeks for the disease to take her."
Harriet quietly and sadly recounted the story and continued when she felt Edith softly take her hand
"It's been so long that I've lost some memories but I do remember that she had soft chestnut curls and lovely blue eyes, just like your Marigold. It might be a bit indulgent of me at times, but Marigold is such a sweet little girl it's hard not to fall for her. I know some people will look at us and think Bertie is luckier for finding such an interesting wife or will be jealous of you for securing a rich man with a title but out of all of us I think I came out best. I gained a wonderful daughter who brought a little girl with her that I'm mad about and my son is happy and loved, and we're about to add someone else to the mix, what more could an old woman ask for?"
Harriet rhetorically asked as she smiled at Edith and used her free hand to give Edith's a loving pat
"Thank you Harriet, I truly don't know what we'd do with out you. And Marigold does love her Grandma as I'm sure this little patient one will as well." Edith said as she caressed her own rather large belly
"I very much look forward to meeting him or her, but if Bertie catches me in here blabbering away to you when he thinks you should be resting he'll have me thrown out the front door."
Harriet left her chair to give Edith a small kiss on the cheek and quickly fluff the pillows behind her
"Get your rest dear, you'll have a very tiring day and night ahead of you. I'll go meet your parents at the station when they get here and bring them straight up, and I'll try and keep poor Bertie as calm as possible."
As Edith saw again how much Harriet cared for her and Bertie a thought popped into her head and became very obvious.
"Mother, would you stay in the room with me and Mama when the time comes? I'd like to have you here, if you want of course. It's just that I expect you'll play a big role in this little one's life and you should be one of the first to welcome them into the world."
Harriet was touched once again by Edith generosity and warmth
"I've suspected it these past few months but now I know that Bertie could not have made a better choice when he asked you to marry him. Of course I'll be here I'd be honored to, now get some rest my dear, when Bertie gets back I'll send up some tea."